In Philippi, Paul addressed a congregation whose internal strife was compounded by opposition and suffering from without. Paul's strategy was to write them a letter of friendship and moral exhortation, reminding them of their partnership in the gospel, their mutual suffering for the cause of Christ and their need to stand firm in one spirit.

In this study of Philippians, readers will find an introduction that discusses the letters occasion and purpose, authorship and other background information, as well as its important theological themes. A passage-by-passage commentary follows that seeks to explain what the letter means to us today as well as what it meant for its original hearers.

Begun in the late 1940s by an international team of New Testament scholars, the NICNT series has become recognised by pastors, students and scholars alike as a critical yet orthodox commentary marked by solid biblical scholarship within the evangelical Protestant tradition.