Book Survey Method: Philippians (4 chapters)

1. Notes on the book
1. Category
  1. Letter
2. First Impressions
  1. Speaks to joy; it is thankful
3. Key words
  1. Gospel
    1. Paul shares the significance of the "gospel" in his relationship with God and with other people
  2. Joy
    1. Available to all Christians, regardless of circumstances
      1. Theme of "joy" appears 18 times in the book
4. Key Verse
  1. "But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus." (3:13 - 3:14)
  2. One of the great Scripture promises: "And my God will meet all your needs according to his glorious riches in Christ Jesus." (4:19)
5. Literary Style
  1. Personal missionary letter
6. Emotional Tone
  1. Joyous; warmly affectionate. Thanking the church for their support
7. Reasons Paul wrote the letter
  1. 1. He wanted to explain why he was sending Epaphroditus back to them (2:25–30)
  2. 2. He wanted to let them know of his plan to send Timothy to them (2:19–24)
  3. 3. He wanted to thank the Philippian church for their concern for him and their generous gifts to him (4:10–20)
  4. 4. He desired to inform them of his own circumstances and the advancement of the gospel (1:12–26)
  5. 5. He wanted to exhort the church to live in humility, fellowship, and unity (1:27–2:11; 4:2–3)
  6. 6. He also needed to warn them concerning the false teachings of legalism, perfectionism, and careless living (3:1–4:1)
8. Theological Significance
  1. 1. We learn the importance of church unity (1:27–30) and Christian humility (2:1–4)
  2. 2. Christ’s humility serves as the basis of Christian humility, which is the key for genuine Christian unity
  3. 3. Paul’s suffering during his imprisonment also serves as a foundation for teaching abasement and humility (1:12–18; 4:10–13)
  4. 4. Alongside abasement and suffering is joy, the great theme of the letter. In all of life’s circumstances believers can experience joy. For it is in suffering and sacrifice that true joy is found
  5. 5. Paul’s exhortation to rejoice is a much-needed and practical word for believers at all times in all situations
9. Main Themes
  1. Live faithfully to the Gospel in communal unity and confidence (1:27 - 1:30)
  2. Thanks for their faith and support
  3. Center their lives in Christ and be content in all situations
    1. Live in godly unity and love
    2. Be strong in prayer. "Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus." (4:6 - 4:7)
  4. Joyfully imitate the example of Jesus Christ
  5. Quitter never wins, winner never quits. "I can do everything through him who gives me strength." (4:13)
  6. What goes into our minds comes out in our actions. "Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable-if anything is excellent or praiseworthy-think about such things." (4:8)
  7. God never fails
  8. Lasting joy comes only through a relationship with Jesus Christ
  9. Christians have problems, but Christ is the power to overcome
  10. No basis for pride, except in our perfect example, Jesus Christ
10. Structure
  1. Outline
    1. 1. Espistolary salutation (1:1 - 1:2)
    2. 2. Paul prays for the Philippians (1:3 - 1:11)
    3. 3. Paul's situation in Rome: his chains advance the gospel. (1:12 - 1:26)
    4. 4. First series of exhortations: Christ is Paul's model for humility (1:27 - 2:18)
    5. 5. Paul's messengers to the Philippians: Timothy and Epaphroditus (2:19 - 2:30)
    6. 6. Warning against Judaizers and antinomians (lawless, no restraints) (3:1 - 3:21)
    7. 7. Second series of exhortations (4:1 - 4:9)
    8. 8. The Philippian's gifts to Paul (4:10 - 4:20)
    9. 9. Epistolary closing/Final greetings (4:21 - 4:23)
  2. Chapter headings
    1. 1. The Gospel in Rome
      1. Paul joyfully prays for the Philippians (I rejoice. Rejoice ye. Wesley)
      2. The gospel is advanced by Paul's chains
      3. It is a privilege to suffer for Christ
    2. 2. The Humility of Christ
      1. Christ is the model for humility
      2. Children of God should shine like stars
      3. Plans are made to send Timothy and Epaphroditus to the Philippians
    3. 3. The Heavenly Goal
      1. True Circumcision
      2. Pressing toward the goal
    4. 4. Joy
      1. Paul pleads for contention to end between Euodia and Syntyche
      2. The peace of God transcends all understanding
      3. Paul gives thanks to the Philippians for their generosity
      4. Final greetings and blessings
11. Major People
  1. Jesus
    1. The names Jesus Christ, Christ Jesus, Lord Jesus Christ, Lord Jesus, Jesus, Christ, Lord, and Savior, occur 51 times in the 104 verses
  2. Paul the Apostle (the author)
    1. This is one of his "Prison Epistles"
  3. Timothy
    1. Paul's trusted associate and useful emmisary; probably took dictation for the letter from Paul
  4. The people of Philippi, including
    1. Epaphroditus
      1. Philippian Christian who served as courier, bringing money to Paul and returning with the epistle. He was seriously ill, but recovered
    2. Euodia and Syntyche
      1. 2 quarreling women in the church
12. Reference books used
  1. Bible
    1. NIV
    2. TLB
    3. ESB
  2. Halley's Bible Handbook
  3. HarperCollins Bible Dictionary
  4. Oxford Bible Atlas
  5. Matthew Henry's Commentary
  6. Explanatory Notes Upon the New Testament (Wesley)
  7. The Expositor's Bible Commentary, Vol. 11
  8. Logos: Holman Bible Handbook
13. Text Outline
2. Background of the book
1. Letter written between A.D. 60 and 62
  1. The letter came 10 years after Paul founded the church and three or four years after his prior visit.
  2. It was his most personal letter.
  3. There is some question as to whether it is actually a composite of multiple letters.
2. Named after the addressee, the church at Philippi
  1. Church in the Macedonian (northeastern Greece) city in Philippi
    1. It was "a Roman colony and the leading city of that District of Macedonia." Acts 16:12
    2. Artist rendering
  2. Primarily Gentile
  3. This was the first church Paul established in Europe, early in his second missionary journey (around A.D. 51).
  4. Luke (author of Luke and Acts) was the pastor for the first six years.
3. Horizontal Chart
1. Horizontal Chart - Phillipians
4. Tentative Outline of the book
1. I. Paul greets the Philippians and presents a joyful message of living faithfully (1 - 30)
2. A. He greets and prays for them (1 - 11)
3. B. He explains how the gospel is advanced through his imprisonment (12 - 26)
4. C. He explains the privilege of suffering for Christ (27 - 30)
5. II. He explains how the Philippians should live their lives using Christ as the example (1 - 30)
6. A. Christ is the model for humility (1 - 11)
7. B. Children of God should shine like stars (12 - 18)
8. C. Paul is sending Timothy and Epaphroditus to Philippi (19 - 30)
9. III. Christ is our perfect example (1 - 21)
10. A. He explains that righteousness comes from God and is by faith (1 - 11)
11. B. We must press on toward the goal (12 - 21)
12. IV. Center your life in Christ (1 - 23)
13. A. Paul pleads for Euodia and Syntyche to stop bickering (1 - 3)
14. B. Peace trumps all (4 - 8)
15. C. Paul thanks the Philippians for their generosity (10 - 20)
16. D. Goodbye and God bless (21 - 23)
5. Personal application
1. Write out a personal application
  1. Select something the Lord spoke to me about and write a personal, practical, possible, and measurable application on that truth
2. Ultimate goal is application, not just interpretation.
  1. What attitude do I need to change?
  2. What should I start doing or stop doing?
  3. What should I believe or stop believing?
  4. What relationships do I need to work on?
  5. What ministry should I have with others?