World English Bible · Under Rome
Philippians 2
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If therefore there is any exhortation in Christ, if any consolation of love, if any fellowship of , if any and , make my joy full by being like-minded, having the same love, being of one accord, of one ; doing nothing through rivalry or through conceit, but in humility, each counting others better than himself; each of you not looking to his own things, but each of you also to the things of others. Have this in , which was also in Christ , who, existing in the form of , didn't consider equality with a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, taking the form of a servant, being made in the of men. And being found in human form, he humbled himself, becoming obedient to the point of , yes, the of . Therefore also highly exalted him, and gave to him the name which is above every name, that at the name of every knee should bow, of those in , those on earth, and those under the earth, and that every should that is , to the of . So then, my beloved, even as you have always , not only in my , but now much more in my absence, work out your own with fear and trembling. For it is who works in you both to will and to work for his good pleasure. Do all things without complaining and arguing, that you may become blameless and harmless, children of in the middle of a crooked and perverse generation, among whom you are seen as lights in the world, holding up the word of life, that I may have something to boast in the day of Christ that I didn't run in nor labor in . Yes, and if I am poured out on the and of your , I am glad and rejoice with you all. In the same way, you also should be glad and rejoice with me. But I in to send to you soon, that I also may be cheered up when I know how you are doing. For I have no one else like-minded, who will truly care about you. For they all seek their own, not the things of . But you know that he has proved himself. As a child serves a , so he with me in furtherance of the . Therefore I to send him at once, as soon as I see how it will go with me. But I in that I myself also will come shortly. But I thought it necessary to send to you , my brother, fellow worker, fellow soldier, and your and my need, since he longed for you all, and was very troubled because you had heard that he was sick. For indeed he was sick nearly to , but had mercy on him, and not on him only, but on me also, that I might not have sorrow on sorrow. I have sent him therefore the more diligently, that when you see him again, you may rejoice, and that I may be the less sorrowful. Receive him therefore in with all joy, and hold such people in , because for the work of Christ he came near to , risking his life to supply that which was lacking in your toward me.
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Christians read this chapter differently
- Is Jesus God? · Philippians 2:5-11
- Can you know you are saved? · Philippians 2:12-13
Every view at its strongest, with who holds it and what it has to answer for.
The world at this moment · Under Rome, 63 BC to AD 100 ›
Judea as a client kingdom and then a province. Roads, garrisons, taxes, crucifixion, and a common Greek language that let a message travel the empire faster than any before it.
- Rome
- The republic tears itself apart in civil war and comes out as an empire under Augustus. What follows is two centuries of relative peace across the whole Mediterranean, enforced by legions and paid for by taxes, with safe roads and safe sea lanes. Every one of Paul's journeys depends on that.
- Judea
- Governed first through Herod the Great, a client king of enormous ability and enormous brutality who rebuilds the temple into one of the wonders of the ancient world, then directly by Roman prefects. Crucifixion is the standard penalty for sedition and is used often and publicly.
- The wider world
- Greek is spoken from Spain to Syria, which means a letter written in Corinth can be read in Rome without translation. Jewish communities already exist in most major cities, which is where the first Christian preaching lands. Mystery religions, imperial cult, and philosophy all compete in the same marketplace.
- Further afield
- The Han dynasty rules China and trades silk westward along routes that touch the Roman world at second hand. In Britain the Roman conquest begins within a decade of the crucifixion.