Paul's Prison Epistles: Paul And The PhilippiansSample

Thanksgiving and Prayer: Philippians 1:3-11

The first part of Paul’s thanksgiving, found in Philippians 1:3-6, presents a fairly standard statement of thanks, speaking of the joy the Philippians have brought to Paul and of his expectations for their ultimate salvation.

But Philippians 1:7-8 are rather unique in Paul’s thanksgivings, emphasizing the depth of his love for the Philippians. Consider his words there:

It is right for me to feel this way about all of you, since I have you in my heart... God can testify how I long for all of you with the affection of Christ Jesus (Philippians 1:7-8).

These verses indicate that Paul’s relationship with the Philippians was deeply personal and heartfelt.

Following his thanksgiving, Paul offered a prayer for the Philippians in 1:9-11. This prayer is fairly brief, but it is packed with statements that reflect the emphases of the entire letter. 

Essentially, Paul prayed that the Philippians would express their Christian love by living in ways that honored God. First, he prayed that they would have the discernment necessary to make proper judgments. Second, he prayed that this discernment would lead them to perform good works, and to persevere in faith and practice until Christ’s return in judgment. Finally, he prayed that the Philippians’ would bring glory and praise to God through their good works and perseverance.

After his prayer, Paul turned to the main body of his epistle to the Philippians found in 1:12–4:20. This section has been outlined in various ways by different scholars. Our outline will primarily follow the logical flow of Paul’s encouragements and instructions to the Philippian church.