Perhaps one of the most encouraging letters in the entire New Testament is the letter to the Philippians. As short as it is, it ranges from practical advice to intense worship, all in four chapters. Paul’s letter to the church at Philippi is one of my favorites, and is full of incredible stuff.

You can read Paul’s letter to the Philippians here.

Several years ago, I decided to make a stronger effort in my life to memorize Scripture. I began with the Sermon on the Mount, moved to a series of several key and favorite passages, and over the past three years, have worked on memorizing the letters of 1 Timothy, 2 Timothy and Titus.

Sometimes this is easy, sometimes it becomes a bit more challenging. Some passages are easier to grasp than others it seems. But the effort has been well worth it, because I have a much more solid grasp on these portions of the Bible than I ever have before.

My next challenge to myself is to memorize Paul’s letter to the church at Philippi. This letter is probably one of my most favorite portions of the New Testament, simply because it is so encouraging and full of incredible insights. It’s difficult to imagine how so much can be packed into such a short amount of Scripture.

I plan to begin memorizing chapter one next week. This week, I want to give a brief overview of the letter and an introduction to Philippians.

Author and Location

The letter begins with the standard greeting used by Paul in most of his writings, leaving little doubt that he is the author. What is more difficult to identify is where he was when he wrote the letter. Nowhere in the letter does he give a clear indication of his whereabouts. He is in prison, but that is all that is known.

Traditionally, he was assumed to be imprisoned in Rome. This possibility carries a lot of weight, simply because it has been tested by time, dating back to the second century. However, two other possible locations could be Ephesus and Caesarea.

While Ephesus was closer to Philippi, there is no clear indication that Paul was ever imprisoned there. And while Paul was imprisoned in Caesarea (Acts 24:27), this location was just as distant as Rome, making travel and communication more difficult.

While there are some interesting ideas to be considered concerning these two additional possibilities, Rome still seems to make the most sense, given the facts at hand.

Date and Occasion

If the letter was written from Rome, that places it in the early 60s. And while that date can vary a bit, since Paul was imprisoned there for a while, it closes the window to a definite period. If, however, Paul wrote Philippians from one of the other two locations, then the window opens up significantly. Again, the most logical choice, based on the evidence at hand, point to Rome in the early 60s AD.

The reason for Paul’s letter is much more clear, and can be gleaned from a careful reading of Philippians. There are actually several different purposes for the letter, and each is addressed in the letter.

First, the Philippian church sent a financial gift to Paul, through Epaphroditus. Paul wanted to give thanks for that gift and share some encouragement and teaching about giving to the Philippians in the process.

Second, he shares news of his imprisonment, and the work of the gospel being accomplished in spite of his circumstances. At the same time, he shares some of the problems he faces, concerning both his ministry and his imprisonment and uncertain future.

Third, Paul wants to address the problem of division within the church at Philippi, especially concerning two women, Euodia and Syntyche, although the problem probably went much deeper than that.

Encouragement

Some of the most prominent passages for devotional use and encouragement come from the letter to the Philippians. Many times, these passages are taken entirely out of context, and used for purposes other that what Paul wrote them for.

For example, one oft-quoted passage is Philippians 4:13, “I can do everything through him who gives me strength.” This is frequently used to encourage people to persist in whatever they are doing, or to encourage them to do something that they’ve never tried before. But, if you read the context of this verse, it lies right in the middle of Paul’s thankfulness for the gifts that the Philippian people sent him.

Those other applications may certainly be valid, but they were not Paul’s main intent. Reading the letter as whole will give a much stronger sense of encouragement than taking such passages by themselves.

As I mentioned, this letter is one of my favorite portions of the New Testament. It is highly encouraging, and very easy to read. Taking the time to memorize it will be of great benefit to us all.

Question: What passages from Philippians are most meaningful to you? You can leave a comment by clicking here.