Philippians 1:1 - Printer Friendly

ESV: Paul and Timothy, servants of Christ Jesus, To all the saints in Christ Jesus who are at Philippi, with the overseers and deacons:

NIV: Paul and Timothy, servants of Christ Jesus, To all God's holy people in Christ Jesus at Philippi, together with the overseers and deacons:

NASB: Paul and Timothy, bond-servants of Christ Jesus, To all the saints in Christ Jesus who are in Philippi, including the overseers and deacons:

CSB: Paul and Timothy, servants of Christ Jesus:To all the saints in Christ Jesus who are in Philippi, including the overseers and deacons.

NLT: 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 church leaders and deacons.

KJV: Paul and Timotheus, the servants of Jesus Christ, to all the saints in Christ Jesus which are at Philippi, with the bishops and deacons:

NKJV: Paul and Timothy, bondservants of Jesus Christ, To all the saints in Christ Jesus who are in Philippi, with the bishops and deacons:

The opening words of this letter identify the authors as Paul and Timothy. Paul is traditionally considered the primary author of the letter, though Timothy assisted here and in other letters (2 Corinthians 1:1; Colossians 1:1; 1 Thessalonians 1:1; Philemon 1:1). Including 1 and 2 Timothy, 7 of Paul's 13 letters included in the New Testament were either coauthored by Timothy, or written to him.

The recipients of Philippians are the entire body of believers—"all the saints in Christ Jesus"— at Philippi, both laymen and leaders. Overseers are equivalent with elders, bishops, or pastors in the New Testament, whose qualifications are given in 1 Timothy 3:1–7 and Titus 1:5–9. The qualifications for deacons are listed only in 1 Timothy 3:8–13. Of the churches Paul addressed, only this church included a specific mention regarding deacons. Some see Romans 16:1 as a reference to a deaconess. Both the heartfelt thanks and loving correction provided by Paul are meant for all of the people in this church family.

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.

Accessed 5/3/2024 5:33:52 PM