Knowing Peace

In his letter to the Philippians, the apostle Paul gave us one of the most important letters ever written about peace of mind. Read Philippians 1–4 and the accompanying column before you answer the questions below:

Considering Peace of Mind...

1. On what do you spend more effort—trying to find peace of mind in your problems or trying not to think about them?

Defining the Peace of God...

2. What are the “life conditions” under which Paul wrote these thoughts about personal peace? (see 1:7,12-14).

3. How did Paul’s confidence in Christ (seen in 3:1-11) contribute to his peace of mind?

4. How did Paul’s own emotional involvement in other people’s lives (seen in 3:18-21) model what he meant by truthful and lovely thinking? (seen in 4:8-9).

Exploring Our Unseen Motives...

5. Do you see a connection between Paul’s call to “selflessness” in 2:3-4 and his heart of contentment in 4:10-20? What is that connection?

Establishing Foundational Beliefs...

6. How does the spirit of 2:1 lift the challenge of 2:2-11 above mere moral argument? What is the spirit of 2:1 and its impact on our care of one another?

7. What is the common thread that pulls together the ideas of verses 4-5 and 6-7 in Philippians 4?

8. In 1:20, Paul capsulized his passions of trusting God and loving people expressed in 1:3-19. How does the thinking behind 1:20 give foundation to his deep sense of peace of mind?

Click here to find the answers.