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World English Bible: Philippians

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This is the Epistle to the Philippians, a first-century New Testament letter attributed to the Apostle Paul, written from prison to a Christian community he founded in Philippi (a Roman colony in Macedonia). The letter blends personal affection and practical pastoral guidance, expressing Paul's gratitude for the Philippians' ongoing material and spiritual partnership in his missionary work. A central theological argument is the "Christ hymn" of chapter 2, which presents Jesus as voluntarily surrendering divine status to become human and die on a cross — offered as a model for communal humility and self-sacrifice. Paul also makes a pointed autobiographical case in chapter 3, listing his impeccable Jewish credentials only to declare them worthless compared to faith in Christ, arguing that righteousness comes through trust in Jesus rather than law-observance — a direct counter to rival teachers promoting circumcision. The letter is distinctive for its pervasive tone of joy despite Paul's imprisonment, its practical ethical instructions (contentment, anxiety-free prayer, dwelling on virtuous things), and its notably warm, peer-like relationship with the recipients, including personal appeals to two named women, Euodia and Syntyche, to resolve a dispute.

World English Bible: Philippians

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