Philippians 2

Setting the scene

Who wrote it: Paul
Who it was for: The church in Philippi
What was happening: The mind of Christ, who humbled himself, and examples of those who follow him

Read the full background in the book overview

What’s happening

If there is any encouragement in Christ, any comfort of love, any fellowship of the Spirit, any affection and compassion, Paul asks them to make his joy complete by being of the same mind, having the same love, being in full accord and of one mind. "Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others." Then comes the hymn: "Have this mind in you, which was also in Christ Jesus, who, existing in the form of God, didn't consider equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, taking the form of a servant, being made in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, he humbled himself, becoming obedient to death, even the death of the cross. Therefore God also highly exalted him, and gave to him the name which is above every name; that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven and things on earth and things under the earth, and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father." So, as they have always obeyed, now in his absence, they are to work out their own salvation with fear and trembling, "for it is God who works in you both to will and to work for his good pleasure." Do all things without grumbling or disputing, that they may be blameless and innocent, children of God without blemish in the midst of a crooked and twisted generation, among whom they shine as lights in the world, holding fast the word of life, so that Paul may boast on the day of Christ that he did not run in vain or labor in vain. Even if he is being poured out as a drink offering on the sacrifice and service of their faith, he is glad and rejoices with them all, and they should likewise be glad and rejoice with him. He hopes to send Timothy soon, who is like-minded and genuinely concerned for their welfare, "for they all seek their own, not the things of Christ Jesus," but Timothy has served with Paul in the gospel like a son with a father. He hopes to come himself shortly, but for now he sends Epaphroditus, his brother and fellow worker and fellow soldier, and their messenger and minister to his need, since he has been longing for them all and distressed that they heard he was ill. Indeed he was ill, near to death, but God had mercy on him, and not on him only but on Paul too, to spare him sorrow upon sorrow. So Paul sends him more eagerly, that they may rejoice at seeing him again, and he asks them to receive him in the Lord with all joy and honor such men, for he nearly died for the work of Christ, risking his life to complete what was lacking in their service to Paul.

Why the setting matters

The passage in 2:6-11 is often called the Christ hymn, and many scholars think it was an early Christian hymn that Paul quotes or adapts, with a pattern of descent (humbling) and ascent (exaltation). Three phrases are debated. The first is "form of God" (morphē theou), which probably means that Christ shared God's glory and status. The second is the Greek word harpagmos, translated "a thing to be grasped," which can mean something to cling to or something to exploit, and scholars disagree which Paul means; either way, the point is that Christ did not use his status for his own advantage. The third is "emptied himself," which is a picture of voluntary self-giving, not a statement that Christ stopped being God. The hymn's last line deliberately echoes Isaiah 45:23, where every knee will bow to the LORD, and gives Jesus the name "Lord," which in the Greek Old Testament is the name for God. In Philippi, a Roman colony, "Lord" (kyrios) was also a title given to the emperor, so this confession was also a political statement. The line about working out salvation "with fear and trembling" is not about anxiety but about taking it seriously, since God is the one at work.

Read Philippians 2 (World English Bible)

Who’s in this chapter

Paul

Appeals for unity and offers himself as a drink offering.

Jesus

Who emptied himself and was exalted.

Timothy

Like-minded, genuinely concerned, served like a son with a father.

Epaphroditus

Brother, fellow worker, fellow soldier, nearly died.

The believers in Philippi

Told to shine as lights and not to grumble.

Talk it through

Paul asks for humility, and then holds up Christ as the example. What does the hymn tell us about what humility is?
"Work out your salvation with fear and trembling, for God is the one at work in you." How do those fit together?
The command is to shine as lights in a "crooked and twisted generation." What does that look like day to day?
Paul commends Timothy and Epaphroditus as people who actually care. What is he valuing in them?

Read Philippians 2

World English Bible

¹If therefore there is any exhortation in Christ, if any consolation of love, if any fellowship of the Spirit, if any tender mercies and compassion, ²make my joy full by being like-minded, having the same love, being of one accord, of one mind; ³doing nothing through rivalry or through conceit, but in humility, each counting others better than himself; ⁴each of you not just looking to his own things, but each of you also to the things of others.

⁵Have this in your mind, which was also in Christ Jesus, ⁶who, existing in the form of God, didn’t consider equality with God a thing to be grasped, ⁷but emptied himself, taking the form of a servant, being made in the likeness of men. ⁸And being found in human form, he humbled himself, becoming obedient to the point of death, yes, the death of the cross. ⁹Therefore God also highly exalted him, and gave to him the name which is above every name, ¹⁰that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, those on earth, and those under the earth, ¹¹and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

¹²So then, my beloved, even as you have always obeyed, not only in my presence, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling. ¹³For it is God who works in you both to will and to work, for his good pleasure. ¹⁴Do all things without complaining and arguing, ¹⁵that you may become blameless and harmless, children of God without defect in the middle of a crooked and perverse generation, among whom you are seen as lights in the world, ¹⁶holding up the word of life, that I may have something to boast in the day of Christ, that I didn’t run in vain nor labor in vain. ¹⁷Yes, and if I am poured out on the sacrifice and service of your faith, I rejoice, and rejoice with you all. ¹⁸In the same way, you also rejoice, and rejoice with me.

¹⁹But I hope in the Lord Jesus to send Timothy to you soon, that I also may be cheered up when I know how you are doing. ²⁰For I have no one else like-minded, who will truly care about you. ²¹For they all seek their own, not the things of Jesus Christ. ²²But you know the proof of him, that as a child serves a father, so he served with me in furtherance of the Good News. ²³Therefore I hope to send him at once, as soon as I see how it will go with me. ²⁴But I trust in the Lord that I myself also will come shortly. ²⁵But I counted it necessary to send to you Epaphroditus, my brother, fellow worker, fellow soldier, and your apostle and servant of my need, ²⁶since he longed for you all, and was very troubled because you had heard that he was sick. ²⁷For indeed he was sick, nearly to death, but God had mercy on him, and not on him only, but on me also, that I might not have sorrow on sorrow. ²⁸I have sent him therefore the more diligently, that when you see him again, you may rejoice, and that I may be the less sorrowful. ²⁹Receive him therefore in the Lord with all joy, and hold such people in honor, ³⁰because for the work of Christ he came near to death, risking his life to supply that which was lacking in your service toward me.

Text: World English Bible, Public domain. About our sources

Key words

sýmpsychos · united in spirit
"Being of one accord" (2:2).
kenodoxía · vain conceit, empty glory
"Through vainglory" or "conceit" (2:3).
eritheía · selfish ambition, rivalry
"Through selfishness" (2:3).
tapeinophrosýnē · humility, lowliness of mind
"In humility" (2:3).
hyperéchō · to surpass, to be superior
"Counting others better than himself" (2:3).
morphḗ · form, outward shape
"In the form of God... the form of a servant" (2:6-7).
ísos · equal
"Equality with God" (2:6).
harpagmós · something to be seized or exploited
"A thing to be grasped" (2:6).
kenóō · to empty, to make void
"But emptied himself" (2:7).
doulos · slave, servant
"Taking the form of a servant" (2:7).
tapeinóō · to humble, to bring low
"He humbled himself" (2:8).
hypḗkoos · obedient
"Becoming obedient to death" (2:8).
stauros · cross
"Even the death of the cross" (2:8).
hyperypsóō · to exalt highly
"Therefore God also highly exalted him" (2:9).
onoma · name
"The name which is above every name" (2:9-10).
kámptō · to bend, to bow
"Every knee should bow" (2:10).
exomologéō · to confess openly, to acknowledge
"Every tongue should confess" (2:11).
kyrios · lord, master
"That Jesus Christ is Lord" (2:11).
doxa · glory
"To the glory of God the Father" (2:11).
phobos · fear, awe
"With fear and trembling" (2:12).
energéō · to work, to be at work
"For it is God who works in you" (2:13).
eudokía · good pleasure, goodwill
"For his good pleasure" (2:13).
gongysmós · grumbling, murmuring
"Without murmurings" (2:14).
dialogismós · dispute, reasoning, doubt
"And disputes" (2:14).
akéraios · innocent, pure, unmixed
"Blameless and harmless" (2:15).
ámōmos · without blemish, blameless
"Without blemish" (2:15).
skoliós · crooked, twisted
"A crooked and perverse generation" (2:15).
diastréphō · to twist, to distort
"Crooked and twisted" (2:15).
phōstḗr · light, luminary, star
"Among whom you are seen as lights in the world" (2:15).
epéchō · to hold fast, to hold out
"Holding up the word of life" (2:16).
zōē · life
"The word of life" (2:16).
tréchō · to run
"That I didn't run in vain" (2:16).
spéndō · to pour out as a drink offering
"If I am poured out on the sacrifice" (2:17).
thysía · sacrifice
"On the sacrifice and service of your faith" (2:17).
leitourgía · service, public service
"And service of your faith" (2:17, 2:30).
chara · joy
"I rejoice, and rejoice with you all" (2:2, 2:17-18, 2:28-29).
isópsychos · like-minded, of equal soul
"For I have no one like-minded" (2:20).
dokimḗ · proof, tested character
"But you know the proof of him" (2:22).
synergós · fellow worker
"My brother and fellow worker" (2:25).
systratiótēs · fellow soldier
"And fellow soldier" (2:25).
apostolos · apostle, one sent
"But your messenger" (2:25).
leitourgos · minister, servant of the public
"And minister to my need" (2:25).
paraboleúomai · to risk, to gamble
"Risking his life" (2:30).
hystérēma · what is lacking, deficiency
"To supply what was lacking in your service" (2:30).

See all word studies

Cross-references

Isaiah 45:23, to me every knee shall bow, every tongue shall swear allegiance
John 1:1-14, the Word was with God, and the Word became flesh
2 Corinthians 8:9, though he was rich, yet for your sake he became poor
Matthew 5:14-16, you are the light of the world

Also linked by other readers

Hebrews 13:21, from Philippians 2:13
Romans 12:10, from Philippians 2:3
1 Corinthians 10:24, from Philippians 2:4, Philippians 2:21

Ranked by reader votes: OpenBible.info Cross References, CC BY. About our sources