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Philippians 1

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Greeting and Salutation 1–2

1
Paul and Timotheus, the servants of Jesus Christ, to all the saints in Christ Jesus which are at Philippi, with the bishops and deacons: ​
2
Grace be unto you, and peace, from God our Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ.

Thanksgiving for the Philippians' Partnership 3–8

3
I thank my God upon every remembrance of you,
4
Always in every prayer of mine for you all making request with joy,
5
For your fellowship in the gospel from the first day until now; ​
6
Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ: ​
7
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 defence and confirmation of the gospel, ye all are partakers of my grace. ​
8
For God is my record, how greatly I long after you all in the bowels of Jesus Christ.

Prayer for Spiritual Discernment and Growth 9–11

9
And this I pray, that your love may abound yet more and more in knowledge and in all judgment; ​
10
That ye may approve things that are excellent; that ye may be sincere and without offence till the day of Christ;
11
Being filled with the fruits of righteousness, which are by Jesus Christ, unto the glory and praise of God.

Paul's Imprisonment Advances the Gospel 12–20

12
But I would ye should understand, brethren, that the things which happened unto me have fallen out rather unto the furtherance of the gospel; ​
13
So that my bonds in Christ are manifest in all the palace, and in all other places; ​
14
And many of the brethren in the Lord, waxing confident by my bonds, are much more bold to speak the word without fear.
15
Some indeed preach Christ even of envy and strife; and some also of good will: ​
16
The one preach Christ of contention, not sincerely, supposing to add affliction to my bonds:
17
But the other of love, knowing that I am set for the defence of the gospel.
18
What then? notwithstanding, every way, whether in pretence, or in truth, Christ is preached; and I therein do rejoice, yea, and will rejoice. ​
19
For I know that this shall turn to my salvation through your prayer, and the supply of the Spirit of Jesus Christ,
20
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 be by life, or by death. ​

To Live Is Christ, To Die Is Gain 21–26

21
For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain. ​
22
But if I live in the flesh, this is the fruit of my labour: yet what I shall choose I wot not.
23
For I am in a strait betwixt two, having a desire to depart, and to be with Christ; which is far better: ​
24
Nevertheless to abide in the flesh is more needful for you.
25
And having this confidence, I know that I shall abide and continue with you all for your furtherance and joy of faith;
26
That your rejoicing may be more abundant in Jesus Christ for me by my coming to you again.

Exhortation to Live Worthy of the Gospel 27–30

27
Only let your conversation be as it becometh the gospel of Christ: that whether I come and see you, or else be absent, I may hear of your affairs, that ye stand fast in one spirit, with one mind striving together for the faith of the gospel; ​
28
And in nothing terrified by your adversaries: which is to them an evident token of perdition, but to you of salvation, and that of God.
29
For unto you it is given in the behalf of Christ, not only to believe on him, but also to suffer for his sake; ​
30
Having the same conflict which ye saw in me, and now hear to be in me. ​

Bible text: King James Version (1769 Blayney text) · Public domain

Study Notes for Philippians 1

Verse 1

the bishops and deacons — Episkopos, overseer, and diakonos, servant. This is the only opening in Paul's letters that names them. The Ephesian 'elders' (Acts 20:17) are told that the Holy Ghost 'hath made you overseers' (20:28), and in Titus 1:5–7 the same office is called both elder and 'bishop'. Paul and Timotheus call themselves douloi, 'servants'.

Verse 5

your fellowship in the gospel — Koinonia, partnership: the Philippians shared in the work itself. 'From the first day' is explained in 4:15, 'in the beginning of the gospel, when I departed from Macedonia, no church communicated with me as concerning giving and receiving, but ye only'. At Philippi the first named hearer was Lydia, 'whose heart the Lord opened' (Acts 16:14).

Verse 6

he which hath begun a good work — Enarchomai, to begin, found only here and in Gal 3:3, 'having begun in the Spirit'. 'Perform' (epiteleo) is to bring to completion. The one who begins is God: 'it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure' (2:13). The completion is held 'until the day of Jesus Christ', the day of v.10.

Verse 7

the defence and confirmation of the gospel — Apologia, a reasoned defence (the word of v.17, 'set for the defence of the gospel'), and bebaiosis, legal confirmation, found elsewhere only in Heb 6:16, 'an oath for confirmation'. The Philippians are 'partakers' (synkoinonos, joint-sharers) of his grace, both 'in my bonds' and in the gospel's defence.

Verse 9

in knowledge and in all judgment — Epignosis, full knowledge, and aisthesis, perception, which occurs only here in the New Testament. The love is to 'abound yet more and more' in both, and v.10 gives the purpose: 'That ye may approve things that are excellent; that ye may be sincere and without offence till the day of Christ'.

Verse 12

the furtherance of the gospel — Prokope, progress, advancement (also v.25 and 1 Tim 4:15). The 'things which happened unto me' are his bonds, reported as gain: 'my bonds in Christ are manifest' (v.13). Acts 28:30–31 records two whole years at Rome in his own hired house, 'preaching the kingdom of God… no man forbidding him'. Cf. 2 Tim 2:9, 'the word of God is not bound'.

Verse 13

in all the palace — Praitorion, the word that is 'common hall' in Matt 27:27, 'judgment hall' in John 18:28 and Acts 23:35, and left as 'Praetorium' in Mark 15:16: a seat of Roman authority. His bonds are known 'in Christ', as being for Christ. The saints at his side send greetings, 'chiefly they that are of Caesar's household' (4:22).

Verse 15

envy and strife — Phthonos, envy, and eris, strife, stand in the list of the works of the flesh in Gal 5:20–21 ('strife… envyings'). Set against them is 'good will' (eudokia). Verses 16–17 divide the two groups by motive: 'contention' against 'love', the latter 'knowing that I am set for the defence of the gospel'.

Verse 18

whether in pretence, or in truth — Prophasis, a pretext, the word of 'a cloke of covetousness' (1 Thess 2:5). Paul's answer is rejoicing: 'I therein do rejoice, yea, and will rejoice'. Chairo, to rejoice, occurs in seven verses of this letter (1:18; 2:17, 18, 28; 3:1; 4:4, 10). What counts for him is that 'Christ is preached'.

Verse 20

earnest expectation — Apokaradokia, intense anticipation, found only here and in Rom 8:19. His hope is that 'in nothing I shall be ashamed', and that Christ 'shall be magnified' (megalunō, the verb of Mary's 'My soul doth magnify the Lord', Luke 1:46) 'in my body, whether it be by life, or by death'.

Verse 21

to live is Christ, and to die is gain — Kerdos, gain, is the word of 3:7, 'what things were gain to me, those I counted loss for Christ'. The first half says what Gal 2:20 says, 'Christ liveth in me', and Col 3:4 names Christ 'our life'. What dying gains is stated in v.23: 'to be with Christ; which is far better'.

Verse 23

in a strait betwixt two — Synecho, to be pressed on every side, the verb of 'how am I straitened till it be accomplished!' (Luke 12:50) and 'the love of Christ constraineth us' (2 Cor 5:14). 'Depart' is analuo, found elsewhere only in Luke 12:36. 'Far better' piles up the comparison; 'to be with Christ' is the 'present with the Lord' of 2 Cor 5:8.

Verse 27

let your conversation be as it becometh the gospel — Politeuomai, to live as a citizen, found only here and in Acts 23:1, 'I have lived in all good conscience before God'. Philippi was 'a colony' (Acts 16:12), and Paul uses the language of citizens for the church. 'Striving together' is synathleo, to contend side by side, found only here and in 4:3.

Verse 29

it is given — Charizomai, to grant as a favour, the verb of grace (charis), also used of forgiveness in Col 2:13, 'having forgiven you all trespasses'. Believing and suffering are both given 'in the behalf of Christ'. The apostles went away 'rejoicing that they were counted worthy to suffer shame for his name' (Acts 5:41); cf. 1 Pet 4:13.

Verse 30

the same conflict — Agon, a contest, the word of the race in Heb 12:1 and of 'I have fought a good fight' (2 Tim 4:7). What they saw in him was at Philippi, where he and Silas were beaten and put 'into the inner prison' (Acts 16:22–24); what they now hear is his present bonds. 1 Thess 2:2 recalls it: 'shamefully entreated, as ye know, at Philippi… much contention'.