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Epistle to the Philippians

 

 
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Epistle to the Philippians
 
 
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The Epistle to the Philippians (or simply Philippians) is a book
Book

A book is a set or collection of written, printed, illustrated, or blank sheets, made of paper, parchment, or other material, usually fastened together to hinge at one side....
 included in the New Testament
New Testament

The New Testament is the name given to the second major division of the Christianity Bible, the first such division being the much longer Old Testament....
 of the Bible
Bible

The Bible is the central religious text of Judaism and Christianity. The exact Books of the Bible is dependent on the religious traditions of specific denominations....
. It is a letter from St. Paul
Paul of Tarsus

Saint Paul, also called Paul the Apostle, the Apostle Paul or Paul of Tarsus , was a Hellenistic Judaism, who called himself the "Apostle to the Gentiles", and was, together with Saint Peter and James the Just, the most notable of early Christian missionaries....
 to the church
Local church

A local church is a Christian congregation of members and clergy.Local church may also refer to:* Local churches , a group affiliated with Witness Lee and the Living Stream Ministry...
 of Philippi
Philippi

Philippi was a city in eastern Macedonia , in northern ancient Greece, founded by Philip II of Macedon in 356 BC and abandoned in the 14th century after the Ottoman Empire conquest....
. It is one of the authentic Pauline epistles, written c 62.

ine authorship of Philippians is "universally accepted" (Beare, p. 1) by virtually all Bible scholars, ancient and modern, with the exception of the kenosis
Kenosis

Kenosis is a Greek language word for emptiness, which is used as a theology term. The ancient Greek language word ????s?? k?nosis means an "emptying", from ?e??? ken?s "empty"....
 passage in Philippians 2:5-11.






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The Epistle to the Philippians (or simply Philippians) is a book
Book

A book is a set or collection of written, printed, illustrated, or blank sheets, made of paper, parchment, or other material, usually fastened together to hinge at one side....
 included in the New Testament
New Testament

The New Testament is the name given to the second major division of the Christianity Bible, the first such division being the much longer Old Testament....
 of the Bible
Bible

The Bible is the central religious text of Judaism and Christianity. The exact Books of the Bible is dependent on the religious traditions of specific denominations....
. It is a letter from St. Paul
Paul of Tarsus

Saint Paul, also called Paul the Apostle, the Apostle Paul or Paul of Tarsus , was a Hellenistic Judaism, who called himself the "Apostle to the Gentiles", and was, together with Saint Peter and James the Just, the most notable of early Christian missionaries....
 to the church
Local church

A local church is a Christian congregation of members and clergy.Local church may also refer to:* Local churches , a group affiliated with Witness Lee and the Living Stream Ministry...
 of Philippi
Philippi

Philippi was a city in eastern Macedonia , in northern ancient Greece, founded by Philip II of Macedon in 356 BC and abandoned in the 14th century after the Ottoman Empire conquest....
. It is one of the authentic Pauline epistles, written c 62.

Authorship

Pauline authorship of Philippians is "universally accepted" (Beare, p. 1) by virtually all Bible scholars, ancient and modern, with the exception of the kenosis
Kenosis

Kenosis is a Greek language word for emptiness, which is used as a theology term. The ancient Greek language word ????s?? k?nosis means an "emptying", from ?e??? ken?s "empty"....
 passage in Philippians 2:5-11. According to some theologians this may have been a Christian hymn
Hymn

A hymn is a type of song, usually religious, specifically written for the purpose of praise, adoration or prayer, and typically addressed to a deity/deities, a prominent figure or an epic tale....
 that Paul quoted.

Background

The letter was written to the church at Philippi, one of the earliest churches to be founded in Europe. They were very attached to Paul, just as he was very fond of them. Of all the churches, their contributions (which Paul gratefully acknowledges) are among the only he accepts. (Acts 20:33-35
Acts of the Apostles

The Acts of the Apostles is a book of the Bible, which now stands fifth in the New Testament. It is commonly referred to as simply Acts. The title "Acts of the Apostles" was first used by Irenaeus in the late second century, but some have suggested that the title "Acts" be interpreted as "the Acts of the Holy Spirit" or even "the Acts...
; 2 Cor. 11:7-12; 2 Thess. 3:8). The generosity of the Philippians comes out very conspicuously (Phil. 4:15). "This was a characteristic of the Macedonian
Macedonia (region)

Macedonia is a geographical and Historical regions of the Balkan Peninsula in southeastern Europe whose area was re-defined in the early 20th century....
 missions, as 2 Cor. 8 and 9 amply and beautifully prove. It is remarkable that the Macedonian converts were, as a class, very poor (2 Cor. 8:2), though the very first converts were of all classes (Acts 16); and the parallel facts, their poverty and their open-handed support of the great missionary and his work, are deeply harmonious. At the present day the missionary liberality of poor Christians is, in proportion, really greater than that of the rich" (Moule).

Historical background

The Philippians had sent Epaphroditus
Epaphroditus

Epaphroditus is a saint of the Orthodox Church and the Catholic Church, first Philippi, and of Andriacia in Asia Minor, and first Bishop of Terracina, Italy....
, their messenger, with contributions to meet the needs of Paul; and on his return Paul sent this letter with him. With this precious communication Epaphroditus sets out on his homeward journey. "The joy caused by his return, and the effect of this wonderful letter when first read in the church of Philippi, are hidden from us. And we may almost say that with this letter the church itself passes from our view. To-day, in silent meadows, quiet cattle browse among the ruins which mark the site of what was once the flourishing Roman colony of Philippi, the home of the most attractive church of the apostolic age. But the name and fame and spiritual influence of that church will never pass. To myriads of men and women in every age and nation the letter written in while he was under house arrest in Rome, and carried along the Egnatian Way by an obscure Christian messenger, has been a light divine and a cheerful guide along the most rugged paths of life".

Sources

  • Beare, F. W. (1959). A Commentary on the Epistle to the Philippians. Harper & Row; reprint, Harper’s New Testament Commentaries, ed. Henry Chadwick. (1987). Peabody, MA: Hendrickson.
  • Moule, H. C. G. (1981). The Epistle to the Philippians. Baker Book House.
  • Dictionary of Paul and His Letters, s.v. "Philippians, Letter to the"

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