Philippians: Quick Reference
Vital Stats
- Author: Paul (with Timothy, 1:1)
- Date: ~AD 61 (Roman imprisonment)
- Recipients: Church at Philippi
- Chapters: 4
- Verses: 104
- Key word: Joy (chara) — 16x
- Key phrase: "In Christ" / "in the Lord"
Philippian Church History
- Founded: ~AD 50, 2nd missionary journey (Acts 16)
- First converts: Lydia, slave girl, jailer
- Mixed church: Jewish (Lydia), Greek (slave girl), Roman (jailer)
- Roman colony: Citizens had Roman rights, proud identity
- Financial supporters: Only church that supported Paul repeatedly (4:15-16)
Chapter Summaries
Ch 1 — Gospel Partnership: Thanksgiving, prayer, imprisonment advances the gospel, to live is Christ, stand united
Ch 2 — The Mind of Christ: Unity through humility, Christ-hymn (2:5-11), work out salvation, Timothy & Epaphroditus
Ch 3 — Knowing Christ: Renounce human credentials, righteousness by faith, press toward the goal, citizenship in heaven
Ch 4 — Joy & Contentment: Stand firm, rejoice, think on good things, contentment in Christ, generosity
Key Themes
- Joy in suffering (1:12-18, 2:17-18, 4:4)
- Supremacy of Christ (2:5-11, 3:7-11)
- Gospel partnership / koinonia (1:3-5, 4:14-18)
- Unity through humility (2:1-4, 4:2-3)
- Citizenship in heaven (1:27, 3:20)
- Contentment in Christ (4:11-13)
Key Verses
"He who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion" (1:6)
"To live is Christ, to die is gain" (1:21)
"Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus" (2:5)
"Work out your own salvation with fear and trembling" (2:12)
"I count all things loss for the excellence of the knowledge of Christ" (3:8)
"I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call" (3:14)
"Our citizenship is in heaven" (3:20)
"Rejoice in the Lord always" (4:4)
"I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me" (4:13)
Greek Terms Worth Knowing
- Koinonia (κοινωνία) — partnership, fellowship, sharing (1:5, 2:1, 3:10, 4:14-15)
- Phroneo (φρονέω) — to think, to have a mindset (2:2, 2:5, 3:15, 4:2)
- Morphe (μορφή) — form, nature (2:6-7) — Christ's pre-existence and incarnation
- Kenosis (κένωσις) — emptying (2:7) — Christ's self-emptying
- Politeuma (πολίτευμα) — citizenship, commonwealth (3:20)
- Chara (χαρά) — joy (repeated throughout)
Series Structure Map (11 Sessions)
| # | Text | Title | KLS |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1:1-11 | Partners in the Gospel | Know |
| 2 | 1:12-20 | The Gospel Advances | Share |
| 3 | 1:21-30 | To Live is Christ | Know |
| 4 | 2:1-11 | The Mind of Christ | Live |
| 5 | 2:12-18 | Work Out Your Salvation | Live |
| 6 | 2:19-30 | Examples to Follow | Live |
| 7 | 3:1-11 | Knowing Christ Supreme | Know |
| 8 | 3:12-21 | Pressing Toward the Goal | Live |
| 9 | 4:1-9 | Stand Firm & Rejoice | Live |
| 10 | 4:10-14 | The Secret of Contentment | Know |
| 11 | 4:15-23 | The Generous Life | Share |
Text Notes for Preaching
Chapter 1 — 30 verses
- 1-2: Greeting — bondservants, saints, bishops, deacons
- 3-6: Thanksgiving — partnership in the gospel, confidence in God's completing work
- 7-8: Affection — "I have you in my heart"
- 9-11: Prayer — love abounding in knowledge, approve excellent things, sincerity, fruit
- 12-14: Imprisonment advanced the gospel — palace guard reached
- 15-18: Mixed motives in preaching — Christ preached is all that matters
- 19-20: Deliverance through prayer and the Spirit — Christ magnified
- 21-26: To live is Christ, to die is gain — hard-pressed but remaining for them
- 27-30: Conduct worthy of the gospel — stand fast, one spirit, suffering granted
Chapter 2 — 30 verses
- 1-4: Unity through humility — count others more significant
- 5-11: Christ-hymn — pre-existence, emptying, incarnation, cross, exaltation
- 12-13: Work out what God works in
- 14-16: Do all without grumbling — lights in the world
- 17-18: Joy even if poured out as a drink offering
- 19-24: Timothy — proven, like-minded, a son in the gospel
- 25-30: Epaphroditus — brother, fellow worker, fellow soldier, risked his life
Chapter 3 — 21 verses
- 1-3: Rejoice in the Lord — beware of the dogs (legalists)
- 4-8: Paul's credentials counted as loss for Christ
- 9-11: Righteousness through faith, knowing Christ, resurrection, fellowship of sufferings
- 12-16: Not already perfect — pressing toward the goal, mature perspective
- 17-21: Imitate Paul — enemies of the cross, our citizenship is in heaven
Chapter 4 — 23 verses
- 1-3: Stand firm, Euodia and Syntyche — help these women
- 4-7: Rejoice always, gentleness, anxiety replaced by prayer, peace of God
- 8-9: Think on true, noble, just, pure, lovely, commendable things
- 10-13: Contentment in every circumstance through Christ
- 14-18: Thank you for your generosity — a fragrant offering
- 19-23: God will supply all your needs — final greetings
Primary Commentaries
- Enduring Word — David Guzik (free, verse-by-verse, pastoral)
- Matthew Henry's Commentary (classic, devotional)
- David Murray, Philippians and Colossians: Stories of Joy and Identity (Crossway, 2023)