And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ." - Philippians 1:6 (ESV)

 Paul writes Philippians from prison in Rome. He writes while in the custody of the praetorian guard after having made various missionary journeys to spread the gospel in the decades immediately following the incarnation, resurrection, and ascension of Jesus Christ. The letter says that Paul is content for himself and wants the Philippians to focus on unity in Christ and in the progress of the gospel throughout the world.  

 The Big Idea of Philippians

I have taught the big idea of Philippians this way: Depend confidently on God as you pursue growth in him together.

 Paul is concerned that the Philippians live in a manner worthy of the gospel, that they be unified and diligent to work out their salvation, that they rejoice while being careful of false teachers, and that they be assured that Paul is content with his suffering for Christ. The general commands and content are the same for believers today as they were then. Although we do not have the same messengers nor interaction with apostles, yet we can translate for today the same principles at work there to ourselves and our relationships together.

 An Outline of Philippians

 1:1-26: The Gospel's Priority

In typical fashion, Paul opens his letter to the Philippians by expressing his gratitude for the Philippians, calling God as witness for his love and affection for them. He addresses their apparent concerns for his wellbeing while in prison and as other people preach Christ from wrong motives. Paul does not care as long as Christ is proclaimed. He is content to be in prison as long as it serves the cause of spreading the gospel. Paul would be ok if he died in prison, but he is confident that he and more work to do. In the meantime, he does not want them to be worried or to succumb to fear. Instead, he wants them to focus on their life matching their call in Christ, knowing that they are called to suffer in similar ways to Paul.  

1:27-2:18:  The Importance of Unity

Paul transitions to exhort the Philippians to be united rather than divided. They should take their cue from Christ, who was exalted by God after voluntarily humbling himself in obedience. They should follow Christ’s example with confidence rather than competing to exalt themselves. 

2:19-29: The Importance of Encouragement

Paul focuses on encouragement in the latter part of chapter two, describing his plans to send Timothy to encourage Paul with news from Philippi. But for now, Paul is sending the letter with Epaphroditus because of his intense longing to see them. Epaphroditus also nearly died for his service to them, so he has a deep connection that Paul wants to honor, and Paul also wants the Philippians to be sure to honor him when he comes. 

3:1-4:1: The Importance of Focus

Paul’s emphasis in chapter three is a right focus on the Lord and the right sort of emphasis as they continue living their lives. Paul warns the Philippians against those who depend on their works to be saved, emphasizing that he of all people would be saved if works were necessary. But the power comes from Christ and not from us. Paul calls on the Philippians to imitate him by remaining faithful to Christ and not abandoning them. As he transitions to his final instructions, he tells them to stand firm in the Lord.

4:2-23: The Importance of Peace

Given what Paul has said about the need to depend on God as they grow together, it makes sense that he would exhort the people there to be unified in Christ rather than divided by their personal interests. He admonished them to be joyful in all circumstances. To achieve this, he tells them that to convert their fears and worries into requests made to God with gratitude. Paul concludes the letter by reinforcing his contentment and confidence in God. Just as God has provided for Paul, so also will God provide for the Philippians. 

Benefits of Philippians

Philippians is full of rich food for thought and meditation from beginning to end. One of the pervading themes is the joy and contentment that Paul has. Paul is focused on convincing and reassuring the Philippians that he is doing fine despite difficult circumstances. In this sense, the letter gives us a model for what it looks like to rejoice in suffering (cf. James 1:3ff; Romans 5:1ff).

Even Paul’s exhortations to the Philippians to be unified and humble are framed by Paul’s understanding of their concern for him. A lot of the letter can be boiled down to Paul’s insistence that, if the Philippians want to make Paul happy and give him relief, then they should be of the same mind in Christ and stand firm in him together. What a contrast between Paul’s focus and what ours so often is!

We live in a world largely given over to fear and worry. Paul’s instruction to express worry to God as requests made with thanksgiving may sound simplistic, but it is astonishingly powerful. There are layers to this truth that are well worth exploring. 

Paul expresses a joy and affection in the letter that seem remarkable except for the fact that he clearly wants all believers to experience it. That is also a deceptively tall order. Nothing less than the humility of Christ is needed to love one another and achieve unity in the way that Paul describes. Yet because we have the same Spirit, we can be of the same mind. Different personalities do not make agreement and unity impossible. Pride and ignorance do.

Philippians can instruct and help us in many ways. It is a letter that challenges us to rethink our complaints about our circumstances, refocus our hearts on others, and to cultivate gratitude to God even in immense difficulty. These are helps and goals for which all Christians should strive by the grace of God.