保羅書信內容中，我們看到他常須要對付一些反對他的人和團體， 他們的身分引起許多學者的興趣。有別於過往全然以嚴格的歷史批判 方法和反射閱讀技巧研究新約經文中的歷史問題，本文以修辭學分析 的方法，關注它的文學特性，不隨意切割經文段落，研究腓立比書中 保羅的反對者。根據修辭學原理，先對全書經文做適當的修辭編排， 再藉助D. F. Watson 有關修辭情況（rhetorical situation）的理論，建構 當時歷史情況（historical situation），據此推論出寫作腓立比書當時， 保羅所對付的反對者身分。
經由修辭學分析後的結果，本文得出腓立比書中保羅面對的反對者有三種，第一是主張外邦人仍需遵守律法的猶太裔基督徒；第二是腓立比當地的外邦人，主張自由放任的態度；第三雖稱不上是反對者，屬於教會內的爭執，就是友阿蝶和循都基。以上結論在可接受的程度上反映出關於腓立比教會反對者的歷史情況。使用修辭分析法配合歷史和社會學的背景，不但可以合理地認出保羅的反對者，避免了太過注重歷史方法的窘境，也提供可靠的論證基礎，增進學者的共識。

In Pauline Epistles, we see that Paul often faces oppositions from some people or groups. The identities of these opponents intrigue many scholars. Different from the strict historical criticism and mirror reading that study the historical problems in the New Testament, this paper studies Paul’s opponents using the critical methods of Rhetoric, focusing on its literary characteristics, without arbitrarily dividing up text. According to the principles of rhetoric, this paper identifies appropriate rhetorical arrangements of the verses, and then with the study of D. F. Watson, reconstructs the historical situation at that time, and finally infers the identities of Paul’s opponents in Philippians.
According to the results of our rhetorical analysis, we infer that the first group of opponents is the Jewish Christians who argue that the Gentiles should observe the Jewish law. The second group is local Philippian Gentile Christians who advocate for a liberal attitude. The third group, strictly speaking not opponents but dissidents, is Euodias and Syntyche. These conclusions reflect the Philippian church’s historical situation. Rhetorical criticism with the historical and sociological background not only can reasonably recognize Paul’s opponents, without too much emphasis on historical method, but can also provide a reliable basis for argument that increases scholarly consensus about the identities of Paul’s opponents.