Philippians 1

Philippians 1
1-2 Salutation

• From Paul and Timothy to the saints in Philippi, with bishops and deacons
• Grace and peace to you from God and the Lord Jesus Christ.

3-11 Paul's Prayer for the Philippians

• Every time Paul thinks of the Philippians, he thanks God for them. Wow! Can you imagine having the kind of character that causes someone to thank God every time they think of you? This statement also says something about Paul's character: No matter his circumstances, he was grateful. To be trite, he had an "attitude of gratitude."
• He constantly prays in every one of his prayers for all the Philippians because they share the gospel. He loved his children in the faith even more for producing grandchildren for him.
• The bond he has with the Philippians comes from their love for him and their passion for the gospel of Christ.
• His prayer for them at this time: that to their love may be added the wisdom they need to attain purity and blamelessness at the end. This is a weak summary of Paul's exultant phrases. It seems he can't find enough words to tell the Philippians of his love for them and his desire for their ultimate salvation.
  

12-30 Paul's Present Circumstances

• Paul's imprisonment is a good thing, because it has helped spread the gospel to the imperial guard and has emboldened other Christians to "speak the word."
• Some preach out of love; others preach out of impure motives. It doesn't matter to Paul, as long as the gospel is being preached.
  
• He will continue to rejoice, hoping to be released one way or another -- either from prison or from life itself. His life is defined by Christ, so living is good, because it allows him to tell others of Christ, but dying is even better. Paul's total involvement with Christ and his gospel could be called obsession if it weren't used for the good of others. Obsessiveness either drives people away or damages them. Paul's devotion caused him to view even oppressors as lost, loved souls.
• He wants the Philippians to have the same devotion, to live lives worthy of the death, burial and resurrection of Christ. If they do this, they will be unified in purpose.
• If they suffer for their faith, they can count it as a blessing.