The Letter to the Philippians

G. Walter Hansen

• Publisher: Eerdmans
• Year: 2009
• Print ISBN: 9780802837370
• eBook ISBN: 9781467438247
• Subtopic: Biblical Criticism & Interpretation

In this commentary G. Walter Hansen offers rich exposition of the text of Philippians as well as wisdom and maturity in its application. In so doing he emphasizes  partnership--the social and corporate dimensions of community--in the progress of the gospel.
After a select bibliography, Hansen's introduction sets forth the historical setting of the church in Philippi, the nature and occasion of the letter, and a preview of two key themes--the gospel of Christ and the community in Christ. The commentary itself discusses Philippians in light of these themes, considering Paul's greetings, reports of gospel ministry, imperatives for citizens worthy of the gospel, recommendations of two Christ-like servants, and disclosures of his personal experience. Hansen's treatment as a whole is distinctive for the way it draws out and highlights the themes of partnership, citizenship, and friendship in Paul's Philippian letter.
"With themes and emotions so varied, the letter to the Philippians needs a commentator with a sure grasp and a warm heart. . . . Hansen writes with admirable clarity and simplicity, even when he is unpacking notoriously complex matters."
-- D. A. Carson (from the preface)

Philippians 1

I. GREETINGS AND GRACE (1:1-2)

¹Paul and Timothy, servants of Christ Jesus,

To all God’s holy people in Christ Jesus at Philippi, together with the overseers and deacons:

²Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

1 The threefold repetition of the name — Christ Jesus, Christ Jesus, the Lord Jesus Christ — presents the central theme that reappears throughout the letter and unites everything around the person of Christ. Paul defines his role and that of his co-workers as servants of Christ Jesus. He describes the relationship of the church to Christ as one of living in Christ Jesus. His blessing presents God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ as the common source of grace and peace. The blessing anticipates the dramatic finale of the Christ hymn: Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father (2:11).

By beginning the letter with his own name, Paul follows the common form of Greek letters in his day.¹ Although Paul writes the entire letter in the first person singular, he also includes Timothy in the salutation.² Timothy is probably included because he served as Paul’s secretary by writing down Paul’s dictation of this letter.³ Timothy may also be mentioned because Paul wanted to assure the Philippians that the points made in this letter were confirmed by Timothy, whom they knew from the time of Paul’s first visit to Philippi (Acts 16:1-12).⁴ Timothy was one of Paul’s closest associates. Paul speaks of him with great warmth and affection when he tells the Philippians that as a son with his father he has served with me in the work of the gospel (2:22).⁵ Paul’s description of Timothy’s sacrificial service to others clearly echoes Paul’s hymn to the self-giving love of Christ (2:6-8). From Paul’s perspective, Timothy was a rare example of Christ-like humility and service.

After giving their names as the senders of this letter, Paul gives their titles. He and Timothy are servants of Christ Jesus. This is a significant departure from Paul’s customary self-designation. Paul usually introduced himself as an apostle of Christ Jesus.⁶ But in this letter he makes no reference to his apostolic position. In Romans 1:1 and Titus 1:1 the titles “slave” and “apostle” are combined and apply only to Paul. But in this letter Paul does something quite unusual: he uses the same title for both himself and Timothy. Their work together was that of “slaves,” the literal meaning of the term servants.

In a Roman colony like Philippi, some slaves did menial work while others had great responsibilities in civil service. But in either case their lack of freedom and their subservience to their masters who owned them made their position as slaves ignominious compared to those who were free.⁷ Paul’s reference later in this letter to Christ’s own obedience as a slave, obedience even to death on a cross (2:7-8), indicates that Paul’s use of the title of slaves for himself and Timothy points to their total subjection to the will of their master: they were not autonomous; they were subject to the claims of the one who owned them.

Paul considered the position that he and Timothy had as servants of Christ Jesus to be a high privilege. It is a high calling to have the same position taken by Christ Jesus, who “emptied himself, taking the form of a slave” (2:7). And there is no one greater to serve than the one who was exalted by God and will be universally acclaimed to be the Lord of all (2:9-11). Paul’s reasoning was simple: If Christ is our Lord, then we are his servants.⁸

To be called servants of the Lord was a mark of distinction in the history of God’s people. In the Greek translation of the Hebrew scriptures, the term “servant” is used as a title for Moses, Joshua, and David, who were each called servants of the Lord.⁹ By announcing that he and Timothy were servants of Christ Jesus, Paul accepted a humble yet honored position taken by servants of the Lord among God’s people.

The title of servants for himself and Timothy points to Paul’s view of relationships in Christ: when believers in Christ freely and joyfully accept the position of servants of Christ Jesus, they will be united and effective in service.¹⁰ Relationships are ruined by envy, rivalry, and selfish ambition (1:15-17; 2:3), but they will thrive when friends humbly serve each other before looking out for their own interests (2:3-4). At the beginning of his letter, Paul exemplifies the attitude he calls for all believers to have, the attitude of the one who accepted the form of a slave (2:5-8).

The double name, Christ Jesus, expresses Paul’s belief that Jesus is the Messiah. In fact, the messianic role and work of Jesus was such a presupposition for Paul that he does not defend it but builds his theology upon it.¹¹ The great Christ hymn in this letter portrays both the humility of Christ in submitting to death on a cross and the sovereignty of Christ in receiving universal worship as the divine Lord (2:6-11). The attitude of those who are servants of Christ Jesus will be expressed in their Christ-like, humble service and their Christ-centered worship of Jesus as Lord.

The letter is written to all God’s holy people. Such people are not in a special club of super-spiritual Christians. The phrase God’s holy people is Paul’s common designation for all believers in Jesus Christ. They are not simply common ordinary people. No, they are holy, and that means that they are separated from evil and consecrated to fulfill God’s purposes.¹² The phrase all God’s holy people is based upon God’s call to Israel to be a “holy people.” In Christ Jesus all God’s people are holy. Their holiness is inherent in their calling and position in Christ.¹³ It is not earned by social position or moral performance, but by union with Jesus Christ. By addressing his letter to all, Paul shows that he is promoting the unity of all rather than recognizing any social or moral distinctions. The repetition of his references to all in the opening part of his letter¹⁴ emphasizes Paul’s concern to heal the divisions in the church by including opposing factions within his embrace.¹⁵ Euodia and Syntyche (4:2) and others like them who were fighting against each other could not have missed the way Paul brings all of them together as one in his address to all God’s holy people in Christ Jesus.

The residence of all God’s holy people is indicated by the use of the preposition in. All God’s holy people are in Christ Jesus and at Philippi.¹⁶ The parallelism of these two prepositional phrases clarifies the meaning of this first instance of Paul’s use of the important in Christ phrase in this letter. What does it mean to be in Christ? Is this simply Paul’s way of referring to Christians? Does the preposition in point to a personal relationship with Christ by faith, to justification by faith in Christ, to mystical union with the risen Christ, to the participation of believers in the benefits of Christ’s redemptive work, or to the church, the body of Christ (the church equals all God’s holy people in Christ Jesus)? These interpretations and many more offer insights into the meaning of this key phrase in Christ.¹⁷ Paul’s use of the phrase is a shorthand summary of major themes in his theology. Throughout this letter Paul’s use of this phrase expresses a range of nuances: a personal, subjective experience of the presence of Christ; a corporate, objective position in Christ’s redemptive work; and an ethical activity by the indwelling power of Christ. The meaning of the phrase in Christ needs to receive a fresh evaluation in each particular context. At this point the phrase in Christ tells us where the Christian community lives, just as the phrase in Philippi tells us where the church resides.

Geographical, historical, and social factors contributed to the experience of residence in Philippi. The residents of Philippi lived in the north-eastern corner of Macedonia on the famous Via Egnatia, a major Roman road. The city was founded in 42 B.C. as a colony for Roman veterans after the defeat of Brutus and Cassius by Mark Antony and Octavian (later Caesar Augustus). Later the city was reestablished as a Roman colony, Colonia Iulia Augusta Philippensium, after Augustus defeated Mark Antony in the battle of Actium in 31 B.C. Augustus repopulated the colony with Roman soldiers and Italian farmers. As a result, the social relationships of the Philippians to their friends and business associates were defined by the social realities of life in a first-century Roman colony.¹⁸

Just as the Christians lived together as residents in Philippi, so they lived together as believers in Christ. Their life was centered in Christ; their new historical situation was created by the victory of the cross and resurrection of Christ; and as a result their social relationships to fellow believers were bound together by their common life in Christ.

As we consider Paul’s frequent use of the in Christ phrase in this letter, we will see how Paul uses the experience of residence in Philippi to give believers a better understanding of their residence in Christ. The social realities of life in Philippi can be seen at many points behind Paul’s language in this letter. He often uses the concepts and structures of the Greek and Roman culture of Philippi as analogies for life in Christ. For example, the common experience of partnership (koinōnia) in friendships and business in Philippi was a resource for Paul’s theology of partnership in Christ (1:5, 7; 2:1; 3:10; 4:14, 15). Another prominent aspect of life at Philippi was the privilege of Roman citizenship. The concept of citizenship is the basis for Paul’s exhortation to live as citizens in a manner worthy of the gospel of Jesus Christ (1:27) and his reminder that our citizenship is in heaven (3:20).

Paul’s addition of the phrase together with the overseers and deacons is puzzling for two reasons. First, this is the only time in Paul’s letters, except for the Pastorals,¹⁹ where overseers and deacons are mentioned together as leaders of the church.²⁰ Second, there is no further reference to these people, at least not by these titles, in the rest of the letter. Two purposes may be adduced from the letter as a whole for Paul’s direct address to these two groups of leaders in the church at the begin...

Table of contents

• Cover
• Title Page
• Copyright
• Contents
• Editor’s Preface
• Author’s Preface
• Abbreviations
• Select Bibliography
• Introduction
• Commentary on Philippians