1 If, then, any exhortation [is] in Christ, if any comfort of love, if any fellowship of spirit, if any bowels and mercies, 2 fulfil ye my joy, that ye may mind the same thing — having the same love — of one soul — minding the one thing, 3 nothing in rivalry or vain-glory, but in humility of mind one another counting more excellent than yourselves — 4 each not to your own look ye, but each also to the things of others. 5 For, let this mind be in you that [is] also in Christ Jesus, 6 who, being in the form of God, thought [it] not robbery to be equal to God, 7 but did empty himself, the form of a servant having taken, in the likeness of men having been made, 8 and in fashion having been found as a man, he humbled himself, having become obedient unto death — death even of a cross, 9 wherefore, also, God did highly exalt him, and gave to him a name that [is] above every name, 10 that in the name of Jesus every knee may bow — of heavenlies, and earthlies, and what are under the earth — 11 and every tongue may confess that Jesus Christ [is] Lord, to the glory of God the Father. 12 So that, my beloved, as ye always obey, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, with fear and trembling your own salvation work out, 13 for God it is who is working in you both to will and to work for His good pleasure. 14 All things do without murmurings and reasonings, 15 that ye may become blameless and harmless, children of God, unblemished in the midst of a generation crooked and perverse, among whom ye do appear as luminaries in the world, 16 the word of life holding forth, for rejoicing to me in regard to a day of Christ, that not in vain did I run, nor in vain did I labour; 17 but if also I am poured forth upon the sacrifice and service of your faith, I rejoice and joy with you all, 18 because of this do ye also rejoice and joy with me. 19 And I hope, in the Lord Jesus, Timotheus to send quickly to you, that I also may be of good spirit, having known the things concerning you, 20 for I have no one like-minded, who sincerely for the things concerning you will care, 21 for the whole seek their own things, not the things of the Christ Jesus, 22 and the proof of him ye know, that as a child [serveth] a father, with me he did serve in regard to the good news; 23 him, indeed, therefore, I hope to send, when I may see through the things concerning me — immediately; 24 and I trust in the Lord that I myself also shall quickly come. 25 And I thought [it] necessary Epaphroditus — my brother, and fellow-workman, and fellow-soldier, and your apostle and servant to my need — to send unto you, 26 seeing he was longing after you all, and in heaviness, because ye heard that he ailed, 27 for he also ailed nigh to death, but God did deal kindly with him, and not with him only, but also with me, that sorrow upon sorrow I might not have. 28 The more eagerly, therefore, I did send him, that having seen him again ye may rejoice, and I may be the less sorrowful; 29 receive him, therefore, in the Lord, with all joy, and hold such in honour, 30 because on account of the work of the Christ he drew near to death, having hazarded the life that he might fill up your deficiency of service unto me.
Philippians · Young's Literal Translation
Philippians 2 Young's Literal Translation
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)