Philippians
The church at Philippi ranked among Paul’s favorites. This friendly and personal letter stresses that joy can be found in any situation. Paul delivers his own testimony on the meaning of his present life, encourages his readers and instructs them on living in harmony with others and in obedience to God.
1 Paul and Timothy,a servants of Christ Jesus,
To all God’s holy peopleb in Christ Jesus at Philippi,c together with the overseersd and deaconsa:e
2 Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.f
3 I thank my God every time I remember you.g 4 In all my prayers for all of you, I always prayh with joy 5 because of your partnershipi in the gospel from the first dayj until now, 6 being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completionk until the day of Christ Jesus.l
7 It is rightm for me to feel this way about all of you, since I have you in my heartn and, whether I am in chainso or defendingp and confirming the gospel, all of you share in God’s grace with me. 8 God can testifyq how I long for all of you with the affection of Christ Jesus.
9 And this is my prayer: that your lover may abound more and more in knowledge and depth of insight,s 10 so that you may be able to discern what is best and may be pure and blameless for the day of Christ,t 11 filled with the fruit of righteousnessu that comes through Jesus Christ—to the glory and praise of God.
Paul’s Chains Advance the Gospel
12 Now I want you to know, brothers and sisters,b that what has happened to me has actually served to advance the gospel. 13 As a result, it has become clear throughout the whole palace guardc and to everyone else that I am in chainsv for Christ. 14 And because of my chains,w most of the brothers and sisters have become confident in the Lord and dare all the more to proclaim the gospel without fear.x
15 It is true that some preach Christ out of envy and rivalry, but others out of goodwill. 16 The latter do so out of love, knowing that I am put here for the defense of the gospel.y 17 The former preach Christ out of selfish ambition,z not sincerely, supposing that they can stir up trouble for me while I am in chains.a 18 But what does it matter? The important thing is that in every way, whether from false motives or true, Christ is preached. And because of this I rejoice.
Yes, and I will continue to rejoice, 19 for I know that through your prayersb and God’s provision of the Spirit of Jesus Christc what has happened to me will turn out for my deliverance.d d 20 I eagerly expecte and hope that I will in no way be ashamed, but will have sufficient couragef so that now as always Christ will be exalted in my body,g whether by life or by death.h 21 For to me, to live is Christi and to die is gain. 22 If I am to go on living in the body, this will mean fruitful labor for me. Yet what shall I choose? I do not know! 23 I am torn between the two: I desire to departj and be with Christ,k which is better by far; 24 but it is more necessary for you that I remain in the body. 25 Convinced of this, I know that I will remain, and I will continue with all of you for your progress and joy in the faith, 26 so that through my being with you again your boasting in Christ Jesus will abound on account of me.
27 Whatever happens, conduct yourselves in a manner worthyl of the gospel of Christ. Then, whether I come and see you or only hear about you in my absence, I will know that you stand firmm in the one Spirit,e striving togethern as one for the faith of the gospel 28 without being frightened in any way by those who oppose you. This is a sign to them that they will be destroyed, but that you will be saved—and that by God. 29 For it has been granted to youo on behalf of Christ not only to believe in him, but also to sufferp for him, 30 since you are going through the same struggleq you sawr I had, and now hears that I still have.
2 Therefore if you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from his love, if any common sharing in the Spirit,t if any tenderness and compassion,u 2 then make my joy completev by being like-minded,w having the same love, being onex in spirit and of one mind. 3 Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit.y Rather, in humility value others above yourselves,z 4 not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others.a
5 In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus:b
6 Who, being in very naturea God,c
did not consider equality with Godd something to be used to his own advantage;
7 rather, he made himself nothinge
by taking the very natureb of a servant,f
being made in human likeness.g
8 And being found in appearance as a man,
he humbled himself
by becoming obedient to deathh—
even death on a cross!i
9 Therefore God exalted himj to the highest place
and gave him the name that is above every name,k
10 that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow,l
in heaven and on earth and under the earth,m
11 and every tongue acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord,n
to the glory of God the Father.
Do Everything Without Grumbling
12 Therefore, my dear friends, as you have always obeyed—not only in my presence, but now much more in my absence—continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling,o 13 for it is God who works in youp to will and to act in order to fulfill his good purpose.q
14 Do everything without grumblingr or arguing, 15 so that you may become blamelesss and pure, “children of Godt without fault in a warped and crooked generation.”c u Then you will shine among them like stars in the sky 16 as you hold firmly to the word of life. And then I will be able to boast on the day of Christv that I did not runw or labor in vain.x 17 But even if I am being poured out like a drink offeringy on the sacrificez and service coming from your faith, I am glad and rejoice with all of you.a 18 So you too should be glad and rejoice with me.
19 I hope in the Lord Jesus to send Timothyb to you soon,c that I also may be cheered when I receive news about you. 20 I have no one else like him,d who will show genuine concern for your welfare. 21 For everyone looks out for their own interests,e not those of Jesus Christ. 22 But you know that Timothy has proved himself, because as a son with his fatherf he has served with me in the work of the gospel. 23 I hope, therefore, to send him as soon as I see how things go with me.g 24 And I am confidenth in the Lord that I myself will come soon.
25 But I think it is necessary to send back to you Epaphroditus, my brother, co-workeri and fellow soldier,j who is also your messenger, whom you sent to take care of my needs.k 26 For he longs for all of youl and is distressed because you heard he was ill. 27 Indeed he was ill, and almost died. But God had mercy on him, and not on him only but also on me, to spare me sorrow upon sorrow. 28 Therefore I am all the more eager to send him,m so that when you see him again you may be glad and I may have less anxiety. 29 So then, welcome him in the Lord with great joy, and honor people like him,n 30 because he almost died for the work of Christ. He risked his life to make up for the help you yourselves could not give me.o
3 Further, my brothers and sisters, rejoice in the Lord! It is no trouble for me to write the same things to you again,p and it is a safeguard for you. 2 Watch out for those dogs,q those evildoers, those mutilators of the flesh. 3 For it is we who are the circumcision,r we who serve God by his Spirit, who boast in Christ Jesus,s and who put no confidence in the flesh—4 though I myself have reasons for such confidence.t
If someone else thinks they have reasons to put confidence in the flesh, I have more: 5 circumcisedu on the eighth day, of the people of Israel,v of the tribe of Benjamin,w a Hebrew of Hebrews; in regard to the law, a Pharisee;x 6 as for zeal,y persecuting the church;z as for righteousness based on the law,a faultless.
7 But whatever were gains to me I now consider lossb for the sake of Christ. 8 What is more, I consider everything a loss because of the surpassing worth of knowingc Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them garbage, that I may gain Christd 9 and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law,e but that which is through faith ina Christ—the righteousnessf that comes from God on the basis of faith.g 10 I want to knowh Christ—yes, to know the power of his resurrection and participation in his sufferings,i becoming like him in his death,j 11 and so, somehow, attaining to the resurrectionk from the dead.
12 Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already arrived at my goal,l but I press on to take holdm of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me.n 13 Brothers and sisters, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behindo and straining toward what is ahead, 14 I press onp toward the goal to win the prizeq for which God has calledr me heavenward in Christ Jesus.
15 All of us, then, who are matures should take such a view of things.t And if on some point you think differently, that too God will make clear to you.u 16 Only let us live up to what we have already attained.
17 Join together in following my example,v brothers and sisters, and just as you have us as a model, keep your eyes on those who live as we do.w 18 For, as I have often told you before and now tell you again even with tears,x many live as enemies of the cross of Christ.y 19 Their destinyz is destruction, their god is their stomach,a and their glory is in their shame.b Their mind is set on earthly things.c 20 But our citizenshipd is in heaven.e And we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ,f 21 who, by the powerg that …