Philippians 1:3-8

Chapter 2

Thanksgiving: It’s More than a Holiday!

Philippians 1:3-8

            At the time I am writing this chapter, one of my favorite holidays that I look forward to every year is fast approaching: Thanksgiving! I suppose that a large part of that is due to the fact that I love a good meal. There’s just nothing quite like a slow-roasted turkey basted with butter, savory dressing, green bean casserole with French fried onions on top, potatoes—the real kind, lumps and all—smothered in gravy, crescent rolls, cranberry sauce, and, of course, pies for dessert. My mouth is watering just thinking about it! Having lived most of my life in Michigan, you can add to that the delight of sitting back and groaning through a Detroit Lions football game as they get basted all afternoon. Then there’s that moment, oh around 4:00 in the afternoon. The game is all but out of hand; the turkey’s tryptophan begins to kick in; and I gradually nod off for a soothing nap. Later in the evening, our troop usually enjoys a few board games around the table, and then we settle in for a family movie together and, you guessed it, leftovers from our turkey dinner.

But as one of God’s children, there is more to this holiday for me than just food and football. I am encouraged and stirred by the emphasis on remembering the things for which we are thankful, and taking time to express that thankfulness to God. Traditionally, our church sets aside that Wednesday night for a Thanksgiving Eve Service. We sing hymns and songs and share testimonies that express our thanks to God for His work in our lives and in His church. We take time to read thanksgiving passages from Scripture, such as Psalms 96, 103, 107, and 138, just to name a few. One of the great challenges for me that comes from this time is that I often don’t thank the Lord for His small, everyday gifts: family, church, friends, a warm home, carpet to set my feet on when I get out of bed, daily provision of food, the beauty of God’s creation, even the very next breath that I take. Truly, for the Christian, every day ought to be Thanksgiving Day!

            Such a practice of thankfulness can readily be seen in Paul’s life and writings. It was his custom to begin each of his letters with a thank you note. In fact, he opened all but one of his epistles by thanking God for his readers—for their spiritual growth and their involvement in carrying out the gospel mission.[1] So Paul also began his letter to the Philippians by thanking God for his readers.

Paul Expressed Thankfulness to God

            “I thank my God upon every memory of you, always, in each prayer of mine for you all, offering prayer with joy,” (1:3-4)

            Now I am quite certain that Paul was quick to thank other individuals and groups for their assistance and expressions of kindness, but usually his thanksgiving was specifically directed towards God Himself—the Source of all blessings. Being thankful was a key part of Paul’s life and ministry. It should also be noted that his gratitude usually found expression, that is, he took time to say thanks to God in prayer. Genuine gratitude in the heart will also find expression on the lips! In these verses, the reason for his gratitude is the work of God in the hearts of the Philippian believers. When he thought of them, he was reminded of the powerful ministry that the Holy Spirit has in transforming Christians into the likeness of Jesus Christ and empowering them to be involved in the work of the gospel.

            In verse four, we find two characteristics of Paul’s thankful spirit that model what thanksgiving ought to look like in our lives. First, he offered thanks to God regularly and frequently (“always, in each prayer of mine for you all”). I wonder if this really describes our prayers today. When I think of the word prayer, I usually think of “prayer requests”: What do I need today? Who do I need to pray for? Where’s my prayer list? Certainly, “asking” is a crucial part of prayer; we are commanded to do so (Matthew 7:7-8; James 4:2-3). But let’s be honest: Isn’t it safe to say that for most of us the majority of our time praying is spent asking for things? Don’t we usually find ourselves slavishly checking off the requests on our prayer list? How often are we more concerned about what we want instead of what God wants? Unfortunately, our prayers often treat God as some sort of divine vending machine: 1) Insert prayer; 2) Make your selection; 3) Pick up your answer below. It does not seem that Paul spent the bulk of his prayer time asking God for things. Rather, he spent his time thanking God for His work in the lives of believers. When is the last time you thanked God for His work in your own life? In the lives of your children or family? In the lives of your brothers and sisters in Christ? Have you ever really stood back and wondered at God’s amazing, transforming work in the lives of His people?

            Secondly, we find that Paul’s thankfulness was characterized by a joyful mood. As noted in the previous chapter, this joyful atmosphere shapes this whole letter. But we really need to understand what true joy is. “Joy,” in Scripture is not just a happy feeling which is easily changed by our circumstances. Biblical “joy” is not the feeling I get when everything in my life seems to be going my way: I have the job I want, I’m financially secure, or my children are well-behaved. Rather, true joy is a fruit of the Holy Spirit’s control (“filling”) in my life (Galatians 5:22-23). Therefore, it does not depend on my situation. I can be joyful when I don’t have the job I want, when my finances are a virtual shipwreck, and my children…well, let’s just say their behavior is less than praiseworthy.

Joy is an understanding of existence that encompasses both elation and depression, that can accept with creative submission events which bring delight or dismay because joy allows one to see beyond any particular event to the sovereign Lord who stands above all events and ultimately has control over them.[2]

So for Paul, thanking God for other Christians was not a chore. It brought him great joy and delight!

Paul Expressed Thankfulness for the Philippians

            “because of your participation in the gospel from the first day until now, having been persuaded of this very thing, that He who began a good work in you will accomplish it until the day of Christ Jesus” (1:5-6).

            The reason that Paul was so deeply satisfied with the Philippians was their help in the gospel ministry. In verse five, Paul spoke of their “participation” in the gospel—a Greek word that is commonly translated “fellowship” in the NT.[3] The Philippians did more than just help Paul out in gospel ministry; they were coworkers—partners with him. They worked right alongside Paul in the trenches of gospel ministry. Certainly this partnership included the financial gift that they sent to him. But there is evidence that they co-labored with him in other ways too: proclaiming the gospel themselves (1:27), suffering with Paul for the sake of the gospel (1:29-30; 4:14), and praying for Paul’s ministry of the gospel (1:19). This partnership apparently extended all the way back to Paul’s initial work in Philippi (“from the first day until now”). Their testimony in partnering with Paul in the gospel is an example for all Christians to follow! I wonder how many of us are prepared to put in the effort and get our hands dirty in the trenches of the gospel. Are you prepared to sacrifice time, money, family, and effort, in order to partner together with your pastor in advancing the gospel? We might also note the consistency of their participation in the gospel. They didn’t just jump on and off the “gospel bandwagon” whenever it was convenient for them. Paul viewed this partnership as having existed from the point he first started his ministry in Philippi! Some may face death for the sake of the gospel; but are you willing to give up your life for the sake of the gospel?

            The next couple of verses provide the basis for Paul’s thankfulness for the Philippians’ partnership. His confidence was first of all based in the Person who was overseeing their participation: Jesus Christ. Their partnership ultimately did not rest on their own abilities, nor could they really take the credit for it. Rather, Paul’s confidence was in God’s sovereign work in the lives of the Philippian believers. This is why his thanksgiving is expressed to God. This confidence is further inspired by the apostle’s understanding that God’s work cannot be frustrated. Paul had founded the church in Philippi, and therefore saw God’s saving grace at work in the conversion of many of the believers there. As time went on, he saw their personal involvement in the expansion of the gospel in their city and the founding of that church. Paul was absolutely certain that this “good work” which God had begun would someday be completed on the day when Jesus Christ comes again (“until the day of Christ Jesus”). In Paul’s mind, there was no such thing as a salvation that did not include the transformed life that was seen in the Philippian believers (cf. 2 Corinthians 5:17), a metamorphosis that would ultimately be manifested when Christ returns. There is a sense in which the Philippians—and you and I today—are already citizens of Christ’s future kingdom, living lives that anticipate the Lord’s return.

Believers in Christ are people of the future, a sure future that has already begun in the present. They are “citizens of heaven” (3:20), who live the life of heaven, the life of the future, in the present in whatever circumstances they find themselves. To lose this future orientation, and especially to lose the sense of “straining toward what is ahead, toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called us heavenward” (3:13-14), is to lose too much.”[4]

“just as it is right for me to think this concerning you all since I have you in my heart, for both in my bonds and in the defense and confirmation of the gospel, you are all partakers of grace with me” (1:7).

             Secondly, Paul based his confidence on the proof of their participation which he had witnessed. There was clear, solid evidence of their involvement in the gospel ministry. So for Paul, it was right for him to think this way about them. Their faithfulness outwardly demonstrated that God was at work in their lives. In the first century, it would have been dangerous to identify openly with Paul. But the Philippians had treated his difficulties as their own and had helped him with monetary gifts, both while he was in prison and whenever he was defending the gospel. They lived in a world that was openly and blatantly hostile towards Christianity—a fact evidenced by Paul’s imprisonment in Rome. Take a moment to read again about Paul’s arrival in Philippi (Acts 16). He and Silas were beaten and imprisoned for their proclamation of the gospel. Surely those events still haunted the memories of the Philippian church, and they almost certainly still faced opposition from the people of the city. Nevertheless, despite the local opposition and widespread persecution that surrounded them, they continued to be faithful coworkers with Paul in advancing the gospel.

            We too live in a day in which the gospel is on trial. It is on trial in our government. It is on trial in our public schools. It is on trial even among those who would call themselves Christians. It is on trial in the moral values of our society. It is on trial in our world because of the influences of humanism, evolutionism, liberalism, and modernism. The gospel is under attack! It is not popular to be a narrow-minded, Bible-believing Christian in our world. Yes, the gospel is on trial, and we must see ourselves as on trial with it! Are you prepared to stand up and defend the gospel in the face of such opposition? Or are you content to go through life like everyone else as sort of an “undercover Christian?”

For God is my witness how I long for you all with the affection of Christ Jesus” (1:8).

            Paul’s thankfulness to God for the Philippians stirred his longings to see them again. He emphasized his intense emotional affection for his readers by appealing to God’s knowledge of his heart (“God is my witness”). He then used the strongest of terms to express the depth of his love for them. The word affection in this verse literally means, “bowels” (cf. KJV).[5] It was used to describe the inner organs (“yuck!”), but came to mean the inner person or the seat of one’s emotions—what we would call the “heart.” It is not difficult to see where this meaning came from. Have you ever experienced a deep longing for someone you loved, so much so, that you could feel it in the pit of your stomach? That’s the kind of love that Paul had for his friends at Philippi. It is significant, though, that these affections of the heart were not Paul’s own, but Christ’s. In other words, his love for the Philippians was actually a manifestation of Christ’s love for them.

            We should take note of the intensity of Paul’s love for other believers. Too often, this love for our Christian brethren is lacking in churches today (cf. 1 Peter 1:22 – “love each other deeply—with all your heart”). Paul called God as witness to his love for God’s people. Could we do the same? It’s very easy to say, “I love my Christian brothers and sisters.” It’s very easy to pretend—to put forth a show that we love other believers. But could we say like Paul did, “God is my witness”? Could the God who sees your heart and knows your true motives testify to your love for fellow Christians?

In a Nutshell…

            If you have ever found yourself struggling to be thankful, especially for other believers, Paul sets for you a prime example in these verses. Have you ever thought, “I don’t know what to thank God for?” How about thanking Him for the spiritual growth that you see in your own life and in that of other Christians? You could thank Him for the absolute surety that He will finish that work. Look around at how the gospel is advancing through the ministry of your church…and thank God for that. Who do you see that is standing firm for the gospel, even in the face of opposition? Thank God for them.

It’s high time that we made every day, Thanksgiving Day!

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[1]Galatians is the only letter in which Paul does not begin with thankfulness for his readers. This was probably because of the serious nature of the false teaching at Galatia. Paul may have wanted to get right down to business with them.

              [2] Gerald F. Hawthorne, Philippians, WBC (Waco, TX: Word Books, 1983), p. 18.

[3] Greek: koinonia

[4] Gordon D. Fee, Paul’s Letter to the Philippians, NICNT (Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans, 1995), p. 88.

            [5] Greek: splagknois

Philippians 1:1-2

Chapter 1

To the Philippians…Love, Paul

            For just a moment, imagine that you are one of the early Christians in the church at Philippi. The whole concept of “the church” is somewhat new to everyone. You don’t have a Bible. The only Scriptures in existence are the Jewish Old Testament writings, and copies of those are rare and hard to come by. There are no Christian books to read, no blogs to peruse and comment on, no radio or television programs to turn to for encouragement. You and your brothers and sisters in Christ are virtually cut off from contact with other believers. Oh sure, once in awhile news of other churches and believers reaches your city, but even then it is usually bad news: Christians are being persecuted, imprisoned, and even put to death for their faith in Christ. Perhaps you experience a moment of fear as you hear the news; maybe tears well up in your eyes as you remember the beloved Apostle Paul, the founder of your church, who now is standing on trial for his preaching of the gospel.

            But today…today is different! Today, your good friend and coworker in gospel ministry, Epaphroditus, returns from his trip to assist the apostle during his imprisonment in Rome. Long ago your church family had sent Epaphroditus out on this mission. But shortly after his departure, you learned that he had become deathly ill along the way, and you had no idea if he ever even made it to Rome. Your church joyfully gathers to welcome him home and to hear stories of his journey. You are especially excited to learn how Paul is doing and if his trial is going well. But what Ephaphroditus holds in his hand is even better! He stretches out a scroll filled with the sentimental emotions often found in letters. There it is…at the top of the letter…“Paul and Timothy, servants of Christ Jesus to all of the saints in Christ Jesus who are in Philippi, along with the overseers and deacons, grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.”[1]

The Author: Paul

            Paul clearly identified himself as the author of this “love letter” in the very first verse. He included Timothy’s name, which probably did not mean that Timothy was directly involved in the writing of the letter (i.e., as a “co-author”), but that he was with the apostle when he wrote it. Timothy, who was a well-known Christian leader at the time of writing, had been present when the church at Philippi was founded (Acts 16) and had continued to serve the Lord in that region (Acts 19).

            The great apostle and author of at least thirteen New Testament (NT) letters betrayed a sense of humility in introducing Timothy and himself as “servants of Christ Jesus.” This word “servant” described a slave who was owned by someone else and whose life was entirely submitted to the wishes of his owner. Since slavery was common in the NT era, the meaning and implications of this word could not be missed by his readers. Paul viewed himself and Timothy as belonging to Jesus Christ, and everything in their lives was entirely submitted to serving Him alone. He may also have had in mind the Old Testament (OT) title reserved for prophets, priests, and kings: “servant of the Lord.” As such, Paul realized that he was filling an honored position in service to the King of kings and Lord of lords. So he was responsible to carry out his duties both humbly and faithfully. He was called by God to the privileged position of carrying the torch of the gospel to the darkest reaches of the earth—a calling and mission to which all believers were appointed by Jesus Christ (Matthew 28:19-20). Yet he dare not carry out that mission arrogantly promoting himself and exalting his own position, for he and Timothy were mere bondservants, owned by their Lord who had sent them.

            We must see here a reflection of our position in Christ as well. Although we are not “apostles,” in the same sense as Paul, we have nonetheless been commissioned by Christ as His ambassadors (1 Corinthians 5:20). You and I hold a privileged position, much like the OT prophet, priest, or king, in which we act as representatives for the true King of the universe. We must take care to fulfill our responsibilities of evangelism and discipleship faithfully and diligently, realizing that this is the mission to which we have been called. At the same time, this honored role should never become a source of conceit or selfishness. We are owned by our Lord and are merely workers in His field (1 Corinthians 3:5-9). It is He who produces the harvest and who is worthy of all the credit.

The Place: House Arrest in Rome

            As we have already noted, Paul was in prison while writing this letter (1:7, 13-14). Although Paul was in prison on several occasions, this epistle was probably written towards the end of his first imprisonment in Rome, which was actually more of a “house arrest” (Acts 28:16, 30-31). You may recall that towards the end of the Book of Acts, Paul was arrested while preaching in the temple at Jerusalem (Acts 21:17-36). After several attempts on his life, he had multiple opportunities to defend the gospel and share his faith before Governors Felix (Acts 24:10-27) and Festus (Acts 25:1-12), and before King Agrippa and his wife (Acts 25:13-27). It was during those hearings that he felt compelled to appeal to Caesar for a trial in Rome (Acts 11-12). In chapters 27 and 28 of Acts, we read of the apostle’s hazardous voyage to capital city, which included a shipwreck on the Island of Malta. At the end of Luke’s record of Paul’s journeys, we find him in the city of Rome, where he was under guard, but was allowed to rent his own quarters, from which he still had a somewhat limited freedom to preach the gospel for about two years (Acts 28:30-31).

            The apostle would eventually face a second imprisonment in Rome, during which he wrote 2 Timothy and expected eventually to be executed at the hands of the tyrannical Roman Emperor, Nero (2 Timothy 4:6-8). But the result of his trial that he anticipated was the polar opposite when writing this letter to the Philippians. He fully expected that his trial would end favorably and he would be released (1:19, 25-26; 2:23-24). This seems to point, then, to his first imprisonment for the writing of Philippians, which would place the date for writing this letter around the early part of a.d. 63.

The Readers: The Church at Philippi

The City of Philippi



            The city of Philippi was a fortified, military city near the Thracian border in Macedonia, about ten miles from the Aegean Sea (see map). It was located on the famous Via Egnatia ("Egnatian Way") which ran through the city itself, dividing it into two parts: Upper Town and Lower Town. Its ancient name was Krenides (or Crenides), meaning “The Little Fountains,” due to the existence of numerous springs throughout the region.

            Originally, the city was settled by Greek colonists from the nearby island of Thasos (359-60 b.c.). Realizing the city’s strategic military importance, Philip II of Macedon (father of Alexander the Great) enlarged and fortified the city, and then named it after himself (356 b.c.). He was particularly interested in the gold and silver mines in the neighboring city of Pangaeus. Nevertheless, the city remained relatively insignificant until the Roman conquest of the region. In 168 b.c., the Romans took control and divided the region into four political districts, all of which eventually were restructured into the Roman province called “Macedonia” (146 b.c.). Philippi was the site of the final blow to the republican armies of Brutus and Cassius by the forces of Octavian (Augustus) and Mark Antony, out of which was born the Roman Empire (42 b.c.). Octavian renamed the city "Colonia Julia Philippensis."

            As a Roman colony, the inhabitants of the city relished their Roman citizenship and privileges and meticulously mimicked the capital city, so much so that the city was sometimes referred to as a “Miniature Rome.” It was primarily made up of Roman colonists, including many war veterans, but also included the older Macedonian populace and a considerable blend of Orientals. Its citizens spoke both Latin and Greek and regularly wore Roman clothing. They were open to various forms of worship of false gods and cults. Their attitude towards religion was essentially “whatever god works!” There were very few Jews in the city; in fact, there were not even enough for them to have a Jewish synagogue, so they maintained their worship at a “place of prayer” outside the city (cf. Acts 16:12-13).

The Church at Philippi

            The church at Philippi was founded by Paul during his Second Missionary Journey (Acts 16). After Timothy joined Paul and Silas at Lystra, they went through the regions of Phrygia and Galatia to Mysia. This is where Paul received the well-known “Macedonian Vision”—a man asking him to come over to Macedonia and help them (Acts 16:6-10). Paul responded by sailing from Troas to Samothrace, then to Neapolis, and finally to Philippi (Acts 16:11-12). Philippi was the first major city on the European continent in which Paul proclaimed the gospel message (around a.d. 50).

            Paul normally began his missionary work in a city by preaching at the local synagogue to the Jewish population. But since there was no synagogue in Philippi, he went to their place of prayer by the river, where Lydia became the first convert to Christ from Philippi (Acts 16:13-14). After her conversion, those in her household also responded to the gospel, and her home became the base for Paul’s missionary work in the area and the place of assembly for the church at Philippi (Acts 16:15).

            Paul's ministry there generated somewhat of a stir when he cast out a demonic spirit from a slave-girl whose fortune-telling had made her masters rather wealthy (Acts 16:16-21). As a result of this conflict, Paul and Silas were beaten and ended up in prison, which provided the setting for the well-known account of the earthquake and the conversion of the Philippian jailer and his family (Acts 16:22-26). It appears that when Paul and his other companions left Philippi, he left Luke behind to assist with the newborn church there.[2]

            The vast majority of the membership of the church was Gentile (non-Jewish), but there were a few Jewish converts. This body of believers held a special place in the apostle's heart and would be visited by him on at least two other occasions (2 Corinthians 2:12-13; Acts 20:6). Apart from the biblical record, there is little known about the church at Philippi, except that they were later visited by the Christian martyr Ignatius and were commended for their treatment of him in a letter from his friend Polycarp.

The Message of the Letter

Why Did Paul Write This Letter?

            What prompted the apostle to write this letter right now? We learn towards the end of the letter that the Philippians had sent a financial gift to Paul for which he desired to offer his thanks as well as to express his warm feelings for them (4:10-20). We also know that, in spite of his severe illness, Epaphroditus had successfully reached Paul and ministered to him in Rome. Now it would be necessary to send him back home so the church would know that he had recovered from his life-threatening sickness. Sending Epaphroditus home would provide an opportunity for the apostle to pen a letter to his dear friends in Philippi (2:25-30).

What Did Paul Want to Say?

            So what did God want to communicate through the apostle to his friends at Philippi? We can see from the content of the letter that Paul wanted to let the Philippians know about his present circumstances and give them a report on God's work in Rome. He wanted to tell them about the generally satisfactory results of his imprisonment (1:12-20) and that he was still awaiting the verdict of his appeal to Caesar (2:23). Once that verdict was handed down, he planned to send Timothy to them (2:19-23), and then would eventually make a visit himself (2:24).

            Paul also sought to express to the Philippians his own affection for them and the joy that they had inspired in his heart (1:3-11). It could be said that the prevailing mood of his letter was joy. “Paul's Letter to the Philippians is like an open window into the Apostle's very heart. In it we have the artless outpouring of his unrestrained love for and his unalloyed joy in his devoted and loyal Philippian friends. It is the most intimate and spontaneous of his writings.”[3]

            Paul also felt compelled to warn the church about two groups of false teachers: Judaizers (3:2-16) and Antinomians (3:17-4:1). Judaizers were those who demanded that Gentile believers must submit themselves to the Mosaic Law and other Jewish customs and rituals. Antinomians, in a sense, were the exact opposite. They taught that because of God’s grace they had absolute freedom from any kind of law and could therefore do whatever they wanted—sinful or not. Apparently the danger from these teachers was from outside the church rather than from within, since Paul did not directly address the teachers themselves, but warned the church family to beware of them. Paul often attacked these two groups in his epistles, especially the Judaizers. It is likely that he heard about the impeding danger to the Philippian church from Epaphroditus.

            Finally, there were apparently seeds of disunity beginning to sprout within the church which needed Paul's gentle correction. Again, his knowledge of this issue resulted from his contact with Epaphroditus. It would seem that the problem was not yet full-blown since Paul did not directly confront and rebuke their disunity (e.g., 4:2-3). Instead, he encouraged unity in ministry (1:27-29) and selfless attitudes that would produce such unity (2:1-11).

In a Nutshell…

            Here, in this small letter, we truly get a glimpse of Paul’s devotion to the gospel and love for the churches that he had started. He loved them; he prayed for them; he longed to be with them; he warned them; he encouraged them; and he invested not just his time, but his very life in seeing them grow into Christ-likeness (cf. 1 Thessalonians 2:7-8). Even more, the apostle desired that this same devotion and love be imitated by the members of Christ’s body as well. They must selflessly love each other deeply and fervently, and they must be bound together by their devotion to the gospel and commit their very lives to advancing it. This was the mission that Jesus Christ had given to Paul and to the Philippian believers. This is the mission that our Lord has given to us today!

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[1]All Scripture citations, unless otherwise noted, are based on the author’s own translation.

[2]Luke, the author of the Book of Acts, stops using “we” in reference to Paul’s missionary group and begins using “they” (cf. Acts 17:1). So it seems that Luke was no longer with the group.

[3]D. Edmond Hiebert, The Pauline Epistles, vol. 2 in An Introduction to the New Testament (Chicago: Moody Press, 1977), p. 282.

Introduction to this Blog

Why Another Blog?

That's what I keep asking myself. I can barely keep up with the one I have already started! But I really believe that the Lord would want me to begin this one as well. I have often been encouraged by friends, and especially my wife, that I should take some of the study notes that I have produced over many years of teaching ministries and have them published. Frankly, I'm not so sure anyone would want to read what I have written. Nevertheless, my wife can be very persistent. So, over the last month or so, I have started to pull together some of my notes from Paul's letter to the Philippians, an adult Sunday School class that I've taught a couple of times at church and an online course that I taught for Harvest Baptist Bible College, Barrigada, Guam. My goal now is to try to express in print what I've learned from this epistle as I've taught it.

Won't You Help Me?

In an effort to improve my writing skills, I am anxious to hear feedback, both positive and negative, from anyone who would be willing to comment. So please feel free to comment! I want to hear what you have to say. I'm not sure how often this blog will be updated. That will all depend on how long it takes me to write each chapter, so keep your eyes pealed for future installments. I want to humbly express to you my thanks in advance for your input!

May God be glorified as we study the Book of Philippians together!