Get the free app for more features and content.
Download on the App Store Get it on Google Play

1Paul and Timothy, servants of Christ Jesus,

To all the saints in Christ Jesus who are at Philippi, with the bishops and deacons:

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

3I thank my God in all my remembrance of you, 4always in every prayer of mine for you all making my prayer with joy, 5thankful for your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now. 6And I am sure that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ. 7It is right for me to feel thus about you all, because I hold you in my heart, for you are all partakers with me of grace, both in my imprisonment and in the defense and confirmation of the gospel. 8For God is my witness, how I yearn for you all with the affection of Christ Jesus. 9And it is my prayer that your love may abound more and more, with knowledge and all discernment, 10so that you may approve what is excellent, and may be pure and blameless for the day of Christ, 11filled with the fruits of righteousness which come through Jesus Christ, to the glory and praise of God.

12I want you to know, brethren, that what has happened to me has really served to advance the gospel, 13so that it has become known throughout the whole praetorian guard and to all the rest that my imprisonment is for Christ; 14and most of the brethren have been made confident in the Lord because of my imprisonment, and are much more bold to speak the word of God without fear.

15Some indeed preach Christ from envy and rivalry, but others from good will. 16The latter do it out of love, knowing that I am put here for the defense of the gospel; 17the former proclaim Christ out of partisanship, not sincerely but thinking to afflict me in my imprisonment. 18What then? Only that in every way, whether in pretense or in truth, Christ is proclaimed; and in that I rejoice.

19Yes, and I shall rejoice. For I know that through your prayers and the help of the Spirit of Jesus Christ this will turn out for my deliverance, 20as it is my eager expectation and hope that I shall not be at all ashamed, but that with full courage now as always Christ will be honored in my body, whether by life or by death. 21For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain. 22If it is to be life in the flesh, that means fruitful labor for me. Yet which I shall choose I cannot tell. 23I am hard pressed between the two. My desire is to depart and be with Christ, for that is far better. 24But to remain in the flesh is more necessary on your account. 25Convinced of this, I know that I shall remain and continue with you all, for your progress and joy in the faith, 26so that in me you may have ample cause to glory in Christ Jesus, because of my coming to you again.

27Only let your manner of life be worthy of the gospel of Christ, so that whether I come and see you or am absent, I may hear of you that you stand firm in one spirit, with one mind striving side by side for the faith of the gospel, 28and not frightened in anything by your opponents. This is a clear omen to them of their destruction, but of your salvation, and that from God. 29For it has been granted to you that for the sake of Christ you should not only believe in him but also suffer for his sake, 30engaged in the same conflict which you saw and now hear to be mine.

Revised Standard Version of the Bible, copyright © 1946, 1952, and 1971 National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America.
Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

Featured Resources

Is Christian Hedonism in the Bible? Philippians 1:20–26

Is Christian Hedonism in the Bible? Philippians...

Subscribe by email or podcast: https://www.desiringgod.org/labs/is-christian-...

Desiring God

Learn Where Heaven and Earth Overlap

Learn Where Heaven and Earth Overlap

What does the Bible really teach about heaven, and what is heaven’s relations...

BibleProject

Does ‘willful sinning’ threaten my salvation?

Does ‘willful sinning’ threaten my salvation?

Watch more episodes of Honest Answers here: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?...

Southern Seminary

Joanne Jung: Burgers, Wal-Mart and the Gap - Biola University Chapel

Joanne Jung: Burgers, Wal-Mart and the Gap - Bi...

Chapel from September 4, 2009 - Dr. Joanne Jung: Pursuing What Really Matters...

Biola University

Introduction to Philippians

Introduction to Philippians

Dr. Johnny Ramírez-Johnson introduces Philippians by translating some of the ...

Fuller Studio

Paul's Background (Full Lecture) | N.T. Wright

Paul's Background (Full Lecture) | N.T. Wright

Free lecture from "Paul: A Biography". https://ntwrightonline.wpengine.com/p...

N.T. Wright Online

Four Ways to Defend the Gospel: Philippians 1:15-18

Four Ways to Defend the Gospel: Philippians 1:1...

Subscribe by email or podcast: https://www.desiringgod.org/labs/four-ways-to-...

Desiring God

Gospel

Gospel

“Gospel” is one of the most common words in a Christian’s vocabulary. But wha...

BibleProject

Joe Hellerman: Suffering for a Purpose - Biola University Chapel

Joe Hellerman: Suffering for a Purpose - Biola ...

Chapel from September 9, 2009 - Dr. Joe Hellerman: Pursuing What Really Matte...

Biola University

The Happiest Book in the Bible: Philippians 1:18–20

The Happiest Book in the Bible: Philippians 1:1...

Subscribe by email or podcast: https://www.desiringgod.org/labs/the-happiest-...

Desiring God

Explore Philippians 1