Philippians 1

¹Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, and Timothy our brother, To the church of God in Corinth, together with all the saints throughout Achaia:

¹²From there we went to the Roman colony of Philippi, the leading city of that district of Macedonia. And we stayed there several days.

¹³On the Sabbath we went outside the city gate along the river, where it was customary to find a place of prayer. After sitting down, we spoke to the women who had gathered there.

¹Paul, a servant of Christ Jesus, called to be an apostle, and set apart for the gospel of God—

¹Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, and Timothy our brother,

²To the saints and faithful brothers in Christ at Colossae: Grace and peace to you from God our Father.

⁷To all in Rome who are loved by God and called to be saints: Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

¹Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, To the saints in Ephesus, the faithful in Christ Jesus:

⁷To all in Rome who are loved by God and called to be saints: Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

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

²according to the foreknowledge of God the Father and sanctified by the Spirit for obedience to Jesus Christ and sprinkling by His blood: Grace and peace be yours in abundance.

⁴I always thank my God for you because of the grace He has given you in Christ Jesus.

²We always thank God for all of you, remembering you in our prayers

³and continually recalling before our God and Father your work of faith, your labor of love, and your enduring hope in our Lord Jesus Christ.

⁴I always thank my God, remembering you in my prayers,

⁵because I hear about your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for all the saints.

³I thank God, whom I serve with a clear conscience as did my forefathers, as I constantly remember you night and day in my prayers.

¹⁵For this reason, ever since I heard about your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for all the saints,

¹⁶I have not stopped giving thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers,

³We always thank God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, when we pray for you,

⁴because we have heard about your faith in Christ Jesus and your love for all the saints—

²We always thank God for all of you, remembering you in our prayers

⁹God, whom I serve with my spirit in preaching the gospel of His Son, is my witness how constantly I remember you

⁴I was overjoyed to find some of your children walking in the truth, just as the Father has commanded us.

²then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being united in spirit and purpose.

¹⁴who is the pledge of our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God’s possession, to the praise of His glory.

¹⁵For this reason, ever since I heard about your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for all the saints,

¹⁹After all, who is our hope, our joy, our crown of boasting, if it is not you yourselves in the presence of our Lord Jesus at His coming?

²⁰You are indeed our glory and our joy.

¹⁴Nevertheless, you have done well to share in my affliction.

¹⁵And as you Philippians know, in the early days of the gospel, when I left Macedonia, no church but you partnered with me in the matter of giving and receiving.

¹⁴We have come to share in Christ if we hold firmly to the end the assurance we had at first.

⁷It is right for me to feel this way about all of you, since I have you in my heart. For in my chains and in my defense and confirmation of the gospel, you are all partners in grace with me.

¹⁷So if you consider me a partner, receive him as you would receive me.

¹Now, brothers, we want you to know about the grace that God has given the churches of Macedonia.

¹²From there we went to the Roman colony of Philippi, the leading city of that district of Macedonia. And we stayed there several days.

¹³On the Sabbath we went outside the city gate along the river, where it was customary to find a place of prayer. After sitting down, we spoke to the women who had gathered there.

²³Now may the God of peace Himself sanctify you completely, and may your entire spirit, soul, and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.

²⁴The One who calls you is faithful, and He will do it.

¹³For it is God who works in you to will and to act on behalf of His good purpose.

¹²to equip the saints for works of ministry and to build up the body of Christ,

²⁰Now may the God of peace, who through the blood of the eternal covenant brought back from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great Shepherd of the sheep,

²¹equip you with every good thing to do His will. And may He accomplish in us what is pleasing in His sight through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen.

⁸The Lord will fulfill His purpose for me. O Lord, Your loving devotion endures forever—do not abandon the works of Your hands.

¹⁰And after you have suffered for a little while, the God of all grace, who has called you to His eternal glory in Christ, will Himself restore you, secure you, strengthen you, and establish you.

³I do not say this to condemn you. I have said before that you so occupy our hearts that we live and die together with you.

⁵because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now,

¹⁸This greeting is in my own hand—Paul. Remember my chains. Grace be with you.

⁹for which I suffer to the extent of being chained like a criminal. But the word of God cannot be chained!

¹⁴Nevertheless, you have done well to share in my affliction.

²³And after striking them with many blows, they threw them into prison and ordered the jailer to guard them securely.

²⁴On receiving this order, he placed them in the inner cell and fastened their feet in the stocks.

⁹God, whom I serve with my spirit in preaching the gospel of His Son, is my witness how constantly I remember you

¹Therefore, my brothers, whom I love and long for, my joy and crown, that is how you must stand firm in the Lord, my beloved.

⁴Recalling your tears, I long to see you so that I may be filled with joy.

⁸We cared so deeply that we were delighted to share with you not only the gospel of God, but our own lives as well. That is how beloved you have become to us.

¹I speak the truth in Christ; I am not lying, as confirmed by my conscience in the Holy Spirit.

¹For I want you to know how much I am struggling for you and for those at Laodicea, and for all who have not met me face to face,

¹²And may the Lord cause you to increase and overflow with love for one another and for everyone else, just as our love for you overflows,

⁹For this reason, since the day we heard about you, we have not stopped praying for you and asking God to fill you with the knowledge of His will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding,

⁶I pray that your partnership in the faith may become effective as you fully acknowledge every good thing that is ours in Christ.

⁵For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith virtue; and to virtue, knowledge;

⁶and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness;

¹⁰and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge in the image of its Creator.

⁹Now about brotherly love, you do not need anyone to write to you, because you yourselves have been taught by God to love one another.

¹⁰And you are indeed showing this love to all the brothers throughout Macedonia. But we urge you, brothers, to excel more and more

²Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what is the good, pleasing, and perfect will of God.

¹³so that He may establish your hearts in blamelessness and holiness before our God and Father at the coming of our Lord Jesus with all His saints. Amen.

²³Now may the God of peace Himself sanctify you completely, and may your entire spirit, soul, and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.

¹⁸if you know His will and approve of what is superior because you are instructed by the law;

¹⁰Test and prove what pleases the Lord.

¹Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God. For many false prophets have gone out into the world.

¹¹No discipline seems enjoyable at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it yields a harvest of righteousness and peace to those who have been trained by it.

⁸This is to My Father’s glory, that you bear much fruit, proving yourselves to be My disciples.

⁴Remain in Me, and I will remain in you. Just as no branch can bear fruit by itself unless it remains in the vine, neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in Me.

⁵I am the vine and you are the branches. The one who remains in Me, and I in him, will bear much fruit. For apart from Me you can do nothing.

²²But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,

²³gentleness, and self-control. Against such things there is no law.

¹⁰so that you may walk in a manner worthy of the Lord and may please Him in every way: bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God,

²²But now that you have been set free from sin and have become slaves to God, the fruit you reap leads to holiness, and the outcome is eternal life.

⁹for which I suffer to the extent of being chained like a criminal. But the word of God cannot be chained!

²⁸And we know that God works all things together for the good of those who love Him, who are called according to His purpose.

¹⁹Meanwhile those scattered by the persecution that began with Stephen traveled as far as Phoenicia, Cyprus, and Antioch, speaking the message only to Jews.

²⁰But some of them, men from Cyprus and Cyrene, went to Antioch and began speaking to the Greeks as well, proclaiming the good news about the Lord Jesus.

³⁷No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us.

¹“Brothers and fathers, listen now to my defense before you.”

²When they heard him speak to them in Hebrew, they became even more quiet. Then Paul declared,

⁴Those who had been scattered preached the word wherever they went.

⁹for which I suffer to the extent of being chained like a criminal. But the word of God cannot be chained!

¹For this reason I, Paul, the prisoner of Christ Jesus for the sake of you Gentiles...

⁷It is right for me to feel this way about all of you, since I have you in my heart. For in my chains and in my defense and confirmation of the gospel, you are all partners in grace with me.

²²All the saints send you greetings, especially those from the household of Caesar.

²⁰for which I am an ambassador in chains. Pray that I may proclaim it fearlessly, as I should.

²⁹“Short time or long,” Paul replied, “I wish to God that not only you but all who hear me this day may become what I am, except for these chains.”

¹⁹Pray also for me, that whenever I open my mouth, words may be given me so that I will boldly make known the mystery of the gospel,

²⁰for which I am an ambassador in chains. Pray that I may proclaim it fearlessly, as I should.

²As you are aware, we had already endured suffering and shameful treatment in Philippi. But in the face of strong opposition, we were bold in our God to speak to you the gospel of God.

⁷⁴deliverance from hostile hands, that we may serve Him without fear,

⁴Pray that I may declare it clearly, as I should.

⁷It is right for me to feel this way about all of you, since I have you in my heart. For in my chains and in my defense and confirmation of the gospel, you are all partners in grace with me.

⁷Tychicus will tell you all the news about me. He is a beloved brother, a faithful minister, and a fellow servant in the Lord.

¹⁷Now I urge you, brothers, to watch out for those who create divisions and obstacles that are contrary to the teaching you have learned. Turn away from them.

¹⁸For such people are not serving our Lord Christ, but their own appetites. By smooth talk and flattery they deceive the hearts of the naive.

³Do nothing out of selfish ambition or empty pride, but in humility consider others more important than yourselves.

⁵For we do not proclaim ourselves, but Jesus Christ as Lord, and ourselves as your servants for Jesus’ sake.

²Be shepherds of God’s flock that is among you, watching over them not out of compulsion, but willingly, as God would have you; not out of greed, but out of eagerness;

³not lording it over those entrusted to you, but being examples to the flock.

¹³For such men are false apostles, deceitful workers, masquerading as apostles of Christ.

³for you are still worldly. For since there is jealousy and dissension among you, are you not worldly? Are you not walking in the way of man?

⁴For when one of you says, “I follow Paul,” and another, “I follow Apollos,” are you not mere men?

¹Therefore, since God in His mercy has given us this ministry, we do not lose heart.

²Instead, we have renounced secret and shameful ways. We do not practice deceit, nor do we distort the word of God. On the contrary, by open proclamation of the truth, we commend ourselves to every man’s conscience in the sight of God.

¹⁷For we are not like so many others, who peddle the word of God for profit. On the contrary, in Christ we speak before God with sincerity, as men sent from God.

¹⁰so that you may be able to test and prove what is best and may be pure and blameless for the day of Christ,

¹²Now I want you to know, brothers, that my circumstances have actually served to advance the gospel.

²⁶For they persecute the one You struck and recount the pain of those You wounded.

⁷It is right for me to feel this way about all of you, since I have you in my heart. For in my chains and in my defense and confirmation of the gospel, you are all partners in grace with me.

³Do nothing out of selfish ambition or empty pride, but in humility consider others more important than yourselves.

¹¹to which I was appointed as a preacher, an apostle, and a teacher.

¹²For this reason, even though I suffer as I do, I am not ashamed; for I know whom I have believed, and I am convinced that He is able to guard what I have entrusted to Him for that day.

¹⁶Yet when I preach the gospel, I have no reason to boast, because I am obligated to preach. Woe to me if I do not preach the gospel!

¹⁷If my preaching is voluntary, I have a reward. But if it is not voluntary, I am still entrusted with a responsibility.

⁶For I am already being poured out like a drink offering, and the time of my departure is at hand.

⁷I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.

⁷On the contrary, they saw that I had been entrusted to preach the gospel to the uncircumcised, just as Peter had been to the circumcised.

⁸For the One who was at work in Peter’s apostleship to the circumcised was also at work in my apostleship to the Gentiles.

¹⁴So make up your mind not to worry beforehand how to defend yourselves.

⁵⁰“Do not stop him,” Jesus replied, “for whoever is not against you is for you.”

³⁸John said to Him, “Teacher, we saw someone else driving out demons in Your name, and we tried to stop him, because he does not accompany us.”

³⁹“Do not stop him,” Jesus replied. “For no one who performs a miracle in My name can turn around and speak evil of Me.

¹¹Whether, then, it was I or they, this is what we preach, and this is what you believed.

¹⁴And most of the brothers, confident in the Lord by my chains, now dare more greatly to speak the word without fear.

¹⁵It is true that some preach Christ out of envy and rivalry, but others out of goodwill.

¹⁵What then shall I do? I will pray with my spirit, but I will also pray with my mind. I will sing with my spirit, but I will also sing with my mind.

¹³Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You shut the kingdom of heaven in men’s faces. You yourselves do not enter, nor will you let in those who wish to enter.

²⁸And we know that God works all things together for the good of those who love Him, who are called according to His purpose.

⁷And when they came to the border of Mysia, they tried to enter Bithynia, but the Spirit of Jesus would not permit them.

¹¹as you help us by your prayers. Then many will give thanks on our behalf for the favor shown us in answer to their prayers.

⁶And because you are sons, God sent the Spirit of His Son into our hearts, crying out, “Abba, Father!”

⁹You, however, are controlled not by the flesh, but by the Spirit, if the Spirit of God lives in you. And if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he does not belong to Christ.

¹⁸Pray in the Spirit at all times, with every kind of prayer and petition. To this end, stay alert with all perseverance in your prayers for all the saints.

¹⁹Pray also for me, that whenever I open my mouth, words may be given me so that I will boldly make known the mystery of the gospel,

¹⁶But if you suffer as a Christian, do not be ashamed, but glorify God that you bear that name.

²⁰you were bought at a price. Therefore glorify God with your body.

⁴Do not be afraid, for you will not be put to shame; do not be intimidated, for you will not be humiliated. For you will forget the shame of your youth and will remember no more the reproach of your widowhood.

²³Now may the God of peace Himself sanctify you completely, and may your entire spirit, soul, and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.

¹⁹Pray also for me, that whenever I open my mouth, words may be given me so that I will boldly make known the mystery of the gospel,

²⁰for which I am an ambassador in chains. Pray that I may proclaim it fearlessly, as I should.

²⁸And now, little children, remain in Christ, so that when He appears, we may be confident and unashamed before Him at His coming.

²⁰I have been crucified with Christ, and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself up for me.

⁸We are confident, then, and would prefer to be away from the body and at home with the Lord.

¹For we know that if the earthly tent we live in is dismantled, we have a building from God, an eternal house in heaven, not built by human hands.

²³I am torn between the two. I desire to depart and be with Christ, which is far better indeed.

⁶Therefore we are always confident, although we know that while we are at home in the body, we are away from the Lord.

²⁰I eagerly expect and hope that I will in no way be ashamed, but will have complete boldness so that now as always Christ will be exalted in my body, whether by life or by death.

²Consequently, he does not live out his remaining time on earth for human passions, but for the will of God.

²⁰I have been crucified with Christ, and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself up for me.

²⁴But it is more necessary for you that I remain in the body.

³For though we live in the flesh, we do not wage war according to the flesh.

¹⁸Even when I am old and gray, do not forsake me, O God, until I proclaim Your power to the next generation, Your might to all who are to come.

¹⁷And now, brothers, I know that you acted in ignorance, as did your leaders.

⁸We are confident, then, and would prefer to be away from the body and at home with the Lord.

¹⁵As for me, I will behold Your face in righteousness; when I awake, I will be satisfied in Your presence.

¹³And I heard a voice from heaven telling me to write, “Blessed are the dead—those who die in the Lord from this moment on.” “Yes,” says the Spirit, “they will rest from their labors, for their deeds will follow them.”

⁴³And Jesus said to him, “Truly I tell you, today you will be with Me in Paradise.”

²⁴Father, I want those You have given Me to be with Me where I am, that they may see the glory You gave Me because You loved Me before the foundation of the world.

⁵⁹While they were stoning him, Stephen appealed, “Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.”

²⁵Convinced of this, I know that I will remain and will continue with all of you for your progress and joy in the faith,

²⁶so that through my coming to you again your exultation in Christ Jesus will resound on account of me.

²²But if I go on living in the body, this will mean fruitful labor for me. So what shall I choose? I do not know.

⁷But I tell you the truth, it is for your benefit that I am going away. Unless I go away, the Advocate will not come to you; but if I go, I will send Him to you.

²⁹I know that after my departure, savage wolves will come in among you and will not spare the flock.

³⁰Even from your own number, men will rise up and distort the truth to draw away disciples after them.

²⁴And I trust in the Lord that I myself will come soon.

²⁴Not that we lord it over your faith, but we are fellow workers with you for your joy, because it is by faith that you stand firm.

¹¹And it was He who gave some to be apostles, some to be prophets, some to be evangelists, and some to be pastors and teachers,

¹²to equip the saints for works of ministry and to build up the body of Christ,

¹³Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you believe in Him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.

²through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we stand. And we rejoice in the hope of the glory of God.

¹¹For I long to see you so that I may impart to you some spiritual gift to strengthen you,

¹²that is, that you and I may be mutually encouraged by each other’s faith.

¹⁴as you have already understood us in part, that you may boast of us just as we will boast of you in the day of our Lord Jesus.

¹²We are not commending ourselves to you again. Instead, we are giving you an occasion to be proud of us, so that you can answer those who take pride in appearances rather than in the heart.

⁴Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice!

³For it is we who are the circumcision, we who worship by the Spirit of God, who glory in Christ Jesus, and who put no confidence in the flesh—

²⁴Until now you have not asked for anything in My name. Ask and you will receive, so that your joy may be complete.

¹I have come to my garden, my sister, my bride; I have gathered my myrrh with my spice. I have eaten my honeycomb with my honey; I have drunk my wine with my milk. Eat, O friends, and drink; drink freely, O beloved.

¹As a prisoner in the Lord, then, I urge you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling you have received:

¹³Be on the alert. Stand firm in the faith. Be men of courage. Be strong.

¹⁴Do everything in love.

¹⁴Therefore, beloved, as you anticipate these things, make every effort to be found at peace—spotless and blameless in His sight.

¹⁰I appeal to you, brothers, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you agree together, so that there may be no divisions among you and that you may be united in mind and conviction.

¹Therefore if you have any encouragement in Christ, if any comfort from His love, if any fellowship with the Spirit, if any affection and compassion,

²then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being united in spirit and purpose.

¹⁰so that you may walk in a manner worthy of the Lord and may please Him in every way: bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God,

⁷For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power, love, and self-control.

⁸So do not be ashamed of the testimony of our Lord, or of me, His prisoner. Instead, join me in suffering for the gospel by the power of God.

⁵All this is clear evidence of God’s righteous judgment. And so you will be counted worthy of the kingdom of God, for which you are suffering.

⁶After all, it is only right for God to repay with affliction those who afflict you,

²⁸Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Instead, fear the One who can destroy both soul and body in hell.

⁷Listen to Me, you who know what is right, you people with My law in your hearts: Do not fear the scorn of men; do not be broken by their insults.

¹¹This is a trustworthy saying: If we died with Him, we will also live with Him;

¹²if we endure, we will also reign with Him; if we deny Him, He will also deny us;

¹²Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery trial that has come upon you, as though something strange were happening to you.

¹³But rejoice that you share in the sufferings of Christ, so that you may be overjoyed at the revelation of His glory.

²Consider it pure joy, my brothers, when you encounter trials of many kinds,

¹³But rejoice that you share in the sufferings of Christ, so that you may be overjoyed at the revelation of His glory.

⁴¹The apostles left the Sanhedrin, rejoicing that they had been counted worthy of suffering disgrace for the Name.

³Not only that, but we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance;

²²strengthening the souls of the disciples and encouraging them to continue in the faith. “We must endure many hardships to enter the kingdom of God,” they said.

¹¹Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you, and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of Me.

¹²Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets before you.

²As you are aware, we had already endured suffering and shameful treatment in Philippi. But in the face of strong opposition, we were bold in our God to speak to you the gospel of God.

¹⁹When the girl’s owners saw that their hope of making money was gone, they seized Paul and Silas and dragged them before the authorities in the marketplace.

²⁰They brought them to the magistrates and said, “These men are Jews and are throwing our city into turmoil

⁷I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.

³⁵Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or distress or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword?

³⁶As it is written: “For Your sake we face death all day long; we are considered as sheep to be slaughtered.”

⁴In your struggle against sin, you have not yet resisted to the point of shedding your blood.

³³I have told you these things so that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take courage; I have overcome the world!”