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Getting Started: Philippians

William Taylor

RESOURCES
Commentaries and Other Reading [pdf, 148kb]
Sermon Series Suggestions [pdf, 55kb]
Literary Structure of Philippians [pdf, 55kb]
Teaching Notes by Dick Lucas [pdf, 143kb]
Instances of Think or Have Mind [pdf, 135kb]

OVERVIEW
Introduction
Hello, welcome to Getting Started. My name is William Taylor, and today we’re going to be looking at Paul’s letter to the Philippians. As we get going, remember this: getting started right will help you cut it straight.

We’ll look at Philippians in four basic sections:

  1. Setting the letter in its biblical and pastoral context

  2. The structure of the letter

  3. The key areas and themes

  4. The gospel in Philippians

The key verses are found in Philippians 1:27–30. Before we dive into them, notice the intriguing phrase at the end of verse 30, where Paul says the Philippians are “engaged in the same conflict that you saw I had and now hear that I still have.”

To understand the pastoral context properly, we need to go back to Acts 16 to see what the Philippians actually saw.

Context
In Acts 16, Paul cast a spirit of divination out of a slave girl. Once converted, she no longer made money for her owners. Their profits dried up, and they reacted furiously. They dragged Paul into the marketplace, accusing him of teaching conduct inappropriate for Roman citizens.

Philippi was a Roman colony, proud of its status. The gospel, however, was a threat—not just spiritually, but economically. People reacted when their profit margins or way of life were endangered.

We see the same in Acts 17, where the religious authorities accused Jason and other believers of proclaiming another king—King Jesus. So opposition came from both the secular world (business, culture, family) and religious authorities whose positions were threatened.

Jesus Himself prepared His disciples for this in Matthew 10, warning that they would be dragged before synagogues and secular rulers. And indeed, throughout history, on every continent, Christians have faced this kind of opposition.

This pastoral setting makes Philippians extraordinarily relevant today. In the increasingly secular West, the gospel challenges cultural values, and believers may be accused of conduct “unbecoming” of citizens in a secular, humanist society.

Structure
The key verses (Philippians 1:27–30) form the foundation of the letter. Paul urges the Philippians to live as citizens worthy of the gospel. Many English translations miss the citizenship nuance, but the original word relates directly to civic identity.

Here we find one main verb and two participles:

  • Main verb: Stand firm

  • Participles: Strive side by side (co-contending) and be unafraid of opposition

This gives Paul’s main aim:

  • That the Philippians stand firm as gospel citizens.

  • That they contend together for the gospel.

  • That they are unafraid of opposition.

Later, Paul returns to these themes:

  • Philippians 3:20 – “Our citizenship is in heaven…”

  • Philippians 4:1 – “Stand firm thus in the Lord…”

So the central section of the letter is bracketed by the themes of citizenship, standing firm, striving together, and fearlessness.

Key Themes
Three big themes dominate Philippians:

  1. Partnership in the Gospel

    • Partnership (sometimes translated fellowship or sharing) appears throughout.

    • This is not cozy fellowship over cocoa and biscuits; it is active, energetic striving together.

    • The imagery is athletic (co-athleticizing) or business-like—working hard together for a common goal.

    • Paul wants the Philippians to engage energetically in gospel ministry, even in the face of opposition.

  2. A Gospel Mindset

    • The idea of “mind” appears repeatedly in Philippians. Nearly half of all NT references to mindset are found here.

    • A mindset isn’t simply intellectual; it is what we count as precious, what drives us, what we value as life’s goal.

    • In Philippians 2:5, Paul says, “Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus.” This mindset is already given by grace, but it must be lived out.

    • It looks like selfless, sacrificial service for the gospel.

  3. Suffering for the Gospel

    • In Philippians 3:10, Paul says he wants to “know Christ and the power of His resurrection, and share in His sufferings, becoming like Him in His death.”

    • True gospel citizenship means pressing on toward the goal, waiting eagerly for Christ, and sharing in His cross-shaped suffering.

    • This includes standing with gospel partners, unashamed of opposition, and willing to suffer alongside them.

All three themes—partnership, mindset, and suffering—ultimately distill into the gospel mindset.

The Gospel in Philippians
The gospel is everywhere in Philippians. The letter is forward-looking, focused on the last day, but it is saturated with the gospel throughout.

The most striking passage is Philippians 2:5–11. Here Paul shows how Christ, though being in the form of God, acted in a way consistent with God’s own nature—not exploiting His position, but humbling Himself.

Christ emptied Himself, became a servant, and was obedient to death on a cross. Therefore, God exalted Him and gave Him the name above every name.

This ties directly to the theme of Philippians:

  • Gospel partnership means sacrificial service.

  • Gospel citizenship means standing firm under opposition.

  • And all of this reflects the very pattern of Christ’s own life, death, and exaltation.

Conclusion
So, what does it look like to be partners in the gospel, co-contending, standing firm against opposition? It looks like following Christ’s example—using what we have not for our own gain, but for sacrificial service.

That is the gospel. That is why God exalted Christ. And that is the pattern for us as His people.

Thank you for joining me. I hope you enjoy preaching Philippians and learning from Philippians. And remember: getting started right will help you cut it straight.