The Epistle to the Philippians - Overview

Beginning today we will explore Paul’s letter to the Philippians. We begin by looking at the backdrop to facilitate a better understanding of this letter. In his second missionary journey recorded in Acts 16, Paul had a vision of a man from Macedonia, calling to him “to come over and help us.” In response to that vision, Paul and his traveling companions – Luke, Timothy and Silas – went to Philippi. While they were there, Paul met with a group of women outside the city. Consequently, one of them, by the name of Lydia, was converted. Members of her household were also converted (Acts 16:15).

It was in this city of Philippi that Paul and Silas were arrested and imprisoned because of an exorcism they conducted. They delivered a demon-possessed girl who was exploited by her owners, who profited from her diabolical ability to tell the future. Robbed of their income, her infuriated owners had Paul and Silas arrested and imprisoned. While in custody (Acts 16:16-24), a phenomenal miracle took place. We are told that as they sang praises to God at midnight, an earthquake shook that jail. All the doors were flung open and their chains were loosened. Thinking that Paul and Silas had escaped, the jailer wanted to commit suicide by killing himself. However, he was stopped by Paul who assured him that they were still there. And out of that miracle, the jailer was converted and his family members were converted and baptized in their new found faith.

However, it was here that Paul and Silas were beaten without a charge being filed. They were released and told to leave the city, when the authorities discovered that they were Roman citizens. Paul later wrote this letter to the Philippians during his first imprisonment to express his appreciation to the Philippians for their generous support. The church there had apparently sent the offering to Paul through Epaphroditus. Paul was now sending him back to the Philippians with his letter.

Paul probably had several things in mind when he wrote this letter to the Philippians. First of all, he wrote to keep them updated of his situation in the prison and his future plans. Secondly, he wanted to deal with some apparent division in the church. Using the Lord as an example, he exhorted them to demonstrate humility and to practice unity. Thirdly, he was concerned with some heretical teachings, probably Judaism and early form of Gnosticism, which had infiltrated the church. So he wrote to deal with them. Fourthly, he wanted to commend Timothy and Epaphroditus to the Philippians. And finally, he wanted to express his gratitude to them for the support and gifts they had sent to him.

While Paul was harsh when dealing with wrong, he was by nature a people’s person. He was caring and appreciative. These are good traits that we as Christians ought to emulate. Why? Simply put, we are called to care for one another. The better we relate with others the more meaningful and effective will our relationship with others be.  Let’s explore this letter with the purpose of drawing out applicable truths for our journey with the Lord.