Greeting

¹ Paul and Timothy, slaves of Christ Jesus, to all the saints in Christ Jesus who are in Philippi, together with the overseers and deacons.

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

Thanksgiving

³ I give thanks to my God upon my every remembrance of you,¹

1. Or “upon your every remembrance of me”

⁴ always in my every prayer for all of you, making the prayer with joy,

⁵ because of your participation in the gospel from the first day until now,

⁶ convinced of this same thing, that the one who began a good work in you will finish it¹ until the day of Christ Jesus,

1. *Here the direct object is supplied from context in the English translation

⁷ just as it is right for me to think this about all of you, because I have you in my heart, since¹ both in my imprisonment and in the defense and confirmation of the gospel all of you are sharers of grace with me.

1. *Here “since” is supplied as a component of the participle (“are”) which is understood as causal

⁸ For God is my witness, that I long for all of you with the affection of Christ Jesus.

Prayer for Spiritual Maturity

⁹ And this I pray: that your love may abound still more and more in knowledge and all discernment,

¹⁰ so that you may approve what is superior, in order that you may be sincere and blameless in¹ the day of Christ,

1. Or “for,” or “until”

¹¹ having been filled with the fruit of righteousness which comes through Jesus Christ to the glory and praise of God.

The Progress of the Gospel

¹² Now I want you to know, brothers, that ⌞my circumstances⌟¹ have happened instead for the progress of the gospel,

1. Literally “the things with me”

¹³ so that my imprisonment in Christ has become known in the whole praetorium¹ and to all the rest,

1. Or “praetorian guard,” or “imperial guard”

¹⁴ and most of the brothers, trusting in the Lord because of my imprisonment, dare even more to speak the word without fear.

¹⁵ Some even because of envy and strife preach Christ, but some also because of good will.

¹⁶ The latter do so from love, knowing that I am appointed for the defense of the gospel.

¹⁷ The former proclaim Christ from selfish ambition, not sincerely, thinking to raise up affliction in my imprisonment.

¹⁸ ⌞What is the result?⌟¹ Only that in every way, whether in pretense or in truth, Christ is proclaimed, and in this I rejoice. But also I will rejoice,

1. Literally “for what”

¹⁹ for I know that this will turn out to me for deliverance through your prayer and the support of the Spirit of Jesus Christ,

²⁰ according to my eager expectation and hope, that I will be put to shame in nothing, but with all boldness, even now as always Christ will be exalted in my body, whether through life or through death.

²¹ For to me to live is Christ and to die is gain.

²² But if it is to live in the flesh, this is fruitful work for me, and which I will prefer I do not know.

²³ But I am hard pressed ⌞between the two options⌟¹, having the desire to depart and to be with Christ, ⌞for this is very much better⌟².

1. Literally “by the two”
2. Literally “for this is more better by much”

²⁴ But to stay on in the flesh is more necessary for your sake.

²⁵ And because I am¹ convinced of this, I know that I will remain and continue with all of you for your progress and joy in the faith,

1. *Here “because” is supplied as a component of the participle (“convinced”) which is understood as causal

²⁶ so that what you can be proud of may increase in Christ Jesus because of me through my return again to you.

Stand Firm for the Gospel

²⁷ Only lead your lives in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ, so that whether I come and see you or am absent I hear ⌞your circumstances⌟¹, that you are standing firm in one spirit, with one soul contending side by side for the faith of the gospel,

1. Literally “the things concerning you”

²⁸ and not letting yourselves be intimidated in anything by your opponents, which is a sign of destruction to them, but of your salvation, and this from God,

²⁹ because to you has been graciously granted on behalf of Christ not only to believe in him, but also to suffer on behalf of him,

³⁰ having the same struggle which you saw in me and now hear about in me.