Chapter
1 2 3 4
Verse

Philippians 1:5

ESV because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now.
NIV because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now,
NASB in view of your participation in the gospel from the first day until now.
CSB because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now.
NLT for you have been my partners in spreading the Good News about Christ from the time you first heard it until now.
KJV For your fellowship in the gospel from the first day until now;
NKJV for your fellowship in the gospel from the first day until now,

What does Philippians 1:5 mean?

Verse 4 notes the joy Paul receives from the Philippian church. In this verse, he refers to the major source of this joy: "partnership." These believers had been helping Paul to spread the gospel since they first became believers. This letter was written some 12 years after the founding of the Philippian church in approximately AD 49. This partnership included prayer, people, resources, and finances. This is why Paul does not specifically mention money here, though he will in chapter 4.

Their partnership was "in the gospel." They supported his missionary work to reach more people for Christ and start new churches. Paul started at least 20 local churches throughout his ministry and likely more. The Philippian church helped fund some of these congregations, making them one of the first "sending" churches, along with Jerusalem (Acts 2) and Antioch (Acts 13). The church at Philippi seemed to understand the importance of spreading the word as far and wide as possible.
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Context Summary
Philippians 1:3–11 is Paul's expression of thanks and gratitude for the believers of Philippi. Not only have they been generous in their support of Paul, they have been faithful even when he was imprisoned. Paul claims to thank God for these Christians in all of his prayers. At the same time, Paul has high hopes that the church of Philippi will continue to mature and strengthen their relationship with Christ.
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Chapter Summary
In chapter 1, Paul thanks the Philippian believers for supporting his ministry. Even when Paul was jailed, or persecuted, they had been generous and loyal. Paul encourages these Christians by explaining that all of his suffering has been for a good cause. Even better, these attempts to persecute Paul have actually caused the gospel to spread. For this, Paul is grateful. He fully expects to be released, and to see the believers of Philippi again.
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What is the Gospel?
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