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PHILIPPIANS 
15Of course, some preach Christ from envy and rivalry, others from good will. 16The latter act out of love, aware that I am here for the defense of the gospel; 17the former proclaim Christ out of sel sh ambition, not from pure motives, thinking that they will cause me trouble in my imprisonment. 18What di erence does it make, as long as in every way, whether in pretense or in truth, Christ is being proclaimed?k And in that I rejoice.*
Indeed I shall continue to rejoice, 19* for I know that this
will result in deliverance for me* through your prayers and support from the Spirit of Jesus Christ.l 20My eager expectation and hope is that I shall not be put to shame in any way, but that with all boldness, now as always, Christ will be magni ed in my body, whether by life or by death.m 21For to me life is Christ, and death is gain.n 22If I go on living in the esh, that means fruitful labor for me. And I do not know which I shall choose.o 23I am caught between the two. I long to depart this life and be with Christ, [for] that is far better.p 24Yet that I remain [in] the esh is more necessary for your bene t. 25And this I know with con dence, that I shall remain and continue in the service of all of you for your progress and joy in the faith, 26so that your boasting in Christ Jesus may abound on account of me when I come to you again.
III. INSTRUCTIONS FOR THE COMMUNITY
Steadfastness in Faith.* 27Only, conduct yourselves in a way worthy of the gospel of Christ, so that, whether I come and see you or am absent, I may hear news of you, that you are standing rm in one spirit, with one mind struggling together for the faith of the gospel,q 28not intimidated in any way by your opponents. This is proof to them of destruction, but of your salvation. And this is God’s doing. 29For to you has been granted, for the sake of Christ, not only to believe in him but also to su er for him.r 30Yours is the same struggles as you saw in me and now hear about me.*
Castel Sant’Angelo in Rome, built during Emperor Hadrian’s reign.
1:12
Paul praises God who even turns imprisonment to good account: knowing that Paul is in prison for preaching Christ, non-believers begin to ask questions about Christ. And the believers, far from being frightened, are emboldened.
1:30
Paul urges the Philippians to hold rm to their faith, to share the struggle as they already share the ministry.
CHAPTER 1
a. [1:1] Rom 1:1; 2 Cor 1:1; 1 Thes 1:1; Phlm 1 / 1 Tm 3:1–13.
b. [1:2] Rom 1:7; Gal 1:3; Phlm 3.
c. [1:3] Rom 1:8; 1 Cor 1:4; 1 Thes 1:2.
d. [1:6] 2:13 / 1:10; 2:16; 1 Cor 1:8.
e. [1:8] Rom 1:9; 2 Cor 1:23; 1 Thes 2:5.
f. [1:9] Eph 3:14–19; Col 1:9–10; Phlm 6.
g. [1:10] Rom 2:18; 12:2 / 1:6.
h. [1:11] Jn 15:8.
i. [1:12–13] Eph 3:1; 6:20; 2 Tm 2:9; Phlm 9.
j. [1:13] 4:22.
k. [1:18]4:10.
l. [1:19] Jb 13:16 / 2 Cor 1:11.
m. [1:20] 1 Cor 6:20; 1 Pt 4:16.
n. [1:21] Gal 2:20.
o. [1:22] Rom 1:13.
p. [1:23] 2 Cor 5:8.
q. [1:27] Eph 4:1; Col 1:10; 1 Thes 2:12 / 4:3.
r. [1:29] Mt 5:10; 10:38; Mk 8:34; Acts 5:41.
s. [1:30] 1:13; Acts 16:22–24.
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* [1:18] Rejoice: a major theme in the letter; see Introduction.
* [1:19–25] Paul earnestly debates his prospects of martyrdom or continued missionary labor.
While he may long to depart this life and thus be with Christ (Phil 1:23), his overall and nal expectation is that he will be delivered from this imprisonment and continue in the service of the Philippians and of others (Phil 1:19, 25; Phil 2:24). In either case, Christ is central (Phil 1:20–21); if to live means Christ for Paul, death means to be united with Christ in a deeper sense.
* [1:19] Result in deliverance for me: an echo of Jb 13:16, hoping that God will turn su ering to ultimate good and deliverance from evil.
* [1:27–30] Ethical admonition begins at this early point in the letter, emphasizing steadfastness and congregational unity in the face of possible su ering. The opponents (Phil 1:28) are those in Philippi, probably pagans, who oppose the gospel cause. This is proof. . . (Phil 1:28) may refer to the whole outlook and conduct of the Philippians, turning out for their salvation but to the judgment of the opponents (cf. 2 Cor 2:15–16), or possibly the sentence refers to the opinion of the opponents, who hold that the obstinacy of the Christians points to the destruction of such people as defy Roman authority (though in reality, Paul holds, such faithfulness leads to salvation).
* [1:30] A reference to Paul’s earlier imprisonment in Philippi (Acts 16:19–24; 1 Thes 2:2) and to his present con nement.