Philippians 1 and 2

Philippians

Outline

I.                  Greetings (1:1-2)

II.         Thanksgiving and Prayer for the Philippians (1:3-11)

III.         Paul's Personal Circumstances (1:12-26)

IV.         Exhortations (1:27;2:18)

A.    Living a Life Worthy of the Gospel (1:27-30)

B.    Following the Servant Attitude of Christ (2:1-18)

                 V.         Paul's Associates in the Gospel (2:19-30)

 .      Timothy (2:19-24)

A.    Epaphroditus (2:25-30)

               VI.         Warnings against Judaizers and Antinomians (3:1;4:1)

 .      Against Judaizers or Legalists (3:1-16)

A.    Against Antinomians or Libertines (3:17;4:1)

VII.         Final Exhortations, Thanks and Conclusion (4:2-23)

 .      Exhortations concerning Various Aspects of the Christian Life (4:2-9)

A.    Concluding Testimony and Repeated Thanks (4:10-20)

B.    Final Greetings and Benediction (4:21-23)

Philippians 1 NLT

1 This letter is from Paul and Timothy, slaves of Christ Jesus. I am writing to all of God’s holy people in Philippi who belong to Christ Jesus, including the elders and deacons. 

2May God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ give you grace and peace. 

3 Every time I think of you, I give thanks to my God. 

4 Whenever I pray, I make my requests for all of you with joy, 

5 for you have been my partners in spreading the Good News about Christ from the time you first heard it until now. 

6 And I am certain that God, who began the good work within you, will continue his work until it is finally finished on the day when Christ Jesus returns. 

7 So it is right that I should feel as I do about all of you, for you have a special place in my heart. You share with me the special favor of God, both in my imprisonment and in defending and confirming the truth of the Good News. 

8 God knows how much I love you and long for you with the tender compassion of Christ Jesus. 

9 I pray that your love will overflow more and more, and that you will keep on growing in knowledge and understanding. 

10 For I want you to understand what really matters, so that you may live pure and blameless lives until the day of Christ’s return. 

11 May you always be filled with the fruit of your salvation—the righteous character produced in your life by Jesus Christ —for this will bring much glory and praise to God. 

12 And I want you to know, my dear brothers and sisters, that everything that has happened to me here has helped to spread the Good News.

13 For everyone here, including the whole palace guard, knows that I am in chains because of Christ. 

14 And because of my imprisonment, most of the believers here have gained confidence and boldly speak God’s message without fear. 

15 It’s true that some are preaching out of jealousy and rivalry. But others preach about Christ with pure motives. 

16 They preach because they love me, for they know I have been appointed to defend the Good News. 

17Those others do not have pure motives as they preach about Christ. They preach with selfish ambition, not sincerely, intending to make my chains more painful to me. 

18 But that doesn’t matter. Whether their motives are false or genuine, the message about Christ is being preached either way, so I rejoice. And I will continue to rejoice. 

19 For I know that as you pray for me and the Spirit of Jesus Christ helps me, this will lead to my deliverance. 

20 For I fully expect and hope that I will never be ashamed, but that I will continue to be bold for Christ, as I have been in the past. And I trust that my life will bring honor to Christ, whether I live or die. 

21 For to me, living means living for Christ, and dying is even better.

22 But if I live, I can do more fruitful work for Christ. So I really don’t know which is better. 

23 I’m torn between two desires: I long to go and be with Christ, which would be far better for me. 

24 But for your sakes, it is better that I continue to live. 

25 Knowing this, I am convinced that I will remain alive so I can continue to help all of you grow and experience the joy of your faith. 

26 And when I come to you again, you will have even more reason to take pride in Christ Jesus because of what he is doing through me. 

27 Above all, you must live as citizens of heaven, conducting yourselves in a manner worthy of the Good News about Christ. Then, whether I come and see you again or only hear about you, I will know that you are standing together with one spirit and one purpose, fighting together for the faith, which is the Good News. 

28 Don’t be intimidated in any way by your enemies. This will be a sign to them that they are going to be destroyed, but that you are going to be saved, even by God himself. 

29 For you have been given not only the privilege of trusting in Christ but also the privilege of suffering for him.

30 We are in this struggle together. You have seen my struggle in the past, and you know that I am still in the midst of it.

Philippians 2 NLT

1 Is there any encouragement from belonging to Christ? Any comfort from his love? Any fellowship together in the Spirit? Are your hearts tender and compassionate? 

2 Then make me truly happy by agreeing wholeheartedly with each other, loving one another, and working together with one mind and purpose. 

3 Don’t be selfish; don’t try to impress others. Be humble, thinking of others as better than yourselves. 

4 Don’t look out only for your own interests, but take an interest in others, too. 

5 You must have the same attitude that Christ Jesus had. 

6 Though he was God, he did not think of equality with God as something to cling to. 

7Instead, he gave up his divine privileges; he took the humble position of a slave and was born as a human being. When he appeared in human form, 

8 he humbled himself in obedience to God and died a criminal’s death on a cross. 

9Therefore, God elevated him to the place of highest honor and gave him the name above all other names, 

10 that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, 

11 and every tongue declare that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. 

12 Dear friends, you always followed my instructions when I was with you. And now that I am away, it is even more important. Work hard to show the results of your salvation, obeying God with deep reverence and fear. 

13 For God is working in you, giving you the desire and the power to do what pleases him.

14 Do everything without complaining and arguing, 

15 so that no one can criticize you. Live clean, innocent lives as children of God, shining like bright lights in a world full of crooked and perverse people. 

16 Hold firmly to the word of life; then, on the day of Christ’s return, I will be proud that I did not run the race in vain and that my work was not useless. 

17 But I will rejoice even if I lose my life, pouring it out like a liquid offering to God, just like your faithful service is an offering to God. And I want all of you to share that joy.

18 Yes, you should rejoice, and I will share your joy. 

19 If the Lord Jesus is willing, I hope to send Timothy to you soon for a visit. Then he can cheer me up by telling me how you are getting along. 

20 I have no one else like Timothy, who genuinely cares about your welfare. 

21 All the others care only for themselves and not for what matters to Jesus Christ.

22 But you know how Timothy has proved himself. Like a son with his father, he has served with me in preaching the Good News. 

23 I hope to send him to you just as soon as I find out what is going to happen to me here. 

24 And I have confidence from the Lord that I myself will come to see you soon. 

25 Meanwhile, I thought I should send Epaphroditus back to you. He is a true brother, co-worker, and fellow soldier. And he was your messenger to help me in my need.

26 I am sending him because he has been longing to see you, and he was very distressed that you heard he was ill.

27 And he certainly was ill; in fact, he almost died. But God had mercy on him—and also on me, so that I would not have one sorrow after another. 

28 So I am all the more anxious to send him back to you, for I know you will be glad to see him, and then I will not be so worried about you. 

29 Welcome him in the Lord’s love and with great joy, and give him the honor that people like him deserve. 

30 For he risked his life for the work of Christ, and he was at the point of death while doing for me what you couldn’t do from far away.

Summary of the Book of Philippians

 

Book of Philippians

Chapters

Summary

Summary of the Book of Philippians

This summary of the book of Philippians provides information about the title, author(s), date of writing, chronology, theme, theology, outline, a brief overview, and the chapters of the Book of Philippians.

Author, Date and Place of Writing

The early church was unanimous in its testimony that Philippians was written by the apostle Paul (see 1:1). Internally the letter reveals the stamp of genuineness. The many personal references of the author fit what we know of Paul from other NT books.

It is evident that Paul wrote the letter from prison (see 1:13-14). Some have argued that this imprisonment took place in Ephesus, perhaps c. a.d. 53-55; others put it in Caesarea c. 57-59. Best evidence, however, favors Rome as the place of origin and the date as c. 61. This fits well with the account of Paul's house arrest in Ac 28:14-31. When he wrote Philippians, he was not in the Mamertine dungeon as he was when he wrote 2 Timothy. He was in his own rented house, where for two years he was free to impart the gospel to all who came to him.

Purpose

Paul's primary purpose in writing this letter was to thank the Philippians for the gift they had sent him upon learning of his detention at Rome (1:5; 4:10-19). However, he makes use of this occasion to fulfill several other desires: (1) to report on his own circumstances (1:12-26; 4:10-19); (2) to encourage the Philippians to stand firm in the face of persecution and rejoice regardless of circumstances (1:27-30; 4:4); (3) to exhort them to humility and unity (2:1-11; 4:2-5); (4) to commend Timothy and Epaphroditus to the Philippian church (2:19-30); and (5) to warn the Philippians against the Judaizers (legalists) and antinomians (libertines) among them (ch. 3).

Recipients

The city of Philippi (see map, p. 2445) was named after King Philip II of Macedon, father of Alexander the Great. It was a prosperous Roman colony, which meant that the citizens of Philippi were also citizens of the city of Rome itself. They prided themselves on being Romans (see Ac 16:21), dressed like Romans and often spoke Latin. No doubt this was the background for Paul's reference to the believer's heavenly citizenship (3:20-21). Many of the Philippians were retired military men who had been given land in the vicinity and who in turn served as a military presence in this frontier city. That Philippi was a Roman colony may explain why there were not enough Jews there to permit the establishment of a synagogue and why Paul does not quote the OT in the Philippian letter.

Characteristics

1. Philippians contains no OT quotations (but see note on Job 13:16).
2. It is a missionary thank-you letter in which the missionary reports on the progress of his work.
3. It manifests a particularly vigorous type of Christian living: (1) self-humbling (2:1-4); (2) pressing toward the goal (3:13-14); (3) lack of anxiety (4:6); (4) ability to do all things (4:13).
4. It is outstanding as the NT letter of joy; the word "joy" in its various forms occurs some 16 times.
5. It contains one of the most profound Christological passages in the NT (2:5-11). Yet, profound as it is, Paul includes it mainly for illustrative purposes.

Outline

• Greetings (1:1-2)
• Thanksgiving and Prayer for the Philippians (1:3-11)
• Paul's Personal Circumstances (1:12-26)
• Exhortations (1:27;2:18)
  • Living a Life Worthy of the Gospel (1:27-30)
  • Following the Servant Attitude of Christ (2:1-18)
• Paul's Associates in the Gospel (2:19-30)
  • Timothy (2:19-24)
  • Epaphroditus (2:25-30)
• Warnings against Judaizers and Antinomians (3:1;4:1)
  • Against Judaizers or Legalists (3:1-16)
  • Against Antinomians or Libertines (3:17;4:1)
• Final Exhortations, Thanks and Conclusion (4:2-23)
  • Exhortations concerning Various Aspects of the Christian Life (4:2-9)
  • Concluding Testimony and Repeated Thanks (4:10-20)
  • Final Greetings and Benediction (4:21-23)

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From the NIV Study Bible, Introductions to the Books of the Bible, Philippians
Copyright 2002 © Zondervan. All rights reserved. Used with permission.

Ephesians 4 - 6

 

Book of Ephesians

Outline

• Greetings (1:1-2)
• The Divine Purpose: The Glory and Headship of Christ (1:3-14)
• Prayer That Christians May Realize God's Purpose and Power (1:15-23)
• Steps Toward the Fulfillment of God's Purpose (chs. 2-3)
  • Salvation of Individuals by Grace (2:1-10)
  • Reconciliation of Jew and Gentile through the Cross (2:11-18)
  • Uniting of Jew and Gentile in One Household (2:19-22)
  • Revelation of God's Wisdom through the Church (3:1-13)
  • Prayer for Deeper Experience of God's Fullness (3:14-21)
• Practical Ways to Fulfill God's Purpose in the Church (4:1;6:20)
  • Unity (4:1-6)
  • Maturity (4:7-16)
  • Renewal of Personal Life (4:17;5:20)
  • Deference in Personal Relationships (5:21;6:9)
    1. Principle (5:21)
    2. Husbands and wives (5:22-33)
    3. Children and parents (6:1-4)
    4. Slaves and masters (6:5-9)
  • Strength in the Spiritual Conflict (6:10-20)
• Conclusion, Final Greetings and Benediction (6:21-24)

Ephesians 4 NLT

1 Therefore I, a prisoner for serving the Lord, beg you to lead a life worthy of your calling, for you have been called by God. 

2 Always be humble and gentle. Be patient with each other, making allowance for each other’s faults because of your love. 

3 Make every effort to keep yourselves united in the Spirit, binding yourselves together with peace. 

4 For there is one body and one Spirit, just as you have been called to one glorious hope for the future. 

5 There is one Lord, one faith, one baptism, 

6 one God and Father of all, who is over all, in all, and living through all. 

7 However, he has given each one of us a special gift through the generosity of Christ. 

8 That is why the Scriptures say, “When he ascended to the heights, he led a crowd of captives and gave gifts to his people.” 

9 Notice that it says “he ascended.” This clearly means that Christ also descended to our lowly world. 

10 And the same one who descended is the one who ascended higher than all the heavens, so that he might fill the entire universe with himself.

11 Now these are the gifts Christ gave to the church: the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, and the pastors and teachers. 

12 Their responsibility is to equip God’s people to do his work and build up the church, the body of Christ. 

13This will continue until we all come to such unity in our faith and knowledge of God’s Son that we will be mature in the Lord, measuring up to the full and complete standard of Christ. 

14 Then we will no longer be immature like children. We won’t be tossed and blown about by every wind of new teaching. We will not be influenced when people try to trick us with lies so clever they sound like the truth. 

15 Instead, we will speak the truth in love, growing in every way more and more like Christ, who is the head of his body, the church.

16 He makes the whole body fit together perfectly. As each part does its own special work, it helps the other parts grow, so that the whole body is healthy and growing and full of love. 

17 With the Lord’s authority I say this: Live no longer as the Gentiles do, for they are hopelessly confused. 

18Their minds are full of darkness; they wander far from the life God gives because they have closed their minds and hardened their hearts against him. 

19 They have no sense of shame. They live for lustful pleasure and eagerly practice every kind of impurity. 

20 But that isn’t what you learned about Christ. 

21 Since you have heard about Jesus and have learned the truth that comes from him, 

22 throw off your old sinful nature and your former way of life, which is corrupted by lust and deception. 

23 Instead, let the Spirit renew your thoughts and attitudes. 

24 Put on your new nature, created to be like God—truly righteous and holy. 

25So stop telling lies. Let us tell our neighbors the truth, for we are all parts of the same body. 

26 And “don’t sin by letting anger control you.” Don’t let the sun go down while you are still angry, 

27 for anger gives a foothold to the devil. 

28 If you are a thief, quit stealing. Instead, use your hands for good hard work, and then give generously to others in need.

29 Don’t use foul or abusive language. Let everything you say be good and helpful, so that your words will be an encouragement to those who hear them. 

30 And do not bring sorrow to God’s Holy Spirit by the way you live. Remember, he has identified you as his own, guaranteeing that you will be saved on the day of redemption. 

31 Get rid of all bitterness, rage, anger, harsh words, and slander, as well as all types of evil behavior. 

32 Instead, be kind to each other, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, just as God through Christ has forgiven you.

 

Ephesians 5 NLT

1 Imitate God, therefore, in everything you do, because you are his dear children. 

2 Live a life filled with love, following the example of Christ. He loved us and offered himself as a sacrifice for us, a pleasing aroma to God. 

3 Let there be no sexual immorality, impurity, or greed among you. Such sins have no place among God’s people. 

4 Obscene stories, foolish talk, and coarse jokes—these are not for you. Instead, let there be thankfulness to God. 

5 You can be sure that no immoral, impure, or greedy person will inherit the Kingdom of Christ and of God. For a greedy person is an idolater, worshiping the things of this world. 

6 Don’t be fooled by those who try to excuse these sins, for the anger of God will fall on all who disobey him. 

7 Don’t participate in the things these people do. 

8 For once you were full of darkness, but now you have light from the Lord. So live as people of light! 

9 For this light within you produces only what is good and right and true. 

10 Carefully determine what pleases the Lord. 

11 Take no part in the worthless deeds of evil and darkness; instead, expose them. 

12 It is shameful even to talk about the things that ungodly people do in secret. 

13 But their evil intentions will be exposed when the light shines on them, 

14 for the light makes everything visible. This is why it is said, “Awake, O sleeper, rise up from the dead, and Christ will give you light.” 

15 So be careful how you live. Don’t live like fools, but like those who are wise. 

16 Make the most of every opportunity in these evil days. 

17 Don’t act thoughtlessly, but understand what the Lord wants you to do. 

18 Don’t be drunk with wine, because that will ruin your life. Instead, be filled with the Holy Spirit, 

19 singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs among yourselves, and making music to the Lord in your hearts. 

20 And give thanks for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. 

21 And further, submit to one another out of reverence for Christ. 

22 For wives, this means submit to your husbands as to the Lord. 

23 For a husband is the head of his wife as Christ is the head of the church. He is the Savior of his body, the church. 

24 As the church submits to Christ, so you wives should submit to your husbands in everything. 

25 For husbands, this means love your wives, just as Christ loved the church. He gave up his life for her 

26 to make her holy and clean, washed by the cleansing of God’s word. 

27 He did this to present her to himself as a glorious church without a spot or wrinkle or any other blemish. Instead, she will be holy and without fault. 

28In the same way, husbands ought to love their wives as they love their own bodies. For a man who loves his wife actually shows love for himself. 

29 No one hates his own body but feeds and cares for it, just as Christ cares for the church. 

30And we are members of his body. 

31 As the Scriptures say, “A man leaves his father and mother and is joined to his wife, and the two are united into one.” 

32 This is a great mystery, but it is an illustration of the way Christ and the church are one. 

33 So again I say, each man must love his wife as he loves himself, and the wife must respect her husband.

 

Ephesians 6 NLT

1 Children, obey your parents because you belong to the Lord, for this is the right thing to do. 

2 “Honor your father and mother.” This is the first commandment with a promise:

3 If you honor your father and mother, “things will go well for you, and you will have a long life on the earth.” 

4 Fathers, do not provoke your children to anger by the way you treat them. Rather, bring them up with the discipline and instruction that comes from the Lord. 

5 Slaves, obey your earthly masters with deep respect and fear. Serve them sincerely as you would serve Christ. 

6 Try to please them all the time, not just when they are watching you. As slaves of Christ, do the will of God with all your heart. 

7 Work with enthusiasm, as though you were working for the Lord rather than for people. 

8 Remember that the Lord will reward each one of us for the good we do, whether we are slaves or free.

9 Masters, treat your slaves in the same way. Don’t threaten them; remember, you both have the same Master in heaven, and he has no favorites. 

10 A final word: Be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. 

11 Put on all of God’s armor so that you will be able to stand firm against all strategies of the devil. 

12 For we are not fighting against flesh-and-blood enemies, but against evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against mighty powers in this dark world, and against evil spirits in the heavenly places. 

13 Therefore, put on every piece of God’s armor so you will be able to resist the enemy in the time of evil. Then after the battle you will still be standing firm. 

14 Stand your ground, putting on the belt of truth and the body armor of God’s righteousness. 

15 For shoes, put on the peace that comes from the Good News so that you will be fully prepared. 

16 In addition to all of these, hold up the shield of faith to stop the fiery arrows of the devil.

17 Put on salvation as your helmet, and take the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. 

18 Pray in the Spirit at all times and on every occasion. Stay alert and be persistent in your prayers for all believers everywhere. 

19 And pray for me, too. Ask God to give me the right words so I can boldly explain God’s mysterious plan that the Good News is for Jews and Gentiles alike. 

20 I am in chains now, still preaching this message as God’s ambassador. So pray that I will keep on speaking boldly for him, as I should. 

21 To bring you up to date, Tychicus will give you a full report about what I am doing and how I am getting along. He is a beloved brother and faithful helper in the Lord’s work. 

22 I have sent him to you for this very purpose—to let you know how we are doing and to encourage you. 

23 Peace be with you, dear brothers and sisters, and may God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ give you love with faithfulness. 

24 May God’s grace be eternally upon all who love our Lord Jesus Christ.