The passage
      v3. Paul usually commences his letters with thanksgiving and praise. So, in typical style, Paul's letter to the Philippians begins with a big "thank you", not to the church, but to God. "Every time I think of you I thank my God."
      v4. The first ground for Paul's thanksgiving is the joy he feels when he prays for the Philippian church. "When I pray for you, and that means all of you, I always feel very happy."
      v5. Paul gives a second reason for his thanksgiving: he is thankful for the Philippians' practical interest and involvement in his gospel ministry, for their cooperation in promoting the gospel.
      v6. Third, Paul is thankful because he is sure that the Philippians will persevere in gospel ministry. He has a sure belief in God's grace at work in the Philippian church, a sovereign grace which will continue to affect the inner disposition and the outward activity of the believers. This work of God, in their lives, will continue until the advent of Christ.
      v7. In v3-6, Paul expresses warm affection for the Philippian believers and he now explains the reason for his strong feelings. Whether, during his time in prison, or during those times when he was free to defend and establish the truth of the gospel, the Philippians had stood with him and supported him in his ministry, a ministry graciously given to him by God.
      v8. Finally, Paul calls on God to confirm his love for the Philippian church, a love derived from Christ and empowered by Christ.
      v9. Paul's love for the church prompts him to utter a prayer for them. Great love already exists in the church, a love toward God, toward each other, toward the world, and of course, toward Paul himself. Yet, their love, like the love of all, is imperfect. So, Paul prays that their love might abound more and more, "in deeper knowledge and broader perception."
      v10. With the quality of their love improved through knowledge, they will be better able to distinguish between good and evil. If the Philippians can possess a true gift of discrimination, they will find their behavior toward others is sincere and does not give offense, or lead another into sin. This applied discrimination will prepare them for their reign with Christ in eternity. The word translated "pure" in the NIV actually means something like "genuine" or "sincere", while the word translated "blameless" means something like "without causing offense."
      v11. Paul gives another picture of this love, refined by the knowledge of God, it is behavior which "abounds in the fruit of right-doing". Paul's prayer is that the Philippians might be "filled" with this fruit, this ethically sincere and non corrupting behavior, this "harvest of righteousness." It is a fruit which comes "through Jesus Christ", a fruit "which Christ produces." Jesus is the prompting-cause of this fruit; he shapes right-doing in our lives.

Living in love
      Paul's prayer for the church was that they might grow in love. First, that their love might be insightful, a love lived out in wisdom and knowledge. Second, that their love might be active, a love lived out in deeds of righteousness.
      The Philippian church certainly lived out the command of our Lord to "love one another". It was not just compassion, but a bonding to Jesus, to each other, and to their apostle/prophet. Paul's needs were their needs; Paul's ministry was their ministry. It was for their Christian love that Paul gave thanks to God, and he did so in the knowledge that their love would further mature as the indwelling Spirit of Christ continued his sanctifying work within. It was within this context that Paul prayed for the Philippians; he prayed that they might grow in love.
      Paul prayed for an insightful love. He prayed that their "love may abound more and more in knowledge and depth of insight." A love without direction is of little value. Understanding the character of God, his will for us in the present and in the future, is an essential characteristic of effective love. How can I love God if I do not understand him? How can I love my neighbor if I do not know what is God's will for my neighbor? How can I love God, my neighbor and myself, if I do not have the ability to discern the shades, the subtleties of truth, as it interacts with darkness? Love must be insightful.
      Paul prayed for an active love. He prayed that the Philippians' love might foster a life "filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through faith in Jesus Christ." A love that is not lived out, is a love without substance. Living out love in righteousness, through the power of the indwelling Christ, is an essential characteristic of effective love. How can I love God if all I do is please myself? How can I love my neighbor if I blindly ignore their practical needs? Love must be active.
      Filled with the fruit of love that is both insightful and active, Paul prayed that the Philippians live, mindful of Christ's coming. Let us also, through Christ's life-changing power, similarly prepare for that coming day.

v4
      Regarded as a parenthesis by some commentators, Lightfoot etc., "and praying for you does make me happy." On the other hand, O'Brien and others regard the joy Paul feels when he prays for the Philippians as the first ground for his thanksgiving.
      dehsei (iV ewV) "prayers" - requests, entreaties, prayers. Usually in a specific sense, "supplications".
      uJper + gen.. "for" - for, on behalf of, for the sake of.
      pantwn adj. "all [of you]" - Not always translated, but Paul seems to stress inclusiveness with the Philippians, possibly due to congregational disunity.
      thn dehsin poioumenoV (poiew) pres. part. "I [always] pray" - the prayer doing. The participle with the noun "prayer" is periphrastic, forming the simple verb "I pray." Possibly temporal, "whenever I pray for you", REB.
      pantote "always" - every time, always.
      meta + gen "with [joy]" - The preposition expresses association. "When I pray for you, and that means all of you, I always feel very happy."

v5
      If v4 is not a parenthesis, then v5 states the second ground for Paul's thanksgiving.
      epi + dat. "because" - in view of. Probably causal, "because of / on the basis of"; "for they (my prayers) bring back to my mind how we have worked together for the gospel", Phillips.
      th/ koinwnia/ (a) "partnership" - fellowship, participation, sharing. Some argue for a passive sense, but an active sense seems best; "your cooperation in promoting the gospel", O'Brien.
      eiV + acc. "in [the gospel]" - into [the gospel]. In the sense of "with respect to / with reference to."
      to euaggelion (on) "the gospel" - the important message. Tending always to refer to the important divine message proclaimed by John the Baptist, Jesus ..., namely "the kingdom of God is at hand." Often referred to as the good news, but it's certainly not good news to those who have rejected it. Here, probably not just the actual message, but the business of communicating it; "for your cooperation in spreading the gospel", Weymouth.
      apo thV prwthV hJmeraV "from the first day" - Presumably "from the first day it arrived among you", Barclay.

v6
      Most likely the third ground for Paul's thanksgiving, namely, his confidence that God will finish the good work.
      pepoiqwV (peiqw) perf. part. "being confident" - having become confident. Possibly the participle is causal, "because of"; "for of this I am confident", Weymouth.
      auto touto "of this" - this thing. Not referring to some particular antecedent, but rather underlining his confidence, "I am confident with just this confidence", Hawthorne.
      oJti "that" - Introducing the object of Paul's confidence, namely, the completion of the good work.
      oJ enarxamenoV (enarcomai) aor. part. "he who began" - the one having begun. The agent is obviously God.
      ergon agaqon "a good work" - work good. Given the context, the good work is the work of the gospel that the Philippians were participating in, a work begun by God and one that will ultimately be completed by him. None-the-less, the idea of completing this work may indicate that Paul has in mind their salvation which "began" when the gospel was preached to them.
      en "in [the gospel]" - in, with, by, to. Possibly locative, "in / within [you]", as NIV, reflecting the view that the "good work" is the eternal salvation of the Philippian believers. On the other hand, an instrumental sense is possible, "by means of [you]", reflecting the view that the "good work is the work of evangelization. The Philippian believers, along with Paul's mission team, served as God's instrument for evangelizing Philippi.
      epitelesei (epitelew) "will carry it on to completion" - will complete, accomplish, bring about. Carrying the sense of both continuation and completion, so "will continue to work ........ until he has finished what he has planned", TH.

v7
      kaqwV "-" - just as, as. Often taking a causal sense, "because / since / in so far as." Because of v3-6 it is only right for Paul to feel the way he does. "Indeed it is only right ..." Hawthorne.
      fronein (fronew) inf. "to feel" - to think, to be concerned for, feel. An epexegetic infinitive explaining what is right for Paul. The word expresses both feelings, "a sympathetic attention to", but also "the holding of an opinion"; "it is only natural for me to be thinking of you all", Moffatt.
      dia + acc. "since" - because of, on account of. Taking a causal sense, "because".
      en "in [my heart]" - in, within. Obviously locative. The word order is ambiguous so possibly also expressing Paul's knowledge that he is very dear to the Philippians; "I have a secure place in your hearts", Bruce.
      te "weather" - both [in my bonds .... and ....].
      kai "or" - and. "And also while I was free to defend ...", TEV.
      th/ apologia/ (a) "defending" - the defence. To speak against accusations presumed to be false*.
      bebaiwsei (iV ewV) "confirming" - confirmation, verification, vindication. "To defend and establish the truth of the gospel", Barclay.
      ontaV (eimi) pres. part. "-" - being. The participle of the verb to-be is possibly causal, "because all of you share ..."
      sugkoinwnouV (oV) "share with" - fellow participants, sharers together, partakers.
      caritoV (cariV) "grace" - Paul uses the word "grace" here in the sense of the gift of his apostolic ministry. That ministry was a gift of God, exercised in authority and power against great odds. "All of you have helped in the work that God has given me", CEV.

v8
      gar "-" - for. Here probably functioning as a connective and therefore left untranslated.
      martuV (uV uroV) "testify" - witness. The clause functions as an oath witnessed by God; "God knows that I am telling the truth", Barclay.
      wJV "how" - as, like / while. Possibly expressing degree, "God knows how much I long for your companionship", Phillips, possibly manner, as NIV, but more likely introducing the content of the witness, rather than its quality; "God witnesses to the fact that I yearn for you", Hawthorne.
      epipoqw (epipoqew) "I long for" - I yearn for, yearn after, long for. Paul is expressing an intense longing for the Philippians, a longing that is deeply affectionate, loving.
      pantaV adj. "all [of you]" - Note again Paul's use of this inclusive descriptor.
      en + dat. "with" - in, with, by, to. Obviously an instrumental sense here.
      splagcnoiV (on) "affection" - the entrails, bowels of affection. Used in the sense of a deep feeling of intent or affection. Probably brotherly love best defines this feeling. Yet, here not so much of human affection, although that would be a strong aspect of it, but rather a love transformed to another level. Paul's love for the Philippians is the love of Christ for them. Paul is a channel of Christ's love toward the church. They are one in Christ and are therefore bound together in his love.
      Cristou Ihsou "of Christ Jesus" - The genitive is best understood as subjective, ie. the "affection" is sourced from Christ, is derived from Christ and empowered by Christ.

v9
      iJna + subj. "that [your love] may abound" - [this I pray] that. Forming an epexegetic clause explaining the content the "this", what I pray.
      hJ agaph (h) "[your] love" - No object of the love is supplied indicating the possession of a quality rather than the action of being loving. It is that which is "the central element of the Christian life", Beare.
      perisseuh/ (perisseuw) pres. subj. "may abound" - may abound, overflow, have exceeding much, be extremely rich. The present tense indicating ongoing action; "may continue to abound."
      eti adv. "-" - yet, still [more and more]. An ever expanding love. "That your love may overflow with deeper and deeper knowledge, and with greater and greater sensitive awareness of every kind", Barclay.
      en + dat. "in" - The sense is locative, "within the domain of knowledge and all insight", O'Brien.
      epignwsei kai pash/ aisqhsei "knowledge and depth of insight" - advanced knowledge and perception/discernment. Paul is obviously praying for an improvement in the quality of their love. He is praying for a knowledge of God, of his will and person. Such knowledge is gained through a study of the Bible. As Vincent puts it in his commentary, Paul is praying for an "intelligent and discerning love". For a believer to love, it is essential to be able to know the truth. We have to be able to distinguish good from evil. That is, we must understand the ethical implications of any action. To act in a loving way necessitates a correct understanding of the mind and character of God. It is when we understand the "good", we are then able to apply that knowledge to each and every situation. Our action then becomes a loving act. Although much of our behavior stems from the best of intentions, it is often done with little understanding of the mind of God. The unthoughtful act is often anything but loving. So, a loving act must be an "intelligent and discerning" one. "in deeper knowledge and broader perception", Hawthorne.

v10
      eiV to dokimazein (dokimazw) inf. "so that you may be able to discern" - that you may test. The articular infinitive with the preposition eis "most commonly expresses purpose", Burton #409. The verb translated "discern" in the NIV either means "test", to prove something by testing, or "approve", having tested and proved the worth of something. Muller states in his commentary that with their love directed by knowledge they will "be able to determine, by judicious discernment, what things really matter, what is the best and most virtuous, and what is of most importance." They will be able to judge/discern, to gain spiritual insights as to the right value of actions and beliefs. Such discernment can be applied to self, to the life of the church, and to the workings of society. The end result is "that small things should as small be seen, and great things great to us should seem", Barth. "Approve", RSV; "discriminate", NEB.
      to diaqeronta (daqerw) pres. part. "what is best" - the things being superior, excellent, worthwhile.
      iJna + subj. "[and may be pure ...] - that. Unlikely to form a causal clause, "for I want you to be pure and blameless", Barclay, possibly a final (purpose) clause, "in order that / so that", Moffatt ("and" in the NIV repeats the "so that" at beginning of the verse), or a consecutive (expressing consequence, result) clause; "then [as a result] on the day of Christ you will be flawless and without blame", REB.
      eilikrineiV (hV) kai aproskopoi (oV) adj. "pure and blameless" - wax-like and blameless. With a "gift of true discrimination", the believer can shape their behavior toward others in a sincere way that does not give offense or lead another into sin. This is probably what Paul means by "pure and blameless". The word translated "pure" in the NIV is virtually unknown, but probably means something like "genuine" or "sincere". The word translated "blameless" in the NIV is something like "without causing offense / causing to stumble". An intransitive sense is possible, "without stumbling", O'Brien. The problem with the NIV choice of words is that they convey the idea of a faultless moral life. This suggestion is a dangerous one, given that the words in the Greek text do not push to such an extreme. The sense is of our life-style being both ethically sincere/true and inoffensive (particularly in the sense of leading a brother into sin - ie. causing a brother to abandon Christ.
      eiV + acc. "until [the day of Christ] - to. Possibly taking a temporal sense, "leading up to / until" as NIV, or "on the day of Christ", TEV, "when you meet with Christ on the last day", possibly also spacial, "toward": "mindful of the day of Christ", Muller; "in view of the day of Christ", Bruce; "in preparation for the day of Christ", O'Brien.
      hJmeran Cristou "the day of Christ" - The genitive is descriptive, the day of judgment and glorification when Christ returns.