Beginning

He exhorts them to increase in love, in knowledge, and in experience of divine things, makes mention of his imprisonment at Rome, is glad to hear Christ preached, and is content either to die or live. He prays them to lead a godly life, to be of one mind, and to fear no persecution.

1 Paul and Timothy, the servants of Jesus Christ, to all the saints in Christ Jesus who are at Philippi, with the bishops and deacons.

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

³ I thank my God with every remembrance of you, ⁴ always in all my prayers for you, and pray with gladness, ⁵ because of the fellowship that you have had in the gospel from the first day until now. ⁶ And I am confident of this: that he who began a good work in you will go forth with it until the day of Jesus Christ – ⁷ as it is fitting for me so to judge of you all, because I have you in my heart, and have you also every one companions of grace with me, even in my bonds, as I defend and establish the gospel.

⁸ For God is my witness how greatly I long after you all from the very heart root in Jesus Christ. ⁹ And this I pray: that your love may increase more and more in knowledge and in all experience, ¹⁰ that you may accept the things of most value, that you may be pure, and such as would hurt no man’s conscience until the day of Christ – ¹¹ filled with the fruits of righteousness, which fruits come by Jesus Christ for the glory and laud of God.

¹² I would you understood, brethren, that my trouble has served for the great furthering of the gospel. ¹³ For my bonds in Christ are manifest throughout all the judgment hall and in all other places, ¹⁴ and many of the brethren in the Lord are emboldened through my bonds, and dare to more freely speak the word without fear. ¹⁵ Some there are who preach Christ out of envy and rivalry, and some of goodwill. ¹⁶ The one part preach Christ out of rivalry, and not purely, supposing to add more adversity to my bonds, ¹⁷ but the other part out of love, because they see that I am set to defend the gospel. ¹⁸ What then? If only Christ be preached – whatever the way, whether through opportunism or of a true intent – I rejoice.

¹⁹ Yea, and I will rejoice, because I know that these circumstances will bear toward my salvation (through your prayer and ministering of the Spirit of Jesus Christ, ²⁰ as I heartily look for), and hope that in nothing I will be ashamed, but that with all confidence, as always in times past, so now Christ may be magnified in my body, whether it be through life or death. ²¹ For Christ is to me life, and death is to me gain.

²² If it happens that I live in the flesh, it means fruitful work for me, and what to choose I do not know. ²³ I am constrained by two things: I desire to be released and to be with Christ, which thing is best of all. ²⁴ Nevertheless, to remain in the flesh is more needful for you. ²⁵ And this I am sure of: that I will abide, and continue with you all for the furtherance and joy of your faith, ²⁶ so that you may more abundantly rejoice in Jesus Christ through me, by my coming to you again.

²⁷ Only be sure that you live worthy of the gospel of Christ, so that whether I come and see you or am absent, I may yet hear of you that you continue in one spirit and in one soul, labouring as we do to maintain the faith of the gospel – ²⁸ and in nothing fearing your adversaries, which is to them a sign of perdition, but to you of salvation, and that from God. ²⁹ For to you it is given not only to believe on Christ, but also to suffer for his sake, ³⁰ and to have even the same fight which you saw me have and now hear of me.

He exhorts them to unite in brotherly love, and to beware of rivalry and vainglory. For a trustworthy example, he sets Christ before them.

2 If there is among you any consolation in Christ, if there is any comforting love, if there is any fellowship of the Spirit, if there is any compassion or mercy, ² fulfil my joy and all draw one way, having one love and being of one accord and of one mind. ³ Let nothing be done through rivalry or vainglory, but in meekness of mind let everyone esteem the other better than himself. ⁴ And look not every person on his own things, but every person on the things of others.

⁵ Let the same mind be in you that was in Christ Jesus, ⁶ who, being in the form of God, counted it not a prize to be equal to God, ⁷ but made himself of no reputation, and took on him the form of a servant, and became like humankind, ⁸ and was found in his appearance as a man. He humbled himself and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross. ⁹ For this God has exalted him, and given him a name above all names, ¹⁰ so that in the name of Jesus every knee will bow, both of things in heaven and things in earth, and things under the earth, ¹¹ and so that all tongues will confess that Jesus Christ is the Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

¹² Therefore my dearly beloveds, as you have always obeyed, not only when I was present, but now much more in my absence, even so work out your own salvation with fear and trembling. ¹³ For it is God who works in you both the will and also the deed, of his own good will.

¹⁴ Do all things without murmuring and disputing, ¹⁵ so that you may be faultless and pure, and the children of God without rebuke in the midst of a corrupt and perverse nation – among whom see that you shine as lights in the world, ¹⁶ holding fast the word of life, so that I may rejoice in the day of Christ that I have not run in vain, have not laboured in vain. ¹⁷ Yea, and even if I am offered up upon the offering and sacrifice of your faith, I am glad, and rejoice with you all. ¹⁸ And you also, be glad for the same cause, and rejoice with me.

¹⁹ I trust in the Lord Jesus to send Timothy to you shortly, so that I also may be of good comfort when I know your state. ²⁰ For I have no man who is minded so like me, who with such pure affection cares for your matters. ²¹ For all others seek their own, and not that which is Jesus Christ’s. ²² You know the proof of him, how as a son with the father he bestowed his labour upon the gospel with me. ²³ I hope to send him as soon as I know how it will go with me. ²⁴ I trust in the Lord that I also myself may come shortly.

²⁵ I supposed it necessary to send to you brother Epaphroditus, my companion in labour and fellow-soldier – your apostle, and my minister at my need. ²⁶ For he longed after you, and was full of heaviness because you had heard that he was sick. ²⁷ And without question he was sick, and that near to death. But God had mercy on him – not on him only, but on me also, lest I should have sorrow upon sorrow. ²⁸ I sent him therefore the more quickly, so that when you saw him you might rejoice again, and I might be less sorrowful. ²⁹ Receive him therefore in the Lord with all gladness. And make much of such a one, ³⁰ because for the work of Christ he went so far that he was near to death, and regarded not his life, to provide that service which was lacking on your part toward me.

He warns them to beware of false teachers, whom he calls dogs, evil workers, and enemies of Christ. He reproves man’s own righteousness.

3 Moreover, my brethren, put your trust in the Lord. It grieves me not to write the same thing often to you, for to you it is a safeguard. ² Beware of dogs. Beware of evil workers. Beware of dissension.

³ For we are the circumcision, who worship God in the Spirit, and trust in Christ Jesus, and have no confidence in the flesh – ⁴ though I have whereof I might be confident in the flesh. If any other man thinks that he has reason to trust in the flesh, I have much more: ⁵ circumcised the eighth day, of the kindred of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew born of the Hebrews; as concerning the law, a Pharisee, ⁶ and as concerning zeal, I persecuted the congregation. And as for the righteousness that is in the law, I was unrebukable.

⁷ But the things that were of advantage to me, I counted worthless for Christ’s sake. ⁸ Yea, I think all things worthless for the sake of the supreme and precious knowledge of Christ Jesus, my Lord. For him I have counted all things a waste, and do judge them but dung, so that I may win Christ, ⁹ and may be found in him – not having my own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is of the faith that is in Christ. I mean the righteousness which comes from God through faith, ¹⁰ in knowing him, and the power of the resurrection, and the fellowship of his passions, so that I may be conformable to his death, ¹¹ if by any means I might attain to the resurrection of the dead.

¹² It is not as if I had already attained to it, or were already perfect. But I press on, if so be that I may lay hold of that for which Christ Jesus laid hold of me. ¹³ Brethren, I do not count myself as having gotten it. But one thing I say: I forget that which is behind and reach for that which is ahead, ¹⁴ and press on to that mark appointed, to obtain the reward of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus. ¹⁵ Let us therefore, as many as are sound in the faith, be so minded. And if you are otherwise minded, I pray God would open this to you.

¹⁶ Nevertheless, in that to which we have come, let us proceed by one rule so that we may be of one accord. ¹⁷ Brethren, be followers of me, and observe those who walk in the same way, since you have us for an example. ¹⁸ For many walk (of whom I have told you often, and now tell you weeping) as enemies of the cross of Christ, ¹⁹ whose end is damnation, whose god is their belly, and whose glory is to their shame – who are worldly-minded. ²⁰ But our citizenship is in heaven, from whence we look for a saviour, even the Lord Jesus Christ, ²¹ who will change our lowly bodies so that they may be fashioned like his glorious body, by the power with which he is able to subdue all things to himself.

He greets certain of them, exhorts them to live and bear themselves honourably, and thanks them for the provision that they made for him in prison.

4 Therefore, my brethren dearly beloved and longed for, my joy and crown, continue in such a way in the Lord, beloveds. ² I pray Euodias and beseech Syntyche to be of one accord in the Lord. ³ Yea and I beseech you, faithful yokefellow, help the women who laboured with me in the gospel, and with Clement also, and with my other labour-fellows whose names are in the book of life.

⁴ Rejoice in the Lord always; and again I say, rejoice! ⁵ Let your gentleness be known to all men.

The Lord is at hand. ⁶ Be anxious for nothing, but in all things let your requests be made known to God, in prayer and supplication with giving of thanks. ⁷ And may the peace of God, which passes all understanding, keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.

⁸ Furthermore, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are honourable, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things belong to love, whatever things are of good report, if there be any virtuous thing, if there be any praiseworthy thing: these same have in your minds. ⁹ The things you have both learned and received, heard and also seen in me, those things do, and the God of peace will be with you.

¹⁰ I rejoice in the Lord greatly, that now at the last you have come around again to care for me – where you had been concerned, but you lacked opportunity. ¹¹ I am not speaking out of need. For I have learned, in whatever state I am, therewith to be content. ¹² I can both cast myself down and I can also prosper. Everywhere and in all things I am taught both to be full and to be hungry, to have plenty and to suffer need. ¹³ I can do all things with the help of Christ, who strengthens me. ¹⁴ Notwithstanding, you have done well to bear part with me in my tribulation.

¹⁵ You of Philippi know that in the beginning of the gospel, when I departed from Macedonia, no congregation bore part with me (as regards giving and receiving) but you only. ¹⁶ For when I was in Thessalonica, you sent once and afterward again to supply my needs – ¹⁷ not that I desire gifts, but I desire abundant fruit on your parts. ¹⁸ I welcomed everything, and have plenty. I was filled after I received from Epaphroditus that which came from you, an odour that smells sweet, a sacrifice accepted and pleasing to God.

¹⁹ May my God fulfil all your needs through his glorious riches in Jesus Christ. ²⁰ To our God and Father be glory forevermore. Amen.

²¹ Greet all the saints in Christ Jesus. The brethren who are with me  greet you. ²² All the saints greet you, and most of all those who are of the Emperor’s household. ²³ The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. Amen.

Sent from Rome by the hand
of Epaphroditus.