Greeting

1 Paul and Timothy, servants¹ of Christ Jesus,

To all the saints in Christ Jesus who are at Philippi, with the overseers² and deacons:³

2 Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

Thanksgiving and Prayer

3 ^aI thank my God in all my ^bremembrance of you, 4 always in every prayer of mine for you all making my prayer with ^cjoy, 5 because of ^dyour partnership in the gospel ^efrom the first day until now. 6 And I am sure of this, that ^fhe who began a good work in you ^gwill bring it to completion at the ^hday of Jesus Christ. 7 It is right for me to feel this way about you all, because I hold you ⁱin my heart, for you are all partakers with me of grace,⁴ both in my ^jimprisonment and in the ^kdefense and confirmation of the gospel. 8 For ^lGod is my witness, how I yearn for you all with the affection of Christ Jesus. 9 And it is my prayer that ^myour love may abound more and more, with ⁿknowledge and all discernment, 10 so that you may ^oapprove what is excellent, and so be pure and blameless for the day of Christ, 11 filled with the ^pfruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ, ^qto the glory and praise of God.

The Advance of the Gospel

12 I want you to know, brothers,⁵ that what has happened to me ^rhas really served to advance the gospel, 13 so that it has become known ^sthroughout the whole imperial guard⁶ and to all the rest that my imprisonment is for Christ. 14 And most of the brothers, having become confident in the Lord by my imprisonment, are much more bold to speak the word⁷ without fear.

15 ^tSome indeed preach Christ from envy and rivalry, but others from good will. 16 The latter do it out of love, knowing that I am put here for the defense of the gospel. 17 The former proclaim Christ out of selfish ambition, not sincerely but thinking to afflict me in my imprisonment. 18 What then? ^uOnly that in every way, whether in pretense or in truth, Christ is proclaimed, and in that I rejoice.

To Live Is Christ

Yes, and I will rejoice, 19 for I know that ^vthrough your prayers and the help of the ^wSpirit of Jesus Christ ^xthis will turn out for my deliverance, 20 as it is my eager expectation and ^yhope that I will not be at all ashamed, but that with full ^zcourage now as always Christ will be ^ahonored in my body, whether by life or by death. 21 ^bFor to me to live is Christ, and to die is ^cgain. 22 ^dIf I am to live in the flesh, that means ^efruitful labor for me. Yet which I shall choose I cannot tell. 23 I am hard pressed between the two. ^fMy desire is to ^gdepart and be with Christ, for that is far better. 24 But to remain in the flesh is more necessary on your account. 25 ^hConvinced of this, I know that I will remain and continue with you all, for your ⁱprogress and joy in the faith, 26 so that ^jin me you may have ample cause to glory in Christ Jesus, because of my coming to you again.

27 Only ^klet your manner of life be worthy⁸ of the gospel of Christ, so that ^lwhether I come and see you or am absent, I may hear of you that you are ^mstanding firm in one spirit, ⁿwith one mind ^ostriving side by side for the faith of the gospel, 28 and not frightened in anything by your opponents. This is a ^pclear sign to them of their destruction, but of your salvation, and that from God. 29 For ^qit has been granted to you that for the sake of Christ you should not only believe in him but also suffer for his sake, 30 engaged in the same conflict ^rthat you saw I had and now hear that I still have.

Christ’s Example of Humility

1 So if there is any encouragement in Christ, any comfort from love, any ^sparticipation in the Spirit, any affection and sympathy, 2 ^tcomplete my joy by ^ubeing of the same mind, having the same love, being in full accord and of one mind. 3 Do nothing from ^vselfish ambition or ^wconceit, ^xbut in ^yhumility count others more significant than yourselves. 4 ^zLet each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others. 5 ^aHave this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus,⁹ 6 ^bwho, ^cthough ^dhe was in the form of God, ^edid not count ^fequality with God a thing to be grasped,¹⁰ 7 but ^gemptied himself, by taking the form of a servant,^{11 h}being born ⁱin the likeness of men. 8 And being found in human form, he ^jhumbled himself by becoming ^kobedient to the point of death, ^leven death on a cross. 9 ^mTherefore God has highly ⁿexalted him and bestowed on him the name that is ^oabove every name, 10 so that at the ^pname of Jesus ^qevery knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, 11 and every tongue ^rconfess that ^sJesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

Lights in the World

12 Therefore, my beloved, ^tas you have always obeyed, so now, not only as in my presence but much more in my absence, ^uwork out your own salvation with fear and trembling, 13 for it is God who ^vworks in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure.

14 Do all things ^wwithout grumbling or ^xdisputing, 15 that you may be blameless and innocent, children of God without blemish in the midst of a ^ycrooked and twisted generation, among whom you shine as ^zlights in the world, 16 holding fast to the ^aword of life, so that in the day of Christ ^bI may be proud that I did not ^crun ^din vain or labor in vain. 17 ^eEven if I am to be poured out as a drink offering upon the sacrificial offering of your faith, ^fI am glad and ^grejoice with you all. 18 Likewise you also should be glad and rejoice with me.

Timothy and Epaphroditus

19 ^hI hope in the Lord Jesus ⁱto send Timothy to you soon, so that I too may be cheered by news of you. 20 For I have no one like him, who will be genuinely concerned for your welfare. 21 For they all seek their own interests, not those of Jesus Christ. 22 But you know Timothy’s¹² proven worth, how as a ^json¹³ with a father ^khe has served with me in the gospel. 23 I hope therefore to send him just as soon as I see how it will go with me, 24 and ^lI trust in the Lord that shortly I myself will come also.

25 I have thought it necessary to send to you Epaphroditus my brother and fellow worker and ^mfellow soldier, and your messenger and minister to my need, 26 for he has been longing for you all and has been distressed because you heard that he was ill. 27 Indeed he was ill, near to death. But God had mercy on him, and not only on him but on me also, lest I should have sorrow upon sorrow. 28 I am the more eager to send him, therefore, that you may rejoice at seeing him again, and that I may be less anxious. 29 So ⁿreceive him in the Lord with all joy, and ^ohonor such men, 30 for he ^pnearly died¹⁴ for the work of Christ, risking his life ^qto complete what was lacking in your service to me.

The Lord Is in His Holy Temple

To the choirmaster. Of David.