Paul’s Letter to the Philippians

^1:1Paul and Timothy, servants of Jesus Christ;

To all the saints in Christ Jesus who are at Philippi, with the overseers and deacons: ^1:2Grace to you, and peace from God, our Father, and the Lord Jesus Christ. ^1:3I thank my God whenever I remember you, ^1:4always in every request of mine on behalf of you all making my requests with joy, ^1:5for your partnership in furtherance of the Gospel from the first day until now; ^1:6being confident of this very thing, that he who began a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ. ^1:7It is even right for me to think this way on behalf of all of you, because I have you in my heart, because, both in my bonds and in the defense and confirmation of the Gospel, you all are partakers with me of grace. ^1:8For God is my witness, how I long after all of you in the tender mercies of Christ Jesus.

^1:9This I pray, that your love may abound yet more and more in knowledge and all discernment; ^1:10so that you may approve the things that are excellent; that you may be sincere and without offense to the day of Christ; ^1:11being filled with the fruits of righteousness, which are through Jesus Christ, to the glory and praise of God.

^1:12Now I desire to have you know, brothers, that the things which happened to me have turned out rather to the progress of the Gospel; ^1:13so that it became evident to the whole praetorian guard, and to all the rest, that my bonds are in Christ; ^1:14and that most of the brothers in the Lord, being confident through my bonds, are more abundantly bold to speak the word of God without fear. ^1:15Some indeed preach Christ even out of envy and strife, and some also out of good will. ^1:16The former insincerly preach Christ from selfish ambition, thinking that they add affliction to my chains; ^1:17but the latter out of love, knowing that I am appointed for the defense of the Gospel.

^1:18What does it matter? Only that in every way, whether in pretense or in truth, Christ is proclaimed. I rejoice in this, yes, and will rejoice. ^1:19For I know that this will turn out to my salvation, through your supplication and the supply of the Spirit of Jesus Christ, ^1:20according to my earnest expectation and hope, that I will in no way be disappointed, but with all boldness, as always, now also Christ will be magnified in my body, whether by life, or by death. ^1:21For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain. ^1:22But if I live on in the flesh, this will bring fruit from my work; yet I don't make known what I will choose. ^1:23But I am in a dilemma between the two, having the desire to depart and be with Christ, which is far better. ^1:24Yet, to remain in the flesh is more needful for your sake. ^1:25Having this confidence, I know that I will remain, yes, and remain with you all, for your progress and joy in the faith, ^1:26that your rejoicing may abound in Christ Jesus in me through my presence with you again.

^1:27Only let your manner of life be worthy of the Gospel of Christ, that, whether I come and see you or am absent, I may hear of your state, that you stand firm in one spirit, with one soul striving for the faith of the Gospel; ^1:28and in nothing frightened by the adversaries, which is for them a proof of destruction, but to you of salvation, and that from God. ^1:29Because it has been granted to you on behalf of Christ, not only to believe in him, but also to suffer on his behalf, ^1:30having the same conflict which you saw in me, and now hear is in me.

^2:1If there is therefore any exhortation in Christ, if any consolation of love, if any fellowship of the Spirit, if any tender mercies and compassion, ^2:2make my joy full, by being like-minded, having the same love, being of one accord, of one mind; ^2:3doing nothing through rivalry or through conceit, but in humility, each counting others better than himself; ^2:4each of you not just looking to his own things, but each of you also to the things of others.

^2:5Have this in your mind, which was also in Christ Jesus, ^2:6who, existing in the form of God, didn't consider it robbery to be equal with God, ^2:7but emptied himself, taking the form of a servant, being made in the likeness of men. ^2:8And being found in human form, he humbled himself, becoming obedient to death, yes, the death of the cross. ^2:9Therefore God also highly exalted him, and gave to him the name which is above every name; ^2:10that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, those on earth, and those under the earth, ^2:11and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

^2:12So then, my beloved, even 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. ^2:13For it is God who works in you both to will and to work, for his good pleasure. ^2:14Do all things without murmurings and disputes, ^2:15that you may become blameless and harmless, children of God without blemish in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, among whom you are seen as lights in the world, ^2:16holding up the word of life; that I may have something to boast in the day of Christ, that I didn't run in vain nor labor in vain. ^2:17Yes, and if I am poured out on the sacrifice and service of your faith, I rejoice, and rejoice with you all. ^2:18In the same way, you also rejoice, and rejoice with me.

^2:19But I hope in the Lord Jesus to send Timothy to you soon, that I also may be cheered up when I know how you are doing. ^2:20For I have no one else like-minded, who will truly care about you. ^2:21For they all seek their own, not the things of Jesus Christ. ^2:22But you know the proof of him, that, as a child serves a father, so he served with me in furtherance of the Gospel. ^2:23Therefore I hope to send him at once, as soon as I see how it will go with me. ^2:24But I trust in the Lord that I myself also will come shortly. ^2:25But I counted it necessary to send to you Epaphroditus, my brother, fellow worker, fellow soldier, and your apostle and minister to my need; ^2:26since he longed for you all, and was very troubled, because you had heard that he was sick. ^2:27For indeed he was sick, nearly to death, but God had mercy on him; and not on him only, but on me also, that I might not have sorrow on sorrow. ^2:28I have sent him therefore the more diligently, that, when you see him again, you may rejoice, and that I may be the less sorrowful. ^2:29Receive him therefore in the Lord with all joy, and hold such in honor, ^2:30because for the work of Christ he came near to death, risking his life to supply that which was lacking in your service toward me.

^3:1Finally, my brothers, rejoice in the Lord. To write the same things to you, to me indeed is not tiresome, but for you it is safe. ^3:2Beware of the dogs, beware of the evil workers, beware of the false circumcision. ^3:3For we are the circumcision, who worship God in the Spirit, and rejoice in Christ Jesus, and have no confidence in the flesh; ^3:4though I myself might have confidence even in the flesh. If any other man thinks that he has confidence in the flesh, I yet more: ^3:5circumcised the eighth day, of the stock of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of Hebrews; concerning the law, a Pharisee; ^3:6concerning zeal, persecuting the assembly; concerning the righteousness which is in the law, found blameless.

^3:7However, what things were gain to me, these have I counted loss for Christ. ^3:8Yes most assuredly, and I count all things to be loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus, my Lord, for whom I suffered the loss of all things, and count them nothing but refuse, that I may gain Christ ^3:9and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own, that which is of the law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which is from God by faith; ^3:10that I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, becoming conformed to his death; ^3:11if by any means I may attain to the resurrection from the dead. ^3:12Not that I have already obtained, or am already made perfect; but I press on, if it is so that I may take hold of that for which also I was taken hold of by Christ Jesus.

^3:13Brothers, I don't regard myself as yet having taken hold, but one thing I do. Forgetting the things which are behind, and stretching forward to the things which are before, ^3:14I press on toward the goal for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus. ^3:15Let us therefore, as many as are perfect, think this way. If in anything you think otherwise, God will also reveal that to you. ^3:16Nevertheless, to the extent that we have already attained, let us walk by the same rule. Let us be of the same mind. ^3:17Brothers, be imitators together of me, and note those who walk this way, even as you have us for an example. ^3:18For many walk, of whom I told you often, and now tell you even weeping, as the enemies of the cross of Christ, ^3:19whose end is destruction, whose god is the belly, and whose glory is in their shame, who think about earthly things. ^3:20For our citizenship is in heaven, from where we also wait for a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ; ^3:21who will change the body of our humiliation to be conformed to the body of his glory, according to the working by which he is able even to subject all things to himself.

^4:1Therefore, my brothers, beloved and longed for, my joy and crown, so stand firm in the Lord, my beloved. ^4:2I exhort Euodia, and I exhort Syntyche, to think the same way in the Lord. ^4:3Yes, I beg you also, true yoke-fellow, help these women, for they labored with me in the Gospel, with Clement also, and the rest of my fellow workers, whose names are in the book of life. ^4:4Rejoice in the Lord always! Again I will say, Rejoice! ^4:5Let your gentleness be known to all men. The Lord is at hand. ^4:6In nothing be anxious, but in everything, by prayer and petition with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God. ^4:7And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your thoughts in Christ Jesus.

^4:8Finally, brothers, whatever things are true, whatever things are honorable, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report; if there is any virtue, and if there is any praise, think about these things. ^4:9The things which you learned, received, heard, and saw in me: do these things, and the God of peace will be with you. ^4:10But I rejoice in the Lord greatly, that now at length you have revived your thought for me; in which you did indeed take thought, but you lacked opportunity. ^4:11Not that I speak in respect to lack, for I have learned in whatever state I am, to be content in it. ^4:12I know how to be humbled, and I know also how to abound. In everything and in all things I have learned the secret both to be filled and to be hungry, both to abound and to be in need. ^4:13I can do all things through Christ, who strengthens me. ^4:14However you did well that you shared in my affliction. ^4:15You yourselves also know, you Philippians, that in the beginning of the Gospel, when I departed from Macedonia, no assembly shared with me in the matter of giving and receiving but you only. ^4:16For even in Thessalonica you sent once and again to my need. ^4:17Not that I seek for the gift, but I seek for the fruit that increases to your account. ^4:18But I have all things, and abound. I am filled, having received from Epaphroditus the things that came from you, a sweet-smelling fragrance, an acceptable and well-pleasing sacrifice to God. ^4:19My God will supply every need of yours according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus. ^4:20Now to our God and Father be the glory forever and ever! Amen.

^4:21Greet every saint in Christ Jesus. The brothers who are with me greet you. ^4:22All the saints greet you, especially those who are of Caesar's household. ^4:23The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. Amen.

Notes:

[1] back to 1:1 The word translated "overseers" (episkopos) can also be translated superintendents, guardians, curators, or bishops.

[2] back to 1:1 Or, servants

[3] back to 1:5 The word translated "partnership" (koinonia) also means "fellowship" and "sharing."

[4] back to 1:12 The word for "brothers" here and where context allows may also be correctly translated "brothers and sisters" or "siblings."