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The major theme and message of Philippians is joy in Christ and how that joy motivates us today. Paul writes this letter from a Roman prison and yet still begins sharing all that he is thankful for in his life. He joyfully thanks God for his friend’s faithfulness to the Gospel and how his imprisonment has actually created the opportunity for him to share the Gospel with the entire imperial guard. Paul possesses this joy not because of inner strength, positive thoughts, or his circumstances, but because of his relationship with Christ. The example Christ provides for Paul and for us is of a member of the Trinity who willingly stepped down from heaven to become a servant and was obedient to God’s Will even to the point of His death on the cross. But God wasn’t content to leave Christ dead in the grave, but raised Him from the dead, and now Jesus is the name above every name and the only way for people to find salvation and purpose in life.
We follow this same example that in spite of our circumstances, we can have joy because our joy doesn’t come from external factors or our internal strength. But our joy and our strength come from the power of Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit working in our lives. Just like Paul, we can rejoice in all our circumstances. Paul closes out his letter to the Philippians saying that he has learned to be content in any circumstance because he realizes he can do all things and endure all things through Christ who gives him strength. This is the true joy of the Gospel: not that we will have easy lives, but that no matter what life throws at us, we can find joy in those circumstances because our joy is in Christ alone.
Reflection Questions:
What are some circumstances that make it hard for you to have joy?
Based on this passage what does it mean that we can do all things through Christ?
About this Plan
The apostle Paul was primarily responsible for spreading the Gospel to the Gentiles. Throughout his missionary journeys, he planted churches in cities all over the Roman Empire. He cared for each church and its members and even wrote letters to many of them. In this study, we’ll examine the major themes of each letter to the church and what it means for our lives today.
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