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Advent Season · Second Sunday of Advent · Year C

Philippians 1:4-6, 8-11

Thanksgiving and Prayer

December 5, 2027

The Apostle Paul in Prison, Rembrandt van Rijn
The Apostle Paul in Prison, Rembrandt van Rijn, 1627Staatsgalerie Stuttgart
An old man sitting on the floor of a cell with the books open across his knees and the sword behind him, stopped mid-sentence with the pen still in his hand.I thank my God every time I remember you, constantly praying with joy in every one of my prayers for all of you. It is right for me to think this way about all of you, because you hold me in your heart, for all of you share in God’s grace with me, both in my imprisonment and in the defence of the gospel.Rembrandt van RijnRembrandt at twenty-one, painting the thinking rather than the writing.Staatsgalerie StuttgartThe Staatsgalerie Stuttgart.Staatsgalerie Stuttgart
Roman Lectionary
GospelLuke 3:1-6Lk 3:1-6
Second ReadingPhil. 1:4-6, 8-11Phil 1:4-6, 8-11
First ReadingBar. 5:1-9Bar 5:1-9
Responsorial PsalmPs. 126:1-2a, 2b-3, 4-5, 6 (3)Ps 126:1-2a, 2b-3, 4-5, 6 (3)

Overview & Insights

“He who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ.” (Philippians 1:6)

Prescript The prescript, or introductory salutation, of an ancient letter regularly contained three elements: (a) the name of the sender or senders; (b) the name of the recipient or recipients, and (c) a word of greeting or good wishes. Examples abound from letters of the New Testament period, in Greek and in Latin, both literary and nonliterary; earlier examples are the extracts from the official correspondence of the Persian court quoted in the book of Ezra; compare Ezra 7:12, “Artaxerxes, king of kings, To Ezra the priest, a teacher of the Law of the God of Heaven: Greetings.” This pattern is followed here, as in all the NT letters: Paul and Timothy are named as the senders and “all the saints in Christ Jesus at Philippi” as the recipients, and the word of good wishes is “grace and peace.”

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Take it further: Philippians 1:4-6, 8-11

Commentary

Commentary on Philippians 1:3-11Commentary on Phil 1:3-11 Working Preacher

Luther Seminary reading of Paul's joyful thanksgiving and prayer for the day of Christ.

Philippians 1:3-11 CommentaryPhil 1:3-11 Commentary Enduring Word · David Guzik

David Guzik's verse by verse notes on Paul's love and confidence for the Philippians.

Philippians 1 ResourcesPhil 1 Resources Precept Austin

Verse by verse study library on Paul's prayer for love to abound in knowledge and insight.

Philippians 1:4 CommentariesPhil 1:4 Commentaries BibleHub

Classic commentators compiled verse by verse on Paul's joyful prayer.

The Second Sunday of Advent, Year C Catholic Productions · Brant Pitre

Dr. Brant Pitre situates Paul's prayer for completion by the day of Christ within Advent 2.

Background & Word Study

Philippians 1:4 InterlinearPhil 1:4 Interlinear BibleHub

Greek text of the passage word by word with parsing and Strong's numbers.

Book of Philippians OverviewBook of Phil Overview BibleProject

Animated overview of Philippians and its themes of joy and partnership in the gospel.

The Church Fathers

Philippians 1 - Catena Bible & CommentariesPhil 1 - Catena Bible & Commentaries Catena

Patristic comments on Paul's thanksgiving and prayer for the Philippians.

Questions preachers ask

How does Paul open Philippians?

With joyful thanksgiving for the church’s partnership in the gospel, confident that God will complete his work in them, and praying their love may abound more and more in knowledge (Philippians 1:3–11).

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