Introduction: We begin a new series of studies about the New Testament books of Philippians and Colossians. Have you ever been arrested and put in jail or prison? I have not. But it is something that I think about. Early in my legal career, my job was to put criminals in prison. In the United States we have so many statutes that criminalize activities that no one could possibly know them all. Driving your car in certain circumstances could land you in jail. Associating with friends who engage in criminal activity could get you imprisoned. The Apostle Paul, who wrote Philippians and Colossians, wrote them while he was in prison. And he was in prison for witnessing about Jesus. Let’s plunge into our study of these prison letters!

I. Greeting to Philippi

A. Read Philippians 1:1. Is Timothy also in prison with Paul? (No. Read Philippians 1:7 and Philippians 2:19. This tells us that Paul is the prisoner and suggests that Timothy was helping Paul because Paul says he can send Timothy away.)

1. Notice that in Philippians 1:1 Paul calls the two of them “servants.” Other translations say, “slaves.” If you are going to describe yourself in a negative way, why write “servant” as opposed to “prisoner?” (They are servants of Jesus. Paul is focused on his relationship with Jesus and not on the fact that he is a prisoner.)

• a. Is there a lesson in this for us? (If I were writing this letter, I would be tempted to write, “What can you do to get me out?” Paul is focused on his work for God, not the problems he faces.)

1. Notice that Paul calls the Christians in Philippi, “saints.” Why would he call the local Christians the very best name, while calling Timothy and himself the worst name? (Read Romans 1:7. When Paul calls them “saints,” I think this is aspirational. He wants the people of Philippi to desire to become saints.)
2. Another noticeable part of this greeting in Philippians 1:1 is that Paul mentions “overseers and deacons.” What does this tell you? (The believers in Philippi were organized.)

B. Read Philippians 1:2-5. On whom is Paul focusing his message? (On the members in Philippi. He is not saying anything about himself.)

1. When you speak with others, do you focus first on yourself or on them?

II. Greeting to Colossae

A. Read Colossians 1:1-2. Notice that Paul starts this letter much differently from the letter to those in Philippi. He calls himself “an apostle” and Timothy “our brother.” Both have now been promoted from the bottom rank — a servant or slave. Why the huge difference in the greetings?

B. Read Acts 16:11-15. What does this tell us about Paul’s relationship with the church at Philippi? (He began the church there with the conversion of Lydia. This tells us that Paul knew the members at Philippi and he begins by saying in effect, “We are all servants of Jesus.”)

C. Read Colossians 2:6-8. What is Paul’s concern for the members of Colossae? (That they will be deceived. This explains the difference in the greetings. In Philippi Paul was one of them. In Colossae, Paul is instructing them. For that reason he starts his letter by stating his authority.)

D. Read Matthew 23:8-11. Is Paul following Jesus’ rule in his greeting to the Philippians, and violating it in his greeting to the Colossians?

E. Read Ephesians 4:11-13. Does this tell us that Paul really missed Jesus’ message in Matthew 23? (We are not going to dig deeply into this. If you read the context in Matthew 23 you see that Jesus is speaking against honorific titles. This is different than organizational titles like “overseers,” “deacons,” and “teachers.” Paul’s assertion of authority is important and appropriate.)

F. Read Romans 16:20-22 and Colossians 4:18. What additional information does this suggest about the way in which Paul created these letters to the Philippians and Colossians? (In Romans, Tertius tells us that he “wrote” the letter. This means Paul dictated the letter to Tertius. Paul tells us in Colossians 4:18 that he only personally wrote the “greeting with my own hand.” This gives us further light on Timothy being a helper, and not a co-author of these letters.)

III. The Strategy

A. Read Acts 16:6-9. Who is leading Paul’s steps? (The Holy Spirit is telling him where to preach.)

B. Read Acts 16:10-12. Paul and Timothy are led to Philippi. Do we have any insight into the leading of the Holy Spirit? (Philippi was an important city. According to the Albert Barnes’s Commentary, Roman coins have been found which refer to Philippi as a Roman colony. Starting a church here would have a positive strategic impact on the spread of the gospel.)

IV. Chains

A. Read Philippians 1:7, Philippians 1:12-14, and Philippians 4:22. Paul tells us that he is a prisoner when he writes to the Philippians, and he essentially tells us that his place of imprisonment is Rome. Would you call Paul an optimist? (Yes! He looks at the positive side of being a prisoner.)

B. Look again at Philippians 1:13. With whom is Paul sharing the gospel? (The “whole imperial guard.” This tells us that Paul is at the seat of power and is sharing the gospel. Philippians 4:22 uses the term “household” and not “guards,” which tells us that Paul’s message has created believers in the palace!)

1. If Paul had not been a prisoner, do you think he would have been allowed to evangelize those who guarded Caesar? (Since you want your closest protectors to be absolutely loyal, I would be worried about Paul’s influence if I were Caesar.)

C. Look again at Philippians 1:14. I’m an optimist, but this seems to stray into fantasy. The fact that your religious leader is in prison for his faith would cause you to “speak without fear?” I would conclude that if Paul can be arrested, certainly I can be arrested! What am I missing? (What I am missing is what I expect most others are missing. When we think about being put in jail, we are focused on jail. Paul is focused on mission opportunities. His followers are emboldened by knowing that they can share the gospel even in jail.)

D. Read 2 Corinthians 6:4-5 and 2 Corinthians 6:8. If you are a long-time reader of mine, you know that I believe that obedience to God brings blessings. I believe that is the primary reason for the Ten Commandments. What Paul describes here, physical beatings, hunger, dishonor, slander, is just the opposite of what I think God has in mind for His people. How do you explain this? (Two things. If we go back to our discussion of focus, we know that our focus must be on sharing the gospel. Sometimes bad things happen as a result. Second, the context of Paul’s list of these bad things that happened to him is to prove to the Corinthians his bona fides; that he is a genuine follower of Jesus.)

1. Who causes these bad things to happen? (We know from the book of Job that Satan wants to harm us. He is the author of the bad things that happen.)

• a. Have you ever listened to a Christian who described bad things and you thought the bad things were the Christian’s fault?

E. Friend, I tend to focus on how my life is going, and I expect that you do too. Paul is showing us by his example that his focus is on advancing the Kingdom of God. Will you ask the Holy Spirit to help shift your focus to promoting God’s kingdom?

V. Next week: Reasons for Thanksgiving and Prayer.

Copr. 2025, Bruce N. Cameron, J.D. Scripture quotations are from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved. Suggested answers are found within parentheses. If you normally receive this lesson by e-mail, but it is lost one week, you can find it by clicking on this link: http://www.GoBible.org. Pray for the guidance of the Holy Spirit as you study.

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What does trouble produce in us? Join the Hit the Mark panel as they discuss Sabbath School Lesson 1 – Persecuted but not Forsaken. It’s the fastest hour of the week!

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