Philippians 1
To live is Christ, and to die is gain
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What does it say?
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The whole chapter, in shortThe main points of the whole chapter, in a few sentences.
Paul writes to the church in Philippi from chains, waiting for a trial that could end in his death. He thanks God for them, says his chains have helped the good news spread, and is torn between living and dying, but expects to live. He urges them to stand firm together without fear.
Where it is in the Bible: Philippians 1
All the sections at a glanceA map of the chapter, with the verses for each section.
Map of the Letter
| Section | Verses | What it says |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Greetings | 1:1-2 | From Paul and Timothy, to God's people in Philippi |
| 2. Thanks and a Prayer | 1:3-11 | Paul thanks God for them and prays their love will grow |
| 3. Chains That Spread the News | 1:12-18 | Paul's chains have helped the good news spread |
| 4. To Live Is Christ | 1:19-26 | Paul is torn between living and dying |
| 5. Stand Together | 1:27-30 | Stand firm together, without fear |
Before You Read
Who wrote it. Paul, together with Timothy (1:1). Paul is a follower of Jesus who once attacked the church. Jesus met him on the road to Damascus. Timothy is a younger coworker who served with Paul like a son with his father (2:22).
Who it's for. The church in Philippi, a Roman city in northern Greece. Paul started this church about ten years earlier. The first believer there was a businesswoman named Lydia (Acts 16:14-15).
Where Paul is. Paul is in chains, under Roman guard (1:13). He is waiting for a trial that could end in his death (1:20). Many think he was in Rome, about AD 60 to 62 (Acts 28:16). Some think he was in Ephesus or Caesarea.
Why he wrote. The church sent Paul a gift by a man named Epaphroditus (4:18). Epaphroditus got so sick that he nearly died (2:27). Now Paul is sending him home with this letter. Paul thanks them, tells them how he's doing, and urges them to stay united.
How to read it. This is part 1 of 4. The letter was meant to be read aloud to the whole church at one time, so the four parts are short. Listen for the words joy and rejoice. They come up more than a dozen times, from a man in chains.
Section by Section
Section 1 of 5Greetings
Paul opens the way letters did back then. First, who it's from: "Paul and Timothy, servants of Christ Jesus" (1:1).
Next, who it's for: all God's people in Philippi, with their leaders. Paul calls the believers "saints" (1:1). A saint here is not a super-Christian. It means anyone God has made his own.
The leaders are called overseers and deacons. Overseers lead and teach the church. Deacons serve and help.
Then Paul gives a blessing: "Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ" (1:2). Grace is God's love and gifts we don't earn. Peace is being made whole, with God and with each other.
Section 2 of 5Thanks and a Prayer
Paul thanks God every time he thinks of them. Every time he prays for them, he prays with joy.
Why? Because they have been his partners in the gospel "from the first day until now" (1:5). The gospel is the good news of what God does for us in Jesus. They have shared in Paul's work from the start.
Paul is sure of one thing. "He who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus" (1:6). God started their faith. God will finish it.
"The day of Christ Jesus" means the day Jesus comes again.
Paul says it is right for him to feel this way. They are in his heart. He is in chains, defending the good news, and they share in God's grace with him. God knows how much Paul longs to see them.
Then Paul tells them what he prays. He prays that their love will keep growing, along with knowledge and good sense. Then they will be able to tell what is best. They will be pure and blameless on the day Christ comes.
They will be filled with "the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ" (1:11). This is a comparison. A good life grows out of Jesus the way fruit grows on a tree. And all of it brings praise to God.
Section 3 of 5Chains That Spread the News
Now Paul gives them news about himself. One likely reason he starts here: they were worried about him.
Paul says his situation has "actually served to advance the gospel" (1:12). The whole palace guard knows he is in chains for Christ. So does everyone else. If Paul was in Rome, the palace guard were the emperor's own soldiers.
Paul's chains have made the other believers braver. Most of them now speak God's word without fear.
Some people preach about Christ for bad reasons. They are jealous of Paul and want to compete with him. They hope to make his time in chains even harder. Others preach out of love. They know God has given Paul the job of defending the good news.
Paul's answer is a surprise. "What then is the issue? Just this: that in every way, whether by false motives or true, Christ is preached. And in this I rejoice" (1:18).
Paul cares more about people hearing about Jesus than about his own name.
Section 4 of 5To Live Is Christ
Paul says he will keep rejoicing. He knows that their prayers and the help of the Spirit of Jesus Christ will bring him through.
Paul hopes he will never be ashamed. He wants to be bold, so that Christ is honored in his body, "whether by life or by death" (1:20).
Then he writes one of his best-known lines: "For to me, to live is Christ, and to die is gain" (1:21).
If he goes on living, he can keep doing good work for Jesus. If he dies, he will be with Jesus. Either way, Christ is what matters to him. So what should he choose? He doesn't know.
"I am torn between the two" (1:23), Paul says. Part of him wants to depart and be with Christ. Depart is a gentle word for dying. That would be "far better indeed" (1:23).
But the church needs him to stay. So Paul is convinced he will live. He will stay with them and help them grow in faith and joy. When he comes to see them again, they will have even more reason to praise Christ Jesus.
Section 5 of 5Stand Together
Now Paul turns from himself to the church. Whatever happens to him, they must live "in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ" (1:27). That means living in a way that fits the good news.
Paul wants to hear that they stand firm "in one spirit, contending side by side for the faith of the gospel" (1:27). Contending means working hard, like a team, for the good news.
Some people oppose them. Paul tells them not to be frightened at all. Their courage is a sign from God. It shows that their opponents are headed for ruin, and that God is saving his people.
Then Paul says something hard. God has given them two gifts: to believe in Christ, and also "to suffer for Him" (1:29).
They are in the same struggle they once saw Paul go through, and now hear he is still in. Remember, when Paul first came to Philippi, he was beaten and thrown in jail there (Acts 16:22-24). They saw it happen.
Meaning
What does it mean?
Read It
What Does This Mean?
| The text says | It means |
|---|---|
| "Saints" (1:1) | All of God's people. Not only the famous or extra-holy ones. |
| "Grace and peace" (1:2) | Grace is God's love and gifts we don't earn. Peace is being made whole with God and each other. |
| "He who began a good work in you" (1:6) | God started your faith, and God will finish it. |
| "The day of Christ Jesus" (1:6) | The day Jesus comes again. |
| "The fruit of righteousness" (1:11) | This is a comparison. A good life grows out of Jesus the way fruit grows on a tree. |
| "To live is Christ, and to die is gain" (1:21) | Living means serving Jesus. Dying means being with Jesus. Paul longs to be with Christ, but he isn't asking to die. See the alert below. |
| "Worthy of the gospel of Christ" (1:27) | Living in a way that fits the good news. |
| "Not only to believe in Him, but also to suffer for Him" (1:29) | Paul calls both a gift. Suffering for Jesus is not a sign that God has left you. |
Back Then
Philippi. Philippi was named for Philip of Macedon, the father of Alexander the Great. It became a Roman colony, a city of Roman citizens far from Rome (Acts 16:12). (Easton's Bible Dictionary, "Philippi")
Paul's first visit. Paul came to Philippi with Silas. A businesswoman named Lydia believed and was baptized. Later Paul and Silas were beaten and jailed, and the jailer and his family were baptized (Acts 16:11-40). Read it as a story in Paul and Silas in Prison.
Under guard. In Rome, Paul was allowed to live by himself, "with a soldier to guard him" (Acts 28:16). The palace guard were the emperor's own soldiers. (Easton's Bible Dictionary, "Praetorium")
Letters back then. Letters began with who they were from and who they were for, then a greeting. They ended with more greetings. Paul follows that pattern and fills it with the good news.
Literal Reader Alert
Is Paul saying it's good to want to die? No. Paul is facing a trial that could end in his execution. He does long to be with Christ (1:23). But he doesn't seek death. He says staying is more needed, for the sake of the people who need him, and he expects to live (1:24-25). If you are thinking about ending your life, please tell someone today. In the United States, you can call or text 988 any time. If you are in danger, call 911 or your local emergency number. Outside the United States, findahelpline.com lists free helplines.
Does Paul mean that suffering is good? No. Suffering is still hard, and it is not something to go looking for. Paul says that God can work even through it, as he did through Paul's chains (1:12). It's okay to notice things like this. Careful readers have asked about it for centuries.
Is it okay that people preached about Jesus for bad reasons? Paul doesn't say their motives were fine. He calls them envy and rivalry (1:15). But he is glad that people are hearing about Jesus anyway (1:18).
How People Feel
| Who | Feeling | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Paul | Joyful | He prays for them "with joy" (1:4) |
| Paul | Longing | God knows "how I long for all of you" (1:8) |
| Paul | Torn | He wants to be with Christ, but the church needs him (1:23-24) |
For you
What does it mean for me?
Your Turn
What do you need to hear today? Tap one.
I'm stuck in a hard place
Paul wrote this in chains. God used even his chains to spread the good news (1:12). Your hard place is not outside God's reach.
I'm not sure my faith will last
It doesn't depend on you. "He who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion" (1:6).
People are against me
Paul had people working against him too (1:15-17). He told the church not to be frightened (1:28). God stands with you.
I'm afraid of dying
For Paul, dying meant being with Christ, "far better indeed" (1:23). Jesus has gone through death ahead of you, and he rose.
It's really bad right now
Please tell someone you trust today. In the U.S., call or text 988. If you are in danger, call 911 or your local emergency number. Outside the U.S., findahelpline.com lists free helplines.
You Might Have Heard
"If your faith is strong enough, God will keep you out of trouble."
What's true: God does protect his people, and Paul expected God to bring him through (1:19).
What the passage is mainly about: Paul was faithful, and he was in chains. He even calls suffering for Christ a gift (1:29). God didn't keep Paul out of trouble. God worked through it.
Where Jesus is: Jesus was faithful all the way to the cross. God often works through weakness and hard places. We see that most clearly in Jesus.
Good News
Paul was in chains, facing a trial that could end his life. It would be easy to think God had lost track of him. But Paul saw God at work right there. The guards were hearing about Jesus. The other believers were growing braver (1:13-14).
God works that way. He works through chains, through weakness, and most of all through the cross.
And the work God begins, he finishes. "He who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion" (1:6). In Baptism, God began that work in you.
God began a good work in you, and he will finish it.
Big Idea
God began a good work in his people, he will finish it, and he uses even chains to spread the good news.
If this chapter brings up big feelings, talk with someone you trust, like a parent, pastor, or counselor.
For leaders and parentsLuther, church readings, and notes for teaching.
From Luther
In the Heidelberg Disputation (1518), Luther wrote about the "theology of the cross." He said God is found where people least expect him: in weakness, suffering, and the cross. Thesis 21 says that a theologian of the cross "calls the thing what it actually is." Paul does that here. He doesn't pretend his chains are nothing. But he sees God at work in them.
In Church
Many churches follow a reading plan called the Revised Common Lectionary. It reads Philippians 1:3-11 on the Second Sunday of Advent in Year C, and Philippians 1:21-30 on a Sunday in the fall of Year A.
We quote Luther for what he got right about grace. He also wrote terrible things about Jewish people. Read our note on that.
Memorize
How do I keep it?
One line from this story to learn by heart. Practice a little now. It will come back later so it sticks.
He who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.
How did that feel?