Victorrya Lamey
HOMI 500
12 Essential Skills for Great Preaching / Wayne McDill / 2006 / B&H Used by Permission
Research Questions Template
Text: Philippians 1:1-30
1 Mays, J. L. (2000). Philippians, Fitzmyer, J. A. (2002). The Letter to the Philippians, Dunn, J. D. G. (2002). The
Epistle to the Philippians.
2 Hawthorne, G. F., Martin, R. P., & Reid, D. G. (2011). (Page. 5)
The purpose of this exercise is to ask questions for
the best research to understand and communicate the
text writer’s original message.
Work from your structural diagram of the text.
Look at your observation for questions to ask.
Number the questions and the answers you
find.
Complete questions before doing your research.
Skip questions that are irrelevant or not
answerable.
Document where you find your research.
Investigative Questions
Who?
What?
Who wrote the epistle Philippians?
Paul and Timothy, as bondservants, authored the book.
Who did Paul write the epistle Philippians 1: 1-30 too?
The Epistle to the Philippians is a letter written by the apostle
Paul to the church in Philippi. This is widely accepted by scholars
and is supported by internal evidence in the letter itself.1
What is grace?
Grace is defined as the undeserved blessing and unmerited favor
given to us by God.
What is the day of Jesus Christ?
The day of Jesus Christ refers to His return.
What is the fruit of righteousness?
The fruit of righteousness is what is produced by attitudes and
actions in line with God's standards in His Word.
What is meant by "in the flesh"?
Being alive on earth is the meaning of the phrase "in the flesh".
What is the main message of this epistle?
The main message of the epistle Philippians 1:1-30 is centered on
the theme of joy. Paul encourages them to find joy in their
sufferings, to live humbly, and to imitate Christ's example of
selflessness. In addition, Paul emphasizes the importance of unity
within the church, urging the Philippians to put the needs of
others before their own.2 Through his words, Paul paints a picture
of a community that is characterized by love, humility, and joy,
even in the midst of difficult circumstances.
3 Hawthorne, G. F., Martin, R. P., & Reid, D. G. (2011). (Page. 3)
4 Hawthorne, G. F. (2016). Philippians. In The Expositor's Bible Commentary-Revised (Vol. 12, pp. 1-144).
Zondervan.
5 Fee, G. D. (1995). Paul's Letter to the Philippians.
6 Ibid.
7 Silva, M. (2005). Philippians.
When?
Where?
Why?
How?
When was this epistle written?
The Epistle to the Philippians was likely written by the apostle
Paul during his imprisonment in Rome, around AD 62. This
dating is supported by a number of scholars, including Gerald F.
Hawthorne, who notes that "the evidence points most consistently
to a Roman imprisonment as the time and place of writing".3
Additionally, the themes and content of the letter align with what
is known about Paul's situation during his imprisonment in Rome,
lending further credence to this dating.
Where was this epistle written?
The epistle Philippians 1:1-30 was written by the Apostle Paul
while he was imprisoned in Rome, according to most scholars.4
This is supported by the greeting in Philippians 1:13-14, where
Paul mentions that his imprisonment has become well known in
the Praetorium, which was the Roman barracks. Additionally, the
mention of Caesar's household in Philippians 4:22 suggests that
Paul was in Rome, as this was the location of the imperial court.5
Why was the epistle Philippians written?
The purpose of the letter was to express his gratitude for their
partnership in the gospel and to encourage them to continue to
live in a manner worthy of Christ, with humility and unity.6 Paul
also wanted to address some issues within the church, such as
disunity and false teaching.7
How was the epistle Philippians delivered to the people of
Philippi?
The Epistle to the Philippians was likely delivered to the people
of Philippi through the hand of Epaphroditus, a member of the
Philippian church who traveled to Rome to bring a gift to the
apostle Paul. According to Polhill, Epaphroditus "was entrusted
Victorrya Lamey
HOMI 500
12 Essential Skills for Great Preaching / Wayne McDill / 2006 / B&H Used by Permission
8 Polhill, J. B. (1992). Paul and his letters: An introduction. (Page. 128)
9 O'Brien, P. T. (1991).
10 Hawthorne, G. F., Martin, R. P., & Reid, D. G. (1983). (Page 3)
with the task of delivering the letter back to Philippi and of
returning to Rome with news of the Philippians' situation".8 This
is supported by Paul's own words in Philippians 2:25-30, where
he describes Epaphroditus as his "brother, coworker and fellow
soldier" who had been "sent by the Philippians to take care of his
needs."
Interpretative Questions
Cross-references?
Context?
Literary genre?
Purpose?
Tone and Style?
Implications?
Significance?
Cross-references:
In Acts 16, Paul embarks on a missionary trip to Philippi.
A cross-reference is also found in Philippians 1:9-11, where Paul
prays that the Philippians' love may abound more and more in
knowledge and depth of insight, so that they may be able to
discern what is best and may be pure and blameless until the day
of Christ, filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through
Jesus Christ. This prayer is similar to the one in Colossians 1:9-
14, where Paul prays that the Colossians may be filled with the
knowledge of God's will, so that they may live a life worthy of
the Lord and please him in every way, bearing fruit in every good
work, growing in the knowledge of God.
What is the significance of the epistle Philippians 1: 1-30?
The letter is significant because it reveals Paul's attitude towards
suffering and his belief in the power of prayer. As stated by
O'Brien, “Paul's imprisonment was not a hindrance to his
ministry, but rather, it became an opportunity for him to share the
gospel with the guards and others”.9 Additionally, Paul's
confidence in the Philippians' prayers is evident in his declaration
that he knows their prayers will result in his deliverance.
What is the purpose of this epistle?
The main message of the epistle Philippians 1:1-30 is centered on
the theme of joy. According to Hawthorne, "Paul's primary
purpose in writing to the Philippians was to express his
appreciation for their financial assistance and to encourage them
to remain steadfast in their faith, despite the hardships they were
facing".10 Paul encourages them to find joy in their sufferings, to
live humbly, and to imitate Christ's example of selflessness. In
11 Ibid. (Page 5)
addition, Paul emphasizes “the importance of unity within the
church, urging the Philippians to put the needs of others before
their own”.11 Through his words, Paul paints a picture of a
community that is characterized by love, humility, and joy, even
in the midst of difficult circumstances.
Bibliography:
Dunn, J. D. G. (2002). The Epistle to the Philippians. Eerdmans.
Fee, G. D. (1995). Paul's Letter to the Philippians. William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company.
Fitzmyer, J. A. (2002). The Letter to the Philippians. Doubleday.
Hawthorne, G. F., Martin, R. P., & Reid, D. G. (2011). Dictionary of Paul and his letters.
InterVarsity Press.
Hawthorne, G. F. (2016). Philippians. In The Expositor's Bible Commentary-Revised (Vol. 12,
pp. 1-144). Zondervan.
Mays, J. L. (2000). Philippians: A Commentary. Westminster John Knox Press.
O'Brien, P. T. (1991). The Epistle to the Philippians: a commentary on the Greek text. Eerdmans.
Polhill, J. B. (1992). Paul and his letters: An introduction. Nashville, TN: Broadman Press.
Silva, M. (2005). Philippians. Baker Academic.
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