Paul's common greeting included the same four parts. The first half of the greeting consists of grace and peace. Grace is the basis of salvation and the standard for Christian living. Peace is part of the fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22–23) and a frequent trait mentioned as important for Christian living.

The second half of Paul's typical greeting focuses on God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. Both grace and peace come from the Father and the Son. They are mentioned as equals here and elsewhere in the New Testament, emphasizing the divine nature of Christ as part of the triune Godhead. Elsewhere Scripture notes the Holy Spirit as the third Person of the triune God (Matthew 28:18–20).

Paul uses this distinctive greeting in almost all of his letters. The same phrase, in the same order, can be seen in Galatians 1:3, Ephesians 1:2, 1 Corinthians 1:3, 2 Corinthians 1:2, and Romans 1:7.

Philippians 1:1–2 introduces this letter from Timothy and Paul. The message is meant for the Christians in the city of Philippi, including both the leaders and the laymen. This church had made significant contributions to Paul's ministry, as will be mentioned early in the letter. Here, as in the rest of the New Testament, the term ''saints'' refers to any saved believer.

In chapter 1, Paul thanks the Philippian believers for supporting his ministry. Even when Paul was jailed, or persecuted, they had been generous and loyal. Paul encourages these Christians by explaining that all of his suffering has been for a good cause. Even better, these attempts to persecute Paul have actually caused the gospel to spread. For this, Paul is grateful. He fully expects to be released, and to see the believers of Philippi again.

Chapter 1 introduces the major themes of Paul's letter. A large proportion of the passage is given to thanking the Philippian church for their loyal support of Paul. Paul also encourages them with a reminder that, good or bad, anything a Christian experiences can be used for the glory of God. This sets the tone for the rest of the letter, where Paul will continue to stress the importance of living out the Christian life. This, he says, starts with having a proper attitude and approach.

Philippians is Paul's discussion of living the Christian life. In this letter to the church of Philippi, Paul highlights themes such as joy and glory. He also puts great emphasis on how a Christian's thinking—their attitude—affects the way they live out their faith. Paul is very thankful for the support of the Philippian church, but is also concerned about the influence of various false teachers. This letter is less theological than most of his other writings, and more practical.

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