Philippians 1:1-18

May 22 2022

Philippians 1:1-18a

Initial Thoughts

• Advent text in RCL:

  • “At Advent something is afoot in God’s world. There is a terrible, hopeful newness about life: terrible because it promises to overthrow all our old, comfortable, sinful ways; and hopeful for the very same reason… The texts for this day capture something of this terrible hope, this ancient newness.” (Texts for Preaching, Year C, p. 10)

• Three weeks in Philippians in Narrative Cast

  • This week: Philippians 1:1-18a

  • Next week: Philippians 2:1-13

  • Pentecost: Philippians 4:4-7

• Philippians quick facts (all from Anatomy of the New Testament, Seventh Edition, Augsburg Fortress Press)

  • Undisputed Paul

  • One of the “Captivity Epistles” (along with Ephesians, Colossians, and Philemon)

  • Unique in that it is only undisputed captivity epistle (other than Philemon, which is super short)

  • Probably a later letter (possibly last)

  • Tradition sets it as written from Rome, no real reason to dispute that.

  • Philippi was Paul’s first mission stop on his initial trip into Macedonia and Greece (first European church)

  • Philippi was a Roman colony populated by the veterans of the Roman civil war. Fiercely loyal to Roman and  the Roman way of life. I.e. more Roman than Rome

• Overall tone of the letter is one of encouragement, congeniality, and support.

  • Christ Hymn of 2:1-11 is an important piece of Pauline theology (that he didn’t create, but is quoting) - we will ge to this next week

  • There are warnings about bad teachers

Bible Study

• “Slaves of Christ Jesus”

  • Refers to someone who acts in the name of their master - Paul is putting Christ’s mission above Timothy and himself.

  • Paul “emphasizes the mission of God, that, in turn, becomes the mission of Paul and Timothy and the Philippian community…Paul shapes the idea of “slave of Christ” to emphasize one who is defined by and prolongs a certain mission in the name of the master.” Monya Stubbs, “Philippians”, True to Our Native Land, p.366. 

• “That 1:3-11 is a literary unit is apparent. In both content and form this passage is distinct from the verses which precede and follow it. In addition, 1:3-11 has its own identity in what is now commonly referred to as “the Pauline Thanksgiving” (Fred Craddock, Interpretation: Philippians, p. 15)

• Craddock proposes this section to be divided into Past, Present, and Future (which seems like a perfectly natural thing to do for Advent, which is all about what was, what is, and what is to come)

  • Past: verses 3-6

    • Two reasons for Paul's thankfulness are remembrance and partnership

    • He remembers the relationships and is thankful for their participation in the Gospel.

    • Word “all” is used several times (is it possible that there was a minority faction to whom had a strained relationship with Paul. Here, is thus reminding them of his love for all, despite past troubles)

    • In the midst of his suffering in jail, the memory of his relationship with the Philippians is a source of hope.

    • The love they have shared in the past breathes life into his present and future

  • Present: verses 7-8

    • Interesting translation note in verse 7: Who holds whom in which heart?

      • Either way, this describes an intense relationship, with love at its heart.

    • His current place in jail also provides some background to why this piece is so important.

  • Future: verses 9-11

    • “Just as Paul opened with twofold thanksgiving, he closes with twofold petition.” (Craddock, Interpretation: Philippians p. 21)

      • That the Philippians will grow and mature in love.

      • That at the day of Christ they will be pure and blameless.

    • These petitions point to an eschatological hope.

      • Followers of Christ are called to grow in love, which leads to a more righteous life. Growing in love is not just about compassion, but also about justice, forgiveness, and making tough choices.

    • “The course and flow of God’s good work in us is seen in Paul’s prayer (Philippians 1:9-11). God’s good work begins with love (verse 9). But, Paul’s hope is that this deep and passionate commitment to love might overflow with “knowledge and insight” (verse 9). This is an appeal that their love might be right-sighted; that they might be wise and judicious in their actions, so that when the day of Christ comes they might prove to be “pure and blameless” (verse 10). Perhaps the best way to understand this is to speak of an intense and blemish-free reflection of the life and love of Christ” (Edward Pillar, Working Preacher).

• Other proclaimers of the Gospel

  • Paul is both supporting his own integrity as a “slave of Christ” but also pointing out that while others may have had ulterior motives for proclaiming the Good News - what matters is not their motives, but the message is preached (v. 18). 

  • In this way - Paul is providing an example to the Philippians who were suffering persecution due to the Gospel of radical inclusiveness and the Kingdom of God over the Kingdom of Rome.

  • Not redemptive suffering - Paul does not justify his imprisonment, but declared that his imprisonment does not undermine or negate the good news of Jesus Christ

Thoughts and Questions

•  If Love is your theme for the week, this feels perfect. The Love of Christ is shared by Paul and the Philippians is not one that is simply a nice feeling right now. It is rooted in what has come before, and gives life to what is going to be.

• The ‘good work’ already begun is not to be reduced to what is happening in the life of the individual. The second-person pronouns used throughout the passage are all plural, suggesting that what God has begun is a communal project expressed in the corporate body of believers.

Opening music: Misirlou, One Man 90 Instruments by Joe Penna/MysteryGuitarMan at MIM

Closing Song by Bryan Odeen