Philippians 1-2

New King James Version

Greeting

1 Paul and Timothy, bondservants of Jesus Christ,

To all the saints in Christ Jesus who are in Philippi, with the ^[a]bishops and ^(A)deacons:

² Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

Thankfulness and Prayer

^3 (B)I thank my God upon every remembrance of you, ⁴ always in ^(C)every prayer of mine making request for you all with joy, ^5 (D)for your fellowship in the gospel from the first day until now, ⁶ being confident of this very thing, that He who has begun ^(E)a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ; ⁷ just as it is right for me to think this of you all, because I have you in my heart, inasmuch as both in my chains and in the defense and confirmation of the gospel, you all are partakers with me of grace. ⁸ For God is my witness, how greatly I long for you all with the affection of Jesus Christ.

⁹ And this I pray, that your love may abound still more and more in knowledge and all discernment, ¹⁰ that you may approve the things that are excellent, that you may be sincere and without offense till the day of Christ, ¹¹ being filled with the fruits of righteousness ^(F)which are by Jesus Christ, ^(G)to the glory and praise of God.

Christ Is Preached

¹² But I want you to know, brethren, that the things which happened to me have actually turned out for the furtherance of the gospel, ¹³ so that it has become evident ^(H)to the whole ^[b]palace guard, and to all the rest, that my chains are in Christ; ¹⁴ and most of the brethren in the Lord, having become confident by my chains, are much more bold to speak the word without fear.

¹⁵ Some indeed preach Christ even from envy and strife, and some also from goodwill: ^16 [c]The former preach Christ from selfish ambition, not sincerely, supposing to add affliction to my chains; ¹⁷ but the latter out of love, knowing that I am appointed for the defense of the gospel. ¹⁸ What then? Only that in every way, whether in pretense or in truth, Christ is preached; and in this I rejoice, yes, and will rejoice.

To Live Is Christ

¹⁹ For I know that ^(I)this will turn out for my deliverance through your prayer and the supply of the Spirit of Jesus Christ, ²⁰ according to my earnest expectation and hope that in nothing I shall be ashamed, but ^(J)with all boldness, as always, so now also Christ will be magnified in my body, whether by life ^(K)or by death. ²¹ For to me, to live is Christ, and to die is gain. ²² But if I live on in the flesh, this will mean fruit from my labor; yet what I shall choose I ^[d]cannot tell. ^23 [e]For I am hard-pressed between the two, having a ^(L)desire to depart and be with Christ, which is ^(M)far better. ²⁴ Nevertheless to remain in the flesh is more needful for you. ²⁵ And being confident of this, I know that I shall remain and continue with you all for your progress and joy of faith, ²⁶ that ^(N)your rejoicing for me may be more abundant in Jesus Christ by my coming to you again.

Striving and Suffering for Christ

²⁷ Only ^(O)let your conduct be worthy of the gospel of Christ, so that whether I come and see you or am absent, I may hear of your affairs, that you stand fast in one spirit, ^(P)with one mind ^(Q)striving together for the faith of the gospel, ²⁸ and not in any way terrified by your adversaries, which is to them a proof of perdition, but ^[f]to you of salvation, and that from God. ²⁹ For to you ^(R)it has been granted on behalf of Christ, ^(S)not only to believe in Him, but also to ^(T)suffer for His sake, ^30 (U)having the same conflict ^(V)which you saw in me and now hear is in me.

Unity Through Humility

2 Therefore if there is any ^[g]consolation in Christ, if any comfort of love, if any fellowship of the Spirit, if any ^(W)affection and mercy, ^2 (X)fulfill my joy ^(Y)by being like-minded, having the same love, being of ^(Z)one accord, of one mind. ^3 (AA)Let nothing be done through selfish ambition or conceit, but ^(AB)in lowliness of mind let each esteem others better than himself. ^4 (AC)Let each of you look out not only for his own interests, but also for the interests of ^(AD)others.

The Humbled and Exalted Christ

^5 (AE)Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus, ⁶ who, ^(AF)being in the form of God, did not consider it ^[h]robbery to be equal with God, ^7 (AG)but ^[i]made Himself of no reputation, taking the form ^(AH)of a bondservant, and ^(AI)coming in the likeness of men. ⁸ And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and ^(AJ)became ^(AK)obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross. ^9 (AL)Therefore God also ^(AM)has highly exalted Him and ^(AN)given Him the name which is above every name, ^10 (AO)that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth, ¹¹ and ^(AP)that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

Light Bearers

¹² Therefore, my beloved, ^(AQ)as you have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, ^(AR)work out your own salvation with ^(AS)fear and trembling; ¹³ for ^(AT)it is God who works in you both to will and to do ^(AU)for His good pleasure.

¹⁴ Do all things ^(AV)without ^[j]complaining and ^(AW)disputing,^{[k] 15} that you may become blameless and ^[l]harmless, children of God without fault in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, among whom you shine as ^(AX)lights in the world, ¹⁶ holding fast the word of life, so that ^(AY)I may rejoice in the day of Christ that ^(AZ)I have not run in vain or labored in ^(BA)vain.

¹⁷ Yes, and if ^(BB)I am being poured out as a drink offering on the sacrifice ^(BC)and service of your faith, ^(BD)I am glad and rejoice with you all. ¹⁸ For the same reason you also be glad and rejoice with me.

Timothy Commended

¹⁹ But I trust in the Lord Jesus to send ^(BE)Timothy to you shortly, that I also may be encouraged when I know your ^[m]state. ²⁰ For I have no one ^(BF)like-minded, who will sincerely care for your state. ²¹ For all seek their own, not the things which are of Christ Jesus. ²² But you know his proven character, ^(BG)that as a son with his father he served with me in the gospel. ²³ Therefore I hope to send him at once, as soon as I see how it goes with me. ²⁴ But I trust in the Lord that I myself shall also come shortly.

Epaphroditus Praised

²⁵ Yet I considered it necessary to send to you ^(BH)Epaphroditus, my brother, fellow worker, and ^(BI)fellow soldier, ^(BJ)but your messenger and ^(BK)the one who ministered to my need; ^26 (BL)since he was longing for you all, and was distressed because you had heard that he was sick. ²⁷ For indeed he was sick almost unto death; but God had mercy on him, and not only on him but on me also, lest I should have sorrow upon sorrow. ²⁸ Therefore I sent him the more eagerly, that when you see him again you may rejoice, and I may be less sorrowful. ²⁹ Receive him therefore in the Lord with all gladness, and hold such men in esteem; ³⁰ because for the work of Christ he came close to death, ^[n]not regarding his life, ^(BM)to supply what was lacking in your service toward me.