Philippians: Christ, the Source of Joy and Strength

MacArthur New Testament Commentary Series

by John F. MacArthur Jr.

Circumstances... They are not all they're cracked up to be. For instance, Paul wrote his letter to the Philippians from a Roman prison cell, yet despite those dire circumstances, his major theme in the letter was joy

How did Paul find joy in a Roman prison cell? He didn't! He took his joy in Christ into jail with him. Paul's circumstances did not dictate his attitude. In this letter, he demonstrated several life attitudes that were shocking in their audacity and counter

Rejoice in the Lord, alwaysLiving means living for Christ, and dying is even betterThink of others as better than yourselvesWhatever things were gain, count them as lossYou can do all things through Christ who strengthens you!—ABOUT THE SERIES—

The MacArthur Bible Study series is designed to help you study the Word of God with guidance from widely respected pastor and author John MacArthur. Each guide provides intriguing examinations of the whole of Scripture by examining its parts and

Extensive, but straight-forward commentary on the text.Detailed observations on overriding themes, timelines, history, and context.Word and phrase studies to help you unlock the broader meaning and apply it to your life.Probing, interactive questions with plenty of space to write down your response and thoughts.

Genres: Christian, Reference, Theology, Christianity, Christian Living

111 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 2001

About the author

John F. MacArthur, Jr. was a United States Calvinistic evangelical writer and minister, noted for his radio program entitled Grace to You and as the editor of the Gold Medallion Book Award-winning MacArthur Study Bible. MacArthur was a fifth-generation pastor, a popular author and conference speaker, and served as pastor-teacher of Grace Community Church in Sun Valley, California beginning in 1969, as well as President of The Master’s College (and the related Master’s Seminary) in Santa Clarita, California.

Reviews

[Sarah White · Rating 4 out of 5]

I appreciate this commentary in a lot of ways. It is extremely accessible to believers who desire a deeper understanding of God's Word without being uncomfortably scholarly. MacArthur walks through Philippians phrase by phrase, providing insight into the meaning and application of each theme through helpful cross-references and contextual (especially historical context) information that the average lay person probably would not already know. It can be used as a reference book or read from cover to cover without feeling burdensome. The tone of the book is comfortable enough that I felt I could sit down to read a chapter and understand what was going on without thinking, "OK, so now that my eyeballs have touched those words, time to figure out what he's trying to say." Always a blessing.

My main critique is that while often ideas and concepts are supported through other Scriptural texts, sometimes statements are made without much of a foundation. At one point, MacArthur discusses Paul's statement: "I can do all things through Him who strengthens me". He connects this statement to Paul's complaint about his "thorn in the flesh" in 2 Corinthians 12. MacArthur argues that Paul relies on the suffiency of Christ's grace through that situation. Yes, absolutely true. But he also mentions in passing that the thorn was probably a demonic influence. Ok, possible. But he provided no evidence pointing to that fact, which I found bothersome. It's possible I'm just being nit-picky (since the book as a whole is not concerned with this issue), but it just felt like a pretty bold claim to make without backing it up in any way.

Overall, really helpful read for clarifying challenging bits and extending your thinking. Would recommend 👍

[Linda · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another winner by John MacArthur. He explains every verse, tells how it fits into the whole of the book, as well as the entire Bible. There are plenty of Greek word explanations, as well as cultural references, and of course, personal application.

[Amanda Betts · Rating 4 out of 5]

Read this personally while studying Philippians with a group of ladies, and found it to be a helpful tool.

[Elizabeth Watkins · Rating 5 out of 5]

Read with my girls Bible study group. Enjoyed diving into Philippians together.

[Laura McCarter · Rating 4 out of 5]

An excellent, fruitful Bible Study book. Completely interactive with brief, easily accessible commentary on the text and many questions with ample lined, blank space for answers. We used it for a ladies Bible study and it was easy to complete each of the twelve chapters before the week's discussion and meeting time. I was unsure about the fruitfulness of a few of the questions, and there could certainly be more in depth commentary than this book provides, but overall it is an excellent choices for a group or even personal Bible Study.

[Keyla Rhoades · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.75. This book was ok. Overkill with the footnotes, definitions but generally on point. I liked it had different sections in each reading that focused on different components/reflections but at times it felt repetitive and there were times I was left baffled by the questions- wasn’t sure what they were getting at, and neither were my study group friends. I learned a fair amount but it was dry material for sure

[Eliza · Rating 4 out of 5]

insightful points and questions!

Sometimes I miss to think of certain verses, (e.g. why is there a doxology on 4:20”), but the writer asked this question so that I have to stop and appreciate more of GOD’s provision and wisdom!!

[Tiffany C · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love these bible studies by MacArthur! The commentary in the book is wonderful!

[Jacob O'connor · Rating 4 out of 5]

I picked this up to research Philippians 3:8, "I consider everything a loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them garbage, that I may gain Christ". I was doing a word study on that word "garbage".  It's often translated "dung", but I think both fall short of what Paul was trying to accomplish.  I think he was going full Bobby Knight on the Philippian church.  Wouldn't be the first time. Paul could be outright shocking in his pointedness (consider 5:12).  I wonder if the modern church is just a little too prudish.