Overview

Philippians is Paul's warmest and most joyful letter, written from prison to a congregation he loved deeply. Despite his circumstances he overflows with gratitude, affection and the kind of contentment that can only come from a settled confidence in God. The letter is full of practical counsel about unity, humility and the secret of peace in an anxious world. It contains one of the most exalted passages in the New Testament about the person of Christ and one of the most quoted passages about managing anxiety.

Authorship and background

Paul wrote this letter around AD 60–62 during his Roman imprisonment, though some scholars favour an earlier Ephesian imprisonment. Philippi was a Roman colony in Macedonia and the site of Paul's first church planting in Europe (Acts 16). The Philippian believers had a long history of supporting Paul financially and emotionally, and this letter is in part a thank-you note for a gift they sent via Epaphroditus.

Christ at the centre

The great Christological hymn of chapter 2 is the theological summit of the letter. Christ, who was in the form of God, did not grasp at equality with God but emptied Himself, taking the form of a servant, becoming obedient to death — even death on a cross. Therefore God has exalted Him above every name. This is not only a statement about who Jesus is but the pattern Paul holds up for the Philippians to imitate in their relationships with one another. Humility is not weakness — it is the shape of the Son of God. The famous verse "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me" (4:13) is not a promise of worldly success but Paul's testimony that Christ sustains him in every circumstance.

Key verses

"Rejoice in the Lord always. Again I will say, rejoice!" (Philippians 4:4, WEB) "Don't be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God." (Philippians 4:6, WEB) "I can do all things through Christ, who strengthens me." (Philippians 4:13, WEB)

Main themes

Joy in all circumstances including imprisonment and suffering. Humility after the pattern of Christ's self-emptying. Unity and mutual care within the church. The peace of God that guards heart and mind. Contentment as a learned and Christ-given gift. The surpassing worth of knowing Christ above all else.

For us today

Philippians is a great antidote to the anxiety and discontentment of modern life. Paul writes from a prison cell with more peace and joy than many of us manage in comfortable circumstances. His secret is not positive thinking but a deep and settled knowledge of Jesus: "For to me, to live is Christ." The letter invites us to fix our minds on what is true, honourable, just and lovely and to trust that the God of peace will guard us — not from difficulty but in it.