I’m beginning a series in Philippians this morning. By way of introduction to this series I wanted to do a quick survey of the book of Philippians.

Author: The Apostle Paul

Date: Around 61 AD

The City: Philippi located in Macedonia in modern day Greece. It was somewhere around 7 to 10 miles inland but a major Roman road ran through the city making it an important place for trade.

A few interesting details about this letter.

Paul started this church on his second missionary journey.

“And from thence to Philippi, which is the chief city of that part of Macedonia, and a colony: and we were in that city abiding certain days.” (Acts 16:12)

Some of the early converts were Lydia whose heart the Lord opened (Vs.14) as well as the jailer who famously asked Paul and Silas “What must I do to be saved (Vs. 30).

The church here was under some kind of persecution as we can see from 1:28.

“And in nothing terrified by your adversaries: which is to them an evident token of perdition, but to you of salvation, and that of God.For unto you it is given in the behalf of Christ, not only to believe on him, but also to suffer for his sake.” (1:28-29)

Paul himself was in prison in Rome when he wrote this letter.

“Even as it is meet for me to think this of you all, because I have you in my heart; inasmuch as both in my bonds, and in the defence and confirmation of the gospel, ye all are partakers of my grace.” (1:7)

Where this letter differs from other letters of Paul is there is no false doctrine or church wide sin to deal with. In Corinth you had rampant fornication, abuse of the Lord’s Supper and church members suing each other.

In Colossians you had Gnostic false teachers drawing away believers from the church, in Galatians you had legalistic false teachers within the church. The church at Phillipi seems to be a very Godly, spiritually strong church.

Paul is not writing to correct but to encourage their faith.

“Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ.” (1:6)

This church had been a big supporter of the apostle Paul and he commends them.

“For even in Thessalonica ye sent once and again unto my necessity.Not because I desire a gift: but I desire fruit that may abound to your account.” (4:16-17)

Even here in prison they had sent a gift for Paul by the hands of Epaphroditus to minister to his needs.

“But I have all, and abound: I am full, having received of Epaphroditus the things which were sent from you, an odour of a sweet smell, a sacrifice acceptable, wellpleasing to God.” (4:18)

Paul had been preaching even in prison and had won a number of people to Christ who served in the royal palace.

“All the saints salute you, chiefly they that are of Caesar’s household.” (4:22)

While there isn’t a false teaching problem in the church Paul does warn them to be on guard against it.

“Finally, my brethren, rejoice in the Lord. To write the same things to you, to me indeed is not grievous, but for you it is safe.Beware of dogs, beware of evil workers, beware of the concision.For we are the circumcision, which worship God in the spirit, and rejoice in Christ Jesus, and have no confidence in the flesh.” (3:1-3)

He tells them to beware of the Judaizers who would seek to impose on them a works based salvation. This is a danger to believers everywhere. Even today much of the professing church can be divided between one extreme namely the antinomians.

The other extreme is the works salvation crowd. This can have the more obvious reference to baptismal regeneration type church or the more subtle groups. Much of fundamentalism which I grew up in was about finding your righteousness or nearness to God in what you do.

We must find our assurance in the same place we find our salvation which is Christ. Our works should flow from the inner work of Christ but they prove nothing. You can have works without faith as we see in many religions.

There is a true danger to Christians falling into works based righteousness if we are not careful. How do we find assurance then you may ask?

We find it by looking to Christ through the inward work of the Spirit. Are you the same person you were before your profession of faith? Are you convicted when you sin? Has God changed you? Do you love what God loves and hate what God hates?

If the answer is yes then you are saved. If you sin without struggle or conviction, if you don’t love what God loves including the church (many professing Christians live outside the church).

Some do this by barely or rarely going, some do it by attending large maga churches where there is no accountability, some just have a take it or leave it attitude. If you have never noticed a change in your inner person then you have no reason to hope in your profession of faith.

This is Paul’s most personal letter that he wrote. He deals with not only a warning against false teaching but against internal strife.

“If there be therefore any consolation in Christ, if any comfort of love, if any fellowship of the Spirit, if any bowels and mercies,Fulfil ye my joy, that ye be likeminded, having the same love, being of one accord, of one mind.” (2:1-2)

Unity in the church is so important to Paul. Church is not a place for big egos, or self fulfillment through power. It’s not a place for agendas or self will. Christ is the preeminent one in the church which He guides through the work of the Holy Spirit.

I therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you that ye walk worthy of the vocation wherewith ye are called,With all lowliness and meekness, with longsuffering, forbearing one another in love;Endeavouring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.” (Ephesians 4:1-3)

How do we stay in unity in the church? Lowliness which means humility. Thinking less of ourselves and more of others. Meekness. This is best described as power under control. Long-suffering attitudes. This will solve a whole host of problems.

To be long suffering means it takes a whole lot to get you angry. Most people who leave a church today do it because they get mad over one thing that happened one time and their pride is hurt or offended. If they were long suffering and lowly minded none of the division would have happened.

We are to forebear with one another. Another important part of unbroken unity. Bear with someone you don’t like or someone who offends you. Don’t just cast them off. We do this Paul says here out of love. The reason church splits happen is because one party or the other doesn’t truly love the others.

Endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit. This tells us that it’s work. It’s not easy but it’s right.

Let me go back and deal with themes chapter by chapter.

Chapter 1: Encouragement in the face of persecution.

Chapter 2: Unity in the church.

Chapter 3: Warnings against false doctrine and the power of Christ.

Chapter 4: Contentment in the Christian life.

This is a major point that the modern church needs to hear. Christians are to be content. Not greedy, not with our eyes on what we have. We are called to trust the Lord, share what we have be content with what we have and to seek the kingdom and the good of others first.

Follow me on a little rabbit trail.

“Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal: But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal: For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.” (Matthew 6:19-21)

“No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon.Therefore I say unto you, Take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink; nor yet for your body, what ye shall put on. Is not the life more than meat, and the body than raiment?Behold the fowls of the air: for they sow not, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feedeth them. Are ye not much better than they?Which of you by taking thought can add one cubit unto his stature?And why take ye thought for raiment? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they toil not, neither do they spin:And yet I say unto you, That even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these.Wherefore, if God so clothe the grass of the field, which to day is, and to morrow is cast into the oven, shall he not much more clothe you, O ye of little faith?Therefore take no thought, saying, What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed?(For after all these things do the Gentiles seek:) for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things.But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.Take therefore no thought for the morrow: for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof.” (Matthew 6:24-34)

“But godliness with contentment is great gain.For we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out.And having food and raiment let us be therewith content.” (1 Timothy 6:6-8)

“Let your conversation be without covetousness; and be content with such things as ye have: for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee.” (Hebrews 13:5)

Themes of the book.

Philippians like Colossians is very Christ-centered.

Our lives are to belong to Christ. Dying is gain because we will be present with Christ.

“For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain.” (1:21)

“For I am in a strait betwixt two, having a desire to depart, and to be with Christ; which is far better.” (1:23)

We maintain unity by thinking like Christ.

“Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus.” (2:5)

The absolute Lordship of Christ.

“That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth;And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.” (2:10-11)

The necessity of the righteousness of Christ.

“And be found in him, not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith.” (3:9)

The power of Christ in His people.

“I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.” (4:13)

Application for today.

If I had to sum up the message of Philippians it’s seven fold

1. Suffering we encounter in this life is on behalf of Christ. It will not go unnoticed.

2. What we experience after death is far better than what we have here and now.

3. Unity in the church is hard but worth it. We accomplish it by imitating Christ.

4. We press on in this life to know and experience the power of the resurrected life in Christ.

5. Christ is all to His people. Find contentment in Him.

6. Be generous to God’s work.

7. Set your minds on what is good, pure and holy, specifically on Christ.