Insights on Philippians, Colossians, Philemon

Charles R. Swindoll

• Publisher: Tyndale House Publishers
• Year: 2017
• Print ISBN: 9781414393834
• eBook ISBN: 9781496410696

Philippians is saturated with joy. While under house arrest in Rome, Paul wrote to encourage the Philippians to rejoice in the Lord, despite their circumstances—to find Christ-centered, Spirit-empowered joy in living, serving, sharing, and resting.

Colossians is addressed to a church suffering from cultural capitulation and spiritual surrender—just like the church of the twenty-first century. Those who deceive others with self-centered philosophies, self-promoting legalism, and self-serving asceticism attract power and attention, while diminishing the gospel of Jesus Christ. Colossians serves as a lighthouse piercing the fog of false teaching and leading us to the safe harbor of Christ.

Philemon illustrates the importance of second chances, the equality of believers in Christ, and the power of the gospel to transcend cultural and social boundaries, it reminds us of the Christ-centered concepts of freedom, forgiveness, mercy, and especially grace.

The 15 volume Swindoll's Living Insights New Testament Commentary series draws on Gold Medallion Award–winner Chuck Swindoll's 50 years of experience with studying and preaching God's Word. His deep insight, easygoing style, and humor bring a warmth and accessibility not often found in commentaries. Each volume combines verse-by-verse commentary, charts, maps, photos, key terms, and background articles with practical application. This series is a must-have for pastors, teachers, and anyone else who is seeking a deeply practical resource for exploring God's Word.

JOY IN LIVING (PHILIPPIANS 1:1-30)

Paul wrote his letter to the Philippians to encourage them to find Christ-centered, Spirit-empowered joy in living, serving, sharing, and resting. Though it contains sound doctrine and practical insights that have proven to be relevant throughout the centuries, Philippians is not primarily a theological treatise, but a loving letter of friendship from one brother in Christ to his extended spiritual family. Even when he warns the Philippians about false teaching, he does so warmly and graciously, expecting the best from his readers.

In chapter 1 this theme of joy is exemplified as Paul encourages the Philippians to find Christ-centered, Spirit-empowered joy in living —even when things don’t seem to be going their way. It opens with Paul’s cheerful admission that his prayers for the Philippians always kindle the warmth of joy in his heart (1:3-4). He also demonstrates personal joy and optimism in the midst of challenges and difficult circumstances that are beyond his control (1:6-14).

This is a message every generation of believers needs to hear! Whether we face conflicts or setbacks, we can find joy in living if Jesus Christ is the source and center of our lives. Regardless of whether we continue on in this world, striving for the gospel, or we pass on to the next to be with Christ, we’re to keep our focus on Him, the source of our joy (1:21-25).

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KEY TERMS IN PHILIPPIANS 1:1-30

proseuchē; deēsis (προσευχή; δέησις) [4335; 1162] “prayer,” “supplication,” “petition”

These two words are often coupled in both the Greek Old Testament (called the Septuagint) and the New Testament (1 Kgs. 8:54; 2 Chr. 6:29; Eph. 6:18; 1 Tim. 2:1). The first term, proseuchē —and its verb form, proseuchomai (Phil. 1:9) —refers to general addresses to God. Meanwhile, the noun deēsis refers to particular “requests” or specific “supplications” and is often an “urgent request to meet a need.”[12] In Philippians 1:4 Paul uses the latter term twice, indicating an intimate knowledge of the Philippians and a deep interest in their particular, urgent needs. Likewise, the Philippians themselves were offering their own supplications on behalf of Paul (Phil. 1:19), confirming the uniquely close relationship Paul had with the Philippian church.

hēmera Christou (ἡμέρα Χριστοῦ) [2250 + 5547] “day of Christ”

The ominous phrase “day of the Lord” (hēmera kuriou [2250 + 2962]) occurs throughout the Greek Old Testament and the New Testament in reference to a period of divine judgment upon the earth (Joel 2:1-10; 1 Thes. 5:2; 2 Pet. 3:10). However, the phrase “day of Christ” found in Philippians 1:6, 10; and 2:16 emphasizes the hope of deliverance and reward. This makes sense in the context of the positive, uplifting tone of Paul’s letter to the Philippians —that even when addressing prophetic events, he keeps the focus on the positive hope for believers rather than the negative consequences of judgment for unbelievers.

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CONFIDENT ENOUGH TO BE JOYFUL

PHILIPPIANS 1:1-11

NASB

1 Paul and Timothy, bond-servants of Christ Jesus,

To all the [a]saints in Christ Jesus who are in Philippi, [b]including the overseers and deacons: 2 Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

3 I thank my God in all my remembrance of you, 4 always offering prayer with joy in my every prayer for you all, 5 in view of your [a]participation in the gospel from the first day until now. 6 For I am confident of this very thing, that He who began a good work in you will perfect it until the day of Christ Jesus. 7[a]For it is only right for me to feel this way about you all, because I have you in my heart, since both in my [b]imprisonment and in the defense and confirmation of the gospel, you all are partakers of grace with me. 8 For God is my witness, how I long for you all with the [a]affection of Christ Jesus. 9 And this I pray, that your love may abound still more and more in real knowledge and all discernment, 10 so that you may [a]approve the things that are excellent, in order to be sincere and blameless [b]until the day of Christ; 11 having been filled with the fruit of righteousness which comes through Jesus Christ, to the glory and praise of God.

1:1 [a]Or holy ones [b]Lit with 1:5 [a]Or sharing in the preaching of the gospel 1:7 [a]Lit Just as it is right [b]Lit bonds 1:8 [a]Lit inward parts 1:10 [a]Or discover; or distinguish between the things which differ [b]Or for

NLT

1 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.

2 May God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ give you grace and peace.

3 Every time I think of you, I give thanks to my God. 4 Whenever I pray, I make my requests for all of you with joy, 5 for you have been my partners in spreading the Good News about Christ from the time you first heard it until now. 6 And I am certain that God, who began the good work within you, will continue his work until it is finally finished on the day when Christ Jesus returns.

7 So it is right that I should feel as I do about all of you, for you have a special place in my heart. You share with me the special favor of God, both in my imprisonment and in defending and confirming the truth of the Good News. 8 God knows how much I love you and long for you with the tender compassion of Christ Jesus.

9 I pray that your love will overflow more and more, and that you will keep on growing in knowledge and understanding. 10 For I want you to understand what really matters, so that you may live pure and blameless lives until the day of Christ’s return. 11 May you always be filled with the fruit of your salvation—the righteous character produced in your life by Jesus Christ[*]—for this will bring much glory and praise to God.

[1:1] Or overseers, or bishops. [1:11] Greek with the fruit of righteousness through Jesus Christ.

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Ours is a frivolous age with lots of shallow, empty laughter . . . but very little real joy.

Most people stumble around in perpetual confusion —darkness, really. As they seek genuine joy, they satisfy themselves with only occasional glimpses of light —and artificial light at that. Occasionally, it’s sad to say, some of the light they’re attracted to is a consuming fire. It destroys their lives rather than illuminating their minds or warming their hearts.

Paul would have understood this plight as he, too, groped around in darkness until that glorious day when the light of the gospel of Christ shone brightly into his life (Acts 9:1-19). From that day on, although he often experienced suffering, he rarely let the darkening fog of discouragement cloud his mind or drive out the light of joy.

His letter to the Philippians, embossed with unfading joy on every page, is proof that, for Paul, joy was more than a fleeting emotion; it was part of his ingrained character. How could that be? It’s because he was confident that God was at work, that God was in complete control, and that God allowed all things to occur for one ultimate purpose —His greater glory.

Paul understood that joy doesn’t depend on our circumstances, our possessions, or other people. Joy is an attitude of the heart determined by confidence in God. Paul knew that he had no control over the struggles and strife of life. But by yielding to the Spirit’s work in his soul, Paul’s trust and hope in God could guide him like an inner compass, keeping him on joy’s course regardless of how strong the gale-force winds blew.

Poet Ella Wheeler Wilcox put this idea beautifully in her poem “The Winds of Fate”:

One ship drives east and another drives west

With the self-same winds that blow;

’Tis the set of the sails

And not the gales

That tells them the way to go.[13]

In the first chapter of Paul’s joy-filled letter to the Philippians, we come face-to-face with his bold, joyous confidence, setting the trajectory for more to come. He extends a warm greeting to the Philippians in 1:1-2, offers up joyful thanksgiving in 1:3-8, and lifts them up in prayer in 1:9-11.

— 1:1-2 —

As he does in all his letters, Paul begins with a customary gracious greeting. When the Philippians took the scroll from the hand of Epaphroditus and unrolled it (see 2:25; 4:18), the first words they would have seen in the Greek text were “Paul and Timothy” (1:1). These were not strangers, not remote leaders governing impersonally from a distance through go-betweens —these were loving shepherds and beloved friends.

Though sometimes the inclusion of multiple names could indicate a sort of coauthorship (e.g., 1 Thessalonians), in the case of Philippians, Timothy probably wasn’t involved in the actual composition of the letter itself. Throughout the lett...

Table of contents

• Cover
• Title Page
• Copyright
• Contents
• Author’s Preface
• The Strong’s Numbering System
• Insights on Philippians
• Philippians: Introduction
• Joy in Living (Philippians 1:1-30)
• Joy in Serving (Philippians 2:1-30)
• Joy in Sharing (Philippians 3:1-21)
• Joy in Resting (Philippians 4:1-23)
• Insights on Colossians
• Colossians: Introduction
• Jesus Christ, Our Lord (Colossians 1:1–2:23)
• Jesus Christ, Our Life (Colossians 3:1–4:1)
• Jesus Christ, Our Leader (Colossians 4:2-18)
• Insights on Philemon
• Philemon: Introduction
• A Study in Forgiveness: Philemon 1:1-25
• Notes