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Philippians Overview Introduction and What its About

Philippians Overview

In Philippians, Paul talks about joy. More specifically, he talks about the steady, God-given joy we can have in suffering. Surprisingly, Paul wrote this letter to the Philippian believers while he was imprisoned in Rome. During his time in Philippi, he had formed intimate friendships with the believers there. Those believers continued to support him after he left. When they learned Paul was imprisoned in Rome, they even sent a man named Epaphroditus to check on him and bring him gifts.

Timeline of Paul and the Philippians

Literary Genre of Philippians

Epistle (a letter written to someone)

Date Philippians Was Written

Between 61 and 62 AD. Paul wrote it while he was under house arrest in Rome.

Author of Philippians

The author of this book is Paul, the apostle. Read more about Paul’s background and life here.

Philippians Audience

Philippi was a Roman colony. The imperial cult (emperor worship) was huge there. People would worship both living and dead emperors. The population of Philippi was about 10,000. It consisted mostly of Romans, Greeks, Egyptians, and very few Jews. Because of this, it’s safe to assume that the Philippian church was made up of Gentile believers. Most people there were Roman citizens and proud of it. This brings special meaning to the verse where Paul encourages the believers to live as citizens of heaven (Philippians 3:20).

Themes in Philippians

  •       Joy
  •       The Gospel
  •       Unity
  •       The Centrality of Christ
  •       Eschatology
  •       Christian Living

Key Verse of Philippians

“Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice.”
Philippians 4:4

The Purpose of Philippians

This epistle could be seen as a “Thank You” note. They had sent Epaphroditus to help care for Paul and bring gifts. Paul thanks them for their kindness in verses 2:25, 4:10 and 4:14-18. They had previously given to him financially when he was in Thessalonica and Corinth. He also writes to encourage them in unity. He addresses both rivalry and personal ambition (2:3-4, 4:2). Finally, he encourages them to strive for the gospel. They’re facing opposition, but Paul wants them to be encouraged in their faith.

Philippians Outline

  •   Introduction 1:1-11
    • Salutation 1:1-2
    • Prayer 1:3-11
  •   Paul’s Affairs 1:12-26
    • Imprisonment and the Progress of the Gospel 1:12-18a
    • Expectations about Current Imprisonment 1:18b-26
  •   The Philippians Affairs 1:27 – 2:18
    • Unity through Humility in Persecution 1:27-2:4
    • Christ as the Example of Humility 2:5-11
    • Work Out Your Salvation 2:12-18
  •   Two Godly Examples 2:19-30
    • Timothy 2:19-24
    • Epaphroditus 2:25-30
  •   Paul’s Exhortation and Experience 3:1-4:9
    • Put no Confidence in the Flesh 3:1-6
    • Paul’s Focus on Christ 3:7-14
    • Following Paul’s Example 3:15-21
    • Paul’s Final Appeal 4:1-9
  •   Closing of the Letter 4:10-23
    • The Philippians Gift and Partnership 4:10-20
    • Final Greetings and Blessing 4:21-23

Why You Should Study Philippians

Suffering and conflict will happen in our lives. We may not be thrown into prison like Paul was, but we’re still going to go through hard things. This epistle points us to a joy that isn’t based on feelings. It points us to a steady joy given to us from God. It’s often through suffering that we grow closer to Him. Essentially, the prescription for suffering and conflict is joy. Reading this epistle reminds us of the source of and reason for our joy.

Are you enjoying studying Philippians?

Students at Ethnos360 Bible Institute learn this kind of background information at the beginning of each class. From there, teachers walk them through passages verse-by-verse. It’s two years of in-depth Biblical teaching. If you’re interested in this kind of learning, request a free information packet below!

Content reworked from Matt Zowada’s class on Philippians at Ethnos360 Bible Institute
Edited and formatted by Eliza Noel

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