A. Two-Letter Hypotheses⁽¹⁾

B. Three-Letter Hypotheses⁽²⁾

C. Four-Letter Hypothesis⁽³⁾

Günther Bornkamm (1962)
Letter A - 1:1-3:1
Letter B - 4:4-7, 21-23
Letter C - 3:2-4:3
Letter D - 4:10-20

D. One-Letter Hypothesis⁽⁴⁾

Summary of Robert Jewett's arguments for the integrity of Philippians:
• The theme of suffering messianic apostle and community runs throughout the letter: 1:12-30; 3:10; 4:14.
• The motif of joy runs throughout: 1:18,25; 2:2,17,18,28,29; 3:1; 4:1,4,10.
• The theme of the correct mental attitude for Christians: 1:7; 2:2,3,5; 3:15,19; 4:2,10.
• The kenosis (self-emptying) motif is a fourth unifying strand: 2:1-11; 3:4-11; 4:11-12.
• A fifth indication of unity is the remarkable similarity between the various parts of the letter in regard to vocabulary.
• The epistolary thanksgiving in 1:3-11 is intimately connected with each succeeding section of the letter.
• None of the proposed fragments of Philippians stand up as coherent, self-contained letters; they are full of barbarous transitions and cannot be correlated with any reconstruction of the relations between Paul and the congregation.

2. W. Schmithals, "Die Irrleher des Philipperbriefes," Zeitschrift für Theologie und Kirche, LIV (1957), 297-341. W. Marxsen, Introduction to the New Testament, trans. G. Buswell (Philadelphia, 1968), 61-62. J. Müller-Bardoff, "Zur Frage der literarischen Einheit des Philipperbriefes," WZJena, VII (1957-58), 591-604. B. B. Ratjen, "The Three Letters of Paul to the Philippians," New Testament Studies, VI (1959-60), 167-173. J. Fitzmyer, "The Letter to the Philippians," The Jerome Biblical Commentary, eds. Raymond E. Brown, Joseph Fitzmyer, and Roland E. Murphy (New Jersey, 1968), 248.

3. G. Bornkamm, "Der Philipperbrief als paulinische Briefsammlung," Neotestamentica et Patristica, Freundsgabe O. Cullmann (Leiden, 1962), 192ff.

4. For recent defenses of the integrity of Philippians, see T. E. Pollard, "The Integrity of Philippians," New Testament Studies, XIII (1966-67), 57-66 and Robert Jewett, "The Epistolary Thanksgiving and the Integrity of Philippians," Novum Testamentum, XII (1970), 40-53; W. J. Dalton, "Integrity of Philippians," Biblica, 60 (1979), 97-102; B. S. Mackay, "Further Thoughts on Philippians," New Testament Studies, VII (1960-61), 161-170.