Letter to the Philippians

St. Paul, according to Acts (Acts 16:9-40), established at Philippi the first Christian community in Europe. He came to Philippi, via its harbor town of Neapolis (modern Kavala), on his second journey, probably in A.D. 49 or 50, accompanied by Silas and Timothy (Acts 15:40; 16:3; cf Philippians 1:1) and Luke, if he is to be included in the "we" references of Acts 16:10-17. The Acts account tells of the conversion of a business woman, Lydia; the exorcism of a slave girl; and, after an earthquake, while St. Paul and Silas were imprisoned in Philippi, the faith and baptism of a jailer and his family. None of these persons, however, is directly mentioned in Philippians (cf the notes on Philippians 4:2 and Philippians 4:3). Act 16 concludes its account by describing how St. Paul (and Silas), asked by the magistrates to leave Philippi, went on to Thessalonica (Acts 17:1-10), where several times his loyal Philippians continued to support him with financial aid (Philippians 4:16). Later, St. Paul may have passed through Philippi on his way from Ephesus to Greece (Acts 20:1-2), and he definitely stopped there on his fateful trip to Jerusalem (Acts 20:6).

St. Paul's Letter to Philippians was written while he was in a prison somewhere (Philippians 1:7, 13, 14, 17), indeed in danger of death (Philippians 1:20-23). Although under guard for preaching Christ, St. Paul rejoices at the continuing progress of the gospel (Philippians 1:12-26) and expresses gratitude for the Philippians' renewed concern and help in an expression of thanks most clearly found at Philippians 4:10-20. Much of the letter is devoted to instruction about unity and humility within the Christian community at Philippi (Philippians 1:27-2:18) and exhortations to growth, joy, and peace in their life together (Philippians 4:1-9). The letter seems to be drawing to a close at the end of what we number as Phi 2, as St. Paul reports the plans of his helper Timothy and of Epaphroditus (whom the Philippians had sent to aid St. Paul) to come to Philippi (Philippians 2:19-3:1), and even St. Paul's own expectation that he will go free and come to Philippi (Philippians 1:25-26; 2:24). Yet quite abruptly at Philippians 3:2, St. Paul erupts into warnings against false teachers who threaten to impose on the Philippians the burdens of the Mosaic law, including circumcision. The section that follows, Philippians 3:2-21, is a vigorous attack on these Judaizers (cf Gal 2:11-3:29) or Jewish Christian teachers (cf 2 Cor 11:12-23), giving us insights into St. Paul's own life story (Philippians 3:4-6) and into the doctrine of justification, the Christian life, and ultimate hope (Philippians 3:7-21).

The location of St. Paul's imprisonment when he wrote to the Philippians, and thus the date of the letter, are uncertain. The traditional view has been that it stems from St. Paul's confinement in Rome, between A.D. 59 and 63 (cf Acts 28:14-31). One modern view suggests the period when he was imprisoned at Caesarea, on the coast of Palestine, A.D. 57 or 58 (Acts 23:23-26:32); another suggests Corinth (cf 2 Cor 11:9). Much recent scholarship favors Ephesus, around A.D. 55, a situation referred to in 2 Cor 1, 8 concerning "the affliction that came to us" in Asia Minor (cf also 1 Cor 15:32). The reference at Philippians 1:13 to the "praetorium" (cf also Philippians 4:22) can be understood to mean the imperial guard or government house at Ephesus (or Caesarea), or the praetorian camp in Rome. Involved in a decision are the several journeys back and forth between Philippi and wherever St. Paul is imprisoned, mentioned in the letter (Philippians 2:25-28; 4:14); this factor causes many to prefer Ephesus because of its proximity to Philippi. The Ephesian hypothesis dates the composition of Philippians to the mid-50s when most of St. Paul's major letters were written.

There is also a likelihood, according to some scholars, that the letter as we have it is a composite from parts of three letters by St. Paul to the Philippians. Seemingly Philippians 4:10-20 is a brief note of appreciation for help sent through Epaphroditus. The long section from Philippians 1:3 to Philippians 3:1 is then another letter, with news of St. Paul's imprisonment and reports on Timothy and Epaphroditus (who has fallen ill while with St. Paul), along with exhortations to the Philippians about Christian conduct; and Philippians 3:2-21 a third communication warning about threats to Philippian Christianity. The other verses in Phi 4 and Philippians 1:1-2, are variously assigned by critics to these three underlying letters, which an editor presumably put together to produce a picture of St. Paul writing earnestly from prison (Phi 1-2), facing opponents of the faith (Phi 3), and with serene joy advising and thanking his Philippians (Phi 4). If all four chapters were originally a unity, then one must assume that a break occurred between the writing of Philippians 3:1 and Philippians 3:2, possibly involving the receipt of bad news from Philippi, and that St. Paul had some reasons for delaying his words of thanks for the aid brought by Epaphroditus till the end of his letter.

This beautiful letter is rich in insights into St. Paul's theology and his apostolic love and concern for the gospel and his converts. In Philippians, St. Paul reveals his human sensitivity and tenderness, his enthusiasm for Christ as the key to life and death (Philippians 1:21), and his deep feeling for those in Christ who dwell in Philippi. With them he shares his hopes and convictions, his anxieties and fears, revealing the total confidence in Christ that constitutes faith (Philippians 3:8-10). The letter incorporates a hymn about the salvation that God has brought about through Christ (Philippians 2:6-11), applied by St. Paul to the relations of Christians with one another (Philippians 2:1-5). Philippians has been termed "the letter of joy" (Philippians 4:4, 10). It is the rejoicing of faith, based on true understanding of Christ's unique role in the salvation of all who profess his lordship (Philippians 2:11; 3:8-12, 14, 20-21).

The principal divisions of the Letter to Philippians are the following:

Key Themes