1 This letter comes from Paul and Timothy, servants of Christ Jesus, to all God's people in Christ Jesus living in Philippi, and to the church leaders and assistants. 2 Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. 3 When I think of you I'm so thankful to my God, 4 and I'm always glad to remember all of you in my prayers, 5 because you've been partners with me in spreading the good news right from the beginning up till now. 6 I'm absolutely sure that God who began this good work in you will continue working and bring it to a successful conclusion when Jesus Christ returns. 7 It's appropriate for me to be thinking this way about all of you because you mean so much to me. Whether I'm in prison or out there making the good news clear, all of you share God's grace together with me. 8 God is my witness as to my great affection for every one of you in the caring love of Christ Jesus. 9 My prayer is that your love may grow more and more in knowledge and understanding, 10 so that you can work out what's really important. That way you can be genuine and blameless when Christ returns, 11 filled with the fruits of living right that come through Jesus Christ and give glory and praise to God. 12 I want you to know, my brothers and sisters, that all I've experienced has worked out to move the good news forward! 13 For everyone—including the whole praetorian guard—now knows that I'm in chains for Christ; 14 and because of my chains most of the Christians here have been encouraged to speak God's word boldly and fearlessly! 15 Yes, some speak out of jealousy and rivalry. However, there are those who speak from good motives. 16 They act out of love, because they know that I'm meant to be here to defend the good news. 17 Those others present Christ deceptively because of their selfish ambitions, trying to cause me problems in my imprisonment. 18 But so what? All I care about is that Christ is presented every which way, whether just pretending or whether from true convictions. That's what makes me happy—and I will go on being happy! 19 Why? Because I'm convinced that through your prayers for me, and through the help of the Spirit of Jesus Christ, this will turn out to be my salvation. 20 For it's my strongest hope and expectation not to do anything of which I would be ashamed. Instead it's my bold hope, as always, that even now Christ will be greatly honored through me, whether I live or die. 21 As far as I'm concerned, living is for Christ, and dying brings gain. 22 But if I'm to go on living here and this would be productive work, then I really don't know what's best to choose! 23 For I'm in a dilemma—I really want to leave and be with Christ, which would be far better, 24 and yet to remain physically here is more important as far as you're concerned. 25 Since I'm absolutely sure of this, I know that I'll stay here, remaining with you all to help you as your trust and delight in God grows, 26 so that when I see you again your praise to Christ Jesus may be even greater because of me. 27 Just be sure that the way you live your lives corresponds to the good news of Christ, so that whether I come and see you or not I can get to hear how you're doing—that you stand firm in full agreement with one another, spiritually united as you work together for the trusting faith of the good news. 28 Don't let your enemies scare you. By being brave you will demonstrate to them that they will be lost, but that God himself will save you. 29 For you have been given the privilege not only of trusting in Jesus, but suffering for him as well. 30 You're experiencing the same struggle you saw me having—a struggle I still have, as you now know.
Philippians · Free Bible Version
Philippians 1 Free Bible Version
Audio: World English Bible (WEB), read by Winfred W. Henson · About the recordings
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)