Philippians

Reformed Expository Commentary

by Dennis E. Johnson

Philippians is a magisterial treatment of various topics—suffering’s relationship to gospel advance, self-centeredness versus sacrificial service, the basis of a believer’s assurance before God, interpersonal conflict, and finding true contentment—that Paul relates to the touchstone of Christ, his cross, and his resurrection.

Johnson shows how Paul, writing from imprisonment to a church close to his heart, uses his own experience and attitude as exemplars to show the Philippians the difference a Christ-formed mind makes to the way believers respond to adversity, rivalry, conflict, vanity, achievement, the ongoing pursuit of holiness, and the strategic deployment of our resources for the gospel.

As are all the books in the Reformed Expository Commentary series, this exposition of Philippians is accessible to both pastors and lay readers. Each volume in the series provides exposition that gives careful attention to the biblical text, is doctrinally Reformed, focuses on Christ through the lens of redemptive history, and applies the Bible to our contemporary setting.

Genres: New Testament, Theology

357 pages, Kindle Edition

First published May 22, 2013

About the author

Dennis E. Johnson (PhD, Fuller Theological Seminary) is professor of practical theology at Westminster Seminary California and associate pastor of New Life Presbyterian Church.

Reviews

[Kelly · Rating 4 out of 5]

An in-depth commentary of Philippians designed for pastoral use or personal study. I found it most helpful and interesting for its abundant information on Greek words/vocabulary and the inclusion of historical or contextual information. Philippians isn’t a heavy-hitting theological epistle so the Reformed theological perspective was not as apparent in this volume of the Reformed Expository Commentary series as in others I have read.

[Jonathan Ginn · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5/5

An excellent pastoral commentary on Philippians filled with rich text work, thoughtful insights, and beautiful prose. Quickly became one of my favorite resources as I preached through Philippians.

[Aimee Byrd · Rating 5 out of 5]

Let me start off by giving the disclaimer that I am a Dennis Johnson fan. For me, he is one of those authors that if his name is attached to a book, I get that warm, cozy feeling and want to buy it. I think my first exposure to Johnson was Triumph of the Lamb, his commentary on Revelation. I refer back to it often. That seems to be the case with his books—I continue to use them as a resource after I have read them through. Johnson’s books are like an orchard of trees that always have ripe fruit ready to share. So if you haven’t read Him We Proclaim, or Counsel from the Cross (co-written with Elise Fitzpatrick), those are two trees that I also pick from often.

Philippians is a part of P&R’s Reformed Expository Commentary series. I love the target audience of readers this series pursues. It is rich enough for the pastor preparing a sermon, accessible for a lay teacher of a Bible study, and satisfying for a housewife theologian like me who wants to go a little deeper in my devotions at home.

As a matter of fact, that is exactly why I turned to this book. Now that I am taking a short teaching break from Bible Study, I miss the enrichment that I was receiving from preparing a lesson. I love going through a book of the Bible with good commentaries. And the Reformed Expository Commentary series has a pretty thorough process of editing, as well as a high standard for publication. While the authors of these volumes are exemplary pastors who have preached through the material in their commentaries, it doesn’t read like a compilation of sermons. As a result, I get the knowledge and experience of a professor of practical theology at WTS California (for this particular commentary) combined with the shepherding of a pastor who has labored through teaching and preaching this book of the Bible to his own congregation. Along with that, I have the security of knowing that his words have been filtered through series and testament editors.

Dennis Johnson set out to prove Paul’s bold claim in Philippians that “to live is Christ.” The reader will notice how this theme is woven throughout Johnson’s passion and Paul’s letter. I was challenged to affirm and be thankful for this affirmation in all circumstances. This epistle is written while Paul is a prisoner in Rome, chained to a guard, awaiting his so-called “due process” as a Roman citizen. He was bound and taken in on false charges in Jerusalem, and sent to Rome when the Jews had taken a vow not to eat or drink until Paul was dead. Paul sees even this situation as an opportunity to serve Christ as he witnesses to the gospel in his trials and in the letters he writes from prison.

Johnson gives enlightening background to Paul’s situation, as well as to the climate in Philippi when Paul was writing. The citizens in Philippi have been granted the coveted status of Roman citizenship. By explaining the meaning of some of the original Greek words that Paul uses in this letter, Johnson demonstrates how Paul uses this status that the Philippians value to teach about our citizenship in heaven and encourages them to unify as citizen-soldiers. He addresses some of the self-centeredness in this church with the analogy of “joyful slavery” in Jesus Christ, “the only master worth honoring” (Loc. 228).

Along with the historical background, explanation of some important Greek words, and teaching importance of the metaphors Paul uses (I love that part), Johnson peppers this commentary with pastoral, personal applications. Some of the major themes in this epistle that I was both encouraged and challenged by are joy (which is mentioned 16 times in the 104 verses of the letter—Loc. 620), unity, service, sanctification, assurance, endurance, suffering, contentment, missions, and giving. I was personally enriched as Johnson shed new light on some popular verses that I thought had already been exhausted. He asks the reader some insightful and penetrating questions that led me straight to prayer.

All the harmonies flowing throughout this book sing one melody—“to live is Christ.” I expect that I will carry this song in my heart as I move on to my next study. This is a great resource for anyone wanting to spend some time in Philippians.



*I received a free copy of this book through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

[Wayne · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 stars. A very helpful pastoral commentary that was a faithful guide in preparing sermons. Though not an exegetical commentary, Johnson smoothly introduced the exegetical conclusions that undergirded his exposition. I found him to be particularly helpful in drawing attention to the passages in their literary and historical context.

[Simon O'Mahony · Rating 5 out of 5]

Good sermon series.

[Andrew · Rating 2 out of 5]

Decent homiletical commentary. Illustrations work about half of the time, otherwise they seem forced. Decent continuity between sermons which is helpful.

[Joseph McBee · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love every volume of this series I have in my library. They are all excellent and Johnson's volume on Philippians is right on track with all the others. This one is also a robust blend of Biblical scholarship and devotional literature. You can sit down and read these books straight through and be encouraged and convicted and walk away with a deeper understanding of God's Word. I haven't read them all, of course, but I wouldn't hesitate to recommend any of them.

[Roger Leonhardt · Rating 5 out of 5]

Philippians is one of the most inspiring epistles in the New Testament. One would never have thought that when Paul wrote it that he was in chains waiting to see if he would be executed.

This is the first commentary in the Reformed Expository Commentary series that I have had the privilege to read. After reading it, I will definitely be reading others. It is a good balance between information and application. There is a little technical jargon, but not enough to throw the new believer. When there is a deeper look into the grammar, it is in a footnote, so as not to take your focus away from the main text.

This commentary focuses on pastoral aspects of the epistle. How do we take Paul’s letter and translate it into application to everyday life? It is warm and easy to read but still has a depth of information.

Johnson doesn’t get bogged down in the nuances of doctrinal arguments, but spends his time exegeting the text. It is a good commentary to get your feet wet. You get a general overview of the text. After you have that overview, you can then move to a deeper study of the text with more technical commentaries from the footnotes.

It is a great read, especially for those who desire to teach through the epistle to a congregation or Sunday School. In fact, as stated in the introduction, this book is an edited version of a sermon series.

I highly recommend it and give it 5 out of 5 stars.

I received this book, free of charge, from P&R Publishing and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

[Mathew · Rating 4 out of 5]

Read the entire review at Grace for Sinners

Paul’s letter to the Philippians has ministered to my heart over the last two to three years. If you can have a favorite section of Scripture, this small epistle would be tops on my list. The Spirit has impressed its truths especially of chapter two on my heart and changed me as a result.

I enjoyed reviewing Richard Phillip’s contribution to the Reformed Expository Commentary, and Dennis Johnson’s volume didn’t disappoint. He describes his primary purpose, and then executes it flawlessly.

My purpose is to model how to address introductory and background questions in preaching and teaching the church in such a way that the meaning and power of the text are illumined, or objections that our hearers may have encountered are answered, in order to facilitate humble listening to God’s Word. (p xvii)

So what you’ll find in Philippians is a verse by verse commentary aptly suited for sermon preparation and personal study. He addresses issues in the text, doesn’t shy away from difficult passages, all while keeping the text approachable for the reader with moderate aptitude in biblical studies. Johnson also provides helpful historical context without weighing the reader down. Within the exaltation of Jesus, Johnson also shows how Paul’s letters are uniquely trinitarian.

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[Sean Crowe · Rating 3 out of 5]

Excellent collection of sermons on the book of Philippians. Helpful for pastors to see an example of good expository preaching, helpful for Bible teachers as a resource for lesson preparation, and helpful for Christians who desire to know Christ more.