PHILIPPIANS

Paul's Second Missionary Journey
(approx. 50-53 AD)

Acts 16:6-11
Paul and his companions traveled throughout the region of Phrygia and Galatia, having been kept by the Holy Spirit from preaching the word in the province of Asia. When they came to the border of Mysia, they tried to enter Bithynia, but the Spirit of Jesus would not allow them to. So they passed by Mysia and went down to Troas. During the night Paul had a vision of a man of Macedonia standing and begging him, “Come over to Macedonia and help us.” After Paul had seen the vision, we got ready at once to leave for Macedonia, concluding that God had called us to preach the gospel to them. From Troas we put out to sea and sailed straight for Samothrace, and the next day we went on to Neapolis.

Philippi was founded around 338 BC. Philip II, father of Alexander the Great used it in 358 BC as a way of unifying Greece. The Egnation Way was the main road entering the city during Paul's time. Commentaries place Paul's ministry to be between 50-53 AD and his letter written from Rome to be about 62 AD, making t…

Acts 16:12-15
From there we traveled to Philippi, a Roman colony and the leading city of that district of Macedonia. And we stayed there several days.
On the Sabbath we went outside the city gate to the river, where we expected to find a place of prayer. We sat down and began to speak to the women who had gathered there. One of those listening was a woman from the city of Thyatira named Lydia, a dealer in purple cloth. She was a worshiper of God. The Lord opened her heart to respond to Paul’s message. When she and the members of her household were baptized, she invited us to her home. “If you consider me a believer in the Lord,” she said, “come and stay at my hou…

Acts 16:16-19
Once when we were going to the place of prayer, we were met by a female slave who had a spirit by which she predicted the future. She earned a great deal of money for her owners by fortune-telling. She followed Paul and the rest of us, shouting, “These men are servants of the Most High God, who are telling you the way to be saved.” She kept this up for many days. Finally Paul became so annoyed that he turned around and said to the spirit, “In the name of Jesus Christ I command you to come out of her!” At that moment the spirit left her.
When her owners realized that their hope of making money was gone, they seized Paul a…

Acts 16:20-24
They brought them before the magistrates and said, “These men are Jews, and are throwing our city into an uproar by advocating customs unlawful for us Romans to accept or practice.”
The crowd joined in the attack against Paul and Silas, and the magistrates ordered them to be stripped and beaten with rods. After they had been severely flogged, they were thrown into prison, and the jailer was commanded to guard them carefully. When he received these orders, he put them in the inner cell and fastened their feet in the stocks.

Acts 16:25-30
About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the other prisoners were listening to them. Suddenly there was such a violent earthquake that the foundations of the prison were shaken. At once all the prison doors flew open, and everyone’s chains came loose. The jailer woke up, and when he saw the prison doors open, he drew his sword and was about to kill himself because he thought the prisoners had escaped. But Paul shouted, “Don’t harm yourself! We are all here!”
The jailer called for lights, rushed in and fell trembling before Paul and Silas. He then brought them out and asked, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?”

Acts 16:31-36
They replied, “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved—you and your household.” Then they spoke the word of the Lord to him and to all the others in his house. At that hour of the night the jailer took them and washed their wounds; then immediately he and all his household were baptized. The jailer brought them into his house and set a meal before them; he was filled with joy because he had come to believe in God—he and his whole household.
When it was daylight, the magistrates sent their officers to the jailer with the order: “Release those men.” The jailer told Paul, “The magistrates have ordered that you and Silas be released. Now you can leave. Go in peace.”

Acts 16:37-40
But Paul said to the officers: “They beat us publicly without a trial, even though we are Roman citizens, and threw us into prison. And now do they want to get rid of us quietly? No! Let them come themselves and escort us out.”
The officers reported this to the magistrates, and when they heard that Paul and Silas were Roman citizens, they were alarmed. They came to appease them and escorted them from the prison, requesting them to leave the city. After Paul and Silas came out of the prison, they went to Lydia’s house, where they met with the brothers and sisters and encouraged them. Then they left.

Paul's Third Missionary Journey
(approx. AD57)

Acts 20:1-6
When the uproar had ended, Paul sent for the disciples and, after encouraging them, said goodbye and set out for Macedonia. He traveled through that area, speaking many words of encouragement to the people, and finally arrived in Greece, where he stayed three months. Because some Jews had plotted against him just as he was about to sail for Syria, he decided to go back through Macedonia. He was accompanied by Sopater son of Pyrrhus from Berea, Aristarchus and Secundus from Thessalonica, Gaius from Derbe, Timothy also, and Tychicus and Trophimus from the province of Asia. These men went on ahead and waited for us at Troas. But we sailed from Philippi after the Festival of Unleavened Bread…

Philippians
Written 60-63 AD
probably 62-63
Paul's love letter to church
at Philippi now close to
10 years old

FIRST CENTURY LETTER FORMAT

• Introduction/identification of author (because scrolls)
• Addressed group
• Salutation
• Thanksgiving
• Message
• Greetings

OUTLINE

• Commend 1:3-7
• Command 2:5 (division 2:2, 4:2/complaining 2:14)
• Caution 3:2
• Correct 4:2 (false teachers 3:2, 18-19)

CHAPTER THEMES

• Purpose...Single Mind
• Pattern...Submissive Mind
• Prize...Spiritual Mind
• Provision...Secure Mind

CONTENTS

• Salutation (1:1-2)
• Thanksgiving & Prayer (1:3-11)
• Insight/Imprisonment (1:12-30)
• Encourage Unity (2:1-18)
• Send Timothy & Epaphroditus (2:19-30)
• Warnings false teachers (3:1-21)
• Exhortations (4:1-9)
• Gratitude (4:10-20)
• Conclusion (4:21-23)

GENERAL THEMES

• Fellowship
• Sharing/Participation
• Mind/Attitude (mind 10x, think 5x, remember)
• Joy (15-16x)
• Jesus/Lord/Savior (40x)

PHILIPPIANS 1:1-11