30 January 2022 (am) – Philippians 1:1-11 (v1 & 2)

Andy Bruins preaching from Philippians on Sunday 30th January 2022.

These are the opening lines of the letter, and they tell us a lot about the spirit in which Paul is writing. This is a letter to dear friends who have blessed him with a gift even during his incarceration in Rome. Paul longs for his brothers and sisters in Philippi to stand firm in their faith despite the pressures of the world they live in, and to be transformed into the likeness of Christ as they press on towards that goal for which He has called them.

Q Read v1-2. How does Paul describe i) himself (and Timothy) and ii) the recipients of his letter?
Q What are “Overseers and Deacons”?
Q In what sense is Paul a “servant of Christ Jesus”? (the word actually means “slave”)
Q The same word for a slave is used again in chapter 2 v7. Who is this talking about? What did this service look like? And in what ways are we all supposed to follow that example (see 2:4-5)?
Q What might this look like in the church?
Q Why does Paul call the Christians in Philip “saints”? What does the word mean, and how is it possible that it can describe us!
Q How does the way Paul starts this letter challenge us about the way we should live and treat each other?