Paul in prison promoting the Messiah

You and your cohort will understand the unique relationship that Paul had with the congregation in Philippi, who had partnered with him in the Gospel, since the earliest days of his ministry among those in Macedonia and beyond (the first European congregations). You will see the relationship forged between them, through difficulty and through an exchange of service out of love (not compulsion).

At the same time, you will develop a deeper appreciation for Paul’s uncompromising, all-consuming passion for the Lord Jesus Christ.

Your understanding of Greek will (continue to) expand, as you discuss a letter that has greatly influenced Christians throughout the centuries!

Pre-requisite

You control an active vocabulary of roughly 4000 words in Koine Greek, through speaking, hearing, reading and writing.

Content

You will read Paul’s letter of joy to the Philippian followers of Christ Jesus. An expert teacher will take you through, section by section, this epistle in its entirety, until all of the pieces fit together and you can understand the big picture. You’ll understand the letter’s context within the journeys of Paul and his co-labourers.

You and your cohort will develop a greater familiarity with Paul, Timothy, Epaphroditus and others. You’ll see how a bond of love was formed, deeply, between Paul and the Philippians, over the course of time. And you all will grow in the truths of the Gospel – including God’s work in all things, such that we can rejoice always.

Above all, you’ll develop a greater appreciation for the self-sacrificing love of the Messiah. And you will be challenged to give him every bit of yourself (again), in order to bring him glory in the world.

By the course’s end, you will be able to:

  • recite one chapter of the letter to the Philippians from memory

  • explain to others what σκύβαλα really are

  • for each section of the letter, give answers to comprehension questions and pose questions to others

  • retell each section of the letter in your own words (with access to the biblical text)

  • write a summary of each story in your own words (note that this one course component depends on sufficient student enrolment)

  • discuss one theme in Philippians in detail, such as: unity in the body, a suffering love, the deity of Jesus, serving others, discipleship between older and younger Christians, partnership in the Gospel between congregations and leaders, God’s plan despite humans’ fleshly schemes (even among believers), the power of prayer, knowing Christ

  • describe who Jesus is, in light of the letter

Cost & Duration

We meet weekly, for a two-hour session. Eight weeks (16 hours of live instruction).

The cost is just $312.