As is clear in so much of his writing Paul encourages the Philippians to be faithful in part because he believes that Christ will come again soon. How does Paul’s urgency about this second-coming show up in this first chapter? How might this be influenced by his current imprisonment? Most of us do not live with Paul’s confidence that the end of the age is coming, but are there ways in which we can still be instructed by his urgency?
This letter is regarded as authentically Pauline by most scholars of the New Testament. As you read Philippians, what are some patterns that you can see from Paul’s other writings? How might you use Philippians as the ‘baseline’ when you read other epistles going forward?
Paul seems to be remarkably optimistic from his imprisonment. Do you imagine this is a reflection of his reality, or an attempt to console the recipients of this letter? Why might Paul have written this letter from prison in the first place?
Applying the Text:
How do we understand the relationship between love and knowledge, as Paul reflects on it? What are the ways in which our zeal for doing what is right could be enriched by greater attention to knowledge and moral insight?
Paul argues here that his imprisonment is a negative side effect of sharing the Gospel, but a worthwhile trial to endure for his important work. Have you ever found yourself in an uncomfortable or challenging position because you were sharing Jesus’ teachings? Would you be willing to put yourself in such a position?