Chapter 1
1Paul and Timothy, slaves of Christ Jesus, to all the saints in Christ Jesus who are in Philippi, with the overseers and deacons: 2Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
3I thank my God at every remembrance of you, 4always praying with joy in my every prayer for all of you 5because of your participation in the gospel from the first day until now. 6For I am confident of this very thing, that He who began a good work among you will continue to complete it until the day of Christ Jesus. 7It is right for me to think this way about all of you, because you have me in your heart, since both in my imprisonment and in the defense and confirmation of the gospel, you are all partners in grace with me. 8For God is my witness, how I long for all of you with the affection of Christ Jesus! 9And this I pray, that your love may abound still more and more in knowledge and all discernment, 10so that you may approve what is best, that you might be pure and blameless for the day of Christ, 11having been filled with the fruit of righteousness which comes through Jesus Christ, to the glory and praise of God.
12I want you to know, brethren, that my situation has really served to advance the gospel, 13so that it has become known throughout the whole praetorian guard, and to all the rest, that I am in chains for Christ, 14and most of the brethren, having become confident in the Lord because of my imprisonment, dare more than ever to speak the word without fear.
15Some, to be sure, preach Christ from envy and rivalry, but others from good will; 16the latter do so out of love, knowing that I am put here for the defense of the gospel; 17but the former proclaim Christ out of selfish ambition, not sincerely, thinking to cause me trouble in my imprisonment. 18What is the result? Only that in every way, whether in pretense or in truth, Christ is being proclaimed, and in this I rejoice.
Yes, and I will rejoice, 19for I know that this will turn out for my deliverance through your prayers and the help of the Spirit of Jesus Christ, 20according to my eager expectation and hope that I will in no way be ashamed, but that with all boldness, even now as always, Christ will be exalted in my body, whether by life or by death. 21For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain. 22But if I am to live on in the flesh, this will mean fruitful labor for me, yet I don’t know which I prefer. 23I am hard-pressed between the two, having the desire to depart and be with Christ, for that is far better, 24but to remain on in the flesh is more necessary for your sake. 25Convinced of this, I know that I will remain and continue with you all for your progress and joy in the faith, 26so that your proud confidence may abound in Christ Jesus because of me, through my coming to you again.
27Only conduct yourselves in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ, so that whether I come and see you or remain absent, I might hear of you that you are standing firm in one spirit, with one mind striving side by side for the faith of the gospel, 28and not being intimidated in any way by your opponents, which is a sign of destruction for them, but of salvation for you, and that too, from God. 29For to you it has been granted for Christ’s sake, not only to believe in Him, but also to suffer for His sake, 30having the same struggle which you saw in me and now hear to be in me.
Chapter 2
1So then, if there is any encouragement in Christ, any comfort from love, any fellowship in the Spirit, any affection or mercy, 2make my joy complete by being of the same mind, having the same love, united in spirit, with one purpose. 3Do nothing from selfish ambition or empty conceit, but in humility of mind, regard one another as more important than yourselves, 4each of you looking out not for your own interests only, but also for the interests of others. 5Have this mind among you which was also in Christ Jesus, 6who, being in very nature God, did not regard equality with God as something to be grasped, 7but emptied Himself, having taken the form of a slave, being made in the likeness of men. 8And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross! 9Therefore, God has exalted Him and gave Him the name which is above every name, 10so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow in heaven and on earth and under the earth, 11and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of God the Father.
12So then, my beloved, just as you have always obeyed, not only in my presence but now much more in my absence, work out your salvation with fear and trembling, 13for it is God who is at work in you, both to will and to work for His good pleasure. 14Do all things without grumbling or arguing, 15so that you might be blameless and pure, children of God without blemish in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world, 16holding fast to the word of life, so I will have reason to boast in the day of Christ, that I did not run in vain nor labor in vain. 17But even if I am being poured out as a drink offering upon the sacrifice and service of your faith, I am glad and rejoice together with you all. 18And in the same way, you also should be glad and rejoice with me.
19But I hope in the Lord Jesus to send Timothy to you soon, so that I too may be encouraged by news of you. 20For I have no one like him, who will genuinely be concerned for your welfare, 21for they all seek after their own interests, not those of Jesus Christ. 22But you know of his proven worth, that like a son with his father, he has served with me in the gospel. 23Therefore I hope to send him as soon as I see how things go with me, 24and I am confident in the Lord that I myself will also come shortly.
25But I thought it necessary to send to you Epaphroditus, my brother and fellow worker and fellow soldier, and your messenger and minister to my need, 26for he was longing for you all and was distressed because you heard that he was ill. 27Indeed he was so ill that he nearly died, but God had mercy on him, and not on him only, but also on me, so that I would not have grief upon grief. 28I am all the more eager to send him, therefore, so that when you see him again you can rejoice and I may be less anxious. 29So receive him in the Lord with all joy, and hold men like him in high regard, 30because he came close to death for the work of Christ, risking his life to complete what was lacking in your service to me.
Chapter 3
1Finally, my brethren, rejoice in the Lord! To write this again is no trouble to me, and it is a safeguard for you.
2Beware of the dogs, beware of the evil workers, beware of those who mutilate the flesh! 3For we are the circumcision, who worship by the Spirit of God, and glory in Christ Jesus and put no confidence in the flesh, 4even though I, too, might have confidence in the flesh. If anyone else thinks he has reason to put confidence in the flesh, I have more: 5circumcised on the eighth day, from the nation of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of Hebrews; as to the law, a Pharisee; 6as to zeal, a persecutor of the church; as to righteousness under the law, blameless. 7But whatever things were gain to me, these I have come to regard as loss for the sake of Christ. 8More than that, I consider all things to be loss compared to the surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and regard them as garbage, in order that I may gain Christ, 9and be found in Him, not having a righteousness of my own from the law, but one that comes through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God based on faith, 10that I may know Him and the power of His resurrection, and share in His sufferings, becoming like Him in His death, 11so that somehow, I might attain to the resurrection from the dead.
12Not that I have already obtained this, or have already been made perfect, but I press on to lay hold of that for which I also was laid hold of by Christ Jesus. 13Brethren, I do not consider myself to have obtained this; but one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and striving forward to what lies ahead, 14I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. 15Therefore let us, as many as are mature,[a] have this attitude; and if in anything you have a different attitude, God will also reveal that to you. 16Only let us continue to walk at the level to which we have already attained.
17Be[b] imitators of me, brethren, and watch carefully those who are walking according to the example you have in us. 18For many, of whom I often told you and now tell you even with tears, walk as enemies of the cross of Christ, 19whose end is destruction, whose god is their belly, and whose glory is in their shame, who set their minds on earthly things. 20But our citizenship is in heaven, from which we also eagerly await a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, 21who will transform our lowly bodies into the likeness of His glorious body, by means of the power that He has even to subject all things to Himself.
Chapter 4
1Therefore, my brethren, whom I love and long for, my joy and crown, in this way stand firm in the Lord, my beloved.
2I urge Euodia and I urge Syntyche to be of the same mind in the Lord. 3Indeed, I ask you too, true companion, help these women who have labored with me in the gospel, together with Clement and the rest of my fellow workers, whose names are in the book of life.
4Rejoice in the Lord always. Again I say, rejoice! 5Let your gentle spirit be known to all men. The Lord is near! 6Be anxious for nothing, but in everything, by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God; 7and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
8Finally, brethren, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence and if there is anything worthy of praise, dwell on these things. 9And what you have learned and received and heard and seen in me, practice these things, and the God of peace will be with you.
10I rejoiced in the Lord greatly that now at last you have revived your concern for me (indeed, you were concerned before, but you had no opportunity). 11Not that I say this because I am in need, for I have learned to be content in any circumstance. 12I know what it is to be in need, and I also know what it is to have abundance. In any and every circumstance I have learned the secret, both of being satisfied and of being hungry, both of having abundance and of being in need. 13I can do all things through Him who strengthens me. 14Nevertheless, you did well to share with me in my affliction. 15And you yourselves also know, Philippians, that at the beginning of my gospel ministry, when I set out from Macedonia, no church shared with me in this matter of giving and receiving except you alone, 16for even in Thessalonica you sent help more than once for my needs. 17Not that I seek the gift itself, but I seek the fruit which is credited to your account. 18For I have received everything and have an abundance; I am amply supplied, having received from Epaphroditus what you sent, a fragrant aroma, and acceptable sacrifice, well-pleasing to God. 19And my God will supply your every need according to the riches of His glory in Christ Jesus. 20Now to our God and Father be glory forever and ever. Amen.
21Greet all the saints in Christ Jesus. The brethren who are with me greet you. 22All the saints greet you, especially those of Caesar’s household.
23The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit.
[a] lit. “perfect”
[b] Or “Become”
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