Overview of the Book of Philippians

The overview of the week for this Sunday is the book of Philippians. Philippians is one of the letters that the Apostle Paul wrote while in prison in Rome, and there are four prison epistles in all, Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians, and Philemon.

Philippians was written sometime around 60 AD, and it's difficult to find just one theme of the letter, but some have said simply the Christian experience. And I think that's fitting. Paul begins in chapter one, verses one and two, Paul and Timothy, bondservants of Jesus Christ, to all the saints in Christ Jesus who are in Philippi, with the bishops and the deacons, grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

This is a helpful statement where Paul clearly identifies that there are two offices in a local church, the office of bishop, which today we call them pastors, but the office of bishop and the office of deacon.

Paul also mentions that in first Timothy chapter three. But in chapter one of Philippians, Paul talks about his imprisonment in Rome and how it actually led to the furtherance of the gospel. Paul was winning converts, it seems, at the highest levels of government since he closes the letter in chapter four by saying all the saints greet you, but especially those who are in Caesar's household.

Paul realizes that God is with his people every step of the way through the Christian experience, whether you're going through good times or bad. Paul makes statements like, for to me to live is Christ and to die is gain.

And in chapter four, I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me. But the most theologically significant section of Philippians has to be in chapter two, a passage that highlights the divinity of Christ.

Paul says, who speaking of Christ being in the form of God did not consider it robbery to be equal with God, but made himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant and coming in the likeness of men.

So the son of God, when he came to earth, he did not empty himself of his deity as some have suggested. Maybe you've heard the term kenosis associated with this passage. What Paul is teaching though is that when Christ came, he emptied himself of the privileges of deity.

So I'll close with Philippians two, eight through 11, and being found in appearance as a man, he that is Christ humbled himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross. Therefore, God also has highly exalted him and given him the name, which is above every name, that at the name of Jesus, every knee should bow of those in heaven and those on earth and those under the earth, and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of God the Father.