As he sits in a Roman prison, the Apostle Paul does not focus on the difficulties of his own situation when he writes to the Philippians. Rather, he is most interested in encouraging the Philippian church that he and his ministry team had founded on his second missionary journey. He overflows with joy as he urges his readers to maintain unity by looking to role models—himself, their brother Epaphroditus, but above all Jesus Christ.

In Philippians Verse by Verse, Grant R. Osborne gets inside this letter to show readers Paul’s close partnership with the Philippian church. These believers were always willing to help Paul when he was in a tight spot, and his relationship with them brought him great encouragement even in the midst of being persecuted for the sake of the gospel. Osborne helps readers to learn about the Philippians’ service and Paul’s gratitude so that we too can maintain joy in the direst of circumstances.

Grant R. Osborne is professor emeritus of New Testament at Trinity Evangelical Divinity School. He is the author of numerous books, including The Hermeneutical Spiral: A Comprehensive Introduction to Biblical Interpretation, and commentaries on Revelation (Baker Exegetical Commentary on the New Testament), Romans (IVP New Testament Commentary), Matthew (Zondervan Exegetical Commentary on the New Testament), and John, James, 1-2 Peter, and Jude (Cornerstone Biblical Commentary). He has also taught at Winnipeg Theological Seminary and the University of Aberdeen, and has pastored churches in Ohio and Illinois.