PHILIPPIANS INTRODUCTION

As we saw earlier this is one of the “prison” epistles of Paul, written at Rome where he was awaiting a hearing before Nero because of his witness for Christ (Acts 28). Its occasion is stated in Php 4:10-18. Epaphro-ditus had brought him the gifts of the church at Philippi, and now that he was returning to Macedonia he is commissioned with this letter of appreciation and loving instruction. It has sometimes been called the epistle of Christian experience, as it deals with conduct rather than doctrine, and yet there is doctrine in it too, precious and important.

For the history of the church, read again Acts 16. It is probably nine years since the events of that chapter, and Paul has visited the church twice since that time. But how it has grown! Now it has “bishops and deacons,”

it is full of love and good works; it is affectionately mindful of Paul and yet it has some trouble too, a tendency to separate into cliques, as we shall see. And there were also emissaries of error there, false professors and pharisaic disciples all this comes out in the text.

The Scofield Bible takes as the key verse Php 1:21, “For me to live is Christ and to die is gain”:

QUESTIONS

1. Where, and under what circumstances was this epistle written?

2. What was its occasion?

3. How has it sometimes been designated?

4. Where do we find the history of the church at Philippi?

5. What is called the key verse of this epistle?