Philippians Simplified

Author & Audience

Author = The Apostle Paul

This is One of His Prison Epistles

Though We Call it That, Paul was Actually On a Sort of Guarded House-Arrest

Acts 28:16 (NASB95)

When we entered Rome, Paul was allowed to stay by himself, with the soldier who was guarding him.

Acts 28:30–31 (NASB95)

And he stayed two full years in his own rented quarters and was welcoming all who came to him,

preaching the kingdom of God and teaching concerning the Lord Jesus Christ with all openness, unhindered.

Audience = The Christians at Philippi

Philippians 1:1 (NASB95)

Paul and Timothy, bond-servants of Christ Jesus, To all the saints in Christ Jesus who are in Philippi, including the overseers and deacons:

One Thing We Notice About this Church is Their Organization

They are Well-Established with Overseers and Deacons

We Actually Have a Lot of Information About Philippi

I Want to Share Some Interesting Information About the City and Then the Church There

Philippi was Named After King Philip II, Alexander the Great’s Father

It was a Very Prosperous Roman Colony

This Means the Citizens of Philippi Were Considered Citizens of the City Rome Itself

One Major Contributor to the Prosperity of the City was the Fact that…

The Via Egnatia Ran Straight Through the Center of the City

This was One of the Most Important Roads in the Roman Empire

This Meant Lots of Traders and Commerce Would Travel Right Through the City

Many of the Residents Were Retired Military Men and Their Households

They Would Be Given Land in the Vicinity…

And in Return They Would Serve as a Military Presence in the City

They Were Very Proud to Be a Roman Colony

There was Lots of Patriotic Nationalism in Philippi

They Dressed, Spoke, and Acted Like Romans

Their Pride in Being Roman Citizens Helps Us Understand Philippians 3:20-21

Philippians 3:20–21 (NASB95)

For our citizenship is in heaven, from which also we eagerly wait for a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ; who will transform the body of our humble state into conformity with the body of His glory, by the exertion of the power that He has even to subject all things to Himself.

Paul is Reminding These Philippian Christians…

Where Their True Pride and Allegiance Should Lie

Though They Were Citizens of the Roman Empire…

They Were Citizens of the Kingdom of Jesus First and Foremost

And They are Waiting for His Return…

When He Will Resurrect and Transform Their Bodies into Bodies Like His…

As Well as Subject All Things to Himself

We as American Christians are Known for Having a Lot of Nationalistic Pride

It’s Okay to Love Your Country…

But Our First and Foremost Pride and Allegiance Should Not Be to the Stars and Stripes…

But to Jesus, the King of Kings

We Need to Be Careful Not to Be More Passionately About Our…

Patriotism and Politics Than the Gospel of Jesus

As for the Philippian Church, We can Read a Lot of Helpful Information in Acts 16

On Paul’s 2nd Missionary Journey, He Received a Vision of a Macedonian Man Calling for Help

So Paul and His Companions Traveled to Philippi to Preach the Gospel

Paul Would Usually Go Straight to the Synagogue in a New City

This Would Be the Most Natural Way to Talk About Jesus to the Locals, Start with the Jews

But There Wasn’t a Synagogue in Philippi…

Probably Because it was a Primarily Gentile City

So Instead of Going to a Synagogue, Paul Went to a Local River

There He Found a Group of Women Who Gathered Together to Pray

There He Met and Baptized a Woman Named Lydia

She Then Generously Offered Her House to Them

She was Also Paul’s First Convert on the Continent of Europe

Which Means the Church in Philippi Began with Women

Then Paul and Silas Get Thrown in Prison for Casting a Demon Out of a Slave Girl

While in Prison They Sang Praises to God…

Expressing Their Joy Even While Suffering

Which will Eventually Lead to the Philippian Jailer's Conversion

Throughout the Book of Acts and Paul’s Writings…

We Find a Few Important Characteristics About the Philippian Christians:

They Were Primarily Gentile

Women had a Significant Role in the Church

They Remained Loyal to Paul, Even in His Sufferings/Imprisonments

They Were Extremely Generous

2 Corinthians 8:1–5 (NASB95)

Now, brethren, we wish to make known to you the grace of God which has been given in the churches of Macedonia, that in a great ordeal of affliction their abundance of joy and their deep poverty overflowed in the wealth of their liberality.

For I testify that according to their ability, and beyond their ability, they gave of their own accord, begging us with much urging for the favor of participation in the support of the saints, and this, not as we had expected, but they first gave themselves to the Lord and to us by the will of God.

Philippians 4:10–16 (NASB95)

But I rejoiced in the Lord greatly, that now at last you have revived your concern for me; indeed, you were concerned before, but you lacked opportunity. Not that I speak from want, for I have learned to be content in whatever circumstances I am.

I know how to get along with humble means, and I also know how to live in prosperity; in any and every circumstance I have learned the secret of being filled and going hungry, both of having abundance and suffering need. I can do all things through Him who strengthens me. Nevertheless, you have done well to share with me in my affliction.

You yourselves also know, Philippians, that at the first preaching of the gospel, after I left Macedonia, no church shared with me in the matter of giving and receiving but you alone; for even in Thessalonica you sent a gift more than once for my needs.

Even Though They Were an Impoverished Church, They Loved to Bless Others

Not Only Did They Contribute to the Help of the Poor in Jerusalem…

They Also, More Than Once, Sent Help to Paul in His Ministry

We Can Learn a Whole Lot About Generosity By Looking at the Philippians

We Should Strive to Match Such Generosity

Purpose

Paul’s Initial Purpose = To Thank the Philippians for Their Aid

But While Writing this Thank You Letter, He Also Took the Opportunity to Encourage Them

He Encourages Them to Be United Through Humility and Selflessness

He Encourages Them to Hold to the True Gospel of Salvation By Faith in Jesus

He Encourages Them to Be Joyful in All Circumstances

Themes

Joy - 23 Times

Philippians is Known as the Letter of Joy

Paul Talks a Lot About Being Joyful in All Circumstances

Though Paul was a Prisoner When He Wrote this Letter…

He Learned to Be Content/Joyful in All Circumstances

And in this Letter He Taught the Philippians to Do the Same

Joy and Happiness are Not the Same Thing

Happiness is an Emotion You Experience Based on What Happens to You

Joy is an Mindset that Says, “No Matter What Terrible Things I Suffer Now…”

“Jesus has Something Far Better Waiting for Me.”

Share - 6 Times

Greek Word “koinonia” = “Participation, Fellowship, and Share”

The Philippians Participated with Paul in the Preaching of the Gospel

They Did this Through Providing for Him While He Preached the Gospel

The Philippians Were the Most Generous Church in the New Testament

Paul Shared the Sufferings of Jesus Because of His Ministry

He Suffered Willingly so that He Could Also Share in the Resurrection of Jesus

Outline

Paul’s Prayer for the Philippians (1:1-11)

He Thanks God for Their Faith and Participation in the Gospel

He Asks God to Continue Helping Them Grow in Love, Knowledge, and Good Works

Paul’s Imprisonment (1:12-26)

Even Though Paul is in Prison, it’s Not So Bad…

Because the Gospel is Spreading More Because of it

Regardless of How it Happens, All Paul Wants is for the Gospel of Jesus to Spread

Even if that Means He Must Stay Alive and Suffer a Little Longer…

Even Though He Longs to Be with Jesus

Paul’s Encouragement to Imitate Jesus (1:27-2:18)

Being Worthy of the Gospel Means Being Willing to Suffer for the Gospel

Jesus Selflessly and Humbly Suffered for Us

We Must Set Our Minds on Doing the Very Same for Others

Only Then Can We Reach the Mutual Love and Unity Jesus Desires for Us

2 Imitators of Jesus (2:19-30)

Paul Tells the Philippians that He is Sending Timothy to Them

He Loves the Philippians Just Like Paul Does

And He is a Truly Selfless Man, Like Jesus

He is Also Sending Epaphroditus

He was Sent By the Philippians to Bring Aid to Paul

But Then He Got Deathly Sick

But God Spared His Life and He’s Coming Back Home

Paul Tells Them to Respect Him Because He Risked His Life for this Good Work, Like Jesus

Paul’s Warning of Jewish Legalism (3:1-4:1)

As was Common in the 1st Century, There Were Judaizers Trying to Influence the Philippians

But Warned Them Not to Listen to Them

Paul was Also of Jewish Heritage, But He Considered All of His Jewish Credentials as Excrement

Faith in Jesus is All that Matters

And Only By Faith in Jesus Will We Experience the Resurrection From the Dead

Paul Encouraged Them to Follow His Example, Not the Jewish Legalists

Paul’s Encouragement to Rejoice in All Circumstances (4:2-23)

Paul Tells the Philippians to Rejoice Always…

And Give All of Their Anxieties Over to God in Prayer

Then the Peace of God that is Better Than Anything We Can Imagine…

Will Be With Them

To End the Letter, Paul Thanks the Philippians for Their Aid on His Behalf

Key Passages

Philippians 2:3–11 (NASB95)

Do nothing from selfishness or empty conceit, but with humility of mind regard one another as more important than yourselves; do not merely look out for your own personal interests, but also for the interests of others.

Have this attitude in yourselves which was also in Christ Jesus, who, although He existed in the form of God, did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied Himself, taking the form of a bond-servant, and being made in the likeness of men.

Being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.

For this reason also, God highly exalted Him, and bestowed on Him the name which is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee will bow, of those who are in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and that every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

Paul Teaches Humility and Selflessness Through the Example of Jesus

In What Way Did Jesus Show Humility and Selflessness?

In Absolutely Every Way!

Jesus Shared the Very Nature of God and was Like God in Every Way

But He Didn’t Selfishly Grasp that Equality, But He Selflessly Gave it Up

The 1st of Old Humanity, Adam, Grasped After Equality with God

The 1st of New Humanity, Jesus, Didn’t

He Humbly Emptied Himself

He Went From the Glory of Deity to the Humiliation of Humanity

He Didn’t Just Become Human, But the Servant to All Humans

But He Still Went Further Than That

Not Only was He a Servant to Humanity, But He Gave His Life for All Humanity

Even Further Than that, He Didn’t Just Die

He Died in the Most Humble/Humiliating Ways - Crucifixion

If God is Willing to Be That Humble and Selfless for Us…

Shouldn’t We Be Willing to Humble Ourselves to Selfless Service to Each Other?

Just as Jesus was Highly Exalted for Him Humble, Selfless Service…

So Will We if We Follow His Lead

If You Haven’t Bowed Your Knee and Confessed Jesus as Your Lord and King…

Choose Today to Surrender to His Reign and Rule