purpose of philippians
Hello, welcome to solsarin. This post is about “purpose of philippians“.
Epistle to the Philippians
The Epistle to the Philippians, commonly referred to as Philippians, is a Pauline epistle of the New Testament of the Christian Bible. The epistle is attributed to Paul the Apostle and Timothy is named with him as co-author or co-sender. The letter is addressed to the Christian church in Philippi. Paul, Timothy, Silas (and perhaps Luke) first visited Philippi in Greece (Macedonia) during Paul’s second missionary journey from Antioch, which occurred between approximately 49 and 51 AD. In the account of his visit in the Acts of the Apostles, Paul and Silas are accused of “disturbing the city”.
Around 62 AD
There is a general consensus that Philippians consists of authentically Pauline material, and that the epistle is a composite of multiple letter fragments from Paul to the church in Philippi. These letters could have been written from Ephesus in 52–55 AD or Caesarea Maritima in 57–59, but the most likely city of provenance is Rome, around 62 AD, or about 10 years after Paul’s first visit to Philippi.
Composition
Starting in the 1960s, a general consensus has emerged among biblical scholars that Philippians was not written as one unified letter, but is rather a compilation of fragments from three separate letters from Paul to the church in Philippi. According to Philip Sellew, Philippians contains the following letter fragments:
- Letter A consists of Philippians 4:10–20. It is a short thank-you note from Paul to the Philippian church, regarding gifts they had sent him.
- Letter B consists of Philippians 1:1–3:1, and may also include 4:4–9 and 4:21–23.
- Letter C consists of Philippians 3:2–4:1, and may also include 4:2–3. It is a testament to Paul’s rejection of all worldly things for the sake of the gospel of Jesus.
In support of the idea that Philippians is a composite work, scholars point to the abrupt shifts in tone and topic within the text.
There also seem to be chronological inconsistencies from one chapter to the next concerning Paul’s associate Epaphroditus:
Another argument against unity has been found in the swiftly changing fortunes of Epaphroditus: this associate of Paul is at the point of death in chapter two (Phil 2:25–30), where seemingly he has long been bereft of the company of the Philippian Christians; Paul says that he intended to send him back to Philippi after this apparently lengthy, or at least near-fatal separation. Two chapters later, however, at the end of the canonical letter, Paul notes that Epaphroditus had only now just arrived at Paul’s side, carrying a gift from Philippi, a reference found toward the close of the “thank-you note” as a formulaic acknowledgement of receipt at Phil 4:18.
These letter fragments likely would have been edited into a single document by the first collector of the Pauline corpus, although there is no clear consensus among scholars regarding who this initial collector may have been, or when the first collection of Pauline epistles may have been published.
G. Walter Hansen
Today, a number of scholars believe that Philippians is a composite of multiple letter fragments. According to the theologian G. Walter Hansen, “The traditional view that Philippians was composed as one letter in the form presented in the NT [New Testament] can no longer claim widespread support.” Nevertheless, many scholars continue to argue for the unity of Philippians.
Regardless of the literary unity of the letter, scholars agree that the material that was compiled into the Epistle to the Philippians was originally composed in Greek, sometime during the 50s or early 60s AD.
Place of writing
It is uncertain where Paul was when he wrote the letter(s) that make up Philippians. Internal evidence in the letter itself points clearly to it being composed while Paul was in custody, but it is unclear which period of imprisonment the letter refers to. If the testimony of the Acts of the Apostles is to be trusted, candidates would include the Roman imprisonment at the end of Acts, and the earlier Caesarean imprisonment. Any identification of the place of writing of Philippians is complicated by the fact that some scholars view Acts as being an unreliable source of information about the early Church.
Jim Reiher has suggested that the letters could stem from the second period of Roman imprisonment attested by early church fathers.
The main reasons suggested for a later date include:
- The letter’s highly developed Ecclesiology
- An impending sense of death permeating the letter
- The absence of any mention of Luke in a letter to Luke’s home church (when the narrative in Acts clearly suggests that Luke was with Paul in his first Roman imprisonment)
- A harsher imprisonment than the open house arrest of his first Roman imprisonment
- A similar unique expression that is shared only with 2 Timothy
- A similar disappointment with co-workers shared only with 2 Timothy
Who Wrote Philippians?
The Apostle Paul wrote the letter to the Philippians to express his gratitude and affection for the Philippian church, his strongest supporters in ministry. Scholars agree that Paul drafted the epistle during his two years of house arrest in Rome.
Besides expressing thanks to the believers in Philippi for their gifts and support, Paul took the opportunity to encourage the church concerning practical matters such as humility and unity. The apostle warned them about “Judiazers” (Jewish legalists) and gave instructions on how to live a joyous Christian life.
The book of Philippians conveys a powerful message about the secret of contentment. Although Paul had faced severe hardships, poverty, beatings, illness, and even his current imprisonment, in every circumstance he had learned to be content. The source of his joyous contentment was rooted in knowing Jesus Christ:
I once thought these things were valuable, but now I consider them worthless because of what Christ has done. Yes, everything else is worthless when compared with the infinite value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have discarded everything else, counting it all as garbage, so that I could gain Christ and become one with him. (Philippians 3:7-9a, NLT).”
Where are we?
Of the four Prison Epistles, Paul likely wrote Philippians last. Near the end of his Roman imprisonment in AD 61 or 62. Paul sent the other three Prison Epistles—Ephesians, Colossians, and Philemon—by the hand of Tychicus. As their destinations were near one another. However, the letter to the Philippians was to be delivered by Epaphroditus. Who had come to Paul in Rome with financial help from the church at Philippi (Philippians 2:25; 4:18). But during his time in Rome, Epaphroditus took ill, which delayed his return home. And therefore, the delivery of the letter (2:26–27).
Why is Philippians so important?
The apostle Paul did not write Philippians in response to a crisis, as he did with Galatians and Colossians. Instead, he wrote to express his appreciation and affection for the Philippian believers. More than any other church, the believers in Philippi offered Paul material support for his ministry (2 Corinthians 8:11; Philippians 4:15–18). Paul’s affection for these people is clear throughout the letter. As he encouraged them to live out their faith in joy and unity (1:3–5, 25–26; 4:1).
What’s the big idea?
Philippians brims over with often quoted passages. “He who began a good work in you will perfect it until the day of Christ Jesus” (Philippians 1:6). “To live is Christ and to die is gain” (1:21). And “I can do all things through Him who strengthens me” (4:13) are just a few. But the portrait of Jesus Christ as a humble servant serves. As the core of Paul’s teaching in this letter (2:5–11).
Jesus
Paul’s joy at the mere thought of the Philippian church is undeniable in the letter. And it’s that same joy that he wanted the recipients to possess as well. To lead the Philippians to this truth, Paul took them directly to Jesus. He teaching them that a community of believers living in harmony with one another comes only through mutual humility modeled after the Savior. Paul wrote that he poured out his life as an offering for the sake of Christ, leading Paul to find great joy. And contentment in Christ’s service. His letter to the Philippians showed them that by centering their lives on Christ, they, too, might live in true joy.
How do I apply this?
purpose of philippians
Though we all have much to be thankful for, the pace and the pressure of life often squeeze the joy from us. Our shoulders slumped and our heads bowed, we find some days—or months—very difficult to get through. Desperate, we often search for joy in all kinds of ways—acquiring possessions, visiting places, or seeing people. But none of these can provide lasting joy. Where do you find joy in the midst of a trying circumstance?
Paul knew, as did the Philippians, that true joy comes only through humble faith in the saving work of Jesus Christ, joining ourselves in harmony with His followers, and serving others in the name of Christ. This was the life experienced by the Philippian believers, and it is a life available to us today.
Allow the joy you find in Christ to keep you from useless quarrels and divisions. And to instead guide you into harmonious relationships with God’s people.
Thanks for joining this post “purpose of philippians”.
