Bible Guide

Philippians was written by the Apostle Paul. This letter is one of Paul's Prison Epistles (which also includes Ephesians, Colossians, and Philemon). Paul—referred to as Saul in the first section of Acts—once lived as a strict Pharisee (Acts 26:5). Early in life, he opposed the name of Jesus, locking up and persecuting believers. He even voted for some to be put to death (Acts 26:9-11). Jesus revealed himself to Paul on the road to Damascus (Acts 9). This led to Paul's conversion and his subsequent ministry:

"Of this gospel I was made a minister according to the gift of God's grace, which was given me by the working of his power. To me, though I am the very least of all the saints, this grace was given, to preach to the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ, and to bring to light for everyone what is the plan of the mystery hidden for ages in God, who created all things, so that through the church the manifold wisdom of God might now be made known to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly places." (Ephesians 3:7-19, ESV)

Sources place Paul's death in Rome sometime between AD 64-67.

Some experiences were harder than others. Paul's first stint as a prisoner in Rome involved house arrest (this is likely when he wrote this letter). The story of Paul's arrest and subsequent journey to Rome can be read in Acts 21:27-28:31. Other imprisonments involved intense mistreatment, flogging, and poor living conditions.

Paul wrote this letter while in prison (1:7, 13, 16). Most scholars believe this occurred during his initial incarceration in Rome (A.D. 60-62)—though some have argued he wrote while in prison in Caesarea or Ephesus. Periodically, throughout his ministry, Paul was arrested and thrown into jail for preaching the gospel.

Paul started the church in Philippi during his second missionary journey (Acts 16). One of the first Christian converts in Philippi was a successful entrepreneur named Lydia. During Paul and Silas' imprisonment in Philippi (after Paul cast a spirit out of a slave girl [16:16-24]), the jailer and his household were also saved and baptized.

These events marked the beginning of the fledgling church, which was made up of a number of unique individuals—a testament to the power of the gospel. The church in Philippi likely met regularly at Lydia's house (Acts 16:40).

Philippi was a Roman colony in ancient Macedonia, which was full of retired soldiers and was well known for its patriotic nationalism. These retired soldiers were given land by the Roman government in return for their service. A prosperous city, the citizens likely held their Roman citizenship close (Acts 16:21). The city was named after Alexander the Great's father, King Philip II. The city was located in what is now the nation of Greece.

The book of Philippians is a personal thank you note from Paul to the church in Philippi. Caring immensely for Paul, the congregation sent Epaphroditus to bring the apostle a gift to help him during his time in prison.

In this letter, Paul expresses his gratitude, encourages the people by letting them know that his suffering is not in vain, and challenges the church to live a life of unity. In many ways, this letter also functions as a personal update from Paul regarding his present circumstances.

The book of Philippians is considered an epistle because it is a letter written to a group of people (ancient epistles also include correspondence between two people).

WHAT ARE SOME KEY FEATURES OF THIS GENRE?

Typically, Paul's epistles resemble this structure:

• GREETING
• THANKSGIVING
• BODY which include warnings and exhortations
• CLOSE & BENEDICTION

During one recurring bit on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, host Jimmy Fallon writes "Thank You Notes" to random people, places, or things. These notes are meant to be funny and sarcastic. Here are a few samples:

"Thank you, people who say, 'I really shouldn't,' for letting me know that you're about to eat a lot of my fries.'"

"Thank you, 'Talk soon!' for being another way of saying, 'Talk never!'"

"Thank you, hard taco shells, for surviving the long journey from factory, to the supermarket, to my plate and then breaking the moment I put something inside you."

"Thank you, peer pressure, for being totally not cool. Unless my friends think it's cool, then it's pretty cool, I guess."

Fallon's bit is funny because most people don't write thank you notes these days, and when we do we usually write out of compulsion! The book of Philippians could basically be called one long thank you letter. It wasn't written under compulsion, however. It was written by Paul out of deep thankfulness, gratitude, and love.

Philippians, while known as a book today, was actually a letter written by the Apostle Paul to a church he planted in Philippi—a Roman colony located in what is now northeast Greece.

Philippians is best described as one long thank you note. Paul—one of the most popular followers of Jesus during the first century—wrote this letter while in prison. He had been thrown in prison for preaching Jesus' death and resurrection. The congregation at Philippi had just sent him a gift that—though we don't know exactly what it was—would have made his incarceration easier.

Paul loves the Philippian church dearly, and it certainly shows here! Paul, thankful that his spiritual "children" haven't forgotten about him, uses this opportunity to update them on his situation, encourages the people by letting them know that his suffering is not in vain, and challenges the church to a life of unity and contentment even when times are tough.