1 Paul and Timothy, servants of Jesus Christ, to all the saints in Christ Jesus who are at Philippi, with the bishops and deacons. 2 Grace and peace to you, from God our Father and from the Lord Jesus Christ. 3 I give thanks to my God, with every remembrance of you, 4 always, in all my prayers, making supplication for all of you with joy, 5 because of your communion in the Gospel of Christ, from the first day even until now. 6 I am confident of this very thing: that he who has begun this good work in you will perfect it, unto the day of Christ Jesus. 7 So then, it is right for me to feel this way about all of you, because I hold you in my heart, and because, in my chains and in the defense and confirmation of the Gospel, you all are partakers of my joy. 8 For God is my witness how, within the heart of Jesus Christ, I long for all of you. 9 And this I pray: that your charity may abound more and more, with knowledge and with all understanding, 10 so that you may be confirmed in what is better, in order that you may be sincere and without offense on the day of Christ: 11 filled with the fruit of justice, through Jesus Christ, in the glory and praise of God. 12 Now, brothers, I want you to know that the things concerning me happened for the advancement of the Gospel, 13 in such a way that my chains have become manifest in Christ in every place of judgment and in all other such places. 14 And many from among the brothers in the Lord, becoming confident through my chains, are now much bolder in speaking the Word of God without fear. 15 Certainly, some do so even because of envy and contention; and others, too, do so because of a good will to preach Christ. 16 Some act out of charity, knowing that I have been appointed for the defense of the Gospel. 17 But others, out of contention, announce Christ insincerely, claiming that their difficulties lift them up to my chains. 18 But what does it matter? As long as, by every means, whether under pretext or in truthfulness, Christ is announced. And about this, I rejoice, and moreover, I will continue to rejoice. 19 For I know that this will bring me to salvation, through your prayers and under the ministration of the Spirit of Jesus Christ, 20 by means of my own expectation and hope. For in nothing shall I be confounded. Instead, with all confidence, now just as always, Christ shall be magnified in my body, whether by life or by death. 21 For to me, to live is Christ, and to die is gain. 22 And while I live in the flesh, for me, there is the fruit of works. But I do not know which I would choose. 23 For I am constrained between the two: having a desire to be dissolved and to be with Christ, which is the far better thing, 24 but then to remain in the flesh is necessary for your sake. 25 And having this confidence, I know that I shall remain and that I shall continue to remain with all of you, for your advancement and for your joy in the faith, 26 so that your rejoicing may abound in Christ Jesus for me, through my return to you again. 27 Only let your behavior be worthy of the Gospel of Christ, so that, whether I return and see you, or whether, being absent, I hear about you, still you may stand firm with one spirit, with one mind, laboring together for the faith of the Gospel. 28 And in nothing be terrified by the adversaries. For what is to them an occasion of perdition, is to you an occasion of salvation, and this is from God. 29 For this has been given to you on behalf of Christ, not only so that you may believe in him, but even so that you may suffer with him, 30 engaging in the same struggle, of a kind which you also have seen in me, and which you now have heard from me.
Philippians · Catholic Public Domain Version
Philippians 1 Catholic Public Domain Version
Audio: World English Bible (WEB), read by Winfred W. Henson · About the recordings
Notes on this text (3)
- Esther and Daniel are the Vulgate books (Esther 1–16 with the Greek additions as chapters 10:4–16; Daniel 1–14 with the Song of the Three, Susanna and Bel). Baruch 6 is the Letter of Jeremiah.
- The translator's footnotes, cross-references, chapter summaries and book introductions in the CrossWire module are not shown.
- No imprimatur; single translator.
People & places in this chapter
From this site's family tree and Bible maps, only where those guides cite this chapter.
Places
Philippi
A Roman colony on the Via Egnatia and the site of Paul's first European converts — a beloved church to which he later wrote from prison.
Cited in the guide: Acts 16:12; Acts 16:25; Philippians 1:1
Cross references (30)
Related passages for each verse, from the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge as collected and ranked by readers at OpenBible.info.
- 1 2 Corinthians 1:1; Acts 16:12–15; Romans 1:1; Colossians 1:1–2; Romans 1:7
- 2 Romans 1:7; 2 Corinthians 1:2; 1 Peter 1:2
- 3 1 Corinthians 1:4; 1 Thessalonians 1:2–3; Philemon 4–5; 2 Timothy 1:3; Ephesians 1:15–16
- 4 1 Thessalonians 1:2; Romans 1:9; 2 John 4; Philippians 2:2; Ephesians 1:14–23
- 5 Philippians 4:14–15; Hebrews 3:14; Philippians 1:7; Philemon 17; 2 Corinthians 8:1
- 6 1 Thessalonians 5:23–24; Philippians 2:13; Ephesians 4:12; Hebrews 13:20–21; Psalm 138:8
- 7 2 Corinthians 7:3; Philippians 1:5; Colossians 4:18; 2 Timothy 2:9; Philippians 4:14
- 8 Romans 1:9; Philippians 4:1; 2 Timothy 1:4; 1 Thessalonians 2:8; Romans 9:1
- 9 1 Thessalonians 3:12; Colossians 1:9; Philemon 6; 2 Peter 1:5–6; Colossians 3:10
- 10 Romans 12:2; 1 Thessalonians 3:13; 1 Thessalonians 5:23; Romans 2:18; Ephesians 5:10
- 11 Hebrews 12:11; John 15:8; John 15:4–5; Galatians 5:22–23; Colossians 1:10
- 12 2 Timothy 2:9; Romans 8:28; Acts 11:19–21; Romans 8:37; Acts 22:1–30
- 13 2 Timothy 2:9; Ephesians 3:1; Philippians 1:7; Philippians 4:22; Ephesians 6:20
- 14 Ephesians 6:19–20; 1 Thessalonians 2:2; Luke 1:74; Colossians 4:4; Philippians 1:7
- 15 Romans 16:17–18; Philippians 2:3; 2 Corinthians 4:5; 1 Peter 5:2–4; 2 Corinthians 11:13
- 16 2 Corinthians 4:1–2; 2 Corinthians 2:17; Philippians 1:10; Philippians 1:12; Psalm 69:26
- 17 Philippians 2:3; 2 Timothy 1:11–12; 1 Corinthians 9:16–17; 2 Timothy 4:6–7; Galatians 2:7–8
- 18 Luke 9:50; Mark 9:38–40; 1 Corinthians 15:11; Philippians 1:14–17; 1 Corinthians 14:15
- 19 Romans 8:28; Acts 16:7; 2 Corinthians 1:11; Galatians 4:6; Romans 8:9
- 20 1 Peter 4:16; 1 Corinthians 6:20; Isaiah 54:4; 1 Thessalonians 5:23; Ephesians 6:19–20
- 21 Galatians 2:20; 2 Corinthians 5:8; 2 Corinthians 5:1; Philippians 1:23; 2 Corinthians 5:6
- 22 1 Peter 4:2; Galatians 2:20; Philippians 1:24; 2 Corinthians 10:3; Psalm 71:18
- 23 2 Corinthians 5:8; Psalm 17:15; Revelation 14:13; Luke 23:43; John 17:24
- 24 Philippians 1:25–26; Philippians 1:22; John 16:7; Acts 20:29–31
- 25 Philippians 2:24; 2 Corinthians 1:24; Ephesians 4:11–13; Romans 15:13; Romans 5:2
- 26 2 Corinthians 1:14; 2 Corinthians 5:12; Philippians 4:4; Philippians 3:3; John 16:24
- 27 Ephesians 4:1; 1 Corinthians 16:13–14; 2 Peter 3:14; 1 Corinthians 1:10; Philippians 2:1–2
- 28 2 Timothy 1:7–8; 2 Thessalonians 1:5–6; Matthew 10:28; Isaiah 51:7; 2 Timothy 2:11–12
- 29 James 1:2; 1 Peter 4:13; Acts 5:41; Romans 5:3; Acts 14:22
- 30 1 Thessalonians 2:2; Acts 16:19–40; 2 Timothy 4:7; Romans 8:35–37; Hebrews 12:4
Cross references: OpenBible.info (CC BY), drawn mainly from the public-domain Treasury of Scripture Knowledge. · Sources & licences
What the Fathers said
Passages from the Church Fathers that expound or quote this chapter, verbatim from the public-domain Schaff edition (19th-century English translations).
How these were chosen
“Commentary” is the opening of a homily or exposition on this chapter (John Chrysostom’s homilies, Augustine’s tractates, sermons and expositions of the Psalms). “Quotes” are sentences where the edition’s own footnotes identify a quotation of a verse here, kept only when the wording matches the verse. Only works whose authorship is not in doubt are used. Psalms follow the Hebrew/English numbering (Augustine numbers them as the Septuagint does: his Psalm 50 is Psalm 51 here).
Here, as writing to those of equal honor, he does not set down his rank of Teacher, but another, and that a great one. And what is that? He calls himself a "servant," and not an Apostle.
Read in context · Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, series 1, vol. 13 (1889)
But the apostle himself also, being one who had been formed in a womb, and had issued thence, wrote to us, and confessed in his Epistle to the Philippians that "to live in the flesh was the fruit of [his] work;" thus expressing himself.
The apostle "desires to depart, and to be with Christ." And, "My soul desired to long for Thy judgments;" or if it is more appropriate to say, "My soul longed to desire Thy judgments." And, "The desire of wisdom bringeth to a kingdom." Yet there has always obtained the usage of understanding desire and concupiscence in a bad sense if …
Read in context · Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, series 1, vol. 2 (1887)
For no child, be he never so virtuous, is so desirable and lovely to a father, as the having our portion in those good things, and "to depart and be with Christ." No doubt hell, and that punishment, is a thing not to be borne.
Read in context · Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, series 1, vol. 10 (1888)
He is called also the Spirit of Christ, as it is written, Searching what or what manner of time the Spirit of Christ which was in them did signify; and again, Through your prayer, and the supply of the Spirit of Jesus Christ.
Read in context · Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, series 2, vol. 7 (1894)