Overview: Philippians

Paul's letter to the Philippians. The Philippian church was the first community of Jesus that Paul started in Eastern Europe. This story is told in the Acts of the Apostles, chapter 16. Philippi was a Roman colony in ancient Macedonia. It was filled with retired soldiers and was known for its patriotic nationalism. Paul faced opposition when he proclaimed Jesus as the true king of the world. After Paul passed away, those who became followers of Jesus continued to experience opposition and even persecution. But they remained a living community faithful to the path of Jesus. Paul sent this letter during one of his many imprisonments.

For a very practical reason, the Philippians had sent one of their members, Epaphroditus, to bring Paul a financial donation to keep him in prison. Paul sent this letter to Epaphroditus to say “thank you” and much more. The layout of this letter does not develop a single idea from beginning to end, like many of Paul's other letters. Rather, Paul has prepared a series of reflective essays or illustrations. Everything revolves around the center of gravity of this letter, which is a poem from chapter 2. It artistically retells the story of the incarnation, life, death, resurrection and ascension of the Messiah.

Then, in each of the illustrations, Paul will take key words or ideas from that poem to show how living as a Christian means seeing his story as a living reflection of Jesus' story. Therefore, Paul opens the letter with a prayer of thanksgiving. He thanks God for the generosity of the Philippians, for his faithfulness, and expresses his conviction that the life-transforming work that God has begun in them will continue in even greater and more beautiful expressions of faithfulness and love. Paul then focuses on his current concern, which is his condition in prison. Being in a Roman prison was not easy at all.

But, paradoxically, he has gotten better, spreading the good news about Jesus. So all the Roman guards, the administrators, know that Paul is in prison because he has proclaimed Jesus as the risen Lord. His imprisonment has inspired confidence in other Christians to talk about Jesus more openly. Paul is optimistic that he will get out of prison, but he may even be executed. As he reflects, this really wouldn't be so bad, since "For me," Paul says, "to live is the Messiah. So to die would be gain." For Paul, his life now and in the future is defined by Jesus' life and love for him.

If he were executed, it would mean that he would be in the presence of Jesus, which would be wonderful for him. And if he was released, that meant he could continue the work of starting more Jesus communities, which would be better for other people, so that's his hope. He observes how his train of thought works here. Dying for Jesus was not the true sacrifice for Paul. Rather, it is about staying alive to serve others. This is Paul's way of participating in the story of Jesus, of suffering to love others more than himself. Paul then exhorts the Philippians to follow Jesus' example and have the same mindset as him.

He says that their lives as citizens must be in accordance with the good news about the Messiah. These Philippian Christians lived in a center of Roman patriotism. But their lives had to be shaped by another king, Jesus. This could bring persecution, but they need not fear, because suffering due to identification with Jesus is a way of living the story of Jesus himself, which Paul addresses in the wonderful poem, in chapter 2. It is full of echoes of texts from the Old Testament, specifically the story of Adam in his rebellion in Genesis 1 - 3 and the poems about the suffering servant in the book of Isaiah.

This poem is worth memorizing. It is a beautifully condensed version of the gospel story. Before becoming man, the Messiah preexisted in a state of glory and equality with God. And, unlike Adam, who attempted to usurp equality with God, the Messiah decided not to abuse his equal status for his own advancement. But he stripped himself of the status. He became a man. He became everyone's servant. And even more, he allowed himself to be humiliated. He was obedient to the Father and went to death on a Roman gallows. But through the power and grace of God, the shameful death of the Messiah has been reversed through the resurrection.

Now God has exalted Jesus as king of all, giving him the name that is above every name, so that all creation may recognize that Jesus the Messiah is Lord to the glory of God the Father. The last statement is surprising. Paul is quoting Isaiah, chapter 45. It is a passage where all creation comes to accept the God of Israel as Lord. What Paul means is very clear. In Jesus crucified and resurrected, we discover that the only true God of Israel is made up of God the Father and the Lord Jesus. For Paul, this poem expresses his convictions about who Jesus is; he even does more.

It offers the example of Jesus as a way of life for his followers to imitate. This is why Paul immediately goes on to tell us two stories, the first about Timothy and the other about Epaphroditus, because both are examples of people living the story of Jesus. Timothy is like Jesus because he constantly cares about other people's well-being more than his own. Epaphroditus, whom the Philippians sent with his gift, risked his life to minister to Paul in prison. He became so sick that he almost died trying to help Paul. But God had mercy on him and on Paul, saving the latter from the loss of a friend.

Here Paul means that these types of people are living spiritual examples of the story of Jesus. They deserve to be honored. Paul then returns to the example of his story. Those Christians who demanded the circumcision of Gentile Christians, remember his letter to the Galatians, these people continue to cause problems for Paul. They keep reminding him of the past, how he once persecuted the followers of Jesus when he tried to show his right standing before God through his zealous obedience to the laws of the Torah. But like Jesus, Paul had renounced that status and privilege. He now considers all of this to be rubbish.

The word he uses is actually much less polite. He has renounced everything to become a servant like Jesus, to share his suffering and his sacrificial love. And he does it in the hope that the love of Jesus will carry him through death to the other side, to the resurrection. Therefore, Paul says that for followers of Jesus, his true citizenship is in heaven, which for Paul does not mean that we should all expect to one day leave earth and go to heaven. But heaven is the extraordinary place where Jesus reigns as king. He says we are eagerly waiting for our royal Savior to come from there and return here, to bring his kingdom of healing justice and transforming love; to make a new creation.

Paul then challenges the Philippians to continue living the story of Jesus. He first addresses two well-known women, church leaders, who worked alongside Paul. They are in some kind of conflict. Paul implores them to follow Jesus' example of humility to reconcile and unite. Paul then urges the Philippians not to give in to fear, but despite persecution, to express all their feelings and needs to God, who will give them peace. That peace, Paul says, comes from focusing your thoughts on what is good, true, and beautiful. There are always things you can complain about. But a follower of Jesus knows that all life is a gift and that you can choose to see beauty and grace in every circumstance of life.

With this, Paul concludes the letter. He again thanks the Philippians for their sacrificial gift. He wants them to know that this imprisonment, this time of poverty, are not real difficulties for him. In fact, they have become his best teachers, showing him that, despite his circumstances, he has learned the secret of being content. It is simple dependence on Him that strengthens Paul. Paul has come to see his suffering as a participation in the story of Jesus. The letter to the Philippians offers us a unique window into the heart and mind of Paul. He saw his entire life as a reliving of the story of Jesus.

You can see in this letter his close relationship with Jesus, his awareness that the love and presence of Jesus are closer than his own body. This is what gave him hope and humility in his darkest hours. For this reason, Paul tells us that knowing Jesus is always a personal and transformative encounter. This is the type of Jesus that Paul invites others to follow. And this is what Paul's letter to the Philippians is about.