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Beginning

Read the Bible from start to finish, from Genesis to Revelation.

Duration: 365 days

Philippians 1-4

Introduction

Chapter 1

Address.^[a] ¹Paul and Timothy, servants of Christ Jesus, to all the saints in Christ Jesus at Philippi, together with their bishops and deacons: ²grace to you and peace from God the Father and our Lord Jesus Christ.

Joyful Prayer for the Philippians.^[b] ³I give thanks to my God every time I think of you. ⁴I always pray for you, interceding for you with joy ⁵because of your sharing in the gospel from the first day until now. ⁶I am confident of this: that the one who began a good work in you will bring it to completion on the day of Christ Jesus.^[c]

⁷It is only right for me to feel this way toward you, because I hold you in my heart, for you have all shared with me in God’s grace, both during my imprisonment and in the defense and confirmation of the gospel. ⁸Indeed, God is my witness how I long for all of you with the affection of Christ Jesus.

⁹And for this I pray: that your love may increase ever more and more in knowledge and full insight ¹⁰to enable you to discover what is really important, so that on the day of Christ you may be pure and blameless, ¹¹filled with the fruits of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ for the glory and praise of God.

News and Instructions

¹²To Live Is Christ.^[d] Brethren, I want you to know that what has happened to me has actually helped spread the gospel, ¹³for my imprisonment has become known not only throughout the praetorium^[e] but to everyone else as well. ¹⁴And the majority of the brethren having taken encouragement in the Lord from my imprisonment, dare more than ever to proclaim the word without fear.

¹⁵It is true that some are proclaiming Christ out of envy and rivalry, but others are doing so with goodwill. ¹⁶These latter ones do so out of love, aware that I have been put here for the defense of the gospel. ¹⁷The former proclaim Christ out of selfish ambition, not in sincerity, but in an effort to increase my suffering while I am in chains. ¹⁸But what does it matter, as long as in every way, with false motives or true, that Christ is proclaimed? And in that I rejoice.

Yes, and I will continue to rejoice, ¹⁹for I know that through your prayers and with the help of the Spirit of Jesus Christ this will result in deliverance for me. ²⁰It is my firm expectation and hope that I will not be put to shame in any way, but will act with complete fearlessness, now as always, so that Christ will be exalted in my body, whether by my life or by my death.

²¹For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain.^[f] ²²But if I continue living in the body, that will mean fruitful work for me. Hence, I do not know which I should choose. ²³I am pulled in opposite directions. My desire is to depart and to be with Christ, for that is far better, ²⁴but, it is a more urgent need for you that I remain in the body.

²⁵Since I am convinced of this, I know that I shall remain and continue with all of you to ensure your progress and joy in the faith. ²⁶Thus, you will rebound with joy in Christ Jesus when I return to be with you once again.

²⁷Striving and Suffering for Christ.^[g] Only live in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ. Then, whether I come and see you or simply hear news of you from a distance, I will know that you are standing firm and united in spirit, striving together for the faith of the gospel, ²⁸and being in no way intimidated by those who oppose you.

This will be a clear sign to them of their forthcoming destruction as well as of your salvation. All of this is in accord with God’s design. ²⁹For it has been granted you not only to believe in Christ but also to suffer for him. ³⁰You are taking part in the same struggle that you have seen in me and that you now hear I am experiencing.^[h]

Chapter 2

Unity and Humility.^[i] ¹Therefore, if there is any consolation in Christ, any comfort in love, any fellowship in the Spirit, any compassion and sympathy, ²make my joy complete by being of the same mind, having the same love for one another, and united in thought. ³Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vanity, but humbly regard others as better than yourselves. ⁴Be concerned not only with your own interests but also with those of others.

⁵Let your attitude be identical to that of Christ Jesus.

The Humbled and Exalted Christ^[j]

⁶Though he was in the form of God,
he did not regard equality with God
as something to be grasped.
⁷Rather, he emptied himself,^[k]
taking the form of a slave,
being born in human likeness.
Being found in appearance as a man,
⁸he humbled himself,
and became obedient to death,
even death on a cross.
⁹Because of this, God greatly exalted him
and bestowed on him the name
that is above all other names,
¹⁰so that at the name of Jesus
every knee should bend
of those in heaven and on earth and under the earth,
¹¹and every tongue should proclaim
to the glory of God the Father:
Jesus Christ is Lord.^[l]

¹²Innocence of the Children of God.^[m] Therefore, my beloved, just as you have always been obedient when I am present, you must be so all the more now when I am absent, as you work out your salvation in fear and trembling.^[n] ¹³For it is God who is at work in you, enabling you both to desire and to act for his chosen purpose.

¹⁴Do everything without grumbling or arguing, ¹⁵so that you may show yourselves blameless and beyond reproach, children of God without spot in the midst of an evil and depraved generation, among which you shine like lights in the world ¹⁶as you hold fast tenaciously to the word of life. Then I will have cause to boast of you on the day of Christ that I did not run in vain or labor to no purpose.

¹⁷But even if my blood is to be poured out as a libation upon the sacrifice and the offering of your faith, I rejoice, and I share my joy with all of you. ¹⁸In the same way, you too must rejoice and share your joy with me.

¹⁹Timothy Commended.^[o]I hope, in the Lord Jesus, to send Timothy to you soon, so that I may be cheered by hearing news of you. ²⁰I have no one else like him in his genuine concern for your welfare. ²¹All the others serve their own interests more than those of Jesus Christ.

²²His reputation is well known to you. Like a son helping his father, he has worked with me in the service of the gospel. ²³I hope to send him to you as soon as I see how things will go with me. ²⁴And I am confident in the Lord that I myself shall also come before long.

²⁵Epaphroditus Praised. I have also decided that it is necessary to send you Epaphroditus, my brother and coworker and fellow soldier, who was your messenger and ministered to my needs. ²⁶He has missed all of you and been greatly distressed because you heard that he was ill. ²⁷And indeed he was dangerously ill and close to death. However, God had mercy on him—and not merely on him but on me as well, so that I would not have to endure one sorrow on top of another.

²⁸Therefore, I am all the more eager to send him in order that you may rejoice on seeing him again and I may thereby feel less anxious. ²⁹Receive him joyfully in the Lord, and value people like him very highly. ³⁰For he came perilously close to death for the work of Christ, risking his life to render me those services that you were unable to provide.

Chapter 3

¹Finally, my brethren, rejoice in the Lord.

Warning against False Teachers

Worship by the Spirit.^[p] I do not mind writing the same things to you again; it is for your safety.

²Beware of the dogs!^[q] Beware of evil-doers! Beware of those who mutilate the flesh! ³For we are the circumcision,^[r] we who worship by the Spirit of God and who boast in Christ Jesus and do not place any confidence in the flesh— ⁴even though I too have reason for confidence in the flesh.

Joyous Sacrifice of All Things for Christ.^[s] If anyone thinks that he has reasons to be confident in the flesh, I have more! ⁵I was circumcised on the eighth day of my life. I was one of the people of Israel, the tribe of Benjamin.^[t] I am a Hebrew and the son of Hebrews. In regard to the Law, I was a Pharisee; ⁶in regard to religious zeal, I was a persecutor of the Church; in regard to righteousness under the Law, I was without fault.

⁷All these I once regarded as assets, but now I have come to regard them as losses because of Christ. ⁸Even more than that, I count everything as loss because of the supreme good of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake, I have suffered the loss of all other things, and I regard them as so much rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ ⁹and be found in him.

I do not wish to have any righteousness of my own based on the Law, but one that comes through faith in Christ, the righteousness given by God in response to faith. ¹⁰All I want is to come to know Christ and the power of his resurrection and to share in his sufferings by becoming conformed to his death, ¹¹so that I may attain the resurrection from the dead.

¹²Racing toward the Goal.^[u] It is not that I have already attained this or have yet reached perfection. But I press on to take hold of that for which Christ once took hold of me. ¹³Brethren, I do not claim to have taken hold of it as yet. Only this one thing: forgetting what is behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, ¹⁴I press on toward the finishing line to win the heavenly prize to which God has called me in Christ Jesus.

¹⁵Those of us who are mature should adopt this same attitude. If on any matter you have a different point of view, this too God will make clear to you. ¹⁶Only let us hold fast in our conduct to what we have already attained.

¹⁷Our Citizenship Is in Heaven.^[v] Brethren, join in imitating me,^[w] and take note of those who conduct themselves in accord with the model you have in us. ¹⁸As I have told you before, and now remind you with tears, many live as enemies of the cross of Christ. ¹⁹Their end is destruction. Their god is their stomach. Their glory is in their shame. Their minds are set on earthly things.

²⁰But our citizenship is in heaven,^[x] and from there we await our Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ. ²¹He will transform our lowly bodies so that they will be conformed to his glorified body by the power that also enables him to make all things subject to himself.

Chapter 4

¹Therefore, my brethren, whom I love and for whom I long, my joy and crown: stand firm in the Lord, beloved.

Counsels and Thanksgiving

Christian Concord.^[y] ²I exhort both Euodia and Syntyche to come to a mutual understanding in the Lord. ³I also ask you, my loyal companion Syzygus, to help these women, for they have struggled alongside me in the work of the gospel, together with Clement and the rest of my fellow workers, whose names are in the book of life.

Rejoice without Ceasing.^[z] ⁴Rejoice in the Lord always. Again I say: Rejoice! ⁵Let your kindness be known to everyone. The Lord is near. ⁶Do not worry about anything, but present your needs to God in prayer and petition, with thanksgiving. ⁷Then the peace of God, which is beyond all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

All That Is Truly Human Is Christian.^[aa] ⁸Finally, brethren, let your minds be filled with whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is pleasing, whatever is commendable, whatever is excellent, whatever is worthy of praise. ⁹Do the things that you have learned, received, and heard from me and that you saw me doing. Then the God of peace will be with you.

Acknowledgment of the Community’s Gift^[ab]

¹⁰Contentment in Any Circumstances. I rejoice greatly in the Lord that now at last you have renewed your concern for me. You were, of course, concerned about me, but you had no opportunity to show it. ¹¹I do not say this because I have been in need, for I have learned to be content with whatever I have.

¹²I know how to live with little, and I know how to live with plenty. In any and all circumstances, I have learned the secret of being well fed and of going hungry, of having plenty and of being in need. ¹³I can do all things in him who strengthens me.

¹⁴Philippian Generosity. Even so, it was kind of you to share my difficulties. ¹⁵You Philippians are aware that in the early days of the gospel^[ac] when I set out from Macedonia, not a single Church other than yours shared with me in giving and receiving. ¹⁶Even when I was in Thessalonica, you sent me something for my needs on more than one occasion.

¹⁷Do not think that it is the gift that I value most. What I desire is for the interest to mount up in your account. ¹⁸I have been paid in full and have more than enough. I am satisfied now that I have received from Epaphroditus the gifts you sent. They are a fragrant offering, an acceptable sacrifice pleasing to God.^[ad] ¹⁹And my God will fully supply all your needs out of the riches of his glory in Christ Jesus.

²⁰Doxology. To our God and Father be glory forever and ever. Amen.

Conclusion

²¹Final Greetings.^[ae] Give my greetings to every one of the saints in Christ Jesus. The brethren who are with me send their greetings to you, ²²as do all the saints here, especially those in the emperor’s service.

²³Benediction.^[af] The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit.

Footnotes

Philippians 1:1 While writing to all of the baptized—“the saints”—the author thinks in particular of the responsibility of the “bishops” (literally, “overseers”), that is, of those who, under the higher authority of the apostles and with the help of deacons (literally, “assistants”), lead and encourage the community (see 1 Tim 3:1; 5:17; Tit 1:5-9).
Philippians 1:3 This prayer, filled with confidence and thanksgiving, gives us a glimpse of the deep attachment held by Paul, the prisoner, for the living community of Philippi that shares his concerns and his initiatives. He regards the action and life of Christians as a project that must be ceaselessly developed until the encounter with Christ at his Second Coming. Hence, he prays that believers might have the spiritual sense that will enable them to take hold of the essential, i.e., the very will of the Lord, in any situation: faith and love will help discern what is the best thing for them to do.
Philippians 1:6 The day of Christ Jesus: the Second Coming of the Lord in all his glory, when the faithful will be with him and will share in eternal glory (see 1 Cor 1:8; Phil 1:10; 2:16; 3:20f; 1 Thes 4:17; 5:10; 2 Thes 1:10).
Philippians 1:12 Little concerned for his own fate, the prisoner is interested only in the progress of the Good News of Christ. Certain missionaries, jealous of his success among the Gentiles, profit from his captivity to gain influence at his expense (see 1 Cor 1). Far from taking offense, Paul is able to rejoice in this: for it means that Christ is better known and loved.
Never before has he let his readers discern the profound bond that unites him to Jesus, a bond inaugurated by Baptism and sealed by the Eucharist but a bond that is lived in the whole initiative of his existence. He has already attained his spiritual maturity, and all his desire is fixed on Christ. As in the Second Letter to the Corinthians (5:6-8), he lets us glimpse his eager longing for an immediate meeting with the Savior. There is a part of him that can no longer wait for the day of the resurrection. This striking text constitutes one of the highest points of Christian mysticism.
Philippians 1:13 Praetorium: this may refer to the praetorian guard in the city of Paul’s imprisonment or to the governor’s residence in a Roman province (see Mk 15:16; Acts 23:35).
Philippians 1:21 Paul has reached the highest level of spiritual growth.
Philippians 1:27 At Philippi itself, Paul quickly encountered persecution (see Acts 16:19-40; 1 Thes 2:2). His mission was plagued by unceasing threats and perils (see 2 Cor 11:24—12:10). The life and activity of Christians partake of the Lord’s Passion (see Mt 5:12; Acts 5:41).
Philippians 1:30 This verse refers to the Apostle’s earlier imprisonment in Philippi (Acts 16:29-34; 1 Thes 2:2) and to his present situation in chains.
Philippians 2:1 For those who live by faith, united to Christ and the Holy Spirit, communion is the most precious of goods. It demands a complete turnaround extending to true humility. This means a generous abnegation that makes one prefer the interests of others rather than one’s own. Paul presses ahead on this subject and suddenly, gripped by the shining example of Christ, he then chants the hymn of the incredible abasements of God.
Philippians 2:6 The full breadth of the mystery of Christ is expressed in this hymn, which was either written by Paul himself or perhaps taken from the Liturgy of another community. The mystery is celebrated in two of its major aspects: descent and return, which form a curve whose two ends meet.
During his stay on earth, Jesus was deprived of the glory that belonged to him, so that he might receive it again from the Father as a reward for his supreme sacrifice. He descended into the ultimate depths of abasement; then the movement was reversed: the Father glorified him, made the universe subject to him, and gave him the supreme prerogative, the regal and Divine title of “Lord.”
In the background here, Paul was thinking of the pride shown by created beings who want to be equal to God (the desire of Adam); he contrasts with this the self-giving and self-denial of Christ. But the hymn reminds us even more clearly of the songs of the Servant of God (especially Isa 53), which echoed strongly in the preaching of Jesus and in the teaching and Liturgy of the very early Church.
It is the whole mystery of the incarnate Son of God that Paul here chants with such clarity and depth: his preexistence, his abasement, and his exaltation. And the Apostle does so in order to exhort some Christians to live the demands of their Baptism!
Philippians 2:7 He emptied himself: this means, not that Jesus ceased to be equal to God, but rather that in his humanity he stripped himself of the Divine glory, manifesting this only at the Transfiguration (Mt 17:1-8), and subsequently received it again from the Father (v. 8).
Philippians 2:11 Jesus Christ is Lord: a common acclamation used by the early Christians (see Rom 10:9; 1 Cor 12:3).
Philippians 2:12 Christians are touched by the Lord to the very depths of their being. Their conduct, their plans, and their testimony are the authentic expression of this in their life. Using the religious language of the time, Paul regards his role as apostle and the surrender of his life as an offering and sacrifice, a true worship of God (see Rom 1:9; 15:16).
Philippians 2:12 Fear and trembling: an expression common in the Old Testament to indicate awe and devotion in God’s service (see Ex 15:16; Jud 2:28; Ps 2:11; Isa 19:16).
Philippians 2:19 Paul announces to the Philippians that he is sending them his most trusted coworker—Timothy, whom they already know (see Acts 16:1-15). He also hopes to visit them himself upon being released. And he will send Epaphroditus back to them when he is well. The last line (v. 1a) seems to be the beginning of a conclusion to the Letter.
Philippians 3:1 In a Letter that seemed to be coming to an end, a new subject is introduced. Paul is opposing the Jews or Jewish Christians who regard the practice of certain rites as indispensable, notably circumcision, even for those who believe in Christ. Christianity is total union with Christ in the greatest spiritual freedom. It cannot consist—like Judaism—in meticulous practices that lead to formalism. There is no salvation except in Jesus Christ, as the Letters to the Romans and to the Galatians demonstrate at length. Anything else is a human practice that pertains to the order of the flesh.
If the word “circumcision” must be used, it can refer only to the circumcision of the heart; if there is need to speak of worship, it can only be a spiritual worship. Christ has now become the sole focus of Paul’s interest; his entire life will be dedicated to knowing Christ, the Lord and Savior of the world, and making him known to others.
Philippians 3:2 Dogs: this is the name given to Gentiles by Jews (see Mt 15:26); here it is applied ironically to the Judaizers (see Gal 5:12). Those who mutilate the flesh: i.e., the Judaizers who insist that the Gentile Christians must agree to submit to circumcision (see Gal 5:12).
Philippians 3:3 We are the circumcision: Christians are the true People of God and offspring of Abraham (see Gal 3:7, 29; 6:15).
Philippians 3:4 Paul had everything needed to forge for himself a brilliant career in Judaism, and he dreamed about it. He was a Jew of the most elite tribe and the most rigorous sect as well as a zealous advocate and defender of his religion. His encounter with Jesus on the road to Damascus—a Jesus who identified himself totally with his followers and who loved him unconditionally—turned everything upside down for Paul.
Henceforth, Christ becomes his sole interest. His very existence will be the knowledge of the Lord Jesus, that is, communion in his Paschal Mystery of dying and rising to new life, and participation in his work for the salvation of the world. One thing is evident for Paul: human beings can become fully realized only by giving themselves to Christ without reservation.
Philippians 3:5 The tribe of Benjamin was descended from the one son of Jacob who was born in Palestine (Gen 35:16f), and it had always been faithful to the Davidic dynasty. The Jerusalem temple was in the territory of Benjamin.
Philippians 3:12 Grasped by Christ on the road to Damascus, Paul strains toward him with his whole being, and this aim of his life energizes all his forces. The Christian life is inner growth, deepening, and development, and Paul loves to describe it as a course to be run. Once anyone has begun the race, there cannot be any stopping: “If you say ‘Enough,’ you are already dead” (St. Augustine). Those who have already “reached perfection” are Christians whose faith can be termed “mature.”
Philippians 3:17 Paul stresses that the Christian life is carried along by a profound hope. We turn that hope away from its goal when we fix its fulfillment in the realities of earth and even more when we polarize it on failed religious practices. Paul was probably thinking of the Jewish dietary customs and the circumcision that some Jewish-Christian preachers wanted to impose on new communities.
Philippians 3:17 Join in imitating me: since Paul’s wholehearted imitation of Christ is well known to his readers (1 Cor 4:6; 11:1; Phil 4:9; 1 Thes 1:6; 2 Thes 3:7, 9), he encourages them to follow his example in that respect.
Philippians 3:20 Our citizenship is in heaven: Christians are, as it were, aliens in this world, for their real home is heaven. They are not of the world but fully involved in it (see Jn 17:14-16; 1 Cor 7:29-31; 1 Pet 2:11).
Philippians 4:2 Lines of communication are established in all the new communities, and women play an important role in their life and apostolate. Doubtless, members at times experience the difficulty of living and working together, as is the case between Euodia and Syntyche. Paul is confident that these two good women will be reconciled to one another. Clement: it is possible, but not certain, that this is Clement, the first Roman Pope. Book of life: an image current at the time to evoke the collectivity of the saved (see Ex 32:32; Ps 69:29; Isa 4:3; Dan 12:1; Rev 3:5).
Philippians 4:4 Joy is the great secret of Christians, the sign that faith has triumphed over all fears, the normal fruit of a spiritual life that progresses. The peace of God is more profound than any kind of peace that the human spirit can attain solely by its own effort.
Philippians 4:8 Radically detached from earthly goods, a purified heart is able to recognize the gifts of Christ through all human values. In these verses, Etienne Gilson saw “the eternal charter of Christian humanism.”
Philippians 4:10 Even when in need, Paul did not want to depend on the communities for material help (see 1 Cor 9:14, 18; 2 Cor 11:7-10; 12:13-18; 1 Thes 2:5-9; 2 Thes 3:7-9), and he made no exception except for the Christians of Philippi with whom he had especially cordial ties. Like a true poor person, he remains free in any situation, enriched or deprived, ready to accept whatever will come—for the important thing is to serve the Gospel.
Philippians 4:15 Early days of the gospel: during Paul’s second missionary journey, when he first preached the Gospel in Europe at Philippi (Acts 16:9ff).
Philippians 4:18 A fragrant offering, an acceptable sacrifice pleasing to God: Paul sees the Philippians’ gift to him in terms of the Old Testament sacrifice of thanksgiving and praise (see Lev 7:12-15; Rom 12:1; Eph 5:2; Heb 13:15f).
Philippians 4:21 Paul mentions especially those who in some way ensure the service of the emperor: dignitaries and soldiers, freedmen or slaves. Hence, Christians are also part of these circles.
Philippians 4:23 Paul adds a typical closing benediction. Your spirit: i.e., the whole person viewed from his inner side (see Gal 6:18; 2 Tim 4:22; Philem 25).

New Catholic Bible (NCB)