Philippians An Expositional Commentary

Paul, with Silas and Timothy, preached the Gospel there (Acts 16:12), and planted a new Ekklesia on his second missionary journey, A.D. 51. The first convert was a woman named Lydia. Then her whole family was also converted, baptized, and became the first members of the church in Philippi. Some Theologians argue that the Apostle Paul did not write this letter because the style of the writing is abrupt and discontinuous, which is one of the reasons some feel that someone other than Paul took a part of other letters that Paul had written and put them together to make up this one letter to the Philippian Church. Such minor objection to the authenticity of this Epistle has been debunked due to the strong internal evidence for the authenticity of the Apostle Paul, as the writer of this Epistle. We will cover information about the authenticity of the letter, the people to whom it was written, the date of the writing and so much more, after which I shall dig into the depths of the letter - one verse at a time. At times throughout the writing, the writer will notice that I have taken one Greek word to express its meaning more deeply. The letter is indeed called a "letter of Joy" and in Philippians 4:1, Paul seems at a loss for words to express the extent and ardor of his affection for the Philippians as he writes, "My brethren dearly beloved and longed for, my joy and crown, so stand fast in the Lord, my dearly beloved." THIS IS A MUST READ FOR ALL CHILDREN OF GOD! Remember, "The joy of the Lord is our strength" (Nehemiah 8:10).