To the Philippians
Outline of Contents
Chapter 1
	Greetings (1, 2)
	Thanks to God; Paul’s prayer (3-11)
	Good news advances despite trouble (12-20)
	To live is Christ, to die is gain (21-26)
	Behave in manner worthy of the good news (27-30)
Chapter 2
	Christian humility (1-4)
	Christ’s humility and exaltation (5-11)
	Work out your own salvation (12-18)
		Shining as illuminators (15)
	Sending Timothy and Epaphroditus (19-30)
Chapter 3
	Not basing confidence in the flesh (1-11)
		All things loss on account of Christ (7-9)
	Stretching forward to the goal (12-21)
		Citizenship in the heavens (20)
Chapter 4
	Unity, rejoicing, proper thoughts (1-9)
		Do not be anxious over anything (6, 7)
	Appreciation for Philippians’ gifts (10-20)
	Final greetings (21-23)
Chapter 1
1 Paul and Timothy, slaves of Christ Jesus, to all the holy ones in union with Christ Jesus who are in Philippi, along with overseers and ministerial servants:
2 May you have undeserved kindness and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
3 I thank my God always when I remember you 4 in every supplication of mine for all of you. I offer each supplication with joy, 5 because of the contribution you have made to [Or “because of your participation in furthering.”] the good news from the first day until this moment. 6 For I am confident of this very thing, that the one who started a good work in you will bring it to completion until the day of Christ Jesus. 7 It is only right for me to think this regarding all of you, since I have you in my heart, you who are sharers with me in the undeserved kindness both in my prison bonds and in the defending and legally establishing of the good news.
8 For God is my witness of how I am longing for all of you with such tender affection as Christ Jesus has. 9 And this is what I continue praying, that your love may abound still more and more with accurate knowledge and full discernment; 10 that you may make sure of the more important things, so that you may be flawless and not stumbling others up to the day of Christ; 11 and that you may be filled with righteous fruit, which is through Jesus Christ, to God’s glory and praise.
12 Now I want you to know, brothers, that my situation has actually turned out for the advancement of the good news, 13 so that my prison bonds for the sake of Christ have become public knowledge among all the Praetorian Guard and all the rest. 14 Now most of the brothers in the Lord have gained confidence because of my prison bonds, and they are showing all the more courage to speak the word of God fearlessly.
15 True, some are preaching the Christ out of envy and rivalry, but others out of goodwill. 16 The latter are proclaiming the Christ out of love, for they know that I have been appointed to defend the good news; 17 but the former do it out of contentiousness, not with a pure motive, for they are intending to create trouble for me in my prison bonds. 18 With what result? Only that in every way, whether in pretense or in truth, Christ is being proclaimed, and I rejoice over this. In fact, I will also keep on rejoicing, 19 for I know that this will result in my salvation through your supplication and with the support of the spirit of Jesus Christ. 20 This is in harmony with my eager expectation and hope that I will not be ashamed in any respect, but that with all freeness of speech Christ will now, as always before, be magnified by means of my body, whether through life or through death.
21 For in my case, to live is Christ and to die is gain. 22 Now if I am to live on in the flesh, this is a fruitage of my work; yet what I would choose, I do not make known. 23 I am torn between these two things, for I do desire the releasing and the being with Christ, which is, to be sure, far better. 24 However, it is more necessary for me to remain in the flesh for your sakes. 25 So, being confident of this, I know I will remain and continue with all of you for your advancement and your joy in the faith, 26 so that your exultation may overflow in Christ Jesus because of me when I am again present with you.
27 Only behave [Or “carry on as citizens.”] in a manner worthy of the good news about the Christ, so that whether I come and see you or I am absent, I may hear about you and learn that you are standing firm in one spirit, with one soul, [Or “with one accord.”] striving side by side for the faith of the good news, 28 and in no way being frightened by your opponents. This very thing is a proof of destruction for them, but of salvation for you; and this is from God. 29 For you have been given the privilege in behalf of Christ, not only to put your faith in him but also to suffer in his behalf. 30 For you are facing the same struggle that you saw me face, which you now hear that I am still facing.
Chapter 2
1 If, then, there is any encouragement in Christ, if any consolation of love, if any spiritual fellowship, [Literally, “any sharing of spirit.”] if any tender affection and compassion, 2 make my joy full by being of the same mind and having the same love, being completely united, [Or “being joined together in soul.”] having the one thought in mind. 3 Do nothing out of contentiousness or out of egotism, but with humility [Or “lowliness of mind.”] consider others superior to you, 4 as you look out not only for your own interests, but also for the interests of others.
5 Keep this mental attitude in you that was also in Christ Jesus, 6 who, although he was existing in God’s form, did not even consider the idea of trying to be equal to God. 7 No, but he emptied himself and took a slave’s form and became human. [Literally, “came to be in the likeness of men.”] 8 More than that, when he came as a man, [Literally, “when he was found in appearance as a man.”] he humbled himself and became obedient to the point of death, yes, death on a torture stake. [See Glossary.] 9 For this very reason, God exalted him to a superior position and kindly gave him the name that is above every other name, 10 so that in the name of Jesus every knee should bend—of those in heaven and those on earth and those under the ground— 11 and every tongue should openly acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of God the Father.
12 Consequently, my beloved ones, just as you have always obeyed, not only during my presence but now much more readily during my absence, keep working out your own salvation with fear and trembling. 13 For God is the one who for the sake of his good pleasure energizes you, giving you both the desire and the power to act. 14 Keep doing all things free from murmuring and arguments, 15 so that you may come to be blameless and innocent, children of God without a blemish in the midst of a crooked and twisted generation, among whom you are shining as illuminators in the world, 16 keeping a tight grip on the word of life. Then I may have reason for rejoicing in Christ’s day, knowing that I did not run in vain or work hard in vain. 17 However, even if I am being poured out like a drink offering on the sacrifice and the holy service [Or “the public service.”] to which your faith has led you, I am glad and I rejoice with all of you. 18 In the same way, you also should be glad and rejoice with me.
19 Now I am hoping in the Lord Jesus to send Timothy to you shortly, so that I may be encouraged when I receive news about you. 20 For I have no one else of a disposition like his who will genuinely care for your concerns. 21 For all the others are seeking their own interests, not those of Jesus Christ. 22 But you know the proof he gave of himself, that like a child with a father he slaved with me to advance the good news. 23 Therefore, he is the one I am hoping to send just as soon as I see how things turn out for me. 24 Indeed, I am confident in the Lord that I myself will also come soon.
25 But for now I consider it necessary to send to you Epaphroditus, my brother and fellow worker and fellow soldier, and your envoy and personal servant for my need, 26 since he is longing to see all of you and is depressed because you heard he had fallen sick. 27 Indeed, he did fall sick nearly to the point of death; but God had mercy on him, in fact, not only on him but also on me, so that I should not have one grief after another. 28 Therefore, I am sending him with the greatest urgency, so that when you see him you may again rejoice and I may also be less anxious. 29 So give him the customary welcome in the Lord with all joy, and keep holding men of that sort dear, 30 because he nearly died on account of the work of Christ, [Or possibly, “of the Lord’s work.”] risking his life [Or “exposing his soul to danger.”] in order to make up for your not being here to render personal service to me.
Chapter 3
1 Finally, my brothers, continue rejoicing in the Lord. It is not troublesome for me to write the same things to you, and it is for your safety.
2 Look out for the dogs; look out for those who cause injury; look out for those who mutilate the flesh. 3 For we are those with the real circumcision, we who are rendering sacred service by God’s spirit and boasting in Christ Jesus and who do not base our confidence in the flesh, 4 though I, if anyone, do have grounds for confidence in the flesh.
If any other man thinks he has grounds for confidence in the flesh, I have more: 5 circumcised the eighth day, of the nation of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew born from Hebrews; regarding law, a Pharisee; 6 regarding zeal, persecuting the congregation; regarding righteousness based on law, one who proved himself blameless. 7 Yet, the things that were gains to me, I have considered loss [Or possibly, “have willingly abandoned.”] on account of the Christ. 8 What is more, I do indeed also consider all things to be loss on account of the excelling value of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have taken the loss of all things and I consider them as a lot of refuse, [Or “garbage; rubbish.”] that I may gain Christ 9 and be found in union with him, not because of my own righteousness from following the Law, but because of the righteousness that is through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God based on faith. 10 My aim is to know him and the power of his resurrection and to share in his sufferings, submitting myself to a death like his, 11 to see if at all possible I may attain to the earlier resurrection from the dead.
12 Not that I have already received it or am already made perfect, but I am pressing on to see if I may also lay hold on that for which Christ Jesus selected me. [Literally, “laid hold on me.”] 13 Brothers, I do not yet consider myself as having taken hold of it; but one thing is certain: Forgetting the things behind and stretching forward to the things ahead, 14 I am pressing on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God by means of Christ Jesus. 15 Therefore, let those of us who are mature be of this mental attitude, and if you are mentally inclined otherwise in any respect, God will reveal the above attitude to you. 16 At any rate, to the extent we have made progress, let us go on walking orderly in this same course.
17 Unitedly become imitators of me, brothers, and keep your eye on those who are walking in a way that is in harmony with the example we set for you. 18 For there are many—I used to mention them often but now I mention them also with weeping—who are walking as enemies of the torture stake [See Glossary.] of the Christ. 19 Their end is destruction, and their god is their belly, and their glory is really their shame, and they have their minds on earthly things. 20 But our citizenship exists in the heavens, and we are eagerly waiting for a savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ, 21 who will transform our humble body to be like [Literally, “to be conformed to.”] his glorious body by his great power that enables him to subject all things to himself.
Chapter 4
1 Consequently, my brothers whom I love and long for, my joy and crown, stand firm in this way in the Lord, my beloved ones.
2 I urge Euodia and I urge Syntyche to be of the same mind in the Lord. 3 Yes, I request you also, as a true fellow worker, [Literally, “genuine yokefellow.”] to keep assisting these women who have striven [Or “who have struggled hard.”] side by side with me for the good news, along with Clement as well as the rest of my fellow workers, whose names are in the book of life.
4 Always rejoice in the Lord. Again I will say, Rejoice! 5 Let your reasonableness become known to all men. The Lord is near. 6 Do not be anxious over anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication along with thanksgiving, let your petitions be made known to God; 7 and the peace of God that surpasses all understanding will guard your hearts and your mental powers [Or “your minds; your thoughts.”] by means of Christ Jesus.
8 Finally, brothers, whatever things are true, whatever things are of serious concern, whatever things are righteous, whatever things are chaste, [Or “pure.”] whatever things are lovable, whatever things are well-spoken-of, whatever things are virtuous, and whatever things are praiseworthy, continue considering [Or “thinking about; meditating on.”] these things. 9 The things that you learned as well as accepted and heard and saw in connection with me, practice these, and the God of peace will be with you.
10 I rejoice greatly in the Lord that now at last you have renewed your concern for me. Though you were concerned about me, you lacked opportunity to show it. 11 Not that I am saying this because I am in need, for I have learned to be self-sufficient [Or “content.”] regardless of my circumstances. 12 I know how to be low on provisions and how to have an abundance. In everything and in all circumstances I have learned the secret of both how to be full and how to hunger, both how to have an abundance and how to do without. 13 For all things I have the strength through the one who gives me power.
14 Nevertheless, you did well to share with me in my tribulation. 15 In fact, you Philippians also know that after you first learned the good news, when I departed from Macedonia, not a congregation shared with me in the matter of giving and receiving, except you alone; 16 for while I was in Thessalonica, you sent something to me for my need not just once but twice. 17 Not that I am looking for a gift, but I want the fruitage that brings more credit to your account. 18 However, I have everything I need and even more. I am fully supplied, now that I have received from Epaphroditus what you sent, a sweet fragrance, an acceptable sacrifice, well-pleasing to God. 19 In turn my God will fully supply all your need according to his riches in glory by means of Christ Jesus. 20 Now to our God and Father be the glory forever and ever. Amen.
21 Give my greetings to every holy one in union with Christ Jesus. The brothers who are with me send you their greetings. 22 All the holy ones, but especially those of the household of Caesar, send you their greetings.
23 The undeserved kindness of the Lord Jesus Christ be with the spirit you show.