# Philippians 2.15-16 **Book:** [Philippians](/codex/philippians/) · NASB95 ## Immediate context (±2 verses) **ASV** ([ASV](/codex/asv/)) > 13. for it is God who worketh in you both to will and to work, for his good pleasure. 14. Do all things without murmurings and questionings: > > **15. that ye may become blameless and harmless, children of God without blemish in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, among whom ye are seen as lights in the world, 16. holding forth the word of life; that I may have whereof to glory in the day of Christ, that I did not run in vain neither labor in vain.** > > 17. Yea, and if I am offered upon the sacrifice and service of your faith, I joy, and rejoice with you all: 18. and in the same manner do ye also joy, and rejoice with me. (Philippians 2:13-18, ASV) **WEB** ([WEB](/codex/web/)) > 13. For it is God who works in you both to will and to work, for his good pleasure. 14. Do all things without murmurings and disputes, > > **15. that 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, 16. holding 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.** > > 17. Yes, and if I am poured out on the sacrifice and service of your faith, I rejoice, and rejoice with you all. 18. In the same way, you also rejoice, and rejoice with me. (Philippians 2:13-18, WEB) **KJV** ([KJV](/codex/kjv/)) > 13. For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure. 14. Do all things without murmurings and disputings: > > **15. That ye may be blameless and harmless, the sons of God, without rebuke, in the midst of a crooked and perverse nation, among whom ye shine as lights in the world; harmless: or, sincere ye shine: or, shine ye 16. Holding forth the word of life; that I may rejoice in the day of Christ, that I have not run in vain, neither laboured in vain.** > > 17. Yea, and if I be offered upon the sacrifice and service of your faith, I joy, and rejoice with you all. offered: Gr. poured forth 18. For the same cause also do ye joy, and rejoice with me. (Philippians 2:13-18, KJV) **YLT** ([YLT](/codex/ylt/)) > 13. for God it is who is working in you both to will and to work for His good pleasure. 14. All things do without murmurings and reasonings, > > **15. that ye may become blameless and harmless, children of God, unblemished in the midst of a generation crooked and perverse, among whom ye do appear as luminaries in the world, 16. the word of life holding forth, for rejoicing to me in regard to a day of Christ, that not in vain did I run, nor in vain did I labour;** > > 17. but if also I am poured forth upon the sacrifice and service of your faith, I rejoice and joy with you all, 18. because of this do ye also rejoice and joy with me. (Philippians 2:13-18, YLT) ## Setting - **Speaker:** [Paul the Apostle](/codex/paul-the-apostle/), writing with Timothy named as co-sender (Philippians 1:1). - **Audience:** The [Church at Philippi](/codex/church-at-philippi/), in a Roman colony of Macedonia (Acts 16:12), founded on the mission narrated in Acts 16 and addressed with its bishops and deacons (Philippians 1:1). The church had sent Paul a gift by Epaphroditus (Philippians 2:25-30, 4:18). The verses describe the church's witness in its setting and Paul's hope for the day of Christ, within the exhortations of Philippians 2:12-18. - **Location:** Written from imprisonment (Philippians 1:7, 1:13). The place is debated: Rome is the traditional identification, and Ephesus and Caesarea are proposed as alternatives. - **Time period:** Depends on the imprisonment: c. AD 60-62 if Rome, c. AD 57-59 if Caesarea, the mid-50s if Ephesus. ## Theological reading **The church shines as "lights in the world".** "among whom ye are seen as lights in the world" (Philippians 2:15, ASV). "Lights" is *phōstēr* (G5458), a word for heavenly lights such as the sun and stars, and "world" is [*kosmos*](/codex/g2889-kosmos/). Readers often compare Daniel 12:3: "And they that are wise shall shine as the brightness of the firmament" (Daniel 12:3, ASV). The verb *phainō* (G5316) can mean "appear" or "shine"; the ASV has "are seen" and the KJV "shine". Either way the image echoes "Ye are the light of the world" (Matthew 5:14, ASV). **"Holding forth" or "holding fast" is debated.** "holding forth the word of life" (Philippians 2:16, ASV). The verb *epechō* (G1907) can mean to hold out, as an offer, or to hold firmly. The ASV and KJV take the first, which fits the image of lights shining in a dark world. Others take the second, which fits Paul's concern in the next clause that his labor not be wasted. The object is the "word" ([*logos*](/codex/g3056-logos/)) of "life" ([*zōē*](/codex/g2222-zoe/)), the gospel as the message that gives life. **Paul's labor is measured at the day of Christ.** "that I may have whereof to glory in the day of Christ, that I did not run in vain neither labor in vain" (Philippians 2:16, ASV). "Glory" is *kauchēma* (G2745), as in 1:26. "Run" (*trechō*, G5143) is athletic language that Paul uses elsewhere of his mission, "lest by any means I should be running, or had run, in vain" (Galatians 2:2, ASV). "Labor in vain" recalls the servant of Isaiah: "I have labored in vain, I have spent my strength for nought and vanity" (Isaiah 49:4, ASV). The church itself is Paul's ground of boasting, as he says of the Thessalonians, "what is our hope, or joy, or crown of glorying? Are not even ye" (1 Thessalonians 2:19, ASV). ## Key words _Theologically-loaded Greek or Hebrew words in this verse may have entries in the lexicon. Curated to roughly 100 contested terms across the corpus, not every word._ - [G2222 - zoe](/codex/g2222-zoe/), *zoe*, Strong's G2222 - [G2889 - kosmos](/codex/g2889-kosmos/), *kosmos*, Strong's G2889 - [G3056 - logos](/codex/g3056-logos/), *logos*, Strong's G3056 - [G5547 - christos](/codex/g5547-christos/), *christos*, Strong's G5547 - [G1096 - ginomai](/codex/g1096-ginomai/), *ginomai*, Strong's G1096 - [G2316 - theos](/codex/g2316-theos/), *theos*, Strong's G2316 ## Notes _Your annotations._ ## Why these four translations ris3n chose ASV, WEB, KJV, and YLT for two reasons together. They are the **most literal English translations available** (formal-equivalence: word-for-word renderings that preserve the Hebrew and Greek grammar rather than smoothing it into modern dynamic-equivalence idiom). And they are in the **public domain in the United States**, which means fair-use quotation at any length requires no publisher license. Modern licensed translations (NASB95, ESV, NIV) restrict volume of quotation under their copyright terms, so they are not used at stub-level coverage here. NASB95 appears only on hand-curated rich passage hubs under Lockman Foundation's fair-use allowance. The four: - **[ASV](/codex/asv/)** (American Standard Version, 1901). The basis of the modern critical-text English tradition. - **[WEB](/codex/web/)** (World English Bible, contemporary). Public-domain revision in the ASV line, in current English. - **[KJV](/codex/kjv/)** (King James Version, 1611). Reformation-era, Textus Receptus base. - **[YLT](/codex/ylt/)** (Young's Literal Translation, Robert Young, 1862). Hyper-literal preservation of Hebrew and Greek grammar; useful for word-study work even where English reads stiff. See [Bibles](/codex/bibles/) for the full per-translation history, translators, textual basis, strengths, and weaknesses.