Philippians 1:1-11 Paul and Timotheus, the servants of Jesus Christ, to all the saints in Christ Jesus which are at Philippi, with the bishops and deacons: Grace be unto you, and peace, from God our Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ. I thank my God upon every remembrance of you, Always in every prayer of mine for you all making request with joy, For your fellowship in the gospel from the first day until now; Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ: Even as it is meet for me to think this of you all, because I have you in my heart; inasmuch

Philippians 1:1-11 as both in my bonds, and in the defense and confirmation of the gospel, ye all are partakers of my grace. For God is my record, how greatly I long after you all in the bowels of Jesus Christ. And this I pray, that your love may abound yet more and more in knowledge and in all judgment; That ye may approve things that are excellent; that ye may be sincere and without offence till the day of Christ. Being filled with the fruits of righteousness, which are by Jesus Christ, unto the glory and praise of God.”

The Book of Philippians Author: Paul Prominent Theme: Joy

Philippians 1:12 “But I would ye should understand, brethren, that the things which happened unto me have fallen out rather unto the furtherance of the gospel.”

Philippians 4:11 “For I have learned, in whatsoever state I am, therewith to be content.”

Acts 16:12,13 “And from thence to Philippi, which is the chief city of that part of Macedonia, and a colony, and we were in that city abiding certain days. And on the sabbath we went out of the city by a riverside, where prayer was wont to be made, and we sat down, and spake unto the women which resorted thither.”

Verse 1: “Paul and Timotheus, the servants of Jesus Christ, to all the saints in Christ Jesus which are at Philippi, with the bishops and deacons:” “Paul and Timotheus, the servants of Jesus Christ” – Paul and Timothy were co-laborers together (Acts 16:1-5) “Saints” – Emphasizes their position in Christ

Verse 2: “Grace be unto you, and peace, from God our Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ.” “Grace be unto you” – God’s unmerited favor towards man “Peace” “From God our Father” – Source of peace “From the Lord Jesus Christ” – Channel of peace

Verse 3: “I thank my God upon every remembrance of you,” Paul remembered: Their acceptance of the gospel The consistency of their faith Their growth in grace Their burden for lost souls

Verse 4: “Always in every prayer of mine for you all making request with joy,” Acts 16:25 – “And at midnight Paul and Silas prayed and sang praises unto God, and the prisoners heard them.”

Verse 5: “For your fellowship in the gospel from the first day until now;” “Fellowship” – Commercial term for a joint partnership in a business “From the first day until now” The Philippians were dedicated to proclaiming the truth of the gospel Philippians 4:15 – “Now ye Philippians know also, that in the beginning of the gospel, when I departed from Macedonia, no church communicated with me as concerning giving and receiving but ye only.” The Philippians put their money where their mouth is

Verse 6: “Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ:” “Being confident” – Paul was convinced that God would complete His work “In you” –Not talking about an isolated believer “Until” – It indicates a time when God will complete His work with the Philippians “Until the day of Jesus Christ” – The work in us will continue till Jesus comes

Verse 7: “Even as it is meet for me to think this of you all, because I have you in my heart; inasmuch as both in my bonds, and in the defense and confirmation of the gospel, ye all are partakers of my grace.” “Meet” – Translated right “Right” – Conveys a sense of moral uprightness “Because I have you in my heart” – Paul loved them as His own soul “Ye are all partakers of His grace” – Literally, my co-sharers or fellow participants in grace

Verse 8: “For God is my record, how greatly I long after you all in the bowels of Jesus Christ.” “For God is my record” – Literally God is my witness “How greatly I long after you all” – The word means to long for, desire earnestly, pursue with love “In the bowels of Jesus Christ” – Means heart or the seat of affections

Verse 9: “And this I pray, that your love may abound yet more and more in knowledge and in all judgment;” “Pray” – Keep on praying “That your love may abound” – Exceed a fixed number of measure, to overflow John 13:34 – “That ye love one another, as I have loved you, that ye also love one another.”

Verse 10: “That ye may approve things that are excellent; that ye may be sincere and without offence till the day of Christ.” “That ye may approve things that are excellent” Approve – To test, scrutinize, or prove Excellent – To carry different ways to different places “That ye may be sincere” – Unmixed, unalloyed, pure, free from falsehood

Verse 11: “Being filled with the fruits of righteousness, which are by Jesus Christ, unto the glory and praise of God.” “Being filled with the fruits of righteousness” – To make full cause to abound “Which are by Jesus Christ” John 15:4,5 – “Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine, no more can ye, except ye abide in me. I am the vine, ye are the branches, he that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit, for without me ye can do nothing.”

Verse 11: “Being filled with the fruits of righteousness, which are by Jesus Christ, unto the glory and praise of God.” “Unto the glory and praise of God” – This is the spiritual purpose of all Christian endeavor