Outline of the book of philippians getting acquainted with philippi in bible history during the years 50 through 54 ad paul embarks on his second apostolic tour. Regardless of the literary unity of the letter, scholars agree that the material that was compiled into the epistle to the philippians was originally composed in greek, some time during the 50s or early 60s ad. Philippians is one of pauls four prison epistles phl 1. For personal use, class or small groups, or sermon preaching preparation. I have mentioned several times that this book is essentially a thankyou note from the apostle paul to the church at philippi. Introduction, background, and outline to philippians. Below i have included material on who wrote the book, when it was written, who it was written to, as well as what some of the messages and themes of the book are. Tom constables expository notes on philippians this is also available in the net.
Make a list of bible passages outside the book of philippians that refer to the city or church at philippi use a concordance and crossreferences. Paul prays for the church to grow in knowledge and depth of insight so we will be filled with the fruit of righteousness. Teaching outlines for the book of philippians 14 lessons. Pauls macedonian call in troas during his 2nd missionary journey led him to his work in philippi. Summary of the book of philippians bible history online. The greeting and when compared to say romans, 1 and 2 corinthians, and galatians, all the internal characteristics of language, style, and historical facts, confirm this. Death grip a study in philippians historical background.
With this sermon we come to the end of our series from the book of philippians. Paul had been imprisoned at rome sends the church at philippi a love letter of thanks, commending them for their liberal giving. Check out this commentary, summary and key verses from the book of philiipians. More than any other church, the believers in philippi offered paul material support for his ministry 2 corinthians 8. That philippi was a roman colony may explain why there were not enough jews there to permit the establishment of a synagogue and why paul does not quote the ot in the philippian letter. Matthew henry 18 october 1662 22 june 1714 was an english commentator on the bible, who published his works in 1706, sixvolume exposition of the old and new testaments 17081710 or complete commentary, provides an exhaustive verse by verse study of the bible, covering the whole of the old testament, and the gospels and acts in the new testament. The words joy and rejoice are used 16 times in the epistle. Luke described the city called philippi as a roman colony acts 16. Once you grasp the essence of the book to the philippians other bible books will become more open to you. The book of philippians is a prison epistle letter written while in prison. Hey everyone, today we are doing something a little different.
It was at philippi, which the apostle visited on his second missionary journey. Paul wrote the epistle to show his appreciation and gratitude to the church at philippi and its members for their continued support and generosity. Johnson shows how paul, writing from imprisonment to a church. Instead, he wrote to express his appreciation and affection for the philippian believers. Philippians is a magisterial treatment of various topicssufferings relationship to gospel advance, selfcenteredness versus sacrificial service, the basis of a believers assurance before god, interpersonal conflict, and finding true contentmentthat paul relates to the touchstone of christ, his cross, and his resurrection. He is mentioned by name twice in the book of philippians, one of pauls prison epistles. The book of philippians, in the bible, is depicted from the perspective of the apostle paul. Study the bible online using commentary on philippians introduction and more. Letter of paul to the philippians work by saint paul britannica. The next step is to enter your payment information. An easyenglish bible version and commentary 2800 word vocabulary on pauls letter to the philippians. Philippians in the picture study bible the book of. One of the obvious reasons that paul wrote his letter to the philippians was to thank them for their generous offering.
Most of all, however, he wrote to them because he had a deep care and affection for them. Read philippians introduction commentary using peoples new testament. The many personal references of the author fit what we know of paul from other nt books. The epistle to the philippians, commonly referred to as philippians, is a pauline epistle of the new testament of the christian bible. Philippians derives its name from the greek city where the church to which it was addressed was located. Letter of paul to the philippians, new testament letter written by paul the apostle, while he was in prison probably. Summarize what the bible says about philippi the city or the church outside the book of philippians. Philippi was in an area of greek or thracian control until gold was discovered at a nearby mountain. Todays post is the beginning of blog posts i will be sharing looking at leadership lessons in the book of philippians. Paul had been imprisoned at rome sends the church at philippi a love letter of thanks, commending. The book of philippians shows how living as a christian means seeing your own story as a living expression of jesus story. Intro to philippians biblica the international bible. After you have read the whole epistle, state the theme of the book.
Introduction to the book of philippians clover sites. The unanimous testimony of the early church was that the apostle paul wrote philippines. Amazing facts 247 television station featuring the best in bible study streamed lived and ondemand. The book of philippians, in the bible, is depicted from the perspective of the. This summary of the book of philippians provides information about the title, author s, date of writing, chronology, theme, theology, outline, a brief overview, and the chapters of the book of philippians.
Through pauls words and example, learn how joy and sacrifice can go handinhand. Even now, prayerfully ponder the last few verses from the first chapter, which aptly summarize pauls aims and themes in philippians. Epaphroditus is the one who delivered the original manuscript of philippians to its original recipients, the church in philippi. Paul prays for the philippian believers with joy chara because of their partnership with him in the gospel. The book of philippians paul writes a thankyou note to the believers at philippi for their help in his hour of need, and he uses the occasion to send along some instructions on christian unity. This letter was not written for one single purpose.
He remind them that they are citizens of heaven, and that jesus christ will transform their humiliation into glory, by the power that also enables him to make all things subject to himself. This list is a complement to the list in books of the latin vulgate. It was written to show his appreciation and love to the philippians in a thankyou letter for their. Commentary on the book of philippians philippians 1 1paul and timothy, bondservants of christ jesus, to all the saints in christ jesus who are in philippi, including the overseers and deacons. This position fits well with the internal evidence of philippians ex. Jan 04, 2016 the material below serves as a basic introduction to the book. Watch our overview video on the book of philippians, which breaks down the literary design of the book and its flow of thought. Philippians intro to philippians biblica the international bible. The epistle is attributed to paul the apostle and a coauthor named timothy, and is addressed to the christian church in philippi. The book of philippians is an epistle that paul wrote while he was anticipating his release from prison. The book of philippians 4 failing to give roman citizens a proper trial 16. Beginning with an introduction and history we will move on to explore 7 key lessons that you can immediately apply to your life and begin reaping the benefits. Philippians summary we have detailed a brief summary of the book of philippians for bible study or sunday school lessons.
Book of philippians overview insight for living ministries. Emphasizing the historical distance between the new testament and contemporary culture, philippians part of the new, highlyanticipated story of god bible commentary series on the new testamentprovides pastors, students, sunday school teachers, and lay people a clear and compelling exposition of the text in the context of the bibles overarching story. A study in philippians historical background 1 during his second missionary journey, paul visited the town of philippi where several people heard the gospel message and accepted christ as their savior. A map of philippi and surrounding regions the city of philippi and the origin of the church there the city of philippi, as one can see from the map, is located in north eastern greece macedonia. Philippians introduction commentary peoples new testament.
In it, paul freely expresses his fond affection for the philippians in view of their consistent testimony and support, and lovingly urges them to center their actions and thoughts on the. His attitude shows all christians to rejoice in every situation even suffering, for jesus christ is our example and our prize. Letter of paul to the philippians, new testament letter written by paul the apostle, while he was in prison probably at rome about ad 62, and addressed to the christian congregation he had established in macedonia. Settlers from the nearby island of thasos seized the area. Below i have included material on who wrote the book, when it was written, who it was written to, as well as what. Background paper on the epistle to the philippians the city of philippi the city of philippi was located in modern macedonia, which is north of greece. Upon completion of the study, it is recommended that you discuss your answers and insights with other bible students who also completed the workbook. Paul sent the other three prison epistlesephesians, colossians, and philemonby the hand of tychicus, as their destinations were near one another. This is the holy book of philippians, known as the epistle of paul the apostle to the philippians. It is uncertain where paul was when he wrote the letters that make up philippians. Paul ministered at philippi during his second missionary journey, spending about three months in the city. Epaphroditus played a key role in biblical history, even if his name is not immediately recognizable.
The apostle paul wrote this letter to the christians in philippi, probably from rome c. Jun, 2014 for these reasons and others, philippians is a book of the bible that deserves not just our routine reading but our careful study and meditation. A verse by verse examination of the apostle pauls epistle of joy to the beloved philippian church. The book of philippians not that i have already obtained all this, or have already been made perfect, but i press on to take hold of that for which christ jesus took hold of me. The account of the founding of the church at philippi, which occurred in a. Philippians was among the last letters paul penned, having written it from roman custody sometime around 61 ad. Philippi was the first town in macedonia where paul established a church. Paul encourages the philippians to live as citizens of a heavenly city, growing in their commitment to serve god and one another. The apostles first visit to the city of philippi, probably about a. Philippians is one of pauls shortest letters and one of the smallest books in the new testament but there are such powerful teachings in this little dynamo. In fact, its beginnings go back to the fourth century bce when it was occupied by the thracians.
Knowing jesus is a deeply personal and transformative encounter. Paul and silas travel through galatia and meet timothy in lystra, circumcise him and take him along as a traveling companion cf. Some of these who are recorded in the book of acts were lydia and her family and an unnamed philippian jailer and his family acts 16. Book of philippians is a letter from paul and timothy to christians in the city of philippi. When they heard of his roman imprisonment, the philippian. The church can thank phillip and his son alexander for establishing the greek empire, which gave way.
Today we are going to start our first book study on the beat. There is also a likelihood, according to some scholars, that the letter as we have it is a composite from parts of three letters by paul to the philippians. Paul, timothy, and epaphroditus try to be good examples as well. There has never been any serious doubt as to the authorship of the letter to the philippians. Paul writes a thankyou note to the believers at philippi for their help in his hour of need, and he uses the occasion to send along some instructions on christian unity. Jan 24, 2009 the epistle to the philippians is the last of the four prison epistles of paul. They key personalities are the apostle paul, timothy, epaphroditus, euodia, and syntyche. The general consensus is that these epistles were written during pauls imprisonment at rome cf. This book is known as one of pauls prison epistles colossians, ephesians, philemon, and philippians. May 06, 2011 the book of philippians niv audio holy bible high quality and best speed book 50 duration. A word list at the end explains words with a star by them. From internal considerations it appears that colossians, ephesians, and philemon were written early during pauls roman imprisonment and taken together to asia minor by tychicus col. Book of philippians matthew henry bible commentary.
The history of the origin of the church and the memory of the loving remembrances of the philippians help to explain the affectionate tenderness of the letter. The apostle paul did not write philippians in response to a crisis, as he did with galatians and colossians. The book of philippians chapter three workbook eeonline biblestudy. He also wanted to commend the unselfishness of epaphroditus, as well as informing them of. The book of philippians free online bible study lessons. These are the books of the king james version of the bible along with the names and numbers given them in the douay rheims bible and latin vulgate.
The city was founded by phillip ii, the father of alexander the great. This commentary has been through advanced checking. The joy of the christian experience is the dominant theme running through the book of philippians. It is evident that paul wrote the letter from prison see 1. The epistle to the philippians, one of pauls prison epistles, was written in rome. The book of philippians was written in approximately a. A 8page book on the epistle or letter of philippians. Epaphroditus carried the philippian letter from rome back to philippi. Internally the letter reveals the stamp of genuineness. Joy in all circumstances, even suffering philippians 1. The book of philippians chapter one workbook eeonline biblestudy. Paul visted the philippians again on his third missionary journey acts 20. Of the four prison epistles, paul likely wrote philippians last, near the end of his roman imprisonment in ad 61 or 62.
The new testament is the portion of the bible written after jesus rose from the. Commentary on the book of philippians by matthew henry. The early church was unanimous in its testimony that philippians was written by the apostle paul see 1. Many of the philippians were retired military men who had been given land in the vicinity and who in turn served as a military presence in this frontier city. The city was already ancient by the time paul arrived there around 49 ce acts 16. Letter of paul to the philippians work by saint paul. In this eightsession series, jo saxton takes us through philippians to encourage us to follow jesus no matter what life throws at us. The book of ephesians is one of four prison epistles, so titled because they were written by the apostle while he. Nothing in the letter would have motivated a forger to write it. The apostle paul wrote the letter to express his gratitude and affection for the philippian church, his strongest supporters in ministry. Philippi was named after philip ii of macedon, who was the father of alexander the great. Sabbath school study hour helping you get the most out of your sabbath school quarterly every week. We hope this outline of philippians will help you as you endeavor to study gods letter to you.
Be on the alert for christians who really do exemplify this basic christian attitude, this habit of helpfulness. The epistle to the philippians, commonly referred to as philippians, is a pauline epistle of the. The following are five of the most helpful commentaries on the epistle to the philippians. He also wanted to commend the unselfishness of epaphroditus, as well as informing them of his love for them, and his own personal condition. Paul responded and so the gospel went triumphantly westward beginning in philippi as the first city to be evangelized in europe. The ephesian hypothesis dates the composition of philippians to the mid50s when most of pauls major letters were written. Youre already logged in with your bible gateway account. There are 15 explicit references to some form of either the noun joy chara in greek or the verb rejoice chairo in this short letter. A summary, synopsis or recap is a shortened version of the original. An introduction to the book of philippians an argument of the book of philippians.
An introduction to the book of philippians christopher l. The book of philippians shows christians how to live jesus. The book of philippians is an intimate letter full of love and encouragement for believers and a great example of how to overflow with joy. This 12week practical study series from crossway orients the student to the near and far context, key questions, gospel glimpses, wholebible connections, and theological and practical implications for every section of the book of philippians. Use this topic or order a custom research paper, written exactly how you need it to be. Starting your free trial of bible gateway plus is easy. Study philippians using matthew henry bible commentary complete to better understand scripture with full outline and verse meaning. The book of philippians is a powerful letter of encouragement. Perhaps already paul is emphasizing the theme of unity in this letter as he affirms that relationships in the church are those of humble equality see hawthorne, philippians, pp. By using this website, i acknowledge that i am 16 years of age or older, and i agree to the terms and. For these reasons and others, philippians is a book of the bible that deserves not just our routine reading but our careful study and meditation.
Jan 07, 20 joy is a central theme in the book of philippians. The material below serves as a basic introduction to the book. If such is truly the case, then paul wrote philippians around 6163 a. Philippians the book of philippians, in the bible, is depicted from the perspective of the apostle paul.
696 91 1581 856 340 344 1632 1497 1159 178 1575 76 150 701 1548 1207 1545 150 438 599 997 649 1238 892 688 1337 649 695 848 452 209 181 772 1046 391 518 593 1320 819 209