Commentaries and Other Bible Study Helps - Prayer Tents - Prayer Tents

1:3-5 Paul prays for the Philippians with joy, a word that will become a keynote theme in ch. 4. This joy springs from their partnership in the gospel, which involves not only their financial support of the apostle (4:15-16) but also their deep personal concern for his well-being.

1:6 Paul is sure about God's commitment to the Philippians. The foundation for spiritual growth is recognizing that it is God who began a good work in you and will bring it to completion. Genuine spiritual progress is rooted in what God has done, is doing, and will do. His faithfulness ensures that he will be with believers until Jesus returns (the day of Jesus Christ; cf. 2:16; 1 Thess. 5:2-11; 2 Pet. 3:10-13; Rev. 20:11-21:8). They can have confidence that the God who has saved them will never let them go, and that they will inherit their eternal reward.

1:7-8 Again Paul expresses his warm thoughts about the Philippians and the fellowship they enjoy in God's grace. Paul's imprisonment would have been a source of great shame in the ancient world, but the Philippians have nonetheless stood in solidarity with him. This was no doubt an encouragement as he shared the good news with his captors and judges.

1:9-11 The first petition in Paul's prayer is that God would cause the cardinal Christian virtue of love to abound more and more, and that it would be accompanied by knowledge and all discernment, so that the Philippians' love would find expression in wise actions that would truly benefit others and glorify God. As Christians grow in their understanding of what it means to follow Jesus, they will increasingly be able to affirm and practice what is excellent. Such joyful obedience to God will give them the confidence of being found pure and blameless when Jesus returns. This does not imply instantaneous spiritual perfection but rather an increasing likeness to Christ. But fruit of righteousness is not produced in the believer's own power. Because that fruit comes through Jesus Christ, it will result in the glory and praise of God.