Philippians is a universally beloved New Testament epistle. Often read, often studied, and often memorized, it is among the most popular books of the Bible. The fourth chapter alone has at least four of the most frequently memorized verses in all of Scripture. It is often called "the epistle of joy." One commentator said the sum of the epistle is "I rejoice; you must rejoice." There are commentaries on Philippians called Bound for Joy, Joy for an Anxious Age, and, simply, Rejoice. Indeed, the word for "joy" occurs in its noun or verb form sixteen times in the epistle. It is not the theme of the letter but it permeates it; it is the spirit of the letter.

Yet Philippians is set in the context of considerable heartache and even death. The joy it manifests and commends is not detached from the rigors of life, but thrives even in the most dire circumstances. Its joy is not superficial and temporary, but deep and enduring. It offers not an absence of adversity, but "joy in the midst of adversity," as Silva puts it.1

Consequently Philippians has much to say to us and to our contemporaries. Today we are surrounded by the evidence of empty human hearts grasping at happiness, only to find it as illusive as grasping the wind. Billions are spent in vain attempts to find a settled happiness, to find joy. Oceans are crossed and mountains are climbed in pursuit of it. We have our own personal discouragements. Everyone wants to have joy. So it is significant for us that the Apostle Paul says in 3:1, "Finally, my brethren, rejoice in the Lord." And in 4:10, "Rejoice in the Lord always, again I will say, rejoice!" It is significant because it is only "in the Lord" that one truly finds joy. This epistle is both full of Christ and full of joy. We will discover this in Paul's letter, and hopefully thereby avoid the pitfalls of the world's momentary and counterfeit pleasures.

Background

Paul and Timothy, bond-servants of Christ Jesus, to all the saints in Christ Jesus who are in Philippi, including the overseers and deacons: Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. (Phil 1:1-2)

It is important in studying any book, religious or other, to know the background. It is extremely helpful to know where, by whom, and for what reason it was written (i.e. what problems, needs, etc. are being addressed by the author). Let me provide an example:

But I rejoiced in the Lord greatly, that now at last you have revived your concern for me; indeed, you were concerned before, but you lacked opportunity. Not that I speak from want; for I have learned to be content in whatever circumstances I am. I know how to get along with humble means, and I also know how to live in prosperity; in any and every circumstance I have learned the secret of being filled and going hungry, both of having abundance and suffering need. (Phil 4:10-12)

This passage is fairly straightforward. We can understand it. Yet when we realize that the Apostle Paul wrote this not as academic theologian, and not from the king's palaces, but from a Roman prison - horrid places that they were - while chained to a Roman guard, the passage becomes that much more significant. His words, R.P. Martin reminds us, "do not proceed from some ivory tower of peace and security."2 Sure we understood it before. But it doesn't hit us, or move us with the force it does when we realize the difficult circumstances under which those words were penned. Background illuminates the meaning of a text.

First, who wrote this letter to the Philippians? It was sent by "Paul and Timothy," and written by Paul (1:1). That is, it was written by Paul the Apostle, the man who founded many of the early churches and wrote much of the New Testament, along with his traveling companion, Timothy. Timothy helped found the church (Acts 16:3), visited it again without Paul (Acts 19:22), was then joined there by Paul (Acts 20:3,4), and would soon visit again (Phil 2:19-23). The Apostle Paul wrote it in either 54-55 A.D. or 61-63 A.D., in either Ephesus or Rome, and while in prison (1:13). The traditional view is that he wrote it in Rome, and the best evidence supports this view. Jailed by pagans and attacked by fellow Christians, he writes it with a sense that his death may be imminent (1:19-24).

The Apostle Paul opens with what would be both the conventional pattern of ancient letter writing - naming the writer, recipient, and greetings - and the typical form for all his letters to the churches. There is one missing element, however. The Apostle Paul doesn't mention that he is an apostle. The Apostle Paul enjoyed a close relationship with the Philippians, and it seems that no one there questioned his authority as an Apostle. This contrasts with the letter to the Galatians, where Paul opens by saying, "Paul, an Apostle (not sent from men, nor through the agency of man, but through Jesus Christ, and God the Father, who raised Him from the dead)" (Gal 1:1). The defensive tone of Galatians is completely missing in Philippians.

Notice also that the salutation is in a form. Paul does not show disrespect or contempt for the customs of the society of his day, and he is not afraid of form and structure. The early Christians were radicals, to be sure, but they weren't rude. They didn't trample down traditions that were not harmful in themselves. They conformed to custom, to accepted practice, insofar as doing so did not compromise the faith. In his defense before King Agrippa and Festus, the Apostle politely calls the pagan governor Festus "most excellent Festus" (Acts 26:25). He could have called him a blind fool or a stupid pagan, but he didn't. He was polite; he conformed to the protocol of his day.

Notice also that Paul is humble. He treats Timothy as a peer - an equal. It's not Paul the preeminent one, the great Apostle, your leader, your founder. It's not Paul, founder and president of the Apostle Paul Evangelistic Association, author of world-famous titles such as Galatians and Romans - and it's not Timothy my helper, my aid, my disciple, my understudy, or my slave. But it is "Paul and Timothy" together, as "bond servants of Christ." Matthew Henry brings this to our attention by saying:

Observe, the highest honor of the greatest apostle, and most eminent ministers, is to be the servants of Jesus Christ; not the masters of the churches, but the servants of Christ.3

The Greek word for servant is doulos, the common word for slave. But people shy from translating it "slave" because of all the negative connotations of forced labor, of harsh conditions, whippings, etc. Therefore it is normally translated "bond servant" (which is a slave who is a slave by choice). This captures the idea of unconditional service, absolute obedience, master's rights of possession and disposal (1 Cor 6:20), and dependence on and responsibility to the master.

He addresses himself to "all the saints" (hagiois). "All" are addressed because he is concerned about church unity. "Saints" are not a super spiritual class of Christians, but all Christians who are truly Christian. "Saint" literally means "holy one." It was used in the Old Testament to describe Israel (Ex 19:6; Deut 7:6, 14:2,21), yet when Israel rejected the Messiah the church rightfully claimed the rights, privileges and titles as the people of God. Similarly Peter says in 1 Peter 2:9, "You are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for God's own possession;" all of which are Old Testament quotations (cf. Ex 19:5,6) which once applied to Israel and are now applied to the Church. The Church now is "the Israel of God" (Gal 6:16). So also the Apostle Paul here speaks to them as "Holy Ones" "in Christ Jesus;" not holy as Jews, but in Christ; not holy in themselves, but in Christ. "Saints" refers to our declared righteousness - to an objective fact; it is not a description of our subjective experience. Christians are saints, says O'Brien, "not because of their own doing or by works of the law, but because of what Christ has done."4 As Karl Barth says, "In Christ Jesus their holiness is and remains. In Him they are holy; only in connection with Him can they be called this, and in no other respect."5

He addresses himself especially to the "overseers," or bishops, in New Testament times also called elders (presbyters) (Titus 1:5,7; Acts 20:17,28), and the deacons, that is, to the leaders of the church responsible for the reading of this epistle and distribution of the funds that the Apostle Paul had received.6

Second, who are the Philippians? Simply, they are the residents of Philippi. Philippi was founded by and named for Philip II of Macedon, father of Alexander the Great in 356 B.C. He established the city for two strategic reasons:

1. It was the site of gold and silver mines, which Philip used both to pay his army, and to buy off his enemies, which apparently he did quite often. He is reputed to have said, "No fortress is impregnable to whose walls a donkey laden with gold can be driven."

2. It was important because of its strategic location: it guards the road which joins east and west, Asia and Europe. The Romans conquered it in 168 B.C. It was later the site of a crucial battle when Marc Antony and Octavian (who became Caesar Augustus) defeated the republican forces of Brutus and Cassius, the assassins of Julius Caesar. (You may remember, Antony and Octavian then battled each other, Antony joined with Cleopatra, and the two committed suicide before being defeated by Octavian, as the unchallenged ruler of the Empire.)

A grateful Octavian, now Caesar Augustus, went on to make the city a Roman military colony, an important fact for understanding the Philippians. Being made a Roman colony was a great privilege for any city, and had great benefits for the citizens. They had Roman government, law, language, coinage, and dress - all of which was a source of great pride. The City had the right of local control, and its citizens had all the rights of Roman citizens. For example, they could not be scourged, they could not be arbitrarily arrested, and they had the right of appeal to Caesar.

Third, when was the Philippian church established? When did these Philippians, these proud Roman citizens, meet the gospel of Jesus Christ? We find the founding of the church in Philippi in Acts 16:6ff. During his Second Missionary Journey, God clearly directed the Apostle Paul and Timothy away from Asia (16:6-8) and into Macedonia.

And a vision appeared to Paul in the night: a certain man of Macedonia was standing and appealing to him, and saying, "Come over to Macedonia and help us." And when he had seen the vision, immediately we sought to go into Macedonia, concluding that God had called us to preach the gospel to them. Therefore putting out to sea from Troas, we ran a straight course to Samothrace, and on the day following to Neapolis; and from there to Philippi, which is a leading city of the district of Macedonia, a Roman colony; and we were staying in this city for some days. (Acts 16:9-12)

Notice the Spirit leads but it is, given the above, a most strategic choice! As we've noted, all the traffic between Asia and Europe passed through Philippi. As travelers, traders, soldiers, and others passed, they might hear the gospel preached, believe, then take their new found faith with them to the ends of the empire. Moreover, the Apostle Paul's decision to head for Macedonia was "momentous," as Silva calls it, as the Christian gospel was brought by him from the Middle East to Europe for the first time. The Philippian congregation will be the first Christian church in Europe.

Here's how it happened:

And on the Sabbath day we went outside the gate to a riverside, where we were supposing that there would be a place of prayer; and we sat down and began speaking to the women who had assembled. (Acts 16:13)

Jews met to worship outside the city because Roman law required foreign cults to be practiced outside the gates of the city. In fact, in 50 A.D. Claudius had thrown all the Jews out of the city of Rome and the Philippians, as zealous Romans, were eager to copy Rome's action. The Philippians responded immediately to the Apostle Paul's gospel.

And a certain woman named Lydia, from the city of Thyatira, a seller of purple fabrics, a worshiper of God, was listening; and the Lord opened her heart to respond to the things spoken by Paul. And when she and her household had been baptized, she urged us, saying, "If you have judged me to be faithful to the Lord, come into my house and stay." And she prevailed upon us. (Acts 16:14,15)

Lydia and her household are the first European converts to Christ. A divinizing slave girl follows (Acts 16:16-18). But the Apostle's ministry was also disruptive, and before long Paul & Silas were dragged before the authorities.

and when they had brought them to the chief magistrates, they said, "These men are throwing our city into confusion, being Jews, and are proclaiming customs which it is not lawful for us to accept or to observe, being Romans." (Acts 16:20-21)

Notice the contrast between "being Jews" and "being Romans." The Philippians took great pride in their identity as citizens of Rome. Paul and Silas are beaten and thrown in prison, unlawfully because they are Roman citizens. The Philippian authorities discovered their error and were frightened of the possible repercussions (16:35-38). They attempted to quietly release Paul and Silas, but Paul would have none of it.

But Paul said to them, "They have beaten us in public without trial, men who are Romans, and have thrown us into prison; and now are they sending us away secretly? No indeed! But let them come themselves and bring us out." And the policemen reported these words to the chief magistrates. And they were afraid when they heard that they were Romans, and they came and appealed to them, and when they had brought them out, they kept begging them to leave the city. And they went out of the prison and entered the house of Lydia, and when they saw the brethren, they encouraged them and departed. (Acts 16:37-40)

This was the birth of the church at Philippi. Lydia and her household, the slave girl (Acts 16:16-19), the jailer (Acts 16:27-34), and others were the members of the first European church. In Acts 20:11 Paul had another brief stay in Philippi, and apparently he paid other visits as well.

Clearly the gospel took root in Philippi. Paul speaks more fondly of the Philippians than any other church. He speaks of longing for them with the affection (literally, "bowels") of Christ (1:8). He calls them his "joy and crown" (4:1), and from them only could he accept support without his motives being questioned. "Paul was closer to the church at Philippi than any other church," says Barclay.7

Purpose

Why was the letter written? Like most letters, it was written for several reasons. As we study these reasons, we will see many points of relevant application for us today.

First, it was written to tie up relational loose ends. There were three such loose ends.

1. He wrote to express gratitude for the gifts which the Philippians had sent by the hand of Epaphroditus and for previous financial gifts. Epaphroditus traveled 800 miles to Rome from Philippi (equal to the distance from New York to Chicago) to deliver the gift, and as their representative to minister to Paul's needs. So in 4:10-20 Paul thanks them, calling the gift "a fragrant aroma, an acceptable sacrifice, well-pleasing to God" (4:19). Giving from local churches in support of missionary work began in the earliest decades of the church, and is a practice which we are called to continue today.

2. He wrote to provide information regarding his imprisonment (1:12-20). The Apostle Paul writes to calm the Phlippians' fears and fill their hearts with gladness. This is fascinating, because here we see Paul, the gentle pastor, who, from the filth of his prison cell, urges them to rejoice with him, and assures them of God's sovereign control of events. Here is a lesson to take to heart: in the midst of apparent tragedy, the present imprisonment and possible execution of their spiritual father, the founder of their church, the Apostle Paul himself, in the midst of his great evil, Paul can only speak of the great good which has come of it. He points out first that Christ has become known throughout the whole Praetorian guard, that is, the palace guard of the emperor; and secondly, that Paul's boldness has inspired other Christians to be more bold in proclaiming Christ. There has been an increase in faith among Christians, resulting in an increase in evangelism. He even goes so far as to point out that whether he lives or dies the outcome will be positive (1:21-26), saying so memorably, "to live is Christ, and to die is gain" (1:21)

As happens consistently throughout the Scriptures, apparent evil and defeat only serve (in the long run) to bring about a great good. In the midst of the greatest evil (e.g. the cross), when the world seems to be coming to an end, when Satan does his most dastardly of deeds, God turns it all upside down and works it for the furtherance of His kingdom, for the good of His people, and His own Glory. When life has us down, when tragedy strikes, when the wicked prosper and the righteous suffer, take this lesson to heart.

3. He wrote to ensure Epaphroditus a warm welcome home in Philippi (2:19-30). Epaphroditus was the bearer of the financial gift to the Philippians (3:18). It may be that the Philippians were not expecting him back so soon, and some may have been prone to regard Epaphroditus as a quitter, as one who wasn't tough enough to journey with the Apostle Paul. Or they may have considered Epaphroditus a second-stringer and been disappointed that Timothy wasn't sent (2:19-23). Therefore, the Apostle Paul says, "So receive him in the Lord with all joy; and honor such men, for he nearly died for the work of Christ, risking his life to complete your service to me" (Phil 2:29-30). Again, as one commentator said, there is something moving about Paul, in prison and on the verge of death, taking such care to protect the reputation of this faithful brother. Paul smoothes the way. What an example for us of selfless devotion to the people of God.

Second, it was written to provide spiritual guidance. Epaphroditus reported on the spiritual condition of the church, and while it was mainly good, there were a number of problems that needed the Apostle's pastoral oversight.

1. The problem of disunity - Apparently Syntyche and Euodia were quarreling (4:2). The Apostle Paul emphasizes the word "all" from the outset of his epistle (1:4,7,8,25; cf. 2:26; 4:21). He urges, "complete my joy by being of the same mind, having the same love, being in full accord and of one mind" (2:2; cf. 1:27). The Apostle Paul wants unity. For Paul, the road to unity is humility (2:1-4). Where there are problems of factions and cliques, the heart of the matter is selfishness and pride. If we are humble and consider others more important than ourselves, then we will have unity in the church. The extraordinary Carmen Christi, the hymn of Christ found in 2:5-11, is prompted by the need to motivate the humility that produces harmony in the church.

2. There was also the problem of legalism (3:1-11). There were those who insisted that keeping the Mosaic law was necessary for salvation, and especially that circumcision was required of anyone wishing to become fully Christian. Paul strongly attacks them in 3:2-11, saying in verse 9 that righteousness is not something we gain through the law, but is given to us by God through faith. As J. M. Boice has pointed out, "the entire argument of Romans is found in one verse," in Philippians 3:9.8

3. There was also the problem of perfectionism (3;12-17). That is, there were those who taught that union with Christ resulted in a form of sinless perfection. He urges them instead to copy his attitude, not as one who has become perfect, but as one pressing toward that goal. We never arrive as Christians, he says. We must always "press on" (3:12,14). There will ever be lodged in our hearts idols to be smashed and lusts to be crucified (Gal 5:24).

4. The fourth problem was that of worldliness (3:18-21). There were a number of persons who set their minds on "earthly" things, whose "god," as the Apostle vividly puts it, was their "belly" (3:19). His answer is, "walk according to the pattern you have in us" (3:17). Moreover, "our citizenship is in heaven" and we are headed toward glory (3:20).

We too must be on guard against the false gods and false doctrines of our age, in whatever form they assume. They may not be in exactly the same form now as then , yet we face all of the same sort of problems. We note that while the Apostle Paul wants unity, it is not a contentless unity. His unity is anchored in truth. The unity he seeks has a doctrinal basis. In one case, he deals with those who say more than faith is required to be saved; and in another case he handles those who think they're reaching sinless perfection. Next he deals with disunity. Then with worldliness. The Apostle Paul does not want union with heretics in their errors, but correction. He issues strong warnings and uses the strongest language. So ought we likewise to seek to oppose heresy in whatever form it arises in our age. We do not join hands with everyone who claims to follow Christ, but only with those who are committed to believing and living the truth.

Third, and perhaps most importantly, it was written to urge the Philippians to persevere. "Many of the Philippians were experiencing severe spiritual problems," says Silva, and "had lost confidence in their ability to maintain their Christian confession."9 The heart of the epistle is a call to sanctification (1:27-2:30) and orthodoxy (3:1-4:1). That is, to persevere in moral and theological purity. Doing so requires "right attitudes, singleness of purpose and mental concentration," Silva comments.10 Ten times he urges them "to think" (phroneō - e.g. 1:7; 2;2,5; 3:15,19; 4:10), as well as "consider" or "regard" (hēgeomai, 2:3,6; 3:8), "notice" or "consider" (skopeō, 2:4; 3:17), and "reckon" or "consider" (logizomai, 3:13; 4:8). In addition, sections 1:9-11 and 3:8-10 are loaded with "knowledge" terminology. This combined with military and athletic metaphors, shows the Apostle's concern for what Silva calls "mental determination."11 Christians are to "stand firm" and "strive together" for the gospel (1:27; 4:1). They are to "press on to the goal" and not look back (3:13-15). Amidst all their adversity and struggle, they are not to lose faith, or importantly, lose joy.

"The Epistle of Joy" Terry Johnson, Independent Presbyterian Church / I. Expositions of Philippians / Philippians 1:1-2 / January 11, 2009