Philippians is the warmest of Paul's letters, written to the church he seems to have loved most, and its dominant note, struck repeatedly despite Paul writing from prison and facing a possible death sentence, is joy: the word family for joy and rejoicing appears more often here than in any other Pauline letter. The occasion was practical, thanking the Philippian church for a gift of material support sent by the hand of Epaphroditus, who had fallen dangerously ill on the journey and whom Paul is now sending home.
At the letter's center sits one of the New Testament's most studied passages, the hymn of Christ's self emptying in 2:6 to 11, describing one who, "though he was in the form of God," did not cling to equality with God but took the form of a servant, was obedient to death, and was then exalted above every name. Many scholars believe Paul is quoting an existing hymn already in use in early Christian worship rather than composing it fresh, which would make it one of the earliest surviving statements of Christian belief about Christ's nature in any form. The letter also contains Paul's famous renunciation of his own credentials, his Pharisaic pedigree and zeal, counted as "rubbish" beside "knowing Christ," and closes with the instruction to rejoice always that has given the letter its lasting reputation as the New Testament's letter of joy under pressure.