This book is a letter that the Apostle Paul wrote to the Christians at Philippi. We call this book

Philippians

1

Philippians 1:1-2

I, Paul, write this letter to all of you who are God’s people at Philippi. May God our Father and Jesus Christ our Lord bless you.

1I, Paul, and Timothy, who is with me, are men who serve Christ Jesus. I am writing this letter to all of you who are pastors and deacons in Philippi city and to the rest of God’s people there who have a close relationship with Christ Jesus. 2We both (OR, I) pray that God, who is our Father, and Jesus Christ, who is our Lord, will continue to be kind to you and will continue to cause you to have inner peace.

I thank God and rejoice because you have been working together with me to make known the good message from when you first believed until now.

Philippians 1:3-8

3I thank my God whenever I think about you. 4Every time [DOU] I pray for you, I joyfully pray [DOU] for all of you. 5I thank God and rejoice because you have been working together with me in order to make known the good message about Christ. You started doing that when you first [MTY] believed it, and you have continued doing it until now. 6I am completely confident that God, who has begun to do in you what is good, (OR, that since God has begun to do in you what is good, he) will continue to do that until he finishes doing it on the day Christ Jesus [MTY] returns. 7During this time that I have been a prisoner [MTY] and during the times I was previously able to defend the good message about Christ and proved/confirmed to others that it is true, all of you have been sharing with me (OR, have helped me) in this work that God kindly gave to me to do. So indeed it is right that I feel joyful about you all, because you are very dear [IDM] to me. 8God can verify that Christ Jesus causes me to love and long for all of you very much, just like Christ loves you.

I pray that God will enable you to know how to love one another more and more appropriately and to completely understand how you should believe and act.

Philippians 1:9-11

9And what I pray for you is that God will enable you to truly know and learn how to love one another more and more in every situation. 10And I pray that he will enable you to completely understand how you should believe and act. I pray this in order that you might be spiritually pure and faultless (OR, completely faultless [DOU]) on the day that Christ returns [MTY], 11and in order that you might conduct your lives [IDM] completely righteously as a result of Jesus Christ enabling you to do so, in order that people will honor God and praise him (OR, people will praise God very much [DOU]).

I want you to realize that as a result of my imprisonment many more people have heard the good message about Christ.

Philippians 1:12-14

12My fellow believers, I want you to know that the troubles I have experienced have not prevented me from proclaiming the good message to people. Instead, these things that I have experienced have enabled even more people to hear the good message about Christ. 13Specifically, all the military guards who are stationed here in Rome and many other [HYP] people in this city [HYP] now know that I am a prisoner [MTY] because I proclaim the good news about Christ. 14Also, most of the believers here now proclaim the message from God more courageously and fearlessly because they trust the Lord more firmly to help them. They trust the Lord more because they have seen how the Lord has helped me while I have been a prisoner [MTY] here.

Even though some believers proclaim the message about Christ because they are antagonistic toward me, at least they are proclaiming Christ, and so I rejoice.

Philippians 1:15-18a

15-16Some people proclaim the message about Christ as I do because they are happy with my work. They proclaim the message about Christ because they love me and because they know that God has placed me here to defend the message about Christ [CHI]. 17Others proclaim the message about Christ because they envy me and oppose me. They proclaim the message about Christ because they have wrong motives. They wrongly assume that because they are causing many people to follow them, I will be jealous, and as a result, I will feel more miserable while I am a prisoner [MTY] here. 18But it does not matter whether people proclaim the message about Christ because they have wrong motives, or whether people proclaim the message about Christ because they have right motives. The important thing in either case is that the message about Christ is being proclaimed {people are proclaiming the message about Christ}. And because of that I rejoice!

I will continue to rejoice because I know that I will remain completely victorious spiritually. I earnestly expect to boldly honor Christ whether I live or die.

Philippians 1:18b-26

Furthermore, I will continue to rejoice, 19because when I experience troubles, I know that some day God will say that he approves of what I have done (OR, that the Roman authorities will set me free). This will happen as a result of your praying for me, and as a result of God’s Spirit, whom Jesus Christ gave me, helping me. 20I know that this will happen because I very confidently expect [DOU] that I will faithfully honor Christ. I expect that like I always have done, Christ will be greatly honored {I will continue now also to very boldly honor Christ} by means of all that I do [SYN, MTY], whether by the way I live or by the way I die.

21As for me, I live in order to honor Christ. But if I die, it will be better for me than if I continue to live, because then I will be with him. 22On the other hand, if I continue to live, that will enable me to continue to serve Christ effectively. As a result, I do not know which to choose. 23That is, I am not sure which of those two I prefer. I long to leave this world and go to be with Christ, because that will be very much better for me. 24Nevertheless, it is more important that I remain alive than that I go to be with Christ because you still need me to help you. 25Since I am convinced of this, I know that I will remain alive and that I will go/come to be with you all. As a result, you will believe in Christ more firmly, and as a result of that, you will rejoice. 26That is, you will be able to rejoice very greatly because of Christ Jesus bringing me to be with you again.

Conduct yourselves just like you learned in the message about Christ, unitedly and fearlessly resisting those who oppose you and the gospel, since God is helping you in all your struggles.

Philippians 1:27-30

27Most importantly, as fellow believers in Christ, conduct yourselves just like you learned you should do when you heard the message about Christ. Do that in order that whether I come and see you, or whether I am away from you and people tell me about you, what I hear or see will make me happy. They will tell me that you are unitedly and cooperatively resisting those who oppose the message about Christ (OR, oppose you). I will know that you are not allowing others to influence you to believe a message that is different from the gospel about Christ. 28And I will know that you are not at all frightened by {afraid of} the people who oppose you. This will show/prove to those people that God will destroy them, but this will show/prove to you that God will save you eternally. It is God who is doing all this. 29Remember that he has not only kindly enabled you to believe in Christ, he has also kindly allowed you to suffer for the sake of Christ. 30As a result, you are having to resist those who oppose the good message, just like you saw that I had to resist such people there in Philippi, and just like you hear that I still have to resist such people here now.

2

Since Christ loves and encourages us and the Holy Spirit fellowships with us, make me completely happy by agreeing with one another, loving one another, and humbly serving one another.

Philippians 2:1-4

1Since Christ encourages us, since he loves us and comforts us, since God’s Spirit fellowships with us, and since Christ is very merciful [DOU] to us, 2make me completely happy by doing the following things: Agree with one another, love one another, be closely united with one another, and live harmoniously with one another [DOU]. 3Never try to selfishly make yourselves more important than others nor boast about what you are doing. Instead, be humble, and in particular, honor one another more than you honor yourselves. 4Each one of you should not only be concerned about your own affairs. Instead, each of you should also be concerned ◄that you help/about the needs of► one another.

You should think just like Christ Jesus thought. He willingly gave up his divine privileges and humbled himself, willingly obeying God although it meant disgracefully dying on a cross. As a result, God exalted him to the highest position, to be acknowledged by the entire universe as the supreme Lord.

Philippians 2:5-11

5You should think/act just like Christ Jesus thought/acted. 6Although he has the same nature as God has, he did not insist on keeping all the privileges of being equal with God. 7Instead, he willingly gave up divine privileges. Specifically, he became a human being and took the attitude of a servant. When he had become a human being, 8he humbled himself even more. Specifically, he obeyed God even to the extent of being willing to die. He was even willing to be nailed to a cross, to die as though he were a criminal. 9As a result, God promoted him to a rank that is above every other rank. 10God did that in order that every being [SYN] in heaven and on earth and under the earth should worship [MTY] Jesus, 11and in order that every person [SYN] should declare that Jesus Christ is Lord. As a result of everyone doing that, they will honor God, his Father.

Since you have always obeyed God, continue to try to do those things which are appropriate for people whom God has saved, and he will enable you to do so.

Philippians 2:12-13

12My dear friends, as you consider this, since you have always obeyed God, each of you should very reverentially [DOU] try to do those things that are proper for people whom God has saved. You should do those things not only when I am with you. Instead, you should try even more to do them now when I am not with you. 13You are able to do these things, since God himself causes you to desire to do what he wants you to do, and he also enables you to do what he wants you to do.

Always obey God and your leaders, and never complain about them or argue with them, in order that you may be perfect children of God, witnessing by how you live and what you say to the ungodly people among whom you live.

Philippians 2:14-16

14Do everything God or your leaders ask you to do. Never complain about what they want you to do, or argue with them. 15Behave like that in order that you may be completely faultless [DOU] and may be perfect children of God [DOU] while you live in the midst of people who are wicked and do very wicked things [DOU]. As you live among them, show them clearly [MET] the way they ought to behave, just like the sun, moon, and stars show the road clearly to us [SIM]. 16Tell them how to have eternal life. I ask that you do that in order that on the day Christ returns I may be able to rejoice [MTY], that I did not labor [DOU] so hard among you in vain.

Because you and I dedicate ourselves together to do God’s will, even if I am to be executed, I will rejoice, and you should also rejoice.

Philippians 2:17-18

17Perhaps the Roman authorities will execute me, and my blood will pour out [MET] as the wine pours out when the priest offers it to God [MET]. For your part, you believe in Christ firmly. As a result, you have given yourselves completely to God in order that you might do what he wills [MET], just like a priest offers a sacrifice completely to God [MET]. Because I dedicate myself wholly to God together with you, even if they are about to execute me, I will greatly rejoice [DOU], because I am giving myself wholly to God, and because you all are giving yourselves wholly to God. 18Similarly, you too should rejoice because you are giving yourselves wholly to God, and you should rejoice because I am giving myself wholly to God.

I confidently expect that the Lord Jesus will enable me to send Timothy to you soon. He genuinely cares for your welfare, not his own interests. I am confident that the Lord will enable me also to come soon.

Philippians 2:19-24

19My relationship with the Lord Jesus leads me to confidently expect that he will enable me to send Timothy to you soon, in order that his telling you the news about me will encourage you. But I also expect that his returning to me and telling me the news about you will encourage me. 20Keep in mind that I have no one else like him who genuinely cares for you. 21All the others whom I have considered that I might send to you are concerned only about their own matters. They are not concerned about what Jesus Christ considers important. 22But you know that Timothy has proved that he serves the Lord and others faithfully. You know that he has served the Lord closely together with me in proclaiming to people the message about Christ as though he were [SIM] my son and I were his own father. 23So then he is the one I confidently expect to send to you as soon as I know what will happen to me. 24And I am confident that I will soon be released {the authorities will soon release me} so that the Lord will enable me also to come/go to you soon.

Since Epaphroditus longs to see you and is distressed, I am sending him back to you. So welcome him very joyfully. Since he nearly died while serving me on your behalf, honor him and all people like him.

Philippians 2:25-30

25I have concluded that it is really necessary that I send Epaphroditus back to you. He is a fellow believer and my fellow worker, and he endures difficulties together with me [MET], just like soldiers endure difficulties together. You sent him to me in order that he might help me when I was needy [EUP]. 26But I have concluded that I must send him back to you because he has been longing to see you all. Furthermore, he has been very distressed because he knows that you heard that he had become sick. 27Indeed, he was so sick that he almost died. However, he did not die. Instead, God pitied him and he also pitied me, and as a result he healed him. God pitied me because he did not want me to be even more sorrowful than I already was. 28So, I am sending him back to you as quickly as possible, in order that you may rejoice when you see him again and in order that I may be less sorrowful than I was. 29-30Welcome him very joyfully just like believers in our Lord Jesus should welcome one another. While he was working for Christ, he was helping me in place of you because you were far away. He knew that he might die as a result of helping me, and truly he nearly did die. So honor him, and honor all those who are like him.

3

As for the other matters, continue to rejoice and know that it is not tiresome for me and it is safe for you to mention them again.

Philippians 3:1

1Now there are other things that I want to write about. My fellow believers, continue to rejoice because you belong to the Lord. Though I will now write to you about those same matters that I mentioned to you before, this is not tiresome for me, and it will protect you from those who would harm you spiritually.

Beware of those unholy people who will harm you spiritually by insisting that you must be circumcised in order to become God’s people.

Philippians 3:2-4a

2Beware of those people who are dangerous [MET] like wild dogs. They are dangerous evildoers [DOU]. Beware of them since they are like people who cut other people’s bodies [MET]. They will harm you spiritually by insisting that you must let someone circumcise you in order for you to become God’s people [MTY, MET]. 3Those people think that they are God’s people because someone has circumcised them. But we, not they, are truly God’s people [MET], whether or not someone has circumcised us. God’s Spirit enables us to [MTY] worship God; we praise Christ Jesus because he has enabled us to become the people of God. We do not believe that God will consider/make us his people as a result of what someone has done to our bodies [MTY, SYN]. 4We do not trust in those rituals to make us acceptable to God, although I could very well do that if it would be useful for me.

Since I was circumcised properly and have a purely Hebrew ancestry, and since I kept the Jewish laws blamelessly, I could rely upon what I have done and who I am better than anyone else could, if it were beneficial for my salvation.

Philippians 3:4b-6

In fact, if I could benefit from it for my salvation, I could rely upon what I have done and who I am [MTY, SYN] more than anyone else could! I will tell you why. 5I was circumcised {Someone circumcised me} when I was one week old. I am from the people of Israel. I am from the tribe of Benjamin. I am completely Hebrew in every way. While I was a member of the Pharisee sect, I strictly obeyed the laws that God gave Moses. 6I was so zealous to make people obey those laws that I caused the people who believe in Christ to suffer because I thought they were trying to abolish those laws. Indeed, as far as my obeying those laws is concerned, no one could have accused me by saying that I had disobeyed any of those laws.

I now consider all these advantages that I once supposed would help me to be worthless, and I consider everything else as well to be worthless, because I want to know Christ, to be united with him, and to be made righteous through trusting in Christ alone.

Philippians 3:7-11

7Nevertheless, all such things as those, which I used to consider to be useful to me, those very things I now consider worthless, because I want to know Christ (OR, in order that I may know Christ). 8More than that, I consider all things to be worthless, compared to how great it is to know Christ Jesus my Lord. Because I want to know him better (OR, In order that I may know him better), I have rejected all things as worthless. I consider them as useless as [MET] rubbish, in order that I may have a close relationship with Christ [MET], 9and in order that I may completely belong to him. It was not as a result of my obeying the laws he gave Moses that God erased the record of my sins. Instead, it is because I have trusted in Christ that God has declared that I am no longer guilty for my sins, and he enables me to act righteously. It is God himself who has erased the record of my sins, and he enables me to act righteously, only because I have trusted in Christ. 10I want to know Christ better and better. Particularly, I want to continually experience his working powerfully in my life, just like God worked powerfully when he caused Christ to become alive after he died. I also want to be continually willing to suffer in order that I may obey God, just like Christ suffered in order that he might obey God. I also want to be completely willing to die for Christ, even as he died for me, 11because I expect that, as a result of God’s goodness, he will cause me to live again after I have died.

Since you desire to be perfected and since you have my example of not considering that I am already perfect, but of constantly striving to become more and more like Christ, follow my example.

Philippians 3:12-16

12I do not claim that I have already become completely like Christ Jesus; that is, I have not already become all that God intends me to be [DOU]. But I earnestly try to become more and more like Christ, because he chose me in order that I might become like him. 13My fellow believers, I certainly do not consider that I have already become completely like Christ. But I am like a runner. A runner does not look backward [MET]. Instead, he leans/stretches forward as he runs straight toward the goal in order that he might win the race and get the prize. Similarly, I do not think about what I have already done. 14Instead, I concentrate only on continuing to become more and more like Christ right up to the end of my life [MET]. As a result, because of my relationship with Christ Jesus, God will call/summon me to receive a reward from him in heaven. 15So, all of us who are spiritually mature should think this same way. If any of you do not think this same way regarding what I have written here, God will reveal that to you. 16What is important is that we must conduct our lives according to what God has already revealed to us.

Imitate me and those who live as I do. Remember that there are many people who are bad examples, as shown by their lustful behavior, wanting to do what their bodies desire. But as for us, Christ will transform our weak bodies to be like his glorious heavenly body.

Philippians 3:17-21

17My fellow believers, all of you should follow my example, and observe those people who act as I do, in order that you may imitate them also. 18Keep in mind that there are many people who say that they believe in Christ, but who act in such a way that shows that they are opposed to the teaching about Christ dying on the cross [MTY]. I have told you about those people many times before, and now I am sad, even crying, as I tell you about them again. 19God will severely punish them. The things their bodies desire [MTY] have become like gods to them [MET]. They are proud of the things they should be ashamed of. They think only about what unbelievers [MTY] think about. 20But remember that we are citizens of heaven. And we eagerly wait for our Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, to return from there. 21By the power that enables him to put everything under his own control, he will change our weak bodies to become like his glorious body.

4

On the basis of all that I have told you, continue to believe firmly in the Lord Jesus Christ according to what I have just taught you, and act accordingly.

Philippians 4:1

1My fellow believers, I love you, and I long for you. You make me happy [MTY], and I am ◄proud of/pleased with► you. Dear friends, on the basis of all that I have told you, continue to believe firmly in the Lord doing what I have just taught you.

I urge Euodia and Syntyche to be reconciled with each other; help them in this since they have both proclaimed the good news faithfully together with me and my other fellow workers.

Philippians 4:2-3

2I urge you(sg), Euodia, and I urge you(sg), Syntyche, to again have a peaceful relationship with each other, because you both have a relationship with the Lord. 3And, my faithful comrade/partner, I request that you (sg) help them to again have a peaceful relationship with each other, because they have faithfully proclaimed the message about Christ together with me, even though many people have opposed us (exc). They have faithfully proclaimed that message together with Clement and the rest of my fellow workers, whose names are in the book in which God has written the names of all those people who will live forever.

The Lord is coming soon. Always rejoice, be gentle to everyone. Do not worry about anything, but pray to God instead. As a result, God will grant you profound peace.

Philippians 4:4-7

4Because you have a relationship with the Lord, always rejoice! I’m saying it again, rejoice! 5Act in such a way that everyone can know that you are gentle. The Lord is coming soon. 6Do not worry about anything. Instead, in every situation, pray to God, tell him what you need, and ask him to help you [DOU]. Also thank him for what he does for you. 7As a result, God will enable you not to worry about anything [MTY] (OR, God will protect your minds in every way) [PRS]. That is, he will cause you to have inner peace because you have a relationship with Christ Jesus. You will not be able to understand [PRS] how you can be so peaceful in such difficult circumstances!!

Continually think about everything that is good and praiseworthy. Continually practice whatever you have learned from me. As a result, God will be with you and give you inner peace.

Philippians 4:8-9

8My fellow believers, there is one more thing I want you to do. Whatever is true, whatever is worthy of respect, whatever is right, whatever is morally pure, whatever is pleasing, whatever is admirable, whatever is good, whatever deserves praise, those are the things that you should continually think about. 9Those things that I have taught you and that you have learned from me, those things that you have heard me say and that you have seen me do, those are the things that you yourselves should continually do. As a result of your doing those things, God, the one who causes us to have inner peace, will ◄be with/bless► you.

I rejoice greatly because you have once again demonstrated your concern for me by giving to meet my needs, though it is true that Christ enables me to be content in every situation.

Philippians 4:10-14

10I rejoice greatly and thank the Lord because now, after some time, by sending money to me you have once again shown that you are concerned about me [EUP]. Indeed, you were concerned about me all the time, but you had no opportunity to show that you were concerned about me. 11I am saying this not because I am concerned that I lack things that I need. In fact, I have learned to be content in whatever situation I am. 12Specifically, I know how to be content when I do not have what I need, and I know how to be content when I have plenty. I have learned how to be content in any and every situation [DOU]. Specifically, I have learned how to be content when I have enough to eat, and I have learned how to be content when I do not have enough to eat. I have learned how to be content when I have plenty [DOU] of what I need, and I have learned how to be content when I lack things. 13I am able ◄to cope with/to handle► every situation because Christ gives me the strength to do that. 14Nevertheless, you did very well by helping me (OR, giving me money) [EUP] while I have been suffering hardship.

You Philippians know that in the early days of preaching the good news in your region you were the only congregation that sent me money. I do not say this because I desire your gifts, but I desire that God would abundantly bless you for aiding me.

Philippians 4:15-17

15My friends there at Philippi, you yourselves know that when I first proclaimed the message about Christ to you, and then left there to go to Macedonia province, you were the only group of believers [LIT] who sent me gifts [EUP] in order that I might proclaim that message to others just like I did for you. 16Even when I was in Thessalonica city, you sent money [EUP] to me two different times [IDM] in order to supply what I needed. 17I say this, not because I desire that you give me money now. Instead, I desire that God will abundantly bless [MET] you as a result of your helping me.

I have received your very generous gift; God is very pleased with this gift, and he will abundantly supply your every need also. Let us praise him forever.

Philippians 4:18-20

18But I have received a very generous gift [EUP] from you, and as a result, I have plenty. I have an abundant supply of what I need because I have received from Epaphroditus the money [EUP] that you sent to me. God considers that your gift is very acceptable, and he is very pleased with it. Your gift is like a nice-smelling sacrifice [MET]. 19Moreover, God, whom I serve, has an unlimited supply of everything that we(inc) need. And as a result, because of your relationship with Christ Jesus, he will completely supply everything that you need. 20So, praise God our Father forever and ever! Amen!

All of God’s people here, including those who serve God with me and those who work at the emperor’s palace, join me in greeting each one of God’s people there.

Philippians 4:21-22

21Greet for me/us(exc) all of God’s people there, that is, all those who have a relationship with Christ Jesus. The fellow believers who serve God together with me here send their greetings to you (OR, say they are thinking fondly of you). 22All of God’s people here send their greetings to you. Especially the fellow believers who work in the palace of the emperor send their greetings to you.

May the Lord Jesus Christ bless you.

Philippians 4:23

23My desire is that our Lord Jesus Christ will continue to act kindly toward you all [SYN].