Epistle to the Philippians
- proper noun
- /ɪˈpɪsəl tə ðə fɪˈlɪpiənz/
- Literature
:
Epístola a los Filipenses
- Paul's Epistle to the Philippians includes teachings about joy and contentment in all circumstances.
Examples
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In his Epistle to the Philippians, Paul expresses his gratitude for the support he received from the church.
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The reading from the Epistle to the Philippians reminds us of the importance of unity and love in the community.
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There is a formula in Paul's Epistle to the Philippians that leads us on from prayer to peace.
Academic text (1990)
Synonyms
A book of the New Testament that is a letter Paul wrote to Christians in Philippi
A book of the New Testament that is a letter from Paul to Christians in Philippi
Surface Forms
Morphology
epistle + to + the + Philippians
The phrase is compositional: 'epistle' means a letter and 'to the Philippians' indicates the recipients (the church at Philippi), so the overall meaning — a letter addressed to the Philippians — is directly derivable from the parts. This pattern is conventional and cross-linguistically common (e.g. Spanish 'Epístola a los Filipenses'), so a B1 learner who knows the constituent words would understand it.
Etymology
Epistle to the Philippians is literally Paul's letter to the people of the city 'Philippi'. The word epistle means a written 'letter' and Philippians means the people of 'Philippi', so the title explains why this New Testament book is a letter from Paul to that Christian community.
