Philippians

Despite the relative small size of this letter, it is also thought that Philippians is a combination of several letters put together, rather than a single cohesive letter written to a particular church. There are questions that surround both the overall make-up of the letter and the individual parts. In particular, Chapter 2 is thought to contain Christological hymn that Paul reproduces here, and even within this hymn there is debate over how it portrays Christ being made nothing or being poured out that calls into question historical Trinitarian understandings.

The church at Philippi was one of Paul’s great joys in his ministry as they were a partner in his ministry (1:4-5). As such they were a humble and loving congregation who were very generous despite their meager means. This overjoyed Paul because of his love for them and them for him, and their obvious understanding of the gospel.

This is one of the prison epistles that Paul wrote while he could not come and be with his beloved. He wrote to Philippi, so they would know the joy they brought him and that despite his imprisonment that the gospel was still advancing on their behalf (1:12-13).

The most striking passage in Philippians is the Christological hymn in chapter 2. Paul wants his beloved to be like Christ as such he describes Jesus as the humbled and suffering servant, who was also exalted above every name. In verses 6-8, Paul explains who Christ is and what he has done in being brought lower than any servant, who took humanity upon himself and died upon the cross. Without this humiliation and death, there would be no salvation. But without the exaltation to come the death would be for nothing. In verses 9-11, we see that the humble servant is raised up as the exalted King, so that hope in life would come out of the death of sin.

In all this Paul wants the church to see that they are to be just like Jesus Christ, and more than that – that what Christ has done for them should be of first importance. It was the only thing that was important to Paul, as he shared in 3:8, that nothing else mattered. Paul, wants us to be like Christ, as his desire to be like Christ would lead to suffering like Christ.

Finally, when we are in Christ and have tasted his sufferings and know that he has saved us for resurrection life then we can be content in all things. We should, as 4:11-13 reveals, rest in Christ for what he has done for us and who he is at all times. The strength he gives us is to resist temptation, and to rest in him when we experience trials and difficulties. We have no promise of deliverance in this world, but in the next we know we are exalted with Christ as King we as his brethren.