- Paul and Timothy, the servants of Jesus Christ, to all the saints in Christ Jesus who are at Philippi with the bishops and deacons: Grace be unto you and peace from God our Father and from the Lord Jesus Christ.
- I thank my God upon every remembrance of you, always in every prayer of mine, for the steadfastness of you all, making request with joy for your fellowship in the gospel from the first day until now, being confident of this very thing: that he who has begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ, even as it is meet for me to think this of you all, because I have you in my heart — inasmuch as, both in my bonds and in the defense and confirmation of the gospel, you all are partakers of my grace; for God is my record, how greatly I long after you all in the affection of Jesus Christ. And this I pray: that your love may abound yet more and more in knowledge and in all judgment, that you may approve things that are excellent, that you may be sincere and without offense until the day of Christ, being filled with the fruits of righteousness, which are by Jesus Christ unto the glory and praise of God.
- But I desire that you should understand, brethren, that the things which happened unto me have fallen out rather unto the furtherance of the gospel, so that my bonds in Christ are manifest in all the palace and in all other places. And many of the brethren in the Lord, waxing confident by my bonds, are much more bold to speak the word without fear. Some indeed preach Christ even of envy and strife, and some also of good will. The one preach Christ of contention, not sincerely, supposing to add affliction to my bonds, but the other of love, knowing that I am set for the defense of the gospel. What then? Notwithstanding, every way — whether in pretense or in truth — Christ is preached, and therein I do rejoice, yea, and will rejoice. For I know that this shall turn to my salvation, through your prayer and the supply of the spirit of Jesus Christ, according to my earnest expectation and my hope that in nothing I shall be ashamed, but that with all boldness — as always, so now also — Christ shall be magnified in my body, whether it is by life or by death.
- But if I live in the flesh, you are the fruit of my labor. Yet what I shall choose, I know not; for me, to live is to do the will of Christ, and to die is my gain. Now I am in a tight place between two, having a desire to depart and to be with Christ, which is far better; nevertheless, to continue in the flesh is more needful for you. And having this confidence, I know that I shall abide and continue with you all for your furtherance and joy of faith, that your rejoicing with me may be more abundant in Jesus Christ for my coming to you again.
- Therefore, let your conduct be as becomes the gospel of Christ, that whether I come and see you or else am absent, I may hear of your affairs that you stand fast in one spirit, with one mind, striving together for the faith of the gospel, and in nothing terrified by your adversaries who reject the gospel — which brings on them destruction, but you who receive the gospel, salvation, and that of God. For unto you it is given in behalf of Christ not only to believe on him, but also to suffer for his sake, having the same conflict which you saw in me and now know to be in me.
- If there is therefore any consolation in Christ, if any comfort of love, if any fellowship of the spirit, if any affections and mercies, fulfill my joy, that you be like-minded, having the same love, being of one accord, of one mind. Let nothing be done through strife or vainglory, but in lowliness of mind. Let each esteem the other better than themselves. Look not every man on his own things, but every man also on the things of others.
- Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus, who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God, but made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men. And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross. Wherefore, God also has highly exalted him and given him a name which is 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 every tongue should confess Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
- Wherefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed — not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence — work out your own salvation with fear and trembling; for it is God who works in you, both to desire and to do of his good pleasure. Do all things without murmurings and disputings, that you may be blameless and harmless, the sons of God, without rebuke in the midst of a crooked and perverse nation — among whom you shine as lights in the world, holding forth the word of life — that I may rejoice in the day of Christ that I have not run in vain, neither labored in vain. Yea, and if I am offered a sacrifice upon the service of your faith, I joy and rejoice with you all. For the same cause also do you joy and rejoice with me.
- But I trust in the Lord Jesus to send Timothy shortly unto you, that I also may be of good comfort when I know your state; for I have no man like-minded who will naturally care for your state, for all seek their own, not the things which are Jesus Christ’s. But you know the proof of him, that, as a son with the father, he has served with me in the gospel. Him therefore I hope to send presently, so soon as I shall see how it will go with me. But I trust in the Lord that I also myself shall come shortly.
- Yet I supposed it necessary to send to you Epaphroditus (my brother and companion in labor, and fellow soldier, but your messenger, and he that ministered to my needs), for he longed after you all, and was full of heaviness because you had heard that he had been sick. For indeed he was sick, near unto death; but God had mercy on him, and not on him only, but on me also, lest I should have sorrow upon sorrow. I sent him therefore the more anxiously, that when you see him again you may rejoice, and that I may be the less sorrowful. Receive him therefore in the Lord with all gladness and hold such in reputation, because for the work of Christ he was near unto death, not regarding his life, to supply your lack of service toward me.
- Finally, my brethren, rejoice in the Lord. To write the same things to you, to me indeed is not grievous, and for you it is safe. Beware of dogs, beware of evil workers, beware of those who are merely mutilators of their skin; for we are the circumcised who worship God in the spirit and rejoice in Christ Jesus, and have no confidence in the flesh — though I might also have confidence in the flesh. If any other man thinks that he has whereof he might trust in the flesh, I more: circumcised the eighth day, of the stock of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of the Hebrews; as touching the law, a Pharisee; concerning zeal, persecuting the church; touching the righteousness which is in the law, blameless.
- But what things were gain to me, those I counted as loss for Christ. Yea, doubtless, and I count all things but as loss for the excellence of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things and do count them but dung, that I may win Christ and be found in him — not having my own righteousness which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith — that I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death, if by any means I might attain unto the resurrection of the just (not as though I had already attained, either were already perfect, but I follow after) if that I may lay hold of him who also I am laid hold of — Christ Jesus. Brethren, I count not myself to have laid hold, but this one thing I do: forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forth unto those things which are before, I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God, in Christ Jesus.
- Let us, therefore, as many as are perfect, be thus minded; and if in anything you are otherwise minded, God shall reveal even this unto you. Nevertheless, to what we have already attained, let us walk by the same rule; let us mind the same thing. Brethren, be imitators together of me, and mark them who walk so, as you have us for an example. (For many walk, of whom I have told you often and now tell you, even weeping as the enemies of the cross of Christ, whose end is destruction, whose God is their belly, and who glory in their shame, who mind earthly things.) For our citizenship is in Heaven, from where also we look for the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, who shall change our vile body that it may be fashioned like unto his glorious body, according to the working whereby he is able, even to subdue all things unto himself.
- Therefore, my brethren, dearly beloved and longed for, my joy and crown, so stand fast in the Lord, my dearly beloved. I implore Euodias and implore Syntyche that they be of the same mind in the Lord. And I entreat you also, true fellow yoke-bearer, help those women who labored with me in the gospel, with Clement also and with my other fellow laborers whose names are in the Book of Life.
- Rejoice in the Lord always, and again I say, rejoice. Let your moderation be known unto all men. The Lord is at hand. Be afflicted for nothing, but in everything, by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known unto God, and the peace of God which passes all understanding shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are honorable, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report — if there is any virtue and if there is any praise — think on these things. Those things which you have both learned and received, and heard and seen in me, do, and the God of peace shall be with you.
- But I rejoiced in the Lord greatly that now, at the last, your care of me has flourished again, wherein you were also anxious, but you lacked opportunity — not that I speak in respect of lack, for I have learned, in whatever state I am, to be content with it. I know both how to be abased and I know how to abound. Everywhere and in all things I am instructed both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need. I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me. Notwithstanding, you have well done, that you did share in my affliction.
- Now you Philippians know also that in the beginning of the gospel, when I departed from Macedonia, no church shared with me as concerning giving and receiving but you only, for even in Thessalonica you sent once and again unto my necessity — not because I desire a gift, but I desire fruit that may abound to your account. But I have all and abound. I am full, having received of Epaphroditus the things which were sent from you, an odor of a sweet smell, a sacrifice acceptable, well-pleasing to God. But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus. Now unto God and our Father be glory for ever and ever. Amen.
- Salute every saint in Christ Jesus. The brethren who are with me greet you. All the saints salute you, chiefly they that are of Caesar’s household. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. Amen.
THE EPISTLE TO THE PHILIPPIANS
It was written to the Philippians, from Rome, by Epaphroditus.