Evaluation

Overall Score: 8.5/10

A strong Philippians volume that helps us preach Christ centred joy with pastoral realism.

Publication Date(s): 2013

Pages: 384

ISBN: 9781596382008

Faithfulness to the Text: 8.6/10

We are helped to read Philippians as a unified letter with clear pastoral intent and careful attention to context.

Christ Centredness: 8.8/10

Christ’s person and work sit at the centre, shaping humility, joy, perseverance, and hope.

Depth of Insight: 8.3/10

Strong thematic guidance, especially on union with Christ and gospel partnership.

Clarity of Writing: 8.5/10

Clear prose and good organisation make it easy to use while preparing sermons.

Pastoral Usefulness: 8.7/10

Very helpful for preaching joy, unity, and humble service in a way that is grounded in the text.

Readability: 8.3/10

Readable and steady, suited to pastors and thoughtful readers.

Summary

At a Glance

Length: 384 pages
Type: Expository (Mid-Level)
Theo. Perspective: Reformed
Overall score: 8.5 / 10
Strength: Clear exposition with strong focus on unity and joy in Christ.
Limitation: Those wanting deeper technical work on every debated detail will want an additional specialised volume.

We find Dennis E. Johnson’s Philippians a steady, joyful exposition that keeps Christ at the centre of Paul’s pastoral aims. The letter’s themes, partnership in the gospel, humility, perseverance, and contentment, are handled in a way that suits preaching and congregational encouragement.

The tone is clear and worshipful, with a good sense of how Philippians trains the church to think and live in a hostile world.

Why Should I Own This Commentary?

We should own it because Philippians is often treated as a collection of uplifting verses. This volume helps us see the letter as a coherent pastoral strategy, calling the church to unity and joy through shared commitment to Christ.

We also benefit from the way key passages are handled, especially the call to humility in vv.2 to 11 and the pursuit of Christ in ch.3. The application is realistic, aimed at heart and habits.

Closing Recommendation

We recommend this as a strong mid level commentary for preaching and teaching Philippians. It is especially helpful for pastors who want to cultivate Christ centred joy and gospel shaped unity in the church.

As pastoral next steps, we can visit the Bible Book Overview, browse Top Recommendations, and use the Reformed Commentary Index to build a wiser working library.

Where to buy

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