Introduction to Philippians. A Historical Context, Theme, and Outline by James Garriss

Transcription

1 Introduction to Philippians A Historical Context, Theme, and Outline by James Garriss James Garriss 1 Jun 2012

2 Historical Context Who is the author? The introduction lists Paul and Timothy (1:1), yet from verse 3 onward, only the first person singular ( I ) is used. From various clues in the letter the author was raised as a Pharisee (3:4-6), yet imprisoned at the time of writing (1:13) it becomes obvious that Paul was the primary author. Timothy was mentioned because he was with Paul at that time (2:19-24), and the Philippians knew him (Ac 16:1, 11). Who are the recipients? The letter is addressed to the holy ones living in the city of Philippi, including the overseers and deacons (1:1). From the account in Acts 16, it seems that the church is mostly if not entirely Gentile; the letter makes very few references to the Jewish Scriptures but many to Greco- Roman culture. Where do the recipients live? The recipients live in the city of Philippi (1:1), which is in the region of Macedonia in Greece. The city was originally a Thracian village; it rose to a position of prominence around 359 BC when Philip II of Macedon took control of the area to gain their gold mines and renamed the city after himself. It became the capital of the Greek empire that his son, Alexander the Great, established and a showpiece of Greek culture. Major roads connected it with both the east and the west. In 168 BC the Romans conquered the area, and the city diminished in significance until 30 BC, when Octavian declared it to be a Roman colony, 1 thus giving the colonists the same privileges and rights as Roman citizens living in Italy, namely freedom from Roman taxes, governance by Roman law, and the protection of Roman soldiers. 2 Many Roman army veterans settled in the city during this time. It was one of the most important cities in the region of Macedonia. 3 The population of the city was a diverse mix of Thracians (the natives), Greeks (the culturalists), and Romans (the conquerors), but there were not many Jews, not even enough to have a synagogue. 4 Architecturally, the city mimicked Rome. The primary language during Paul s day was Latin, though Greek was used as well. The primary religion was emperor worship failure to participate was considered subversive 5 but there were many religious cults in the city, some from each of the cultures. 6 1 In Ac 16:12, Luke described Philippi as a Roman colony, a leading city of the district of Macedonia. 2 In Ac 16:21, Paul and Silas are accused of advocating customs not legal for Romans. In Ac 16:37, Paul appealed to their Roman citizenship. 3 Thielman, If there had been a synagogue, which only required ten Jewish men, the Jews would not have been meeting by the river on the Sabbath (Ac 16:13). 5 Hansen, 3. 6 Melick, James Garriss 2 Jun 2012

3 Location of Philippi 7 What is the relationship between the author and the recipients? The church was founded by Paul along with Silas and Timothy on his second missionary journey around AD 51 (Ac 16:11-40). They revisited the church on his third journey (Ac 20:1-6). The Philippians partnered with Paul in spreading the gospel (1:5). They supported Paul in his missionary journeys by sending money to him (4:15-16; 2 Co 11:9), as well as to the church in Jerusalem (2 Co 8:1-5), and by sending one of their own members, Epaphroditus (2:25), to help Paul. The result of this partnership is that Paul prays for them with joy (1:4) and has great affection for them (1:8). He addressed them as dearly loved and longed for, his joy and crown, and dear friends (4:1). Of all the churches that Paul wrote to, this one gave him the most satisfaction and the least trouble. 8 What historical situation occasioned this writing? There are four things that motivated Paul to write: One, it was time to give the Philippian church an update on his status in prison (1:23). Two, he wanted to warn them of the dangers posed by Judaizer missionaries, who subverted the message of the gospel (3:2). Three, he had heard of disunity in the church, so he wrote to encourage unity (4:2-3). Four, he had received a generous gift from the church and wanted to thank them for their financial support (4:10-20). 7 Map taken from the NET Bible Maps. 8 G. B. Caird in Melick, 29. James Garriss 3 Jun 2012

4 When was the book written? At the time of this writing, Paul was imprisoned in Rome (1:7, 13) and facing potential execution (1:20-22). His imprisonment was not in a jail, but in a rented house with a Roman solider to guard him (Ac 28:16); he had the freedom to receive guests (Ac 28:30-31). The date was probably 62 AD, during his first imprisonment in Rome. What is the author s purpose? Paul s primary purpose was to encourage the Philippians to live worthy of the gospel by standing firm and being united (1:27). 9 They were persecuted (1:29), so they were to hold firm to the message of life (2:16), and stand in the Lord (4:1). They were to look after each other s interests (2:4) Timothy and Epaphroditus were excellent examples (2:19-30), though Christ was the ultimate example (2:5-11) do everything without arguing (2:14), and come together in agreement even when there were differences (4:2). Theme Paul wrote to encourage the Philippian church to live in a manner worthy of the gospel by standing firm and being united. Outline Unlike most of his letters, the body of Philippians is does not have one theological section followed by one practical section. Every section is biographical mixed with theological content. 1. Introduction (1:1-11) a. Greetings (1:1-2) b. Prayer of thanksgiving and intercession (1:3-11) 2. Body (1:12-4:9) a. Status update on Paul (1:12-26) i. The gospel was advancing despite imprisonment and ambitious believers (1:12-18a). ii. Whether Paul lived or died, Christ would be exalted (1:18b- 26). b. Exhortation to live worthy of the gospel (1:27-2:18) i. Live worthy of the gospel by standing firm (1:27-30). ii. Live worthy of the gospel by being unified (2:1-4). iii. Be unified by following Christ s example of humility (2:5-11). iv. Work out your salvation (2:12-18). c. Status update on Timothy and Epaphroditus (2:19-30) i. Timothy might come (2:19-24) 9 O Brien, 37. James Garriss 4 Jun 2012

5 ii. Epaphroditus will come (2:25-30) d. More Exhortations (3:1-4:9) i. Beware of legalism (3:1-11) 1. Righteousness is not from works of the flesh (3:1-6) 2. Righteousness is through faith in Christ (3:7-11) ii. Beware of perfectionism (3:12-16) iii. Beware of libertinism (3:17-21) iv. Practice your faith (4:1-9) 3. Conclusion (4:10-23) a. Appreciation for financial support (4:10-19) b. Closing remarks (4:20-23) James Garriss 5 Jun 2012

6 Works Cited Hasen, G. Walter. The Letter to the Philippians. The Pillar New Testament Commentary Melick, Richard. Philippians, Colossians, Philemon. The New American Commentary O Brien, Peter. The Epistle to the Philippians. The New International Greek Testament Commentary Thielman, Frank. Philippians. The NIV Application Commentary James Garriss 6 Jun 2012