The Epistle of Paul the Apostle to the
PHILIPPIANS
Greeting
1Paul and Timothy, bondservants of Jesus Christ,
To all the saints in Christ Jesus who are in Philippi, with the 1bishops and adeacons:
2Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
Thankfulness and Prayer
3bI thank my God upon every remembrance of you,
4always in cevery prayer of mine making request for you all with joy,
5dfor your fellowship in the gospel from the first day until now,
6being confident of this very thing, that He who has begun ea good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ;
7just 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.
8For God is my witness, how greatly I long for you all with the affection of Jesus Christ.
9And this I pray, that your love may abound still more and more in knowledge and all discernment,
10that you may approve the things that are excellent, that you may be sincere and without offense till the day of Christ,
11being filled with the fruits of righteousness fwhich are by Jesus Christ, gto the glory and praise of God.
Christ Is Preached
12But I want you to know, brethren, that the things which happened to me have actually turned out for the furtherance of the gospel,
13so that it has become evident hto the whole 2palace guard, and to all the rest, that my chains are in Christ;
14and most of the brethren in the Lord, having become confident by my chains, are much more bold to speak the word without fear.
15Some indeed preach Christ even from envy and strife, and some also from goodwill:
163The former preach Christ from selfish ambition, not sincerely, supposing to add affliction to my chains;
17but the latter out of love, knowing that I am appointed for the defense of the gospel.
18What 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
19For I know that ithis will turn out for my deliverance through your prayer and the supply of the Spirit of Jesus Christ,
20according to my earnest expectation and hope that in nothing I shall be ashamed, but jwith all boldness, as always, so now also Christ will be magnified in my body, whether by life kor by death.
21For to me, to live is Christ, and to die is gain.
22But if I live on in the flesh, this will mean fruit from my labor; yet what I shall choose I 4cannot tell.
235For I am hard-pressed between the two, having a ldesire to depart and be with Christ, which is mfar better.
24Nevertheless to remain in the flesh is more needful for you.
25And being confident of this, I know that I shall remain and continue with you all for your progress and joy of faith,
26that nyour rejoicing for me may be more abundant in Jesus Christ by my coming to you again.
Striving and Suffering for Christ
27Only olet 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, pwith one mind qstriving together for the faith of the gospel,
28and not in any way terrified by your adversaries, which is to them a proof of perdition, but 6to you of salvation, and that from God.
29For to you rit has been granted on behalf of Christ, snot only to believe in Him, but also to tsuffer for His sake,
30uhaving the same conflict vwhich you saw in me and now hear is in me.
Unity Through Humility
1Therefore if there is any 1consolation in Christ, if any comfort of love, if any fellowship of the Spirit, if any aaffection and mercy,
2bfulfill my joy cby being like-minded, having the same love, being of done accord, of one mind.
3eLet nothing be done through selfish ambition or conceit, but fin lowliness of mind let each esteem others better than himself.
4gLet each of you look out not only for his own interests, but also for the interests of hothers.
The Humbled and Exalted Christ
5iLet this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus,
6who, jbeing in the form of God, did not consider it 2robbery to be equal with God,
7kbut 3made Himself of no reputation, taking the form lof a bondservant, and mcoming in the likeness of men.
8And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and nbecame oobedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross.
9pTherefore God also qhas highly exalted Him and rgiven Him the name which is above every name,
10sthat at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth,
11and tthat every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
Light Bearers
12Therefore, my beloved, uas you have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, vwork out your own salvation with wfear and trembling;
13for xit is God who works in you both to will and to do yfor His good pleasure.
14Do all things zwithout 4complaining and adisputing,5
15that you may become blameless and 6harmless, children of God without fault in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, among whom you shine as blights in the world,
16holding fast the word of life, so that cI may rejoice in the day of Christ that dI have not run in vain or labored in evain.
17Yes, and if fI am being poured out as a drink offering on the sacrifice gand service of your faith, hI am glad and rejoice with you all.
18For the same reason you also be glad and rejoice with me.
Timothy Commended
19But I trust in the Lord Jesus to send iTimothy to you shortly, that I also may be encouraged when I know your 7state.
20For I have no one jlike-minded, who will sincerely care for your state.
21For all seek their own, not the things which are of Christ Jesus.
22But you know his proven character, kthat as a son with his father he served with me in the gospel.
23Therefore I hope to send him at once, as soon as I see how it goes with me.
24But I trust in the Lord that I myself shall also come shortly.
Epaphroditus Praised
25Yet I considered it necessary to send to you lEpaphroditus, my brother, fellow worker, and mfellow soldier, nbut your messenger and othe one who ministered to my need;
26psince he was longing for you all, and was distressed because you had heard that he was sick.
27For 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.
28Therefore I sent him the more eagerly, that when you see him again you may rejoice, and I may be less sorrowful.
29Receive him therefore in the Lord with all gladness, and hold such men in esteem;
30because for the work of Christ he came close to death, 8not regarding his life, qto supply what was lacking in your service toward me.
All for Christ
1Finally, my brethren, arejoice in the Lord. For me to write the same things to you is not tedious, but for you it is safe.
2bBeware of dogs, beware of cevil workers, dbeware of the mutilation!
3For we are ethe circumcision, fwho worship 1God in the Spirit, rejoice in Christ Jesus, and have no confidence in the flesh,
4though gI also might have confidence in the flesh. If anyone else thinks he may have confidence in the flesh, I hmore so:
5circumcised the eighth day, of the stock of Israel, iof the tribe of Benjamin, ja Hebrew of the Hebrews; concerning the law, ka Pharisee;
6concerning zeal, lpersecuting the church; concerning the righteousness which is in the law, blameless.
7But mwhat things were gain to me, these I have counted loss for Christ.
8Yet indeed I also count all things loss nfor the excellence of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them as rubbish, that I may gain Christ
9and be found in Him, not having omy own righteousness, which is from the law, but pthat which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which is from God by faith;
10that I may know Him and the qpower of His resurrection, and rthe fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death,
11if, by any means, I may sattain2 to the resurrection from the dead.
Pressing Toward the Goal
12Not that I have already tattained,3 or am already uperfected; but I press on, that I may lay hold of that for which Christ Jesus has also laid hold of me.
13Brethren, I do not count myself to have 4apprehended; but one thing I do, vforgetting those things which are behind and wreaching forward to those things which are ahead,
14xI press toward the goal for the prize of ythe upward call of God in Christ Jesus.
15Therefore let us, as many as are zmature, ahave this mind; and if in anything you think otherwise, bGod will reveal even this to you.
16Nevertheless, to the degree that we have already 5attained, clet us walk dby the same 6rule, let us be of the same mind.
Our Citizenship in Heaven
17Brethren, ejoin in following my example, and note those who so walk, as fyou have us for a pattern.
18For many walk, of whom I have told you often, and now tell you even weeping, that they are gthe enemies of the cross of Christ:
19hwhose end is destruction, iwhose god is their belly, and jwhose glory is in their shame—kwho set their mind on earthly things.
20For lour citizenship is in heaven, mfrom which we also neagerly wait for the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ,
21owho will transform our lowly body that it may be pconformed to His glorious body, qaccording to the working by which He is able even to rsubdue all things to Himself.
Be Anxious for Nothing; Think These Thoughts
1Therefore, my beloved and alonged-for brethren, bmy joy and crown, so cstand fast in the Lord, beloved.
Be United, Joyful, and in Prayer
2I implore Euodia and I implore Syntyche dto be of the same mind in the Lord.
31And I urge you also, true companion, help these women who elabored with me in the gospel, with Clement also, and the rest of my fellow workers, whose names are in fthe Book of Life.
4gRejoice in the Lord always. Again I will say, rejoice!
5Let your 2gentleness be known to all men. hThe Lord is at hand.
6iBe anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with jthanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God;
7and kthe peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.
Meditate on These Things
8Finally, brethren, whatever things are ltrue, whatever things are mnoble, whatever things are njust, owhatever things are pure, whatever things are plovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy—meditate on these things.
9The things which you learned and received and heard and saw in me, these do, and qthe God of peace will be with you.
Philippian Generosity
10But I rejoiced in the Lord greatly that now at last ryour3 care for me has flourished again; though you surely did care, but you lacked opportunity.
11Not that I speak in regard to need, for I have learned in whatever state I am, sto be content:
12tI know how to 4be abased, and I know how to 5abound. Everywhere and in all things I have learned both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need.
13I can do all things uthrough 6Christ who strengthens me.
14Nevertheless you have done well that vyou shared in my distress.
15Now you Philippians know also that in the beginning of the gospel, when I departed from Macedonia, wno church shared with me concerning giving and receiving but you only.
16For even in Thessalonica you sent aid once and again for my necessities.
17Not that I seek the gift, but I seek xthe fruit that abounds to your account.
18Indeed I 7have all and abound. I am full, having received from yEpaphroditus the things sent from you, za sweet-smelling aroma, aan acceptable sacrifice, well pleasing to God.
19And my God bshall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus.
20cNow to our God and Father be glory forever and ever. Amen.
Greeting and Blessing
21Greet every saint in Christ Jesus. The brethren dwho are with me greet you.
22All the saints greet you, but especially those who are of Caesar’s household.
23The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with 8you all. Amen.