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The text of Philippians 1:1–11 (with Acts 16) is being prepared from the public-domain dataset and is not bundled yet.
Teaching notes
Philippians is a letter between friends. Paul writes in chains, yet the opening is full of gratitude: 'I thank my God upon every remembrance of you' (1:3). He prays for them 'with joy' because of their 'fellowship in the gospel from the first day until now' (1:5). The word for fellowship, koinonia, means partnership. The Philippians weren't spectators of Paul's mission. They shared in it through prayer, money, and suffering.
Then comes one of the great promises of the New Testament: 'he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ' (1:6). Paul's confidence rests on God's faithfulness, not on the church's performance. God finishes what he starts.
Paul's affection is open: 'I have you in my heart,' and 'how greatly I long after you all in the bowels of Jesus Christ' (1:7–8). He isn't a distant administrator.
His prayer (1:9–11) shows what Paul thought mattered most. He asks that their love would abound 'yet more and more in knowledge and in all judgment.' Love here isn't sentimental; it grows together with understanding and discernment. The goal is that they 'may approve things that are excellent,' be 'sincere and without offence till the day of Christ,' and be 'filled with the fruits of righteousness, which are by Jesus Christ, unto the glory and praise of God.'
Notice what Paul doesn't ask for. He doesn't pray for his own release or for the church's comfort. He prays for their character and discernment. That tells us a great deal about his priorities, and it's a model for how we pray for others.
Key terms
Fellowship (koinonia)
Partnership; active participation in a shared mission (1:5).
Bishops and deacons
Overseers and servants: church leaders named in 1:1, showing an organized congregation within about a decade of its founding.
The day of Christ
The day of Christ's return, when God's work in believers will be completed (1:6, 10).
Contend for the Faith
Why Philippians carries weight as evidence
When skeptical scholars reconstruct early Christianity, they lean on the seven letters of Paul that nearly everyone accepts as authentic. Philippians is one of them. That means its claims carry weight in any serious historical discussion, even with people who don't accept the Bible's authority.
Written about thirty years after the crucifixion, Philippians shows a settled community with recognized leaders, a shared gospel, and, as Lesson 3 will show, a fully developed belief that Jesus is Lord. The idea that belief in Jesus' divinity developed slowly over centuries runs straight into letters like this one.
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Written answers
Question 1
Analyze Paul's prayer in 1:9–11. What does he ask for, and what does it reveal about his priorities for the church?
Write 75–200 words · worth 5 points
Question 2
Explain the basis of Paul's confidence in 1:6 and how it relates to the church's partnership in 1:5.
Write 75–200 words · worth 5 points
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Reflection
Who are your partners in the gospel? Name them, and thank God for each one specifically this week.
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