Philippians Bible Trivia: 28 Questions and Answers for Families

These 28 Philippians Bible trivia questions cover "rejoice in the Lord always," Philippians 4:13, the midnight earthquake that opened a Philippian jail, and the two church ladies Paul begged to get along -- sorted into easy, medium, and hard rounds by age. Every answer is bolded right after its question with a verse reference so you can settle any argument straight from the text.

Philippians is the happiest book in the Bible written from the least happy address. Paul wrote it in chains, yet "joy" and "rejoice" ring through the letter over a dozen times in just four chapters -- which makes it a perfect trivia theme: almost every answer circles back to how a prisoner could be this glad.

What Is the Book of Philippians About?

Philippians is Paul's thank-you letter to the church in Philippi, written from prison, and its big idea is that joy in Christ doesn't depend on circumstances. The letter opens from "Paul and Timothy, servants of Christ Jesus" (Philippians 1:1) and was written while Paul was in chains -- guarded by the palace guard (Philippians 1:13) -- most likely in Rome around AD 60-62. Philippi was a Roman colony in Macedonia and the first city in Europe where Paul planted a church (Acts 16).

The letter mixes warm friendship with some of the most memorized verses in Scripture: the great hymn about Christ humbling himself "even death on a cross" (Philippians 2:8), the cure for anxiety (Philippians 4:6-7), and "I can do all this through him who gives me strength" (Philippians 4:13). Philippians matters because it was written by a man who had every reason to complain and chose instead to say, "Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice!" (Philippians 4:4).

Easy Philippians Trivia Questions (Ages 5-8)

The memory-verse round -- half of these are verses kids will carry for life.

1. Which two men's names open the letter to the Philippians? Paul and Timothy (Philippians 1:1)
2. Where was Paul when he wrote this joyful letter? In prison -- "in chains for Christ" (Philippians 1:13)
3. What does Paul tell the Philippians to do "always"? Rejoice in the Lord (Philippians 4:4)
4. Finish the verse: "I can do all this through him who..." "...gives me strength" (Philippians 4:13)
5. Instead of being anxious, what should we do? Pray -- present your requests to God with thanksgiving (Philippians 4:6)
6. What does God's peace do for our hearts and minds? It transcends all understanding and guards them in Christ Jesus (Philippians 4:7)
7. What two things should we do everything without? Grumbling or arguing (Philippians 2:14)
8. What do believers shine like in a dark world? Stars in the sky (Philippians 2:15)
9. Who was the first believer in Philippi, a businesswoman who sold purple cloth? Lydia (Acts 16:14-15)

Medium Philippians Trivia Questions (Ages 9-12)

This round starts with the founding of the church itself -- a midnight jailbreak that ended in a baptism instead of an escape.

1. What were Paul and Silas doing at midnight in the Philippian jail? Praying and singing hymns to God (Acts 16:25)
2. What suddenly shook the prison and flung the doors open? A violent earthquake (Acts 16:26)
3. What did the terrified jailer ask Paul and Silas? "What must I do to be saved?" (Acts 16:30)
4. Finish Paul's motto: "For to me, to live is and to die is ." Christ; gain (Philippians 1:21)
5. Who began a good work in the Philippians, and what will he do with it? God -- he will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus (Philippians 1:6)
6. When Jesus "made himself nothing," what nature did he take? The very nature of a servant (Philippians 2:7)
7. At the name of Jesus, what will every knee and every tongue do? Every knee will bow, and every tongue acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord (Philippians 2:10-11)
8. Which two women did Paul plead with to get along? Euodia and Syntyche (Philippians 4:2)
9. Which messenger from Philippi got so sick he almost died serving Paul? Epaphroditus (Philippians 2:25-27)
10. Whom did Paul hope to send to Philippi soon, a helper "like a son with his father"? Timothy (Philippians 2:19-22)

Hard Philippians Trivia Questions (Teens and Adults)

Chapter 3 is Paul's resume -- and the round where he throws the whole thing away.

1. From which tribe of Israel did Paul come? Benjamin (Philippians 3:5)
2. What did Paul call all his impressive credentials compared to knowing Christ? Garbage (a loss) (Philippians 3:8)
3. Where does Paul say our citizenship is? In heaven (Philippians 3:20)
4. What does Paul "press on toward"? The goal, to win the prize for which God has called him heavenward in Christ Jesus (Philippians 3:14)
5. What "secret" had Paul learned in every situation? The secret of being content, whether well fed or hungry (Philippians 4:11-12)
6. Philippians 4:8 lists eight kinds of things to think about -- name three. Whatever is true, noble, right, pure, lovely, admirable, excellent, or praiseworthy (Philippians 4:8)
7. Which surprising group of people sent greetings at the end of the letter? Caesar's household (Philippians 4:22)
8. What made the Philippian church unique among Paul's supporters? In his early ministry it was the only church that shared with him -- sending aid again and again, even in Thessalonica (Philippians 4:15-16)
9. Where does Paul say the names of his fellow workers are written? In the book of life (Philippians 4:3)

How to Use These Questions

Philippians is the best "bad day" trivia in the Bible -- play it the night a kid loses a game or bombs a test, because the whole letter is a prisoner explaining why he's still glad. Run the easy round at dinner, then let the Acts 16 questions (10-12) launch a read-aloud: our five-minute retelling of Paul and Silas in prison covers the earthquake, and joy in all things walks kids through the letter's big idea. For scorekeeping and team formats, see family Bible trivia night.

Question 4 is also a memory-verse setup: have kids recite Philippians 4:13 for a bonus point, then 4:6-7 for two more. The video lessons at Faithful Kids pair stories like these with short quizzes kids actually ask to replay. When you're ready for a wider board, graduate to our New Testament trivia for kids or the all-ages 100 Bible trivia questions.

Frequently Asked Questions

Who wrote the book of Philippians?

Paul wrote Philippians, with Timothy named alongside him in the greeting (Philippians 1:1), and Pauline authorship is essentially undisputed. He wrote it from prison -- traditionally his Roman imprisonment around AD 60-62 -- as a thank-you to the church in Philippi for their gift delivered by Epaphroditus (Philippians 4:18).

How many chapters does Philippians have?

Philippians has 4 chapters. Chapter 1 covers Paul's chains and courage, chapter 2 the humility of Christ, chapter 3 knowing Christ above all credentials, and chapter 4 joy, peace, contentment, and thanks for the Philippians' gift.

What is the most famous verse in Philippians?

Philippians 4:13 -- "I can do all this through him who gives me strength" -- is the most famous, though in context it's about being content in plenty or in need, not about winning games. Close behind are "Rejoice in the Lord always" (Philippians 4:4) and "Do not be anxious about anything" (Philippians 4:6).

How did the church in Philippi start?

Acts 16 tells the story: Paul crossed into Macedonia after a vision, and the first convert was Lydia, a dealer in purple cloth (Acts 16:14-15). Soon after, Paul and Silas were jailed, an earthquake broke the prison open at midnight, and the jailer and his whole household believed and were baptized (Acts 16:25-34).

Why is Philippians called the letter of joy?

Because forms of "joy" and "rejoice" appear over a dozen times in just four chapters -- remarkable for a letter written from prison. Paul even says he rejoices that the gospel is being preached despite his chains (Philippians 1:18).

What age can kids start learning Philippians?

Ages 5-8 can memorize the short, concrete verses -- Philippians 4:4, 4:13, and 2:14 are all under fifteen words. The deeper themes of contentment and counting credentials as loss (chapter 3) click best with ages 10 and up.