Philippians is one of the most loved letters of the Apostle Paul. It’s short, full of encouragement, the congregation seems relatively healthy and stable (especially compared to the chaotic Corinthians we looked at earlier in the year!), and Paul is full of joy.
Full of joy
On the surface Paul has no reason to be joyful – he is in prison, he is being slandered by those outside the prison and he is not sure if he’ll face death in the near future (see Philippians 1:12-18). And yet Paul is full of joy and wants the Philippians to know that joy. The noun ‘joy’ or the verb ‘rejoice’ is used 16 times in the letter. Here are a few examples:
- 1:4-5 – In all my prayers for all of you, I always pray with joy because of your partnership in the gospel
- 2:2-3 – [if you have] any tenderness and compassion, then make my joy complete by being like-minded
- 2:29 – [Ephraphroditus]…welcome him in the Lord with great joy, and honour people like him
- 4:1 – Therefore, my brothers and sisters, you whom I love and long for, my joy and crown, stand firm in the Lord in this way, dear friends!
- 4:4 – Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: rejoice!
A verse that sums up the whole letter is Philippians 1:21:
I know that I will remain, and I will continue with all of you for your progress and joy in the faith
And that is the theme of our series – what does it mean to make progress and know joy in Jesus, regardless of the circumstances? Paul’s circumstances were challenging (imprisonment, slander and potential death – see 1:12-26), and yet he was progressing in his faith and full of joy. Towards the end of the letter he says “I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation” (Philippians 4:12) and that is a secret that I think we all want to learn, and can learn, as we study the letter.
Background to the letter
Philippi was a Roman colony in Macedonia, so it was a little piece of Rome abroad. The language, titles, taxes, administration and way of public life was Roman. The story of the gospel going into Philippi for the first time and the church being planted is told in Acts 16. This is the first time the gospel had reached Europe (around AD50).
In Acts 16 we learn about a house church being formed – which included a rich business woman (Lydia), a Roman jailor, and possibly a slave girl who had recently been set free from a demon. It was quite a fragile and eclectic group, all meeting in Lydia’s home.
When Paul writes the letter, from prison (most likely in Rome given the reference to Caesar’s household in 4:22), it is the early AD60s. So the church has had 10 years of maturing and growing, and Paul is delighted to see how they are growing and is writing to thank them for their ‘partnership in the gospel’ – they have given him some money and a person (Epaphroditus). So he writes to thank them for that, assure them of his situation, and send Ephaphroditus back to them. He also responds to a few situations that the church is facing; namely persecution (1:26-31), Jewish legalism (3:1-11) and disunity (4:1-3, 2:1-11).
It is a very personal letter – Paul tells us a lot about himself, his companions and love for the church – and also a very practical letter – Paul gives us lots of wisdom about how to navigate ordinary challenges of church life – so there is much we can learn from it.
For more, check out The Bible Project Video and resources
Series Outline – Progress and joy in Jesus
- 13 July – Philippians 1:1-11: Praying for the saints
- 20 July – Philippians 1:12-30: Conduct yourself in a manner worthy of the gospel
- 27 July – Philippians 2:1-11: Humble service (part 1 – the example of Christ)
- 3 August – Philippians 2:12-30: Humble service (part 2 – the examples of Timothy and Epaphroditus)
- 10 August – Philippians 3:1-11: Forsaking all else for the sake of Christ
- 17 August – Philippians 3:12-21: Progressing in the gospel
- 24 August – Philippians 4:1-9: Rejoicing in the Lord
- 31 August – Philippians 4:10-23: Contentment in all circumstances
Join us at one of our Sunday gatherings:
CCC South – 10.30am at Oatlands Primary School (Stillorgan)
CCC Central – 4.30pm at Synge Street School (Portobello)