Let's Study Philippians

by Sinclair B. Ferguson

Written to the congregation which Paul probably held nearest to his heart, the letter to the Philippians is full of Christ and overflows with a contagious sense of great joy. And no wonder. For among the members of this congregation were such diverse Christian friends as Lydia, the businesswoman whose heart the Lord had gently opened and the local jailer, who, on the night of his conversion, had tenderly cleansed the lash-wounds which covered the apostle's back.

The church at Philippi was Paul's 'crown and joy'. But now, in the apostle's absence, problems had arisen among these new Christians, threatening their fellowship and witness.

How did Paul respond? What did he say to anchor these young Christians in the truth and guide them in Christian living? In Let's Study Philippians , Sinclair B. Ferguson leads us through Paul's memorable answers.

Genres: Christian, Theology, Christianity, New Testament, Nonfiction, Biblical Studies, Religion

153 pages, Paperback

First published November 1, 1997

About the author

Sinclair B. Ferguson is Associate Preacher at St Peter's Free Church in Dundee and also Distinguished Visiting Professor of Systematic Theology at Westminster Theological Seminary, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He was Senior Minister of First Presbyterian Church of Columbia, South Carolina and prior to that, he was minister of St. George's-Tron Church in Glasgow.

Reviews

[Matt · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5

[Courtney Ruley · Rating 5 out of 5]

This commentary on Philippians is accessible for anyone who, like me, has not studied the Bible formally in university. The author sometimes draws out the origin of a word to clarify the meaning of a passage but does not linger too long on all the ins and outs of how a word could/should/would be translated.

The book's chapters are short, which made it easy for me to cover one or two of them during my quiet time. There are also Study Questions in the back of the book that one could answer on their own, in a journal, or as part of a Bible Study Group.

[Katie Koppin · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a great book to read along with my Philippians bible study this semester with my church. Philippians is one of my all time fav books of the Bible so I really was encouraged and convicted by Ferguson. Highly recommend.

[Elly Hamby · Rating 5 out of 5]

Super easy-to-read commentary to go along with my Bible reading! 10/10 recommend - thankful for Ryan’s book collection that he brought to our house lol

[Michael Philliber · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have read through this study guide in the past. When I was preaching through Philippians, I quickly went back and reviewed it. And now I am taking a Christian man with schizoaffective disorder through the book. It is a bright spot to read. I have been recommending it to anyone who will listen to me, for years.

[Oliver Pierce · Rating 4 out of 5]

This series can be a little cheesy but it’s Ferguson so there is a lot of good stuff in here.

[Alex · Rating 3 out of 5]

I used this as a primary reference for teaching adult Sunday School. I did not always feel like it was sufficient for that purpose, for it is an intermediate-level introduction to the letter. Nonetheless, it was helpful. Most chapters concern about five verses and are about four pages. Dr. Ferguson does not get too technical. He discusses the nuances of the original language enough to help the lay reader but not too much so as to be overwhelming. He poses many rhetorical questions throughout the book to help the readers think about how they can apply the truths of the letter to their lives and the life of their churches. I would recommend this for someone wanting to supplement their study of the letter with a book that can be read in a few hours at most.

[Eowyn J.]

I read this for my church's ladies Bible study. It was interesting and made me think of things I hadn't considered before. We had some good discussions. The format was rather odd, with all the questions at the end of the book, rather than at the end of each study portion. It took me a few weeks to realize that I was supposed to read two chapters per study! I did appreciate that it's an actual little book though, and not a "study" like so many other Bible studies- with a video, leader guide, and workbook. This was my first Sinclair Ferguson book and I would read more from him.

[Andrzej Stelmasiak · Rating 3 out of 5]

I didn't find it too helpful when preaching through Philippians, not very stimulating, not very quotable. It is a reliable guide for sure, but did not provide me with a single 'a ha!' moment. I actually gave my copy away.

[Jeremy Swartz · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great study on Paul’s letter to the Philippians. Sinclair Ferguson is great at everything he writes, so I would recommend using this study book for personal or group/church study. It’s short, sweet, and to the point, without compromising on depth.

[Daniel · Rating 3 out of 5]

Helpful.

[Han · Rating 3 out of 5]

I taught on Phil to our women’s ministry. This look book was helpful. The chapters are short, the explanations simple. It’s a very basic commentary of Phil, but was good.

[Alex · Rating 4 out of 5]

This series of commentaries may not be deep, but they are helpful as a springboard for discussion of the Word, especially in a group setting.

[Emily K · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent study if the book of Phillipians. This was my first study in this series and I will definitely continue. A very systematic, verse by verse approach to studying the scriptures.

[Marcy Kludt Belles · Rating 3 out of 5]

We chose this book for our Women's Bible Study. It's about Paul's letter to the Philippians while he was in prison. Tells us Christians how we should live our life amongst the world.

[Austin · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was appreciative of this book to help prepare questions for a Bible study of Philippians. Ferguson thought about the text and took it different directions than I would have so together we were able to think through important rabit trails and prepare for a broader discussion of the text than I could have myself.

[Frode · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was one of three commentaries I used for my Sunday School class on Philippians. The book was clear and helpful.

[Amy · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this as a group Bible study and found it to be consistently insightful, challenging, and deep.

[Wendy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thoughtful and helpful Bible study.