It seems as though Paul had discovered the essence of true joy. I hope and pray that as you work through this Philippians Bible Study, you will discover it too.
When you read the book of Philippians, you will see that this is an epistle about rejoicing. This may seem peculiar since the man who wrote it (Paul) did so from prison. Paul had been stoned, beaten, persecuted, and afflicted for the faithful stewardship of his calling as Christ’s apostle. Now, while sitting in a Roman prison, the Lord moves on his heart to write a letter to encourage the Philippians to rejoice.
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The Main Point of Philippians
Paul wrote the book of Philippians as a letter of encouragement to the church in Philippi. These believers were facing persecution for their faith and needed a reminder of the hope found in Christ. This letter was one of the many letters Paul wrote while sitting in a Roman prison, making its message that much more powerful.
3 Ways to Use This Bible Study Guide of Philippians
This study guide is designed to help you do your own in-depth Bible study of the book of Philippians. Study on your own or gather a group of friends to discuss together.
There are three different ways that you can use the Philippians Bible study questions. You can study online at the link below, get the printable version delivered to your inbox by joining the email community or get the Bible study journal of Philippians.
The guide is broken up by chapter into 40 daily lessons. Each daily lesson should take you about 15-20 minutes each day. Feel free to move at your own pace.
1. Get the Philippians Bible Study Questions
You can get the Bible study questions here online. Simply bookmark the page (linked below) with the study questions in your browser, or link it to your home screen on your device. Then, visit the page each day as you do your study and follow along in the table of contents.
Study on your own, or share the link with a friend to discuss together!
Go to the Philippians Bible Study questions.
2. Get the Philippians Bible Study in a Printable PDF
Sign up for the email community and get the Philippians Bible study questions delivered to your inbox in a printable pdf format.
Along with this study guide, you will also receive access to the full Subscriber Printable Libray with more study guides and other printable resources for prayer and Bible study.
3. Get the Bible Study Journal of Philippians
For the first two options, you will need a notebook or binder to take down your notes. The journal version provides plenty of space for you to write your notes. There are also some additional goodies you get with it.
Bible Study Tools You Will Need
Along with the study guide, there are some other Bible study tools you will need.
- A Bible you are willing to mark in. I recommend having a Bible you use just for study and marking.Or…you can print out the scriptures for the book of Philippians. Here is a video where I show you how to do this on Bible Gateway.
- 4-5 Different colored pencils or colored ball-point pens for marking the scriptures (I’ll explain this more in the study guide).
Optional Resource: download and print the Keyword Key to use during this step. - A spiral notebook or a binder with loose-leaf binder paper. (Not needed if you purchase a workbook). I prefer using a binder because it’s easier to move the pages around. Use this to write down your notes, thoughts, and observations as the study guide instructs you.
- Word study tools. A few times in the study you will be asked to do a word study. My favorite tool for word studies is Blue Letter Bible. Here is a video where I show you how to use this resource.
Inductive Bible Study of Philippians
This bible study on Philippians uses the inductive study method of observation, interpretation, and application. This method is one of my favorite ways to study God’s word because the process itself teaches you how to study the Bible for yourself. If you are new to this method, make sure to download the free Bible study of John 1. This study is not only a great introduction to the life and ministry of Jesus, but it’s also a great introduction to the inductive study process.
Why Did Paul Write the Book of Philippians?
Why was the book of Philippians written? We see at the end of the first chapter that the Philippians were enduring affliction for their faith. Paul encourages them to rejoice despite their current circumstances and gives very specific commands to help them maintain joy. We also see that Paul writes to thank them for the gift they sent him.
What is the Message of Philippians?
The overall message of Philippians is about rejoicing in all circumstances. There are, however, a few other themes woven throughout the chapters that we don’t want to miss.
Themes of Philippians
Here are a few of the other themes you will find as you work through this Bible study of Philippians.
- Humility
- Christ-like attitude
- Contentment
- Suffering
Book of Philippians Outline
Here is a brief summary of each chapter in the book of Philippians. If you are planning to use the study guide, I would suggest waiting to read the chapter summaries until after you have done your own diligent study.
Summary of Philippians Chapter 1
In this first chapter of Philippians Paul lets the church know that He is in prison for the sake of the gospel. Despite his circumstances, he rejoices that the gospel continues to spread – even among those within the prison walls.
Paul also shares his love for the Philippians and gives us a great example of how we can be praying for the people that God has placed in our lives.
Summary of Philippians Chapter 2
Chapter two of Philippians is one of my favorite chapters in the whole Bible. Here, Paul gives a glimpse of the attitude of Christ. His humility and obedience. Paul also gives the Philippians specific commands as to how they can attain this same attitude.
We also learn more about Timothy and the qualities of character that Paul greatly admired in him.
Summary of Philippians Chapter 3
In chapter 3 Paul shares a bit about his past. Before he became Paul, he was Saul. He was a persecutor of the church. After an encounter with the Lord on the road to Damascus, his life was forever changed. He learned to put no confidence in the flesh and considered all the old things loss compared to knowing and serving his Lord and Savior.
Summary of Philippians Chapter 4
Chapter 4 gives us some clues as to what prompted Paul to write this letter to the Philippians. Not only did he want to encourage them to rejoice in all circumstances, but he also wanted, specifically, to thank them for the gift they had sent him.
Bible Study Of Philippians Video Series
If you would like some additional thoughts on the main themes and ideas in the book of Philippians make sure to check out my video series where I walk through each chapter of Philippians verse by verse.
Bible Study of Philippians Commentaries
Commentaries are great resources when used at the right time. Don’t consult them until after you have done your own thorough study of the scriptures. Wiersbe has a commentary of Philippians that I use and recommend. I also recommend checking out this video from the Bible Project that gives a great overview of Philippians.
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