Philippians 1

(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:
(2)  Grace be unto you, and peace, from God our Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ.
(3)  I thank my God upon every remembrance of you,
(4)  Always in every prayer of mine for you all making request with joy,
(5)  For your fellowship in the gospel from the first day until now;
(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:
(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 defence and confirmation of the gospel, ye all are partakers of my grace.
(8)  For God is my record, how greatly I long after you all in the bowels of Jesus Christ.
(9)  And this I pray, that your love may abound yet more and more in knowledge and in all judgment;
(10)  That ye may approve things that are excellent; that ye may be sincere and without offence till the day of Christ;
(11)  Being filled with the fruits of righteousness, which are by Jesus Christ, unto the glory and praise of God.
(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;
(13)  So that my bonds in Christ are manifest in all the palace, and in all other places;
(14)  And many of the brethren in the Lord, waxing confident by my bonds, are much more bold to speak the word without fear.
(15)  Some indeed preach Christ even of envy and strife; and some also of good will:
(16)  The one preach Christ of contention, not sincerely, supposing to add affliction to my bonds:
(17)  But the other of love, knowing that I am set for the defence of the gospel.
(18)  What then? notwithstanding, every way, whether in pretence, or in truth, Christ is preached; and I therein do rejoice, yea, and will rejoice.
(19)  For I know that this shall turn to my salvation through your prayer, and the supply of the Spirit of Jesus Christ,
(20)  According to my earnest expectation and my hope, that in nothing I shall be ashamed, but that with all boldness, as always, so now also Christ shall be magnified in my body, whether it be by life, or by death.
(21)  For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain.
(22)  But if I live in the flesh, this is the fruit of my labour: yet what I shall choose I wot not.
(23)  For I am in a strait betwixt two, having a desire to depart, and to be with Christ; which is far better:
(24)  Nevertheless to abide in the flesh is more needful for you.
(25)  And having this confidence, I know that I shall abide and continue with you all for your furtherance and joy of faith;
(26)  That your rejoicing may be more abundant in Jesus Christ for me by my coming to you again.
(27)  Only let your conversation be as it becometh the gospel of Christ: that whether I come and see you, or else be absent, I may hear of your affairs, that ye stand fast in one spirit, with one mind striving together for the faith of the gospel;
(28)  And in nothing terrified by your adversaries: which is to them an evident token of perdition, but to you of salvation, and that of God.
(29)  For unto you it is given in the behalf of Christ, not only to believe on him, but also to suffer for his sake;
(30)  Having the same conflict which ye saw in me, and now hear to be in me.

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Study Questions

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1. Where is Philippi? Why is Timothy named as a sender of the letter? What three classes are addressed in the epistle? Verses 1-2.

2. What were Paul’s feelings as he remembered the Philippians in prayer? What had they done that Paul described as fellowship? Verses 3-5. (See Philippians 4:14-16)

3. What was Paul’s confidence? What is the day of Jesus Christ? Verse 6.

4. Why did Paul say it was meet (or appropriate) for him to feel confident? In what three ways were the Philippians partakers with Paul? What is mean by “the bowels of Jesus Christ? Verses 7-8.

5. In what way did Paul pray for the Philippians’ love to grow or abound? Why is it necessary for love to be accompanied with knowledge or discernment? Verse 9.

6. What three things did Paul pray that the Philippians should do or be? The margin of the American Standard Version renders that part of that as “so that ye may distinguish the things that differ.” What does that mean? Verse 10.

7. What would be the result in the Philippians if Paul’s prayer is fulfilled? Name the source of the fruits of righteousness. Verse 11.

8. How had Paul’s bonds or imprisonment affected the progress of the gospel? Verse 12.

9. What was the Praetorian Guard (rendered “palace” in the King James Version) and what may we infer about Paul’s influence with them and people in Rome? Verse 13.

10. What sort of bonds did Paul have? (See Acts 28:20). How did Paul’s imprisonment affect the brethren at Rome? Verse 14.

11. What were the two opposing motives for preaching Christ? Did envy and strife describe heresy or wrong attitudes? Verse 15.

12. Barclay says that the word for envy came to mean self-seeking and selfish ambition. Is it possible that such would exist among preachers? Verse 16.

13. What were those who loved Paul and saw him in prison inspired to do? Verse 17.

14. What was Paul’s attitude about Christ being preached, even by those who were unfriendly to him or contemptuous of him? Would that justify us if we approved of denominational doctrine mixed with the gospel? Verse 18.

15. What does Paul expect the prison experience to result in for him? What two great supports does he know he has? Verse 19.

16. If Paul is not ashamed and boldly preaches the gospel, what is his expectation and hope? How could Paul say “to die is gain”? What was his advantage to go on living? Verses 20-22.

17. What is a strait? What was Paul’s preference about living or dying? Verse 23.

18. Why was it more needful for Paul to abide in the flesh? Verse 24.

19. What was Paul’s conviction about whether he would live or die? Verse 25.

20. What purposes would be served by Paul’s continuing with them? Verses 25-26.

21. What did Paul hope to hear about the conduct of the Philippians? Verse 27.

22. How as the Philippians’ boldness a token of perdition to adversaries but a token of salvation to themselves? Verse 28.

23. Did Paul see suffering for Christ as a privilege or a dishonor to be endured? Verse 29.

24. Who was their example in bearing conflict and anguish? Verse 30.