PhilipperKapitel 1

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Paul and Timothy, servants of Christ Jesus, to all the saints in Christ Jesus who are in Philippi, together with the overseers and deacons:

Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

I thank my God every time I remember you,

always, in every prayer of mine for all of you, praying with joy

because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now.

And I am confident of this very thing: that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.

It is right for me to think this way about all of you, because I hold you in my heart; for whether I am in chains or defending and confirming the gospel, all of you share with me in this grace.

God is my witness how I long for all of you with the affection of Christ Jesus.

And this is my prayer: that your love may overflow more and more in knowledge and every kind of discernment,

so that you may determine what really matters, and be pure and blameless for the day of Christ,

filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ, to the glory and praise of God.

I want you to know, brothers and sisters, that what has happened to me has actually served to advance the gospel.

As a result, it has become clear throughout the whole imperial guard and to everyone else that I am in chains for Christ.

And because of my chains, most of the brothers and sisters have grown confident in the Lord and dare all the more to speak the word without fear.

It is true that some preach Christ out of envy and rivalry, but others out of goodwill.

These do it out of love, knowing that I am put here for the defense of the gospel.

The others proclaim Christ out of selfish ambition, not sincerely, supposing they can stir up trouble for me in my chains.

But what does it matter? The point is that in every way, whether from false motives or true, Christ is proclaimed—and in that I rejoice. Yes, and I will go on rejoicing,

for I know that through your prayers and the support of the Spirit of Jesus Christ, this will turn out for my deliverance.

It is my eager expectation and hope that I will in no way be put to shame, but that with complete boldness, now as always, Christ will be exalted in my body, whether by life or by death.

For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain.

But if I go on living in the flesh, that means fruitful labor for me—yet which to choose I cannot tell.

I am torn between the two. I long to depart and be with Christ, which is far better;

but to remain in the flesh is more necessary for your sake.

Convinced of this, I know that I will remain and continue with all of you for your progress and joy in the faith,

so that through my coming to you again your boasting in Christ Jesus may overflow on account of me.

Only, live as citizens worthy of the gospel of Christ, so that whether I come and see you or am absent and hear about you, I may learn that you stand firm in one spirit, contending side by side with one mind for the faith of the gospel,

and not frightened in any way by those who oppose you. This is a sign to them of their destruction, but of your salvation—and that from God.

For it has been granted to you on behalf of Christ not only to believe in him, but also to suffer for him,

since you are engaged in the same struggle you saw I had, and now hear that I still have.

Nachschlagen

Zusammenfassung3

Kapitel 1

Main Theme: Paul expresses gratitude and joy over the Philippians’ fellowship in the gospel, and encourages them to live worthily for Christ amid opposition.

Content: Paul and Timothy greet the church in Philippi and thank God for their faithful partnership in the gospel from the very first day. Paul explains that his imprisonment has advanced the cause of the gospel, and reflects on life and death—"to live is Christ, to die is gain." He urges the Philippians to stand united in one spirit, to contend for the faith of the gospel, and not to be intimidated by opponents.

Key Words/Images:

Koinonia (fellowship): The Philippians’ active participation and partnership in the work of the gospel from the beginning.
Joy: A recurring theme—Paul prays with joy and rejoices that Christ is proclaimed, regardless of motives.
To live is Christ: Paul’s life motto expressing total devotion to Christ, where even death becomes gain.
Advance of the gospel: Paul’s chains have led to the spread of the gospel in the praetorium and given other believers boldness.

Über Philipper

Philippians

About the book: The letter to the Philippians is one of Paul’s prison letters, written to the church in Philippi—the first Christian congregation in Europe. Despite writing from imprisonment, the letter is marked by warmth, gratitude, and joy.

Main theme: Joy in Christ regardless of external circumstances, along with exhortations to unity and humility following Christ’s example.

Outline:

Greeting, thanks, and prayer (Chapter 1:1–11)
Paul’s imprisonment and the advance of the gospel (Chapter 1:12–26)
Exhortation to worthy living and unity (Chapter 1:27–2:4)
The Christ hymn: Humility and exaltation (Chapter 2:5–11)
Exhortation to obedience and a pure life (Chapter 2:12–18)
Timothy and Epaphroditus (Chapter 2:19–30)
Warning against false teachers (Chapter 3:1–11)
Pressing toward the goal (Chapter 3:12–21)
Exhortations to unity, joy, and prayer (Chapter 4:1–9)
Thanks for the Philippians’ gift (Chapter 4:10–23)

Key themes:

Joy: Despite being in prison, Paul repeatedly urges believers to rejoice in the Lord (4:4).
Humility and Christ’s example: The Christ hymn (2:5–11) shows how Jesus gave up his divine status and became obedient even to death on a cross.
Unity in the church: Paul encourages believers to be of one mind and stand together in service to the gospel (2:2; 4:2–3).
Righteousness by faith: Paul counts everything as loss so that he may gain Christ and be found in him, having the righteousness that comes from God (3:8–9).
Contentment and God’s care: Paul has learned to be content in every situation, strengthened by Christ (4:11–13).

Historischer Kontext

People

Timothy is mentioned as a co-sender of the letter together with Paul (v. 1). Both refer to themselves as "servants of Christ Jesus" (δοῦλοι), which underscores their shared service and humble position before Christ.

Episkopoi and diakonoi (overseers and servants) are explicitly mentioned in the greeting (v. 1). This is one of the earliest references to formal leadership roles within a Christian congregation. In this period, these terms were likely more functional than hierarchical, and "episkopos" was probably synonymous with "elder" (presbyteros). The fact that they are specifically named in the greeting may indicate their role in the congregation’s relationship with Paul.

Places

Praetorium (πραιτώριον, v. 13) refers to the place where Paul’s imprisonment had become known. The word could mean the emperor’s Praetorian Guard in Rome, the governor’s residence in Caesarea, or a military garrison. If Paul was in Rome, guards from the Praetorian Guard would have been chained to him in shifts, giving him opportunity to share the gospel with them.

Key Terms

Koinōnia (κοινωνία, v. 5) is often translated as "fellowship" or "partnership," but the term carries richer meaning. In a Greco-Roman context, it could denote a business partnership or an economic association. Paul uses the word to describe the Philippians’ active participation in gospel work "from the first day until now"—not merely spiritual support, but also practical involvement.

Hēmera Christou (ἡμέρα Χριστοῦ, "the day of Christ," vv. 6, 10) is an eschatological expression referring to Christ’s return and the final judgment. Paul expresses confidence that God will complete his work in the Philippians "until the day of Christ" (v. 6) and prays that they may be "pure and blameless until the day of Christ" (v. 10).

Politeuomai (πολιτεύεσθε, v. 27) is a rare word in the New Testament and literally means "to live as citizens" or "to exercise citizenship." For the Philippians, who were citizens of a Roman colony, this term carried strong resonance. Paul redefines the concept: their conduct should be "worthy of the gospel of Christ," suggesting that their primary loyalty now belongs to another kingdom.

Desmoi (δεσμοί, "chains/imprisonment," vv. 7, 13, 14, 17) appears four times in this chapter and highlights Paul’s situation. Roman prisoners of certain rank were often held in custodia militaris—chained to a soldier but allowed to receive visitors and carry out limited activities. Paul views his imprisonment as something that has advanced the gospel (v. 12) rather than hindered it.

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