Growing up, Philippians was always the letter about “joy.” If “joy” was ever spoken in church, Philippians was mentioned right on its heels. While an exaggeration, Philippians has always been one of the letters I haven’t jumped to when I don’t know what else to read in the Bible. Everyone has a go-to book; Philippians isn’t mine. However I’ve still reviewed a few Philippians commentaries over the years (Harmon, Brown, Osborne) because I have studied the letter and have wanted to understand it better. George Guthrie—Professor of New Testament at Regent College—has written a fine commentary on this short “joyful” letter.
Guthrie’s Introduction is 38 pages long. He begins with his characteristic historical fictional story from Syntyche’s (Phil 4:2) perspective, inviting us into the first century world. Guthrie leads us through Philippi in the mid-first century and the cultural context the Philippian church lived in. Philippi was a Roman colony and its citizens displayed civic pride all the time. While religiously diverse with many gods, the imperial cult seems “to have dominated the heart of the city” (9). Paul’s proclamation that God had made Jesus to be “Lord” to whom every knee will bow (2:10–11) should be read against this backdrop.
Guthrie believes it is most likely that Paul wrote during his first Roman imprisonment. Paul wrote his letter because the church was being persecuted by the ruling authorities for their commitment to Christ as the supreme Lord. Along with that, the church was suffering from disunity. Most of them were not well-off financially, and living a countercultural gospel would have only deepened their problems. So Paul writes his letter (likely with the help of a secretary, see pp. 26–27 for an illuminating discussion here) to a struggling church he loves to spur on their commitment to the divine Lord. He gives great insight over the unity of the letter (like the framing of “joy/rejoice” below), helping disprove the arguments that Philippians 3–4 constitute a separate letter.
The Opponents
The opponents mentioned in 1:27–28 seem to be political, such as the Philippian authorities. The opponents of 3:2–3 and 3:18–19 may be more hypothetical. These are not immediate threats, but based on other opponents Paul has faced in his ministry, Paul knows he needs to offer warnings against them. 3:2 would refer to Jewish agitators. The “many” who live as “enemies of the cross of Christ” would be “potential opponents who may come to Philippi and set a false example of leadership” (234). Paul has given himself as a model example in 3:3–14, and he writes about these hypothetical and very potential false leaders “as a counterpoint to his own example as detailed in 3:2–14” (234).
Rhetoric
In 1:22d–23, Paul asks, “And which will I choose?” Would he prefer death and to be with the Lord or life and to be with the Philippians? Why does he ask this if he has no choice in the matter over whether he dies or not? Guthrie notes that Paul is using a rhetorical device known as dubitatio—”where a public speaker… would feign uncertainty concerning two options. This move emotionally pulled the audience into consideration of the options discussed” (123). So while Paul didn’t have a choice in the matter over whether he would live or die, “if the Lord willed him to continue in his ministry and defer his homegoing, he would gladly embrace continued ministry for the sake of the Philippians” (123).
Commentary Set-Up
- The Literary Context shows how, say, Philippians 3:1–14 fits within letter of Philippians. A Progress Bar (the look of which I still think is hokey) with an outline is added at the end of this section.
- The Main Idea is a short and simple paragraph on the whole passage.
- The Translation and Graphical Layout is Guthrie’s translation of the Greek text represented in a sentence phrasing diagram to show how each clause relates to the others. (See my review of the Grant Osborne’s Matthew volume for an example of the Graphical Layout).
- The Structure explains Paul’s flow of thought, dividing these verses into three parts: vv. 1, 2–6, and 7–14. Here Guthrie also shows how these verses share themes with previous parts of the letter.
- The Exegetical Outline gives a detailed outline for the chapter.
- In The Explanation of the Text, Guthrie examines words, ideas, rhetorical features, social/cultural context, and/or biblical theology.
- The Theology in Application sections highlight for many pastors and teachers.
- The commentary ends with a Theology of Philippians, focusing around God the Father, Christ Jesus, the people of God, and the mission in the world. Despite being only five pages long, Guthrie ties the letter together with these four themes.
A Few Interpretations
1:15–17: Guthrie spends roughly nine pages untying the knot of these two verses. Are the opponents a subgroup of the “brothers and sisters” mentioned in v. 14, or are they similar to opponents Paul has written about in other letters? The opponents weren’t people evangelizing to others about Christ while remaining envious of Paul. They were people who would speak ill of Paul publicly, and in doing so they convey Paul’s message—Jesus Christ. I think this interpretation offers a lot of explanatory power.
2:12, working our your own salvation has (1) to do with following the apostle’s instructions to live for Christ; (2) they do so in fear and trembling before God, in deep reverence and appreciation for his working holiness in us; and (3) their obedience shows God’s work in them.
3:1 reads, “Finally, my brothers, rejoice in the Lord. To write the same things to you is no trouble to me and is safe for you.” But then after this Paul warns the Philippians against “the dogs” and “evildoers,” writes about righteousness from Christ, and much more. While the τὸ λοιπόν (translated here as “finally”) can refer to the little that is remaining, instead of seeing Philippians as constituting at least two different letters, τὸ λοιπόν can also introduce a new section (see 1 Thess 4:1, Finally, then, brothers, we ask and urge you in the Lord Jesus, that as you received from us how you ought to walk and to please God, just as you are doing, that you do so more and more.).
In-Depth
Guthrie has a few In Depth sections where he takes a deeper look at a particular topic.
- Prayer in the Letters of Paul (Phil 1:3–11; pp. 74–76);
- Paul and Imprisonment in the Roman World (Phil 1:12–18; pp. 92–95);
- A Grammatical Key for Interpreting 1:15 (Phil 1:12–18; pp. 102–103);
- Philippians 2:6–11 as Hymn (Phil 2:5–11; pp. 156–60);
- Coworkers in the Pauline Mission (Phil 2:18–30; pp. 208–209);
- The “Opponents” of Paul in Rome and Philippi (Phil 3:1–14; pp. 230–34);
- The pistis Christou Debate (Phil 3:1–14; pp. 243–45).
Recommended?
As biblical scholarship progresses, commentaries are (actually) needed. One does not need to buy them all, and we can be thankful that there are scholars who can devote their lives to wrestling with the text and distilling it down to others. Guthrie has added another insightful commentary to the list of many good volumes to choose from. His incisive thoughts on the main ideas, structures, and meanings of one of Paul’s most popular letters will benefit you as you seek to live for Christ today.
Lagniappe
- Series: Zondervan Exegetical Commentary on the New Testament
- Author: George H. Guthrie
- Hardcover: 367 pages
- Publisher: Zondervan Academic (August 29, 2023)
Buy it on Amazon or from Zondervan!
Disclosure: I received this book free from Zondervan Academic. The opinions I have expressed are my own, and I was not required to write a positive review. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 http://www.access.gpo.gov/nara/cfr/waisidx_03/16cfr255_03.html.
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