Philippians Chapter 1
Greeting
1 Paul and Timothy, servants of Jesus Christ, to all the saints in Christ Jesus who are in Philippi, with the bishops and deacons:
2 Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
Paul's prayer for believers
3 I thank my God every time I remember you.
4 In all my prayers for all of you, I always pray with joy,
5 because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now,
6 being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.
7 It is right for me to feel this way about all of you, since I have you in my heart. In my imprisonment, as well as in the defense and confirmation of the gospel, all of you share in God’s grace with me.
8 God is my witness, how I long for all of you with the affection of Christ Jesus.
9 And this is my prayer: that your love may abound more and more in knowledge and depth of insight,
10 so that you may be able to discern what is best and may be pure and blameless for the day of Christ,
11 filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ—to the glory and praise of God.
For me, to live is Christ
12 Now I want you to know, brothers and sisters, 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 guard and to everyone else that I am in chains for Christ.
14 And because of my chains, most of the brothers and sisters have become confident in the Lord and dare all the more to proclaim the gospel without fear.
15 It is true that some preach Christ out of envy and rivalry, but others out of goodwill.
16 The former preach Christ out of selfish ambition, not sincerely, supposing that they can add to my suffering while I am in chains.
17 But the latter do so out of love, knowing that I am put here for the defense of the gospel.
18 What then? Only that in every way, whether in pretense or in truth, Christ is proclaimed. And in this I rejoice. Yes, and I will rejoice,
19 for I know that through your prayers and the help of the Spirit of Jesus Christ this will turn out for my deliverance,
20 I earnestly expect and hope that I shall in no way be ashamed, but that with all boldness, as always, now also Christ will be magnified in my body, whether by life or by death.
21 For to me, to live is Christ, and to die is gain.
22 But if I am to live in the flesh, that means fruitful labor for me. Yet which I shall choose I cannot tell.
23 I am hard pressed between the two: My desire is to depart and be with Christ, which is far better.
24 But to remain in the flesh is more necessary for your sake.
25 Being confident of this, I know that I will remain and continue with all of you for your progress and joy in the faith,
26 so that your boasting in me may abound through my coming to you again in Christ Jesus.
27 Only 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, with one mind striving side by side for the faith of the gospel,
28 and not in any way intimidated by your adversaries, which is a sign to them of perdition, but to you of salvation, and that from God.
29 For it has been granted to you on behalf of Christ not only to believe in him, but also to suffer for him,
30 having the same struggle which you saw I had and now hear is still with me.
Philippians Chapter 2
Humiliation and exaltation of Christ
1 Therefore, if there is any encouragement in Christ, if any comfort from his love, if any fellowship with the Spirit, if any affection and compassion,
2 then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and of one mind.
3 Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves,
4 not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others.
5 In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus:
6 Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage;
7 rather, he made himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness.
8 And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to death—even death on a cross!
9 Therefore God also highly exalted him and gave him the name that is above every name,
10 so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bend, in heaven and on earth and under the earth,
11 and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
Luminaries in the world
12 Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, not only in my presence but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling;
13 for it is God who works in you both to will and to act in order to fulfill his good purpose.
14 Do everything without grumbling or arguing,
15 so that you may become blameless and pure, children of God without fault in a warped and crooked generation, among whom you shine like stars in the sky,
16 holding fast to the word of life, so that I may be able to boast on the day of Christ that I did not run or labor in vain.
17 Even if I am being poured out as a drink offering on the sacrifice and service of your faith, I am glad and rejoice with all of you.
18 You too should be glad and rejoice with me.
Timothy and Epaphroditus
19 I hope in the Lord Jesus to send Timothy to you soon, so that I too may be cheered when I receive news of your condition.
20 For I have no one else like him, who will genuinely care for you.
21 For they all seek their own interests, not those of Jesus Christ.
22 But you know Timothy’s proven character, because as a son with his father he has served with me in the gospel.
23 Therefore I hope to send him to you as soon as I see how things go with me.
24 And I trust in the Lord that I myself will come to you soon.
25 But I thought it necessary to send Epaphroditus to you, my brother and fellow worker and fellow soldier, your messenger and minister to my needs,
26 for he longed to see you all and was distressed because you heard that he was ill.
27 Indeed he was ill, and was near death. But God had mercy on him, and not only on him but also on me, so that I would not have sorrow upon sorrow.
28 Therefore I am sending him all the more eagerly, so that when I see him again you may rejoice, and I may be less anxious.
29 Welcome him in the Lord with great joy, and honor those like him,
30 because he came close to death for the work of Christ, risking his life to make up what was lacking in your service to me.
Philippians Chapter 3
I continue towards the target
1 Finally, brothers and sisters, rejoice in the Lord. It is no trouble for me to write the same things to you again, and it is a safeguard for you.
2 Watch out for those dogs, those evildoers, those mutilators of the flesh.
3 For we are the circumcision, who worship God in the Spirit, who glory in Christ Jesus, and who put no confidence in the flesh—
4 though I myself have reasons for such confidence. If anyone else thinks he has reasons for such confidence, I have more:
5 circumcised on the eighth day, of the people of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of Hebrews; in regard to the law, a Pharisee;
6 as for zeal, persecuting the church; as for righteousness based on the law, faultless.
7 But whatever were gains to me I now consider loss for the sake of Christ.
8 Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ
9 and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which comes through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God that depends on faith—
10 that I may know Christ—yes, to the power of his resurrection and participation in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death,
11 and so, somehow, attaining to the resurrection from the dead.
12 Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already arrived at my goal, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me.
13 Brothers and sisters, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead,
14 I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.
15 All of us, then, who are mature should take this view of things. And if on some point you think differently, that too God will make clear to you.
16 But let us walk by the same rule, by the same mind.
17 Brothers, join in imitating me, and keep your eyes on those who walk according to the example you have in us.
18 For many walk, of whom I have told you often, and now tell you even weeping, that they are the enemies of the cross of Christ:
19 Their end is destruction, their god is their stomach, and their glory is in their shame, their minds set on earthly things.
20 But our citizenship is in heaven, and from it we await a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ,
21 who will transform our lowly body to be like his glorious body, by the power that enables him even to subject all things to himself.
Philippians Chapter 4
Rejoice in the Lord always
1 Therefore, my beloved and longed-for brothers and sisters, my joy and crown, stand firm in the Lord in this way, my beloved.
2 I urge Euodia and Syntyche to be of the same mind in the Lord.
3 Yes, and I urge you also, my true companion, to help these women since they have contended at my side in the cause of the gospel, along with Clement and the rest of my co-workers, whose names are in the book of life.
4 Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice!
5 Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near.
6 Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.
7 And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
Think about this
8 Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.
9 Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me—put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you.
Gifts from the Philippians
10 I rejoiced greatly in the Lord that at last you have revived your concern for me; indeed, you were concerned, but you lacked the opportunity.
11 I am not saying this because I am in need, for I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances.
12 I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want.
13 I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.
14 Yet it was good of you to share in my troubles.
15 And you Philippians yourselves know that in the beginning of the gospel, when I left Macedonia, no church shared with me in the matter of giving and receiving, except you alone;
16 For even in Thessalonica you sent me aid for my needs once and again.
17 Not that I seek the gift itself, but I seek the benefit that accrues to your account.
18 I have received full payment and even have an abundance; I am amply supplied, now that I have received from Epaphroditus the gifts you sent, a fragrant offering, an acceptable sacrifice, pleasing to God.
19 And my God will supply every need of yours according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus.
20 To our God and Father be glory forever and ever. Amen.
Final greetings
21 Greet all the saints in Christ Jesus. The brothers who are with me greet you.
22 All the saints greet you, especially those of Caesar’s household.
23 The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. Amen.