Bible Study Questions on Philippians 1

Philippians 1

1:1
1. Who wrote the book?
2. Why do you suppose he included Timothy’s name here?
3. Whom do they serve?
4. What does servant mean here?
5. What is a Christ?
6. Why does he have Christ before Jesus?
7. Who is the letter written to?
8. What is a saint?
9. What does it mean to be “in Christ Jesus”?
10. To which church in Philippi was it written?
11. Besides the saints, who was the book written to?
12. What is an overseer?
13. Why does he call them overseers?
14. What is a deacon?
15. Why does Paul list these folks out separately?

1:2
Compare the other “Greetings” of the other letters Paul wrote.
What differences do you note?
1. What does ‘Grace’ mean here?
2. What does ‘peace’ mean?
3. Who is this ‘grace and peace’ going to?
4. Who is it coming from?
5. How is it going to get there?
6. What is it used for?
7. What is the relationship between Father and Lord?

1:3–6 – Thanksgiving from a full heart
Notice the different translations of verse 3-6.
1. What does Paul do when he prays?
He remembers (Mentions) them Cf. Rom 1:9; Eph 1:16; 1 Thess. 1:2
2. Who’s God does he thank?
3. How often does Paul thank his God?
4. What is Paul thanking God for?
5. What attitude does Paul have when he prays for the Philippians?
6. How often does he pray?
In the Bible many people had specific time of the day set aside to pray:
Ps 5:3; Ex 9:5; Dan 6:13; 1 Chron 23:30
7. How often does he remember them?
Notice his intensity. My prayers, for you, all the time, with joy. Praying for them is not a chore for Paul.
8. Why does he pray with joy for them?
They remembered him and helped him.
They joinged with him in ministry.
God is the only one who could actually help them (thinking of you)
They have needs that only God can meet. (Them praying for him 1:19)
9. What have they joined with him to do?
Koinonia – Rom 15:26; 2 Cor 8:1-4, 9:13; Heb 13:16
10. How have they shared in the spread of the Gospel? 1:19, 27-28, 29; 4:14-15, 18
11. What is the Gospel?
12. How long have they been working with Paul?
13. What is Paul confident of? Why?
14. What good work did he begin in them?
15. What does it mean that they are going to have it completed in them some day?
Is 41:4; 44:6; 48:12 What God starts, he will finish, he is first and last.
16. What will the completion look like?
17. When will they be completed?
18. What does he mean by the ‘day of Christ Jesus’?
Phil 1:10; 1 Cor 1:8; 1 Thess 5:2, 4; 1 Jn 4:17; 2 Tim 1:12

In what ways can we immitate Paul, from these first 6 verses?
1. Joyful Prayer
2. Consistent Prayer
3. Intercessory Prayer
4. Confidence in the one to whom we pray
5. Participation in the Gospel
6. Confidence in the continuation of God’s work

How does faith work in all of this?