A Study Of The Book Of Philippians:
A verse by verse examination of the apostle Paul's epistle of joy to the beloved Philippian church.




Introduction


Chapter One


Chapter Two


Chapter Three


Chapter Four



Chapter One
February, 1999


by: Allan Turner

Greetings—1:1-2


(1) Paul and Timothy, servants of Jesus Christ, To all the saints in Christ Jesus who are in Philippi, with the bishops and deacons: (2) Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.


1. Paul and Timothy,. Timothy is with Paul at Rome. He helped found the church at Philippi and was going to be sent to it again (2:19f). Servants of Jesus Christ,. Paul does not identify himself as an apostle in this letter as he does in many of his other epistles. Perhaps this is because his right to be called an apostle had not been called into question by this church as it had been in some other places. When it was not necessary to defend his apostleship and his teaching as from God, he was modest and unassuming and simply placed himself on an equality with the humblest servant of the Lord Jesus Christ. He assumed no titles or dignities. The spirit of Christ and His religion are contrary to the assumption of titles and dignities that exalt one Christian above another—something so prevalent in the religious world. Timothy, who was not an apostle and did not have Paul's authority, was considered by Paul to be his equal when it came to servanthood. To all the saints in Christ Jesus who are at Philippi,. This letter is being written to all the sanctified, set apart from, separated to, or set apart ones in Christ. The term “saint” to designate a Christian is regularly used in the New Testament beginning with Acts 9:13. When one obeys the gospel, he is set apart or sanctified by the blood of Christ. The more the saint sanctifies the word of God in his heart, the more he is sanctified and deserves the name “saint.” Even so, all disciples are saints, no matter how weak or liable to err they may be. Therefore, it must be understood that this term does not suggest perfectionalism. With the bishops and the deacons:. This wonderful church was blessed in that it was fully organized scripturally. These bishops or overseers are elsewhere referred to as “elders.” The men who would oversee the local congregation, were to be older mature men who met the qualification set down in I Timothy 3:1-7 and Titus 1:5-9. The use of the term “bishop” to refer to men who exercised control over more than one church is completely foreign to the New Testament and originated with the doctrines of men so prevalent in denominationalism. Deacons were servants of the church and served the local congregation under the oversight of the bishops. It is interesting to note that there was a plurality of both bishops and deacons. This is the New Testament pattern.

2. Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. This is the usual salutation extended by Paul (cf. Romans 1:7; I Corinthians 1:3; and II Corinthians 1:2).

Thankfulness And Prayer—1:3-11


(3) I thank my God upon every remembrance of you, (4) always in every prayer of mine making request for you all with joy, (5) for your fellowship in the gospel from the first day until now, (6) being confident of this very thing, that He who has begun a good work in you will complete {it} until the day of Jesus Christ; (7) just as it is right for me to think this of you all, because I have you in my heart, inasmuch as both in my chains and in the defense and confirmation of the gospel, you all are partakers with me of grace. (8) For God is my witness, how greatly I long for you all with the affection of Jesus Christ. (9) And this I pray, that your love may abound still more and more in knowledge and all discernment, (10) that you may approve the things that are excellent, that you may be sincere and without offense till the day of Christ, (11) being filled with the fruits of righteousness which {are} by Jesus Christ, to the glory and praise of God.


3. I thank my God upon every remembrance of you,. Paul is always thankful for the Philippians brethren. Thankful for their faithfulness to the Lord and to him.

4. Always in every prayer of mine making request for you all with joy,. His prayers for them were always of joyful supplication to God to bless them. Often Paul was forced to pray for his brethren with grief and tears, but not so with the Philippians. This makes them unique among the early New Testament churches.

5. For your fellowship in the gospel from the first day until now,. From the very beginning they had been moved with sympathetic cooperation in the furtherance of the gospel. For this end, the Philippian worked together, with one another, or with Paul and others.

6. Being confident of this very thing, that He who has begun a good work in you will complete {it} until the day of Jesus Christ;. Paul, although he and his companions started the work in Philippi, gives all credit to God. According to Paul, it must always be remembered that it was God, through the gospel, who started this work. Furthermore, what He started, He will finish! Even so, we must do our part. As Paul stresses in 2:12b, “Work out you own salvation with fear and trembling.”

7. Just as it is right for me to think this of you all, because I have you in my heart, inasmuch as both in my chains and in the defense and confirmation of the gospel, you all are partakers with me of grace. Paul loved them and they loved him. They had proved their faithfulness and love over and over again. He was, therefore, confident that they were always going to be faithful to the Lord and to him.

8. For God is my witness, how greatly I long for you all with the affection of Jesus Christ. Paul loved the Philippians and was willing to suffer for them, just as Christ loved us all and was willing to suffer for us. Paul is not making a oath, as some think, but is simply saying that his longing for them is hidden in his heart, hence God alone is the direct witness of its presence.

9. And this I pray, that your love may abound still more and more in knowledge and all discernment,. He prays that their love for God and His word will cause them to grow in knowledge and understanding. This would fit them more and more to cherish the same love for man that God cherishes. In Romans 14, love must use the knowledge of the strong Christian so as not to hurt the weak. Knowledge puffs up, but love builds up (I Corinthians 8:1). To have all knowledge but not love is to be nothing (I Corinthians 13:2). Godly wisdom, knowledge, and understanding come after faith and love (Ephesians 1:15-17).

10. That you may approve the things that are excellent,. This will allow them to be able to discern between good and evil. If we distinguish between things that differ, it is for the sake of approving what is excellent. In this process, we are not merely to distinguish the good from the bad, but the best from among the good. This, then, is a true description of Biblical wisdom, love growing continually richer in knowledge and spiritual discernment.  That you may be sincere. Sincerity denotes truthfulness and uprightness. When a person is sincere, there will be agreement between heart and tongue. A sincere person is not double-minded or deceitful. And without offense till the day of Christ. Offense is the cause of stumbling. It means without giving or receiving offense. The idea being conveyed here is that by the increase of the knowledge of God's will, one may neither find occasion himself, or cause others, to stumble in the Christian race.

11. Being filled with the fruits of righteousness which {are} by Jesus Christ, to the glory and praise of God. Here, the fruits that are produced by righteousness are under consideration. Some of these are mentioned in Galatians 5:22 and 23. All this comes as a result of Christ and glorifies the Father, whose eternal plan was that men and women would be conformed to the image of His wonderful Son.

Christ Is Preached—1:12-18


(12) But I want you to know, brethren, that the things {which happened} to me have actually turned out for the furtherance of the gospel, (13) so that it has become evident to the whole palace guard, and to all the rest, that my chains are in Christ; (14) and most of the brethren in the Lord, having become confident by my chains, are much more bold to speak the word without fear. (15) Some indeed preach Christ even from envy and strife, and some also from good will: (16) The former preach Christ from selfish ambition, not sincerely, supposing to add affliction to my chains; (17) but the latter out of love, knowing that I am appointed for the defense of the gospel. (18) What then? Only {that} in every way, whether in pretense or in truth, Christ is preached; and in this I rejoice, yes, and will rejoice.


12. But I want you to know, brethren, that the things {which happened} to me have actually turned out for the furtherance of the gospel,. When this letter is being written, Paul has been a prisoner in Rome for some time. He had appealed his case while at Caesarea to the emperor of Rome. For a long time, it seems, the trial before Caesar is delayed. He was allowed to live in his own hired house, guarded by a soldier, for two years. Now, it would seem that the trial had begun or had already taken place and he was awaiting the verdict, expecting to be released, but still not sure. As they might have looked upon his imprisonment as a hinderance to the furtherance of the gospel, he wants to dispel this idea. By all earthly standards, what would seem to have been a loss, God had turned into great gain.

13. So that it has become evident to the whole palace guard, and to all the rest, that my chains are in Christ;. It had become evident to the palace guard and to all at Rome that his imprisonment was not a political matter, neither was it on account of any crime he had committed; but is was because of his connection with Jesus Christ. It was for this, and this alone, that he was on trial.

14. And most of the brethren in the Lord, having become confident by my chains, are much more bold to speak the word without fear. “Most” means not all the brethren at Rome had become more bold in preaching and teaching the word. Courage, as well as fear, is contagious. Seeing Paul preach Christ before the highest officers and dignitaries of the Roman government had inspired many others to boldly “speak the word of God without fear.”

15. Some indeed preach Christ even from envy and strife,. Paul is addressing himself to the motivation of some who proclaim the gospel. Those referred to here are not preaching Christ out of any desire to exalt Him, but because of their envious and contentious spirit toward Paul. The gospel had preceded Paul in Rome. Evidently, some who had received a degree of prominence in the church before Paul's arrival in chains were fading in the light of Paul's success in proclaiming the gospel. While in chains, Paul had done more to spread the gospel throughout Rome than they had done in their freedom. Consequently, they resented his presence in Rome. Therefore, in their preaching, which ironically had become much bolder as a result of Paul's experience with the Roman authorities, they hoped, being unfettered by Paul's chains, to have more success than the apostle. This, they believed, would allow them to regain their prominence at Rome. As horrible and ungodly as this kind of thinking is, it should not surprise us that, living in the seat of power of the most powerful government on the face of the earth, some brethren could, and did, get caught up in the pursuit of power, striving out of envy for preeminence among the brethren. Unfortunately, Paul mentions nothing that is not still present with us today. Are there not preachers today who are envious and contentious toward their fellow preachers? They preach Christ with the same competitive spirit as did their Roman counterparts.

And some also from good will:. The good will mentioned here is contrasted with envy and strife. Like envy and strife, good will is a personal motive, but unlike envy and strife, a motive of good will is noble and pure.

16. The former preach Christ from selfish ambition,. According to Strong's Greek and Hebrew Lexicon, the word translated “selfish ambition” means “electioneering or intriguing for office.” From the earliest times, the churches were troubled by those who sought adherents only that they might glory in their abilities as leaders. Not sincerely,. Their motivation was not pure and honest. Supposing to add affliction to my chains;. These were mean people who were more than willing to add insult to injury.

17. But the latter out of love,. Loving the Lord, they preached the gospel with the sole purpose of exalting and glorifying Him through the salvation of sinners. Loving Paul, they did not preach the gospel with any sense of competition with him, but with the realization that they were his co-workers in the furtherance of the Lord's work. “Love does not envy” (I Corinthians 13:4). Knowing that I am appointed for the defense of the gospel. The word “appointed” designates the apostle's work in defending the gospel as being of divine appointment (cf. Acts 22:14,15; I Thessalonians 3:3). Those in Rome who preached the gospel out of good will toward Paul, who loved both him and the Lord, knew that his defense of the gospel was not out of any self-seeking, self-exalting motive, but only with the desire to exalt Him who had appointed him to this great work. Having the same motive as the apostle in their preaching, they obviously cooperated with him in every way they could to see that the gospel was defended from all charges made against it so that sinners would accept Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior. It was not really Paul who was on trial, it was the gospel of Jesus Christ.

18. What then? Only {that} in every way, whether in pretense or in truth, Christ is preached; and in this I rejoice, yes, and will rejoice. Unlike his enemies in the church, Paul's great desire was not to exalt himself and build up a clique, but to exalt Christ and build up His church. Thus, he would rejoice, and continue to rejoice, whenever Christ was preached, whether “in pretense” (the message was correct but the motive was wrong) or “in truth” (the message was correct and the motive was right). It is illogical to assume that those who preached with a wrong motive also preached a different gospel from those who preached from a pure motive. The difference in their preaching was not in substance but in purpose. Paul would certainly not have rejoiced in the preaching of a false gospel. Furthermore, a wrong motive in preaching an unadulterated gospel does not nullify its saving power. Therefore, Paul could rejoice at the preaching of the gospel by his enemies.

To Live Is Christ—1:19-26


(19) For I know that this will turn out for my salvation through your prayer and the supply of the Spirit of Jesus Christ, (20) according to my earnest expectation and hope that in nothing I shall be ashamed, but {that} with all boldness, as always, so now also Christ will be magnified in my body, whether by life or by death. (21) For to me, to live {is} Christ, and to die {is} gain. (22) But if {I} live on in the flesh, this {will mean} fruit from {my} labor; yet what I shall choose I cannot tell. (23) For I am hard pressed between the two, having a desire to depart and be with Christ, {which is} far better. (24) Nevertheless to remain in the flesh {is} more needful for you. (25) And being confident of this, I know that I shall remain and continue with you all for your progress and joy of faith, (26) that your rejoicing for me may be more abundant in Jesus Christ by my coming to you again.


19. For I know that this will turn out for my salvation. The context (verses 20-23) indicates that Paul is thinking of his heavenly salvation. He “knows” that no matter how his trial turns out, he is going to heaven. Through your prayer and the supply of the Spirit of Jesus Christ. He is assured of this because of their prayers on his behalf and the supply (in consequence of those prayers) that comes from the Spirit of Jesus Christ (namely, the Holy Spirit, the third person of the Godhead). His confidence here reminds us of his affirmation in II Timothy 1:12.

20. According to my earnest expectation and hope that in nothing I shall be ashamed,. Looking ahead in his defense of the gospel, he knew that, with the prayers of his fellow Christians and the work of the Holy Spirit, he was not going to fail. In other words, Paul knew that he could do all things through Christ who strengthened him (4:13). But {that} with all boldness, as always, so now also Christ will be magnified in my body,. Instead of being put to shame by failing to preach the gospel in the face of opposition, becoming in the process a disgrace to himself and the cause of Christ, Paul affirmed that he would continue to boldly preach the gospel in his imprisonment, just as he always had. Therefore, the body he used to boldly proclaim the gospel of Christ, to suffer for Him and His cause, was the means by which he was currently magnifying and glorifying His Lord (cf. I Corinthians 6:20). Whether by life or by death. Paul, although inspired, was not omniscient. Although he was expecting to be released, he could not be certain that he would. But, whatever happened, he was confident that he would be able to magnify Jesus. If he continued to live, he would magnify the Lord by faithfully preaching His word and living for Him. On the other hand, if his trial resulted in him being put to death, he would still be able to magnify Jesus as one who was martyred for Him and His cause. This knowledge must have had a very good effect on the mind of Paul...no matter what happened, the Lord would be magnified!

21. For to me, to live {is} Christ, and to die {is} gain. No finer example of a soul that is truly surrendered to Christ can possibly be found that this. His ego had been merged with Christ's. Consequently, he declared, “I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the {life} which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me (Galatians 2:20). His philosophy of living was that the sum total of his life belonged to Christ: his time, strength, ability, body, soul, and spirit. Paul was saying that he was a Christ-intoxicated, Christ-led, Christ-dominated Christian. Can we make this claim? Of this one thing we can be sure: If we are ever going to be willing to die for the Lord, we must first be willing to live for Him!

22. But if {I} live on in the flesh, this {will mean} fruit from {my} labor; yet what I shall choose I cannot tell. This is a difficult and disjointed passage. The grammar probably reflects the real conflict of feelings in Paul's mind, expressed by the next verse.

23. For I am hard pressed between the two, having a desire to depart and be with Christ, {which is} far better. The “two” refers back to the life and death previously mentioned in verse 21. Of course, the only resolution he could make to such a dilemma, which every likeminded Christ will also make, is found in James 4:15, which says, “If the Lord wills, we shall live and do this or that.” His preference, of course, was to die and be with the Lord (cf. II Corinthians 5:6-8; Acts 7:59). Such a desire expressed Paul's great trust in the promises of the Lord and a steadfast, unmovable hope of being with Him after this life is over (I Corinthians 15:58).

24. Nevertheless to remain in the flesh {is} more needful for you. Paul knew that it would be much better for him to be with the Lord than to continue living in a body that was subject to sickness, suffering, and sorrow. “Nevertheless,” it was to their advantage that he remain alive at the moment. Paul knew that after his departure many evils and departures from the faith would occur (Acts 20:18-35). To the Thessalonians, he wrote, “For the mystery of lawlessness is already at work; only He who now restrains {will do so} until He is taken out of the way. And then the lawless one will be revealed, whom the Lord will consume with the breath of His mouth and destroy with the brightness of His coming” (II Thessalonians 2:7,8). Paul may very well have been writing of himself in this passage.

25. And being confident of this, I know that I shall remain and continue with you all for your progress and joy of faith,. Consequently, he has come to realize that there is much work left for him to do and he will probably be released from prison so that he can administer to them once again.

26. That your rejoicing for me may be more abundant in Jesus Christ by my coming to you again. The ground of glorying was first and comprehensively in Christ; then in Paul as representing Christ; then in Paul's personal presence with them. This latter would be the cause of their glorying since all his work on their behalf would contribute to their spiritual growth and joy in Christ.

Striving And Suffering For Christ—1:27-30


(27) Only let your conduct be worthy of the gospel of Christ, so that whether I come and see you or am absent, I may hear of your affairs, that you stand fast in one spirit, with one mind striving together for the faith of the gospel, (28) and not in any way terrified by your adversaries, which is to them a proof of perdition, but to you of salvation, and that from God. (29) For to you it has been granted on behalf of Christ, not only to believe in Him, but also to suffer for His sake, (30) having the same conflict which you saw in me and now hear {is} in me.


27. Only let your conduct be worthy of the gospel of Christ,. The word translated “conduct” has to do with living as a citizen. Therefore, Paul was saying that, as citizens of the kingdom of God, they needed to reflect in their lives their exaltation, adoration, and glorification of the gospel of Jesus Christ. So that whether I come and see you or am absent,. Even though he has expressed his firm confidence that his case would be resolved successfully, he had to leave some doubt concerning the matter, recognizing the possibility that the Lord might not allow him to fulfill his confidence. I may hear of your affairs, that you stand fast . Either way, he wanted to know (“hear”) about their faithfulness to Christ and His cause. The Greek word rendered “stand fast” conveys the idea of holding one's ground in a battle. In one spirit,. The words “one spirit” indicates the disposition and attitude of unity that should prevail in the Lord's body. The Devil's tactic is to divide and conquer. Christians must stand fast against such a tactic. With one mind. This one mind is to be the mind of Christ (2:5-11; I Peter 4:1; cf. I Corinthians 1:10). Striving together for the faith of the gospel,. As the Philippians stood fast in the disposition of togetherness or unity, they were to strive with one concerted mind or purpose to maintain the integrity and purity of the gospel system. The word “striving” in the Greek literally portrays an athletic contest. Paul here thought of the Philippian church as a team, cooperatively working against every opposition to uphold and defend the faith which was once and for all delivered to the saints (Jude 3).

28. And not in any way terrified by your adversaries, which is to them a proof of perdition, but to you of salvation, and that from God. Although Paul makes his point in the negative, what he is talking about is the united courage of the Philippians, which serves as evident proof of the ultimate defeat and punishment of the enemies of the gospel, while at the same time indicating that courageous Christians are going to heaven. God, of course, is the One who has prepared both heaven and hell, and the “proof,” that some are going to heaven and some to hell (the courageous and united defense of the gospel) can be read by either side. Like the pillar of God's presence mentioned in Exodus 14:20, it is “the cloud and darkness” to the one group, but “light by night” to the other.

29. For to you it has been granted on behalf of Christ, not only to believe in Him, but also to suffer for His sake,. The Philippians had been granted grace or favor in that they were not just allowed to believe in Christ, but to suffer for Him also. After the apostles had been condemned and beaten by the council, it is said, “So they departed from the presence of the council, rejoicing that they were counted worthy to suffer shame for His name” (Acts 5:41). And Peter wrote, “But even if you should suffer for righteousness' sake, {you are} blessed. And do not be afraid of their threats, nor be troubled” (I Peter 3:14). Christians ought to think it an honor when they are permitted to suffer for the name of Christ.

30. Having the same conflict which you saw in me and now hear {is} in me. The word “conflict” in the Greek (agona) is used of an athletic contest. From it, we get our word “agony.” The apostle used it to describe his untiring work for the Lord in the face of all opposition. When he had preached at Philippi, he suffered persecution (Acts 16:19-40; I Thessalonians 2:2). This was the conflict the Philippians brethren “saw” in him. They now had the opportunity to “hear” about his Roman imprisonment. They, too, were suffering. Why? Because they were involved in the same “conflict”; they were on the same team.

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