Editing Epistle to the Philippians (section)

===Thanksgiving and prayer (1:3–11)===
This is a common feature in Paul's epistles.{{sfn|Coogan|2007|p=329 New Testament}} Except in Galatians, Paul thanks or blesses God for the good things he has heard about a particular church in the beginning of his letters.{{sfn|Murray|2007|p=1181}} In this epistle, Paul mixes it with his ''prayer'' for the church (1:3–4) and with ''joy'' (1:5), "a combination he will recommend in 4:6".{{sfn|Murray|2007|p=1181}} Lutheran [[pietist]] [[Johann Albrecht Bengel]] says that the whole letter can this be summarised: "The sum of the epistle is, ''I rejoice, rejoice ye''".<ref>[[Johann Albrecht Bengel|Bengel, J. A.]], [https://biblehub.com/commentaries/bengel/philippians/1.htm Bengel's Gnomon of the New Testament] on Philippians 1, accessed 8 June 2020</ref> Similarly Paul writes to the [[Thessaloniki|Thessalonians]]: ''Rejoice always; pray without ceasing''.<ref>{{bibleverse|1 Thessalonians|5:16–18|NKJV}}</ref>