1 If there is any encouragement in Christ, if there is any comfort from his love, if there is any fellowship of the Spirit, if there are any tender mercies and compassions, 2 then make my joy full by thinking alike, having the same love, being united in spirit, and having the same purpose. 3 Do nothing out of selfishness or empty conceit. Instead with humility consider others better than yourselves. 4 Each of you should take care not only for your own needs, but also for the needs of others. 5 You should have the same attitude toward one another as was in Christ Jesus. 6 He existed in the form of God, but he did not consider his equality with God as something to hold on to. 7 Instead, he emptied himself by taking the form of a servant, and he was born in the likeness of men. 8 He humbled himself and became obedient to the point of death, even death of a cross! 9 Therefore God also highly exalted him. He gave him the name that is above every name. 10 He did this so that in the name of Jesus every knee should bend, the knees of those in heaven and on earth and under the earth. 11 He did this so that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. 12 So then, my beloved, as you always obey, not only in my presence but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling. 13 For it is God who is working in you both to will and to work for his good pleasure. 14 Do all things without complaining or arguing. 15 Act in this way so that you may become blameless and honest, children of God without blemish. Act in this way so that you may shine as lights in the world, in the middle of a crooked and depraved generation. 16 Hold tightly to the word of life so that I may have reason to glory on the day of Christ. For then I will know that I did not run in vain or labor in vain. 17 But even if I am being poured out as an offering on the sacrifice and service of your faith, I am glad and rejoice with you all. 18 In the same manner you also should be glad and rejoice with me. 19 But I have hope in the Lord Jesus to send Timothy to you soon, so that I may also be encouraged when I know the things about you. 20 For I have no one else with his same attitude, who is truly anxious for you. 21 For they all seek their own interests, not the things of Jesus Christ. 22 But you know his worth, because as a child serves his father, so he served with me in the gospel. 23 So I hope to send him as soon as I see how things will go with me. 24 But I am confident in the Lord that I myself will also come soon. 25 But I think it is necessary to send Epaphroditus back to you. He is my brother and fellow worker and fellow soldier, and your messenger and servant for my needs. 26 For he was very distressed, and he longed to be with you all, because you heard that he was sick. 27 For indeed he was so sick that he almost died. But God had mercy on him, and not on him only, but also on me, so that I might not have sorrow upon sorrow. 28 So it is all the more eagerly that I am sending him, so that when you see him again you may rejoice, and I can be free from anxiety. 29 Welcome Epaphroditus in the Lord with all joy. Honor people like him. 30 For it was for the work of Christ that he came near death. He risked his life to serve me and fill up what you could not do in service to me.
Philippians · Unlocked Literal Bible
Philippians 2 Unlocked Literal Bible
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.
People
Epaphroditus
Paul's brother, coworker, and fellow soldier whom the Philippians sent with a gift; he nearly died of illness.
Cited in the guide: Philippians 2:25; Philippians 4:18
Timothy
A disciple from Lystra with a Greek father and a believing Jewish mother, whom Paul circumcised and took with him as a coworker; he received two letters from Paul.
Cited in the guide: Acts 16:1; 1 Corinthians 4:17; Philippians 2:19
Cross references (30)
Related passages for each verse, from the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge as collected and ranked by readers at OpenBible.info.
- 1 Colossians 3:12; 1 John 4:12; 1 John 4:7–8; 2 Corinthians 13:14; Psalm 133:1
- 2 Romans 12:16; 1 Peter 3:8–9; 1 Corinthians 1:10; 2 Corinthians 13:11; 3 John 4
- 3 Romans 12:10; Galatians 5:26; Ephesians 5:21; Ephesians 4:2; 1 Peter 5:5
- 4 1 Corinthians 10:24; Romans 15:1; James 2:8; 1 Corinthians 13:4–5; 1 Corinthians 10:32–33
- 5 1 John 2:6; Matthew 11:29; 1 Peter 2:21; 1 Peter 4:1; 1 Corinthians 10:33–11:1
- 6 John 5:18; 2 Corinthians 4:4; Hebrews 1:3; John 17:5; Colossians 1:15–16
- 7 2 Corinthians 8:9; Matthew 20:28; John 1:14; Romans 8:3; Isaiah 53:2–3
- 8 John 10:18; Hebrews 12:2; Romans 5:19; 1 Peter 2:24; 1 Peter 3:18
- 9 Revelation 19:16; Matthew 28:18; 1 Peter 3:22; Isaiah 52:13; Hebrews 2:9
- 10 Isaiah 45:23–25; Matthew 28:18; Revelation 5:13–14; Hebrews 1:6; Romans 14:10–11
- 11 1 John 4:15; Romans 14:11; John 13:13; Romans 14:9; 1 John 4:2
- 12 2 Peter 1:5–10; Luke 13:23–24; 1 Corinthians 15:58; Hebrews 4:11; 1 Peter 2:11
- 13 Hebrews 13:21; 2 Corinthians 3:5; 2 Timothy 1:9; Romans 9:16; 1 Corinthians 15:10
- 14 1 Peter 4:9; 1 Corinthians 10:10; James 5:9; Ephesians 4:31–32; Philippians 2:3
- 15 Matthew 5:14–16; 1 Peter 2:12; Matthew 5:45; Isaiah 60:1; 1 John 3:1–3
- 16 1 Corinthians 9:26; Galatians 2:2; 1 John 1:1; 1 Thessalonians 3:5; John 6:68
- 17 2 Timothy 4:6; Hebrews 13:15–16; Romans 15:16; 2 Corinthians 12:15; Romans 12:1
- 18 James 1:2–4; Philippians 4:4; Philippians 3:1; Ephesians 3:13
- 19 1 Corinthians 4:17; 1 Thessalonians 3:6–8; 1 Thessalonians 3:2; Philippians 1:1; Philemon 5–7
- 20 Philippians 2:2; Philippians 2:22; 1 Corinthians 16:10; 1 Samuel 18:3; John 12:6
- 21 1 Corinthians 10:24; 1 Corinthians 10:33; Philippians 2:4; Matthew 16:24; 1 Corinthians 13:5
- 22 1 Corinthians 4:17; 1 Timothy 1:2; 2 Corinthians 2:9; 2 Timothy 1:2; 2 Corinthians 8:22
- 23 Philippians 2:19; 1 Samuel 22:3
- 24 3 John 14; Philemon 22; Philippians 1:25–26; Romans 15:28–29; Philippians 2:19
- 25 Philippians 4:18; Philemon 1–2; Philippians 4:3; 1 Corinthians 3:9; Colossians 1:7
- 26 Philippians 1:8; Isaiah 61:3; Romans 12:15; Proverbs 12:25; Ephesians 3:13
- 27 Psalm 34:19; Philippians 2:30; Acts 9:37; 2 Corinthians 2:7; 1 Corinthians 10:13
- 28 John 16:22; 2 Timothy 1:4; Philippians 2:26–27; Acts 20:38; 2 Corinthians 2:3
- 29 1 Thessalonians 5:12; 1 Corinthians 16:18; 1 Timothy 5:17; Romans 16:2; Matthew 10:40–41
- 30 1 Corinthians 16:17; Philippians 4:10; Acts 20:24; Philippians 4:18; Philippians 2:17
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).
There is nothing better, there is nothing more affectionate, than a spiritual teacher; such an one surpasses the kindness of any natural father. Do but consider, how this blessed one entreats the Philippians concerning the things which were to their own advantage. What says he, in exhorting them concerning concord, that cause of all good things?
Read in context · Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, series 1, vol. 13 (1889)
… in order that to Christ Jesus, our Lord, and God, and Saviour, and King, according to the will of the invisible Father, "every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth, and that every tongue should confess" to Him, and that He should execute just judgment towards all; that He may send …
… name above every name; that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father;" those books have not.
Read in context · Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, series 1, vol. 1 (1886)
how was He of David's seed? how did he "take the form of a servant?" how "was the Word made flesh?" and how saith Paul to the Romans, "Of whom as concerning the flesh Christ came, who is God over all?" Therefore that He was of us, and of our substance, and of the Virgin's womb, is manifest from these …
Read in context · Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, series 1, vol. 10 (1888)
… heaven and on earth is named: glorifying Him with the Only-begotten: for he that denieth the Father, denieth the Son also: and again, He that confesseth the Son, hath the Father also; knowing that Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of God the Father.
Read in context · Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, series 2, vol. 7 (1894)