This commentary is a work in progress and may be revised as study continues. If you have a question, spot an error, or want to discuss a passage, please reach out.
1Paul and Timotheus, the servants of Jesus Christ, to all the saints in Christ Jesus which are at Philippi, with the bishops and deacons:
2Grace be unto you, and peace, from God our Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ.
3I thank my God upon every remembrance of you,
4Always in every prayer of mine for you all making request with joy,
5For your fellowship in the gospel from the first day until now;
Paul starts at describing we have fellowship in the gospel but it doesn’t stop there. He will continue to tell the Philippians, in verse 29, that fellowship in suffering is also included alongside belief. They are one package deal:
Philippians 3:10 “That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death;”
Acts 14:22 “and exhorting them to continue in the faith, and that we must through much tribulation enter into the kingdom of God”
6Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ:
7Even as it is meet for me to think this of you all, because I have you in my heart; inasmuch as both in my bonds, and in the defence and confirmation of the gospel, ye all are partakers of my grace.
8For God is my record, how greatly I long after you all in the bowels of Jesus Christ.
9And this I pray, that your love may abound yet more and more in knowledge and in all judgment;
10That ye may approve things that are excellent; that ye may be sincere and without offence till the day of Christ.
The word “sincere” here is Strong's G1506 - eilikrinēs and it means to be examined by the sun’s light. Ancient pots would be held up to the sun and any imperfections or cracks would be seen. We also are to be held up to the light of God and any imperfections revealed or judged by God’s word so that we can change and become more like him. This word would mean a lot to the people of this time.
11Being filled with the fruits of righteousness, which are by Jesus Christ, unto the glory and praise of God.
12But I would ye should understand, brethren, that the things which happened unto me have fallen out rather unto the furtherance of the gospel;
13So that my bonds in Christ are manifest in all the palace, and in all other places;
14And many of the brethren in the Lord, waxing confident by my bonds, are much more bold to speak the word without fear.
15Some indeed preach Christ even of envy and strife; and some also of good will:
16The one preach Christ of contention, not sincerely, supposing to add affliction to my bonds:
17But the other of love, knowing that I am set for the defence of the gospel.
18What then? notwithstanding, every way, whether in pretence, or in truth, Christ is preached; and I therein do rejoice, yea, and will rejoice.
19For I know that this shall turn to my salvation through your prayer, and the supply of the Spirit of Jesus Christ,
20According to my earnest expectation and my hope, that in nothing I shall be ashamed, but that with all boldness, as always, so now also Christ shall be magnified in my body, whether it be by life, or by death.
21For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain.
22But if I live in the flesh, this is the fruit of my labour: yet what I shall choose I wot not.
23For I am in a strait betwixt two, having a desire to depart, and to be with Christ; which is far better:
24Nevertheless to abide in the flesh is more needful for you.
25And having this confidence, I know that I shall abide and continue with you all for your furtherance and joy of faith;
26That your rejoicing may be more abundant in Jesus Christ for me by my coming to you again.
27Only let your conversation be as it becometh the gospel of Christ: that whether I come and see you, or else be absent, I may hear of your affairs, that ye stand fast in one spirit, with one mind striving together for the faith of the gospel;
28And in nothing terrified by your adversaries: which is to them an evident token of perdition, but to you of salvation, and that of God.
29For unto you it is given in the behalf of Christ, not only to believe on him, but also to suffer for his sake;
The phrase “unto you it is given”
At first glance, this phrase can be read through a negative-inference fallacy. That is, one might conclude that because the Philippians are said to have been granted belief in Christ, others were therefore not granted belief and are excluded.
If this hermeneutic lens is followed to its logical conclusion, it would mean that the Philippians alone were those who believe in Jesus. By the same reasoning, believers in Ephesus, Rome, and elsewhere, who are not mentioned in this passage, would likewise be excluded from those described as believing in Him and suffering for His sake. Such a reading, however, misrepresents the scope of the text and is inconsistent with Scripture in its entirety.
“Believe” is active, not externally imposed
The verb believe is in the Greek active voice, meaning the subject performs the action. The individual must themselves take the step of believing; the text cannot be read as God externally implanting, forcing, or choosing them to believe. Scripture consistently portrays belief this way, as in Romans 5:17, where receive is likewise in the active voice. Like any gift, it must be actively received by the one to whom it is given.
All men can believe
Acts 17:30–31 shows that God commands every single man to repent, grounding that command in the universally given "assurance" (pistis, the same word used 239x for faith) of the resurrection. The language “to all men” in context (judging the world, commanding all to repent) indicates that the grounds for faith are universally available, not restricted to any group or individual. While belief remains a matter of personal response, the universality of the call and the public evidence of the resurrection provide every person with the opportunity to exercise faith.
Acts 17:31 “commandeth all men every where to repent...he will judge the world ...by that man...whereof he hath given assurance unto all men, in that he hath raised him from the dead”.
The Gentiles were given the ability to believe
The audience must always be kept in mind: Paul is addressing Gentile believers in Philippi. The Gentiles, who were once “without hope, and without God in the world” (Ephesians 2:11-13), are now, after Christ rose, given the ability to believe just like the Jews (Acts 5:31). The language, “given in the behalf of Christ to believe”, is paralleled in the historical record of Gentile inclusion. God chose Gentiles to hear and believe through the proclamation of the apostles:
God chose Gentiles to hear and believe
Acts 15:7 “God made choice among us, that the Gentiles by my mouth should hear the word of the gospel, and believe.”
The Gentiles were given repentance
Acts 11:18 “Then hath God also to the Gentiles granted repentance unto life.”
These passages demonstrate that, broadly speaking, Gentiles were given (chosen/granted) to hear, believe, and repent, just as the Philippians were given to believe. See also (Isaiah 42:6-7; 49:6, Romans 9:30-33; 11:11)
The main focus of this verse is the word “suffer”
Paul is not primarily teaching salvation dynamics in this verse. If one excludes the comma-separated phrase“not only to believe on him,” the direct object of what is given is suffering. Paul, writing from prison (verses 7, 11), tells the primarily Gentile Philippians that the Christian life is not simply belief, which God also granted to them, as He did the Jews, but that suffering, as he is currently experiencing, goes hand in hand with belief:
Romans 8:17 “And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together.”
See also Philippians 3:10, 2 Timothy 2:12, 1 Peter 4:13
30Having the same conflict which ye saw in me, and now hear to be in me.
1
Philippians 1 — Forever Word commentary
King James VersionThis commentary is a work in progress and may be revised as study continues. If you have a question, spot an error, or want to discuss a passage, please reach out.
1Paul and Timotheus, the servants of Jesus Christ, to all the saints in Christ Jesus which are at Philippi, with the bishops and deacons:
2Grace be unto you, and peace, from God our Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ.
3I thank my God upon every remembrance of you,
4Always in every prayer of mine for you all making request with joy,
5For your fellowship in the gospel from the first day until now;
Paul starts at describing we have fellowship in the gospel but it doesn’t stop there. He will continue to tell the Philippians, in verse 29, that fellowship in suffering is also included alongside belief. They are one package deal:
Philippians 3:10 “That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death;”
Acts 14:22 “and exhorting them to continue in the faith, and that we must through much tribulation enter into the kingdom of God”
6Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ:
7Even as it is meet for me to think this of you all, because I have you in my heart; inasmuch as both in my bonds, and in the defence and confirmation of the gospel, ye all are partakers of my grace.
8For God is my record, how greatly I long after you all in the bowels of Jesus Christ.
9And this I pray, that your love may abound yet more and more in knowledge and in all judgment;
10That ye may approve things that are excellent; that ye may be sincere and without offence till the day of Christ.
The word “sincere” here is Strong's G1506 - eilikrinēs and it means to be examined by the sun’s light. Ancient pots would be held up to the sun and any imperfections or cracks would be seen. We also are to be held up to the light of God and any imperfections revealed or judged by God’s word so that we can change and become more like him. This word would mean a lot to the people of this time.
11Being filled with the fruits of righteousness, which are by Jesus Christ, unto the glory and praise of God.
12But I would ye should understand, brethren, that the things which happened unto me have fallen out rather unto the furtherance of the gospel;
13So that my bonds in Christ are manifest in all the palace, and in all other places;
14And many of the brethren in the Lord, waxing confident by my bonds, are much more bold to speak the word without fear.
15Some indeed preach Christ even of envy and strife; and some also of good will:
16The one preach Christ of contention, not sincerely, supposing to add affliction to my bonds:
17But the other of love, knowing that I am set for the defence of the gospel.
18What then? notwithstanding, every way, whether in pretence, or in truth, Christ is preached; and I therein do rejoice, yea, and will rejoice.
19For I know that this shall turn to my salvation through your prayer, and the supply of the Spirit of Jesus Christ,
20According to my earnest expectation and my hope, that in nothing I shall be ashamed, but that with all boldness, as always, so now also Christ shall be magnified in my body, whether it be by life, or by death.
21For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain.
22But if I live in the flesh, this is the fruit of my labour: yet what I shall choose I wot not.
23For I am in a strait betwixt two, having a desire to depart, and to be with Christ; which is far better:
24Nevertheless to abide in the flesh is more needful for you.
25And having this confidence, I know that I shall abide and continue with you all for your furtherance and joy of faith;
26That your rejoicing may be more abundant in Jesus Christ for me by my coming to you again.
27Only let your conversation be as it becometh the gospel of Christ: that whether I come and see you, or else be absent, I may hear of your affairs, that ye stand fast in one spirit, with one mind striving together for the faith of the gospel;
28And in nothing terrified by your adversaries: which is to them an evident token of perdition, but to you of salvation, and that of God.
29For unto you it is given in the behalf of Christ, not only to believe on him, but also to suffer for his sake;
The phrase “unto you it is given”
At first glance, this phrase can be read through a negative-inference fallacy. That is, one might conclude that because the Philippians are said to have been granted belief in Christ, others were therefore not granted belief and are excluded.
If this hermeneutic lens is followed to its logical conclusion, it would mean that the Philippians alone were those who believe in Jesus. By the same reasoning, believers in Ephesus, Rome, and elsewhere, who are not mentioned in this passage, would likewise be excluded from those described as believing in Him and suffering for His sake. Such a reading, however, misrepresents the scope of the text and is inconsistent with Scripture in its entirety.
“Believe” is active, not externally imposed
The verb believe is in the Greek active voice, meaning the subject performs the action. The individual must themselves take the step of believing; the text cannot be read as God externally implanting, forcing, or choosing them to believe. Scripture consistently portrays belief this way, as in Romans 5:17, where receive is likewise in the active voice. Like any gift, it must be actively received by the one to whom it is given.
All men can believe
Acts 17:30–31 shows that God commands every single man to repent, grounding that command in the universally given "assurance" (pistis, the same word used 239x for faith) of the resurrection. The language “to all men” in context (judging the world, commanding all to repent) indicates that the grounds for faith are universally available, not restricted to any group or individual. While belief remains a matter of personal response, the universality of the call and the public evidence of the resurrection provide every person with the opportunity to exercise faith.
Acts 17:31 “commandeth all men every where to repent...he will judge the world ...by that man...whereof he hath given assurance unto all men, in that he hath raised him from the dead”.
The Gentiles were given the ability to believe
The audience must always be kept in mind: Paul is addressing Gentile believers in Philippi. The Gentiles, who were once “without hope, and without God in the world” (Ephesians 2:11-13), are now, after Christ rose, given the ability to believe just like the Jews (Acts 5:31). The language, “given in the behalf of Christ to believe”, is paralleled in the historical record of Gentile inclusion. God chose Gentiles to hear and believe through the proclamation of the apostles:
God chose Gentiles to hear and believe
Acts 15:7 “God made choice among us, that the Gentiles by my mouth should hear the word of the gospel, and believe.”
The Gentiles were given repentance
Acts 11:18 “Then hath God also to the Gentiles granted repentance unto life.”
These passages demonstrate that, broadly speaking, Gentiles were given (chosen/granted) to hear, believe, and repent, just as the Philippians were given to believe. See also (Isaiah 42:6-7; 49:6, Romans 9:30-33; 11:11)
The main focus of this verse is the word “suffer”
Paul is not primarily teaching salvation dynamics in this verse. If one excludes the comma-separated phrase “not only to believe on him,” the direct object of what is given is suffering. Paul, writing from prison (verses 7, 11), tells the primarily Gentile Philippians that the Christian life is not simply belief, which God also granted to them, as He did the Jews, but that suffering, as he is currently experiencing, goes hand in hand with belief:
Romans 8:17 “And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together.”
See also Philippians 3:10, 2 Timothy 2:12, 1 Peter 4:13
30Having the same conflict which ye saw in me, and now hear to be in me.