Philippians
  1. Background
    1. Author: Paul
    2. Recipients
      1. The church at Philippi
        1. Macedonian vision (Acts 16) sends Paul to Europe
        2. At Philippi they met with a group of women by the river in which Lydia was saved
        3. Her house believed and her home became the meeting place of the new church
        4. Paul then cast a demon out of a slave girl
        5. Then in jail, an earthquake freed Paul, only to have him lead the jailer to salvation
      2. Background of the city of Philippi
        1. Located on the main highway leading from the eastern provinces to Rome
        2. Name after Philip II the father of Alexander the Great
        3. Held the honor of ius Italicum which means that they had the same rights as Italian cities and had citizenship like the citizens of Rome
        4. There was no Jewish synagogue which may explain why there are no quotations from the OT
    3. Date
      1. Dependent upon which imprisonment Paul was enduring at the time
      2. Some suggest an imprisonment in Ephesus in AD 53-55
      3. Some suggest an imprisonment in Caesarea in AD 57-59
      4. Best evidence points to a Roman imprisonment in AD 61
        1. Fits the account of the house arrest in Acts 28:14-31
        2. He was not in the Mamertine dungeon as he was when he wrote 2 Timothy just before his death
        3. He was in his own rented house where he was free to preach and teach to all who came to him.
    4. Purpose
      1. Thank them for their support of his ministry
      2. Inform them of his present condition and future plans
      3. Warn against false teachers
      4. Give general exhortations
    5. Features
      1. One of the most personal letters to a church
      2. Contains no OT quotations
      3. Missionary thank-you letter
      4. The word "joy" occurs some 16 times
      5. Contains one of the best Christological passages (2:5-11)

     

  2. Outline
    1. Introduction (11-11)
      1. Greeting
      2. Paul’s thanks and prayers for the Philippians
    2. Paul’s Present Condition (112-26)
      1. Paul’s imprisonment
      2. Paul’s situation
    3. Living For Christ (127-218)
      1. We must live and suffer for Christ
      2. A Servant’s Attitude
      3. Work out your own salvation
    4. Fellow-laborers (219-30)
      1. Desire to send Timothy
      2. Ministry of Epaphroditus
    5. Defending Against False Teachers (31-41)
      1. Warning against false teachers
      2. Continue to press forward
      3. Citizenship in heaven
    6. Miscellaneous Exhortations (42-22)
      1. General exhortations
      2. Think on these things
      3. Thanks for their support
      4. Continued thanks
      5. Closing