Timothy was one of Paul’s companions on the missionary trip that first brought him to Macedonia. The Philippians, presumably, already know him well, and Paul tells them that they will see Timothy again soon. But it’s a little unusual for him to include what sound like travel plans in the middle of a letter. Why does Paul do this?
The Philippians have been concerned about Paul, and part of the purpose of the letter is to reassure them that he is well. Indeed, he expects to be released from captivity so he can see them again. But there are no guarantees. No matter what happens, he wants the Philippians to have the right attitude: he wants them to rejoice in the way that he himself rejoices despite his circumstances.
Paul, who trained as a Pharisee, knows his Scripture, and it shows in the words and images he uses with the Philippians. In his letter, we can hear references to the stories of Genesis and Deuteronomy, as well as the prophecies of Daniel and Jeremiah. Even if the Philippians know nothing of the Hebrew Scriptures, Paul wants to stoke their imaginations in such a way that they can being seeing themselves are part of the ongoing story they tell.
When angry, some people will explode and argue, while others may simmer and seethe with resentment. We don’t know if these were actually happening in the church in Philippi. But given what he’s said about living in a humble way that reflects the truth of the gospel, Paul sees fit to warn them against grumbling and arguing.
The gospel emphasizes the love of God in Christ; we don’t typically think of our relationship to God in terms of fear. But the “fear of God” is an important theme in the Old Testament, and Paul suggests that the Philippians should also live with fear and trembling. Biblically, the “fear” of God is much more than just “respect” or “reverence.” But are we supposed to be afraid of God?
Paul is the apostle of grace; he teaches that salvation is a freely given, unearned gift of God. But then he tells the Philippians that they should “work out [their] salvation with fear and trembling” (2:12). On the surface, that doesn’t sound like grace. Is he really saying that the Philippians should work to earn their salvation, in fear that they might not do enough to satisfy God?
If the story of Jesus had ended with the crucifixion, it would have been a tragic tale. But in the resurrection, the downward movement of humility is reversed; Jesus is not only raised to life but exalted, and “given the name that is above every name” (2:9). But to the Philippians, the name above every name would have been that of the emperor, who alone was to be called “Lord.” What does Paul mean?
Paul wants the Philippians to adopt a humble mindset toward one another, so uses the story of Jesus as an example of sacrificial service—the kind of service that required him to die a humiliating death on the cross. But Jesus was not merely human; he was equal to God. Can we think of God as humble?
We love stories. We live stories. And for the Philippians, Paul holds up the story of Jesus so they can point their moral compasses toward his humility. As novelist Frederick Buechner once observed, we can see in the gospel story the elements of tragedy, comedy, and fairy tale. What might we learn from seeing the story that way?
In counseling the Philippians toward humility, Paul wasn’t telling them to deny their own needs. But they needed to be reminded (especially in situations of conflict!) to take the needs of others into account and take them just as seriously. Toward that end, he doesn’t just tell them to do what Jesus would do; he tries to teach them how Jesus would think.
In pointing the Philippians toward humility, Paul tells them to “Think of others as better than yourselves” (2:3). For people who already struggle with low self-esteem, that may not sound like happy advice. But research suggests that people have a persistent tendency to think of themselves as superior to others. Can we learn to humbly consider the thoughts and needs of others, even when we disagree?
Paul is concerned about the internal unity of the Philippian church, and wants that unity to be embodied in their having a shared moral compass. But what does that look like? Positively, Paul will say that their compasses should point toward the humility of Jesus. But he begins negatively: their compasses should point away from selfish ambition.
By using the word “if” or “since” four times, Paul reminds the Philippians of who they already are. And on that basis, he pleads with them to be of the same “mind.” That means more than merely having the same opinion. Paul is suggesting that they need to have their moral compasses pointed in the same direction.
Chapter 2 begins with a long, complicated sentence that uses the word “if” four times. In English, the word often expresses uncertainty. Read that way, it can sound like Paul lacks confidence in the Philippians and their ability to maintain their unity. But given what we know of his relationship to them, it’s probably better to read it as “since,” as in, “Since these things are true, do this.”
Before we finish chapter 1, we need to circle back to an odd little sentence that I skipped over: “This is a sign to them that they will be destroyed, but that you will be saved—and that by God” (vs. 28b). There are different ways to understand what Paul is saying, but the point seems to be this: when Christians suffer for the gospel, will their persecutors see any evidence that the gospel is true?
The Philippians, as we’ve seen, may have been suffering persecution from their unbelieving neighbors. Paul himself, obviously, has been suffering for the sake of the gospel; that’s why they’ve sent him a gift of support. But Paul wants them to have the right perspective: it’s a privilege to suffer for Christ, and they’re doing it together with Paul.
Anyone who’s been privy to the inner workings of a congregation has probably experienced church politics: the ways power and influence are used, sometimes badly. As we’ve seen, Paul uses a related word to speak of how the Philippians should live. But why? Part of it has to do with the pressure coming from the outside. But part of it is the pressure coming from the inside, and Paul needs to highlight the importance of their unity from the start.
As we’ve seen, Paul instructed the Philippians to “live your life in a manner worthy of the gospel” (1:27). But the word translated is “live your life” is one he only uses once in all his letters. It’s the root from which we get the English word “politics.” By saying it that way, Paul is addressing the tension between being citizens of Rome and citizens of God’s kingdom.
Paul was torn. On the one hand, dying meant being with Jesus; but living, on the other hand, meant more ministry and more time with the Philippians. Surely the Philippians would have preferred the latter! But again, Paul emphasizes what’s important: no matter what happened to him, the Philippians were to keep living in a way that honored the gospel.
What happens to us after we die? The Bible is short on details. Paul believed that if he died, he would go to be with Jesus. But what was even more important was how he lived: “For to me, to live is Christ, and to die is gain” (1:21). Life after death is life with Jesus; but life before death should be too.
To some, Paul’s situation might have seemed hopeless. To him, however, it was anything but. He expected to eventually be released from Roman custody (and history suggests that he was right). But he wants the Philippians to know that even if that didn’t happen, what mattered was that God would be glorified whether he lived or died. His is an example of true Christian hope.
In his letter, Paul reports both good news and bad news. The good news is that his being under house arrest led to more opportunities for the gospel. The bad news, unfortunately, was that led some of the Christians who were already in Rome resented his being there. But even this meant more good news: even if it was for the wrong reasons, they started preaching the gospel even more.
The Philippians loved Paul. They were naturally concerned about his well-being in captivity, and Paul knew that they would be waiting for news. But he doesn’t just tell them not to worry. He tells them what’s most important to him, and what he hopes is important to them: that his captivity has resulted in the progress of the gospel!
Paul prays regularly for the Philippians, and he tells them so. But he doesn’t just tell them that he prays, he tells them what he prays, in order to help them broaden their understanding. Instead of merely praying for what God can do for them, Paul prays for what God will do in them. How could this be reflected in the way we pray for those we love, or even for ourselves?
Paul sees the Philippians as his partners in the gospel, whether that’s because of their tangible support of his work or because of their own evangelistic efforts. This is a sign that God is actively at work in them, and Paul wants them to know that God will finish the work he’s already started. Like the Philippians, we are all works in progress.
Why was Paul so grateful for the Philippians? In part, of course, it’s because of all the support they’ve given him over the years, including the recent gift they sent to help him during his Roman imprisonment. But Paul is a big-picture person. He’s thankful not only for the gift and for their friendship, but for the fact that they are such faithful and reliable partners in the work of the gospel.
One of the purposes of Paul’s letter was to thank the Philippians for their generous gift. But as we’ve seen, he doesn’t do this directly, at least not right away. What he does do, however, is important: he lets them know that they themselves are the gift he treasures.
Every culture has its ways of saying “hello” and “goodbye.” Letters and emails may also begin with typical greetings like, “Hi, how are you?” or “I hope you’re doing well.” The same was true of letters written in Paul’s day. But Paul doesn’t just use the cultural conventions of his day, he transforms them, so that even the opening greeting is filled with spiritual significance.
To Paul, the Philippians are God’s “holy people” in city of Philippi. But they are not holy in themselves; they are holy “in Christ Jesus” (1:1). Throughout his letters, Paul repeatedly says that we are “in Christ,” and conversely, Christ is in us. That’s a lot for one little preposition to do. What does he mean?
In his opening greeting, Paul call his friends in Philippi “saints” or “holy ones” (1:1). We know that God is holy, but may have experienced God’s people as anything but. So what does it mean to call someone a “saint”?
