The Message of Philippians

The Bible Speaks Today: New Testament

by J. Alec Motyer

Paul wrote his letter to the Philippians while he was in prison, but it contains no hint of self-pity. Instead, the letter radiates joy―joy that Christ was proclaimed, joy in fellowship with the Philippian Christians, and above all, joy in Jesus himself. In this Bible Speaks Today volume, J. A. Motyer identifies three major themes that filled Paul's heart and mind as he wrote: the unity of the church, the person of Jesus and what he has achieved, and the call to live a life worthy of the gospel. Guiding readers passage by passage through Philippians, Motyer provides helpful background, highlights key themes, and offers applications for Christians today. This new edition of a classic BST volume includes a new interior design, lightly updated language, and updated Scripture quotations throughout.

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

232 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1984

About the author

J. Alec Motyer (M.A., B.D., D.D.) was formerly principal of Trinity College in Bristol, England. He has extensive experience in parish ministry and is well known as a Bible expositor. He is author of The Prophecy of Isaiah, and he is Old Testament editor of IVP's commentary series, The Bible Speaks Today. He has written several volumes in that series.

Reviews

[Michaela · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am using the book by Jen Wilkin, Women of the Word - how to study the bible with both our hearts and our minds, to study Philippians and I am on the final stage of interpretation and seeking others opinions, after having formed my own ideas.

I found this book massively helpful. It concurred with much I had already concluded and extended and developed my knowledge a great deal. Recently, I normally use commentaries for odd verses and passages that I have trouble to understand, so this is the first time, in a while, that I have read a whole one through for a whole book of the Bible. I really appreciated that at the beginnings of each chapter the scripture was written out to read easily before the commentary and I felt there was a good flow in the book - some commentaries are verse by verse, but this one develops themes and ideas and concepts in each group of verses, with detail of word meanings etc as necessary.

It was advertised as being suitable for the 'lay' reader and I believe it's true. I found it easy to understand and helpful that there were many suggestions for how the meaning of the scripture could and should be lived out but also room for me to come up with my own ideas and thoughts of how it applied to me and my individual situation too.

i used it by reading a chapter each day for my quiet time and then writing up notes on my reading, which took about 20 minutes each day, most of the time.

I would recommend this book. It has helped me grow and really helped me to have a better understanding of Philippians. I would really recommend Jen Wilkin's study method too, it made reading the commentary a very different experience and meant I thought a lot more about the ideas in it and gave me confidence to see I had interpreted things correctly myself.

[Brian · Rating 4 out of 5]

This excellent, devotional exposition of Paul’s letter is brimful of helpful insights.

[Ivan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Perhaps my favorite popular-level commentary on Philippians. I read it as a devotional.

[Lindsay · Rating 5 out of 5]

I highly recommend this commentary series! Alex Motyer is one of my favorite commentary authors.

[Tori Samar · Rating 4 out of 5]

I wouldn't typically sit down and read a commentary straight through, but I did so this year for my reading challenge. Overall, I found this commentary readable and enjoyable, filled with good insights from the book of Philippians. I especially liked how Dr. Motyer emphasized the dual realities of God's empowerment and the believer's effort in sanctification. There's no "let go and let God" in Philippians, and Dr. Motyer did a great job drawing out that truth. In terms of critique, I did catch a whiff of some Reformed theology that I don't agree with, and I'm not sure what to make of Dr. Motyer's calls for more interdenominational unity (since unity is a major theme in Philippians). While I'm willing to acknowledge that we sometimes box ourselves into denominational and theological camps and view true brothers and sisters in Christ as if they are the enemy, I'd still like to know where exactly Dr. Motyer would draw the line. I wish he'd elaborated more on some of his statements. Nevertheless, this is a good commentary, one I'd be willing to refer to again the next time I study Philippians.

(Read for the 2017 Tim Challies Christian Reading Challenge: A commentary on a book of the Bible)

[Jimmy Reagan · Rating 5 out of 5]

This commentary by the late J. A. Motyer in the Bible Speaks Today (BST) series is a reminder of what a commentary should be. Though he describes lots of trees, he never fails to present the forest. I even got the feeling as I read this book, and it’s a feeling too often missing in many commentaries, that the author here believed God wrote the book. He seemed in awe of Philippians. Christ was magnified throughout.

In the Introduction, the author did not run straight to the theme of joy as most do. In fact, he opened with: “Philippians is a joyful letter, but its undercurrent is a sober realization that time is running out.” It made sense to me! He described the setbacks Paul was facing here in his second missionary journey. He further gave a good view of Philippi as Paul’s first European church. He well highlighted unity, the coming day of the Lord, and the Person of the Lord Jesus Christ as the three keys to understanding the book. More than referencing other scholars, he referenced other scriptures. That probably tells you more than anything what kind of commentary this is, but I believe we all need some of this type.

The commentary itself was outstanding. I will always pull out Motyer even if there’s only time to glance at a few volumes. He may have been an Old Testament expert, but reading here you would assume the New Testament was his field.

There’s a chance this volume may be replaced as the BST series updates volumes from time to time. Since this author has passed away, I want to encourage the publisher to slide this volume over and print it as a classic. It’s a warm volume, so I give it the warmest recommendation.

I received this book free from the publisher. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255.

[Adam Thomas · Rating 4 out of 5]

A faithful and clear guide through Paul's letter to the Philippians, with some pithy gems sprinkled throughout. What else would you expect from Alec Motyer? The BST series has its limitations, of course. The emphasis on contemporary relevance sometimes causes the discussion to stray somewhat from the text (as in "Where did he get that from?!"), and the connection of each chunk to the bigger picture is not always evident. Motyer also has his interpretative eccentricities. Even so, this would be an ideal book to put into the hands of home group hosts, Bible study leaders, or any thinking Christian with an appetite to know more of Christ.

[Dan · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an excellent commentary on Philippians. Motyer expertly exposits the Word faithfully while drawing out application that is helpful and personal. I very much appreciated the analogies and stories he littered throughout which clarified and coloured the message brought forth. Overall, a brilliant layman’s commentary that explains Paul’s letter in a compelling and clear way.

[Rachel · Rating 5 out of 5]

Easy language, thorough review and analysis of the letter, and the authors love for God’s word shines through. Enjoyed reading this commentary as a supplement to my devotional reading of Philippians. It was recommended as a top 5 commentary on Philippians by Ligionier Ministries.

[Barbara · Rating 5 out of 5]

Invaluable insight into this important book of the New Testament. Inspirational and relevant for all Christians who wish to grow in maturity in their faith. I read and studied it alongside a sermon series in my church, very rewarding. “Rejoice in the Lord always”

[Dan Perik · Rating 4 out of 5]

A decent study. The authors space varied quite a bit. Some verses he spent much more time on than others.

[Nick Roark · Rating 3 out of 5]

Okay

[Peter Stonecipher · Rating 3 out of 5]

A solid contribution to a series I love. Alongside of other Philippian commentaries, Motyer's didn't often stand out, but has occasional nuggets of wisdom and a steady handling of the text.

[Pig Rieke · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is a good loose non-technical commentary. It’s more of an exegetical gloss than a line by line exegesis. Yet it still manages to get all the main contours of the text.

[Jeremy · Rating 3 out of 5]

This suffered from being too long winded and having indepth repetitive analysis of very small amounts of text.

[David Campton · Rating 2 out of 5]

I actually found this commentary a little frustrating since the series claims to help people to apply the Biblical text, but this was so dry and doctrinaire as to largely rob the book of Philippians of it's self-evident joy. There are some interesting insights in it, and a good bedrock of scholarship, but I would find it difficult to recommend this to anyone (and the study guide adds little).

[Andrew Roycroft · Rating 4 out of 5]

Motyer is as surefooted as one would expect for a scholar of his calibre. Any drawbacks I found in his treatment of Philippians stem more from the confines of the BST series' expectations rather than Motyer's own work.

[Jonathan]

None

[Michael · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very insightful.

[David Carlson · Rating 3 out of 5]

The introduction is worth the price. I love Motyer's Isaiah commentary. he brings the same blend of quality scholarship and personal faith to this work.