Willow Journey

Day 5 of Journey Through Philippians: CITIZENS OF HEAVEN // PHILIPPIANS CHAPTER 1

SCRIPTURE PHILIPPIANS 1 1 Paul and Timothy, servants of Christ Jesus, To all God’s holy people in Christ Jesus at Philippi, together with the overseers and deacons: 2 Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. THANKSGIVING AND PRAYER 3 I thank my God every time I remember you. 4 In all my prayers for all of you, I always pray with joy 5 because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now, 6 being confident of this, that he who began a good work in yo...

Day 4 of Journey Through Philippians: LIVING IN THE WORLD AS CITIZENS OF HEAVEN

COMMENTARY In Philippians 1:27, Paul shifts from describing his own circumstances to sharing some instructions with his Philippian friends. The first instruction he shares is perhaps his most important. He writes, “Whatever happens, conduct yourselves in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ.” The significance of this instruction is indicated by the phrase “whatever happens” which can also be translated as “only,” “just one thing,” or “above all else.” The idea behind this phrase is that this ...

Day 3 of Journey Through Philippians: REJOICING IN THE MIDST OF UNCERTAIN FUTURE

COMMENTARY In yesterday’s reading, Paul talked about his present circumstances. He ended the section by saying he could “rejoice” despite his imprisonment. This was an incredible display of resolve in the midst of a difficult situation. Perhaps even more incredible is the resolve he shows in today’s reading. In this section, Paul shifts his attention to his future circumstances, saying that he “will continue to rejoice” no matter what happened, whether he lived or he died (Philippians 1:18). Thi...

Day 2 of Journey Through Philippians: ADVANCING THE GOSPEL IN ALL CIRCUMSTANCES

COMMENTARY In Philippians 1:12, Paul’s letter to the Philippian church turns to a discussion of Paul’s present circumstances. In this section, Paul confirms what he had already alluded to in verse 7, that he is in “chains.” In other words, Paul is imprisoned as he had been many times for preaching the gospel (2 Corinthians 11:23). There has been a good deal of debate about where Paul was imprisoned and what the specific conditions of his imprisonment were. It could be that Paul was held in a dar...

Day 1 of Journey Through Philippians: Love Abounding

COMMENTARY When writing a letter, we tend to follow certain formats or conventions. We start by identifying the recipient (e.g., Dear Jane). We then write the body of the letter. Finally, the letter concludes with a polite closing that identifies the writer (e.g., Sincerely, Joe). These conventions vary somewhat depending on the specific type of letter, but they tend to follow a general guide. One of the first and most important things we should notice about the book of Philippians is that it is...

Journey through Philippians Coming Soon!