Philippians 2 in plain modern English. New Ground English Translation.
Time Period
~AD 60-62
Location
Written from prison (likely Rome) to the church in Philippi, a Roman colony in Macedonia
Audience
The Christian community in Philippi, one of Paul's first European churches, founded during his second missionary journey
Situation
Paul writes from imprisonment to encourage the Philippian believers and address concerns about disunity and rivalry within the church. He has received financial support from them and wants to strengthen their faith despite his circumstances.
Key Background
Philippi was a prestigious Roman colony with strong military heritage and Roman citizenship privileges, making social status and honor important cultural values. Paul counters this culture by presenting Christ's humility and self-emptying (the Carmen Christi hymn in 2:5-11) as the model for Christian conduct. The chapter addresses tensions within the congregation while Paul faces uncertain legal outcomes and potential martyrdom.
So if being with the gives you any encouragement, if his love brings you any comfort, if you share anything together through the if you have any tenderness or at all,
then make my joy complete by being sharing the same love, being in and purpose.
Don't do anything out of or empty pride. Instead, with consider others as more important than yourselves.
Don't just out for your own interests — look out for the interests of others too.
Have the same among yourselves that was also in the
He existed in the very of but didn't consider with something to to for own
Instead, he by taking on the form of a
And once he appeared as a man, he even further by becoming all the way to death — even death on an
Because of this, God to the and gave the that is every
so that at the name of Jesus every will — in on and the —
and every tongue will that Jesus the One is — to the of God the Father.
So then, my dear friends, just as you've always been — not only when I was there with you, but even more now while I'm away — keep out with and
because it's God who is in you — giving you both the and the power to do what pleases him.
Do everything without or
so that you'll be and — children of God without any flaw in the middle of a twisted and corrupt generation, shining among them like in the
holding out the of Then on the of the I'll be able to that I didn't run or work for nothing.
But even if my life is out a on top of the and that comes from your faith, I'm glad — and I share my joy with all of you.
And you should be glad about this too — share your joy with me!
I'm hoping, in the to send Timothy to you soon so that I'll be encouraged when I hear how you're doing.
I don't have anyone else like him who will about how you're doing.
Everyone else is out for their own not the of the One Jesus.
But you know Timothy's — how he served with me in spreading the a with a
So I'm hoping to send him as soon as I see how things go with me.
And I'm in the that I myself will also come to you soon.
But I thought it was necessary to send Epaphroditus back to you — my and who is also your and the one you sent to take care of my needs.
He's been for all of you and has been because you heard he was sick.
And he really was sick — close to death. But God had on him, and not just on him but on me too, so I wouldn't have one on of
So I'm sending him all the more so that when you see him again you'll be glad, and I'll have less to worry about.
Welcome him home in the with all your joy, and people like him,
because he came close to death for the of the to up for what you do for me yourselves.