NIV Life Application Study Bible, Third Edition - Flipbook - Page 77
page 2061
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P h i l i pp i a n s
1:2
Megathemes
THEME
E X P L A N AT I O N
Humility
Christ showed true humility when he laid aside his rights and privileges as God to become human. He poured
out his life to pay the penalty we deserve. Laying aside self-interest is essential to all our relationships. We are to
take Christ’s attitude in serving others, which can mean renouncing personal recognition and merit. When we
give up our self-interest, we can serve with joy, love, and kindness.
Self-Sacrifice
Christ suffered and died so we might have eternal life. With courage and faithfulness, Paul sacrificed himself for
the ministry. He preached the gospel even while he was in prison. Christ gives us power today to lay aside our
personal needs and concerns. To utilize his power, we must imitate leaders who show self-denying concern
for others. An attitude of self-centeredness helps no one; it only fuels greed and selfish resentment for what we
don’t have.
Unity
Every church in every generation has divisive influences (issues, loyalties, and conflicts). In these situations,
it is easy for believers to turn against one another. Paul encouraged the Philippians to agree with each other,
stop complaining, and work together. We are called to do the same today. Believers should not contend with
each other but strive together for unity. When we are unified in love, Christ’s strength is most clearly expressed
through us. Keep before you the ideals of teamwork, consideration of others, and unselfishness.
Christian Living
Paul shows us how we are called to live the Christian life. We can become mature by being so identified with
Christ that his attitude of humility and self-sacrifice becomes ours. Christ is both our source of power and our
guide. Developing our character begins with God’s work in us. But growth also requires self-discipline, obedience to God’s Word, and concentration.
Joy
Believers can have profound contentment, serenity, and peace no matter what happens. This joy comes from
knowing Christ personally and from depending on his strength rather than our own. We can have joy even in
hardship. Joy does not come from outward circumstances but from inward strength. As Christians, we must
not rely on what we have or what we experience to give us joy but on Christ within us.
1:1
aAc 16:1; 2Co 1:1
bAc 9:13
cAc 16:12
d1Ti 3:1
e1Ti 3:8
1. Joy in suffering
Paul and Timothy, a servants of Christ Jesus,
1
To all G
od’s holy people b in Christ Jesus at Philippi, c together with the overseers d
and deacons a: e
2 Grace
1:2
fRo 1:7
and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. f
a
1 The word deacons refers here to Christians designated to serve with the overseers/elders of the church in
a variety of ways; similarly in Romans 16:1 and 1 Tim. 3:8,12.
1:1 This is a personal letter to the Philippians, not intended for general
circulation to all the churches as the letter to the Ephesians was. Paul
wanted to thank the believers for helping him when he had a need. He
also wanted to tell them why he could be full of joy despite his imprisonment and upcoming trial. In this uplifting letter, Paul counseled the
Philippians about humility and unity and warned them about potential
problems they might face.
1:1 On Paul’s first missionary journey, he visited towns close to his
headquarters in Antioch of Syria. On his second and third journeys, he
traveled farther away, crossing from Asia Minor into Macedonia and
Greece. Philippi was one of the first towns he visited in Macedonia. Because of the great distances between the new Christian communities
that Paul founded, he could no longer personally oversee them all. Thus,
he wrote letters such as this one under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit
to teach and encourage the believers. Fortunately, Paul had a staff of
volunteers (including Timothy, Mark, and Epaphroditus) who personally
delivered these letters and often remained with the congregations for a
while to teach and encourage them.
1:1 For more information on Paul, see his profile on page 1899. Timothy’s
profile is on page 2103.
1:1 The Roman colony of Philippi was located in northern Greece (called
Macedonia in Paul’s day). Philip II of Macedon (the father of Alexander the
Great) had taken the town from ancient Thrace in about 357 BC, enlarged
and strengthened it, and given it his name. This thriving commercial center
sat at the crossroads between Europe and Asia and was highly loyal to
Rome. In about AD 50, Paul, Silas, Timothy, and Luke crossed the Aegean
Sea from Asia Minor and landed at Philippi (Acts 16:11-40). The church
in Philippi consisted mostly of Gentile (non-Jewish) believers. Because
they were not familiar with the Old Testament, Paul did not specifically
quote any Old Testament passages in this letter.
1:1 Overseers (bishops or pastors) and deacons led the early Christian
churches. The qualifications and duties of the overseers are explained
in detail in 1 Timothy 3:1-7 and Titus 1:5-9. The qualifications and duties
of deacons are spelled out in 1 Timothy 3:8-13.
1:2 Paul wasn’t offering something new when he started his letters to
churches with greetings of grace and peace. He was reminding his readers of what they already possessed—an inexhaustible treasure of God’s
daily presence in their lives. With the high value people tend to place on
things like power and wealth, grace and peace may appear insignificant
in comparison. But they convey the wonderful way God interacts with
us. Thank God for his grace to live in a world unfriendly to the gospel
and the peace to deal with the pressures of life every day.