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Thursday · Week 21
The Epistles & Revelation

Philippians 1-2

Week 21 · about 9 min
  1. Fri: Ezekiel 40
  2. Sat: Psalms 56-63
  3. Sun: Exodus 38-40

Paul writes from prison to a church he loved, thanking them for a gift and urging them to be humble like Jesus.

Joy From a Prison Cell

Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus:

Philippians 2:5 (KJV)

Paul is in chains, and this is his most joyful letter. He says his imprisonment has “fallen out rather unto the furtherance of the gospel,” because the whole palace guard knows why he’s there. Some rivals are preaching just to annoy him, and he says that’s fine as long as Christ is preached. “For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain.” Chapter 2 contains what may be an early hymn about Jesus. He was equal with God, emptied himself, became a servant, and died on a cross. Now every knee will bow to him. Paul also mentions Epaphroditus, who nearly died bringing the church’s gift.

Reflect: What would change if you looked at your hard circumstances the way Paul looked at his chains?

Philippians 1

1Paul and Timotheus, servants of Jesus Christ, to all the saints in Christ Jesus who are in Philippi, with overseers and ministrants;

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

3I give thanks to my God upon all the remembrance of you,

4always, in every supplication of mine for you all, with joy making the supplication,

5for your contribution to the good news from the first day till now,

6having been confident of this very thing, that He who did begin in you a good work, will perform it till a day of Jesus Christ,

7according as it is righteous for me to think this in behalf of you all, because of my having you in the heart, both in my bonds, and in the defence and confirmation of the good news, all of you being fellow-partakers with me of grace.

8For God is my witness, how I long for you all in the bowels of Jesus Christ,

9and this I pray, that your love yet more and more may abound in full knowledge, and all judgment,

10for your proving the things that differ, that ye may be pure and offenceless -- to a day of Christ,

11being filled with the fruit of righteousness, that is through Jesus Christ, to the glory and praise of God.

12And I wish you to know, brethren, that the things concerning me, rather to an advancement of the good news have come,

13so that my bonds have become manifest in Christ in the whole praetorium, and to the other places -- all,

14and the greater part of the brethren in the Lord, having confidence by my bonds, are more abundantly bold -- fearlessly to speak the word.

15Certain, indeed, even through envy and contention, and certain also through good-will, do preach the Christ;

16the one, indeed, of rivalry the Christ do proclaim, not purely, supposing to add affliction to my bonds,

17and the other out of love, having known that for defence of the good news I am set:

18what then? in every way, whether in pretence or in truth, Christ is proclaimed -- and in this I rejoice, yea, and shall rejoice.

19For I have known that this shall fall out to me for salvation, through your supplication, and the supply of the Spirit of Christ Jesus,

20according to my earnest expectation and hope, that in nothing I shall be ashamed, and in all freedom, as always, also now Christ shall be magnified in my body, whether through life or through death,

21for to me to live is Christ, and to die gain.

22And if to live in the flesh is to me a fruit of work, then what shall I choose? I know not;

23for I am pressed by the two, having the desire to depart, and to be with Christ, for it is far better,

24and to remain in the flesh is more necessary on your account,

25and of this being persuaded, I have known that I shall remain and continue with you all, to your advancement and joy of the faith,

26that your boasting may abound in Christ Jesus in me through my presence again to you.

27Only worthily of the good news of the Christ conduct ye yourselves, that, whether having come and seen you, whether being absent I may hear of the things concerning you, that ye stand fast in one spirit, with one soul, striving together for the faith of the good news,

28and not terrified in anything by those opposing, which to them indeed is a token of destruction, and to you of salvation, and that from God;

29because to you it was granted, on behalf of Christ, not only to believe in him, but also on behalf of him to suffer;

30the same conflict having, such as ye saw in me, and now hear of in me.

Philippians 2

1If, then, any exhortation is in Christ, if any comfort of love, if any fellowship of spirit, if any bowels and mercies,

2fulfil ye my joy, that ye may mind the same thing -- having the same love -- of one soul -- minding the one thing,

3nothing in rivalry or vain-glory, but in humility of mind one another counting more excellent than yourselves --

4each not to your own look ye, but each also to the things of others.

5For, let this mind be in you that is also in Christ Jesus,

6who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal to God,

7but did empty himself, the form of a servant having taken, in the likeness of men having been made,

8and in fashion having been found as a man, he humbled himself, having become obedient unto death -- death even of a cross,

9wherefore, also, God did highly exalt him, and gave to him a name that is above every name,

10that in the name of Jesus every knee may bow -- of heavenlies, and earthlies, and what are under the earth --

11and every tongue may confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

12So that, my beloved, as ye always obey, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, with fear and trembling your own salvation work out,

13for God it is who is working in you both to will and to work for His good pleasure.

14All things do without murmurings and reasonings,

15that ye may become blameless and harmless, children of God, unblemished in the midst of a generation crooked and perverse, among whom ye do appear as luminaries in the world,

16the word of life holding forth, for rejoicing to me in regard to a day of Christ, that not in vain did I run, nor in vain did I labour;

17but if also I am poured forth upon the sacrifice and service of your faith, I rejoice and joy with you all,

18because of this do ye also rejoice and joy with me.

19And I hope, in the Lord Jesus, Timotheus to send quickly to you, that I also may be of good spirit, having known the things concerning you,

20for I have no one like-minded, who sincerely for the things concerning you will care,

21for the whole seek their own things, not the things of the Christ Jesus,

22and the proof of him ye know, that as a child serveth a father, with me he did serve in regard to the good news;

23him, indeed, therefore, I hope to send, when I may see through the things concerning me -- immediately;

24and I trust in the Lord that I myself also shall quickly come.

25And I thought it necessary Epaphroditus -- my brother, and fellow-workman, and fellow-soldier, and your apostle and servant to my need -- to send unto you,

26seeing he was longing after you all, and in heaviness, because ye heard that he ailed,

27for he also ailed nigh to death, but God did deal kindly with him, and not with him only, but also with me, that sorrow upon sorrow I might not have.

28The more eagerly, therefore, I did send him, that having seen him again ye may rejoice, and I may be the less sorrowful;

29receive him, therefore, in the Lord, with all joy, and hold such in honour,

30because on account of the work of the Christ he drew near to death, having hazarded the life that he might fill up your deficiency of service unto me.

Young’s Literal Translation (YLT). Public domain.