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Philippians 2

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Christlike Humility 1–4

1
If there be therefore any consolation in Christ, if any comfort of love, if any fellowship of the Spirit, if any bowels and mercies, ​
2
Fulfil ye my joy, that ye be likeminded, having the same love, being of one accord, of one mind. ​
3
Let nothing be done through strife or vainglory; but in lowliness of mind let each esteem other better than themselves. ​
4
Look not every man on his own things, but every man also on the things of others.

The Mind of Christ 5–11

5
Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus: ​
6
Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: ​
7
But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men: ​
8
And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross. ​
9
Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name: ​
10
That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; ​
11
And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. ​

Shining as Lights 12–18

12
Wherefore, my beloved, as ye 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. ​
13
For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure. ​
14
Do all things without murmurings and disputings: ​
15
That ye may be blameless and harmless, the sons of God, without rebuke, in the midst of a crooked and perverse nation, among whom ye shine as lights in the world; ​
16
Holding forth the word of life; that I may rejoice in the day of Christ, that I have not run in vain, neither laboured in vain. ​
17
Yea, and if I be offered upon the sacrifice and service of your faith, I joy, and rejoice with you all. ​
18
For the same cause also do ye joy, and rejoice with me.

Paul’s Plans: Timothy and Epaphroditus 19–30

19
But I trust in the Lord Jesus to send Timotheus shortly unto you, that I also may be of good comfort, when I know your state. ​
20
For I have no man likeminded, who will naturally care for your state. ​
21
For all seek their own, not the things which are Jesus Christ's. ​
22
But ye know the proof of him, that, as a son with the father, he hath served with me in the gospel. ​
23
Him therefore I hope to send presently, so soon as I shall see how it will go with me.
24
But I trust in the Lord that I also myself shall come shortly.
25
Yet I supposed it necessary to send to you Epaphroditus, my brother, and companion in labour, and fellowsoldier, but your messenger, and he that ministered to my wants. ​
26
For he longed after you all, and was full of heaviness, because that ye had heard that he had been sick. ​
27
For indeed he was sick nigh unto death: but God had mercy on him; and not on him only, but on me also, lest I should have sorrow upon sorrow. ​
28
I sent him therefore the more carefully, that, when ye see him again, ye may rejoice, and that I may be the less sorrowful.
29
Receive him therefore in the Lord with all gladness; and hold such in reputation: ​
30
Because for the work of Christ he was nigh unto death, not regarding his life, to supply your lack of service toward me. ​

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

Study Notes for Philippians 2

Verse 1

bowels and mercies — Splanchna are the inward parts, the seat of affection, and oiktirmoi are pities. The pair appears in 'bowels of mercies' (Col 3:12). Four 'ifs' (consolation, love, fellowship, compassion) are set as realities already known, on which the appeal of v.2 rests.

Verse 2

Fulfil ye my joy — The Philippians already give Paul joy; he asks that it be filled up. 'Likeminded' and 'of one mind' are the verb phroneo, to think or set the mind, the word that returns in v.5. 'One accord' is sympsychos, 'together-souled'; compare Rom 15:5.

Verse 3

strife or vainglory — Eritheia is self-seeking rivalry; kenodoxia is glory that is empty (cf. Gal 5:26, 'desirous of vain glory'). Against them stands 'lowliness of mind' (tapeinophrosyne), whose root tapeinos gives the verb 'humbled himself' in v.8.

Verse 5

Let this mind be in you — Phroneo, the same verb as 'likeminded' and 'of one mind' in v.2. The disposition asked of the Philippians is the one 'in Christ Jesus', described in vv.6–8. Christ's own invitation was 'learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart' (Matt 11:29).

Verse 6

the form of God — Morphe, the outward and essential character, the same word as 'the form of a servant' in v.7. Christ 'being' in it (huparcho, existing) did not treat equality with God as something to seize; the Jews had understood that claim of him: 'making himself equal with God' (John 5:18).

Verse 7

made himself of no reputation — Kenoo means literally to empty. He took doulos, a slave's form, and became 'in the likeness of men' (homoioma, the word of Rom 8:3). The emptying is by taking, not by losing: compare 'though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor' (2 Cor 8:9).

Verse 8

the death of the cross — 'Fashion' is schema, outward appearance, 'found' as a man. He 'humbled himself' (tapeinoo, cf. v.3) and was obedient even to the cross, a death under the curse of Deut 21:23: 'being made a curse for us' (Gal 3:13); he 'endured the cross, despising the shame' (Heb 12:2).

Verse 9

highly exalted him — Hyperupsoo, to raise far above, answers the humbling of v.8 ('Wherefore'). It fulfils Isa 52:13, 'he shall be exalted and extolled, and be very high'. The name above every name is given at his exaltation to God's right hand (Eph 1:20–21).

Verse 10

every knee should bow — Taken from Isa 45:23, where the LORD swears 'unto me every knee shall bow'; Paul reads it of Jesus, and in Rom 14:10–11 of the judgment seat of Christ. 'Under the earth' is one word, katachthonios; with heaven and earth it takes in every realm of creatures.

Verse 11

Jesus Christ is Lord — Kyrios, the title the Greek Old Testament gives the LORD. 'Confess' is exomologeo, to acknowledge openly (cf. Isa 45:23, 'every tongue shall swear'). The confession is the believer's mark: 'no man can say that Jesus is the Lord, but by the Holy Ghost' (1 Cor 12:3).

Verse 12

work out your own salvation — Katergazomai, to work through to completion. It is addressed to those who 'have always obeyed', so the salvation is already theirs; the command is to carry it out. 'With fear and trembling' is the reverence of v.13, where God is the one at work.

Verse 13

worketh in you — Energeo occurs twice here: God 'worketh' in believers 'both to will and to do'. The same verb covers the wish and the deed, so the willing too is his gift. 'Good pleasure' is eudokia; compare 'working in you that which is wellpleasing in his sight' (Heb 13:21).

Verse 14

murmurings and disputings — Gongysmos is grumbling, the sin of Israel in the wilderness: 'Neither murmur ye, as some of them also murmured' (1 Cor 10:10). Dialogismos is reasoning or debate, here the questioning of what God has given to do.

Verse 15

a crooked and perverse nation — The words come from Moses' charge against Israel: 'a perverse and crooked generation' (Deut 32:5); Paul applies them to the world around the church. 'Lights' is phoster, a luminary, found elsewhere only in Rev 21:11; compare 'Ye are the light of the world' (Matt 5:14).

Verse 16

the word of life — Epecho can mean to hold forth or to hold fast; either way the Philippians keep the gospel before the world. Paul's ground of rejoicing is 'the day of Christ', and running 'in vain' is his own figure (Gal 2:2: 'run, or had run, in vain'); his labour is vindicated if they stand.

Verse 17

if I be offered — Spendo, to pour out as a drink offering, the libation poured on the sacrifice (Num 28:7). The 'sacrifice' (thusia) is the Philippians' faith, and 'service' is leitourgia, priestly ministry. The same verb marks his later words, 'I am now ready to be offered' (2 Tim 4:6).

Verse 19

Timotheus — Paul names him in the greeting (Phil 1:1) and elsewhere calls him 'my beloved son, and faithful in the Lord' (1 Cor 4:17). His hope is 'in the Lord Jesus': the sending depends on the Lord's will. He is sent that Paul 'may be of good comfort' (eupsucheo) on hearing of them.

Verse 20

likeminded — Isopsuchos, 'equal-souled', found only here in the New Testament; it is not the sympsuchos of v.2 but its near kin. 'Naturally' (gnesios) means genuinely, as a true child. Timothy holds the mind of Christ that vv.2–5 describe, caring (merimnao) for their state.

Verse 21

all seek their own — The contrast to v.4, 'Look not every man on his own things', and to Christ's mind in vv.5–8. 'Their own' is set against 'the things which are Jesus Christ's'; Timothy stands as the example beside Christ, as Epaphroditus does in vv.25–30.

Verse 22

the proof of him — Dokime is tested character. He 'served with me' (douleuo, to serve as a slave, from doulos of v.7) 'as a son with the father'. Paul calls him 'my own son in the faith' (1 Tim 1:2), and the service was 'in the gospel'.

Verse 25

Epaphroditus — Named only in this letter; he brought the Philippians' gift (Phil 4:18). Paul gives three titles: 'brother', 'companion in labour' (synergos) and 'fellowsoldier' (systratiotes, as Archippus in Philem 1:2). 'Messenger' is apostolos, sent one; 'ministered' is leitourgos.

Verse 26

full of heaviness — Ademoneo, to be deeply distressed; it is the word for Christ in Gethsemane, 'very heavy' (Matt 26:37; Mark 14:33). Epaphroditus 'longed after you all' (epipotheo), and his distress was that they had heard of his sickness.

Verse 27

nigh unto death — The illness brought him close to death; Paul credits the recovery to God: 'God had mercy on him', and the mercy reached Paul too. 'Sorrow upon sorrow' (lupe) is grief piled on grief, which the loss of Epaphroditus would have added. The phrase 'nigh unto death' returns in v.30.

Verse 29

in the Lord with all gladness — The reception is to be 'in the Lord' (en Kurio), as believers receive one another. 'Hold such in reputation' is entimos, to count as precious; compare 'acknowledge ye them that are such' (1 Cor 16:18).

Verse 30

not regarding his life — Parabouleuomai, to disregard; the work was 'of Christ' and brought him 'nigh unto death' (cf. v.27). 'Lack' is husterema and 'service' leitourgia, the word of v.17: he made up in person what the Philippians' distance prevented.