Philippians 2:16

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.

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Word by word — the Greek

Word	Greek	Strong’s	Meaning
forth	ἐπέχοντες, epechontes	G1907	to hold upon · verb — present active participle, nominative plural masculine
word	λόγον logon	G3056	something said (including the thought) · noun — accusative singular masculine
life	ζωῆς zōēs	G2222	life (literally or figuratively) · noun — genitive singular feminine
that	εἰς eis	G1519	to or into (indicating the point reached or entered) · preposition
I	ἐμοί emoí	G1698	to me
rejoice	καύχημα kauchēma	G2745	a boast (properly · noun — accusative singular neuter
in	εἰς eis	G1519	to or into (indicating the point reached or entered) · preposition
day	ἡμέραν hēmeran	G2250	day · noun — accusative singular feminine
Christ	Χριστοῦ, Christou	G5547	anointed · noun — genitive singular masculine, a title
that	ὅτι hoti	G3754	demonstrative · conjunction
have	ἔδραμον, edramon	G5143	compare G2359 (θρίξ)) · verb — second aorist active indicative, 1st person singular
not	οὐκ ouk	G3756	the absolute negative (compare G3361 (μή)) adverb · particle — negative
run	τρέχω tréchō	G5143	compare G2359 (θρίξ))
in	εἰς eis	G1519	to or into (indicating the point reached or entered) · preposition
vain	κενὸν kenon	G2756	empty (literally or figuratively) · adjective — accusative singular neuter
neither	οὐδὲ oude	G3761	not however · conjunction — negative
laboured	ἐκοπίασα. ekopiasa	G2872	to feel fatigue · verb — aorist active indicative, 1st person singular
in	εἰς eis	G1519	to or into (indicating the point reached or entered) · preposition
vain	κενὸν kenon	G2756	empty (literally or figuratively) · adjective — accusative singular neuter

Strong's Exhaustive Concordance (James Strong, 1890/1894), public domain; digitized by Open Scriptures (CC BY-SA). KJV word tagging: eBible.org (public domain). Original-language text, parsing and brief lexicon: STEPBible.org data from Tyndale House, Cambridge (CC BY 4.0).

Cross-references

1 Corinthians 9:26 I therefore so run, not as uncertainly; so fight I, not as one that beateth the air:
Galatians 2:2 And I went up by revelation, and communicated unto them that gospel which I preach among the Gentiles, but privately to them which were of r…
1 John 1:1 That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon, and our hands have hand…
John 6:68 Then Simon Peter answered him, Lord, to whom shall we go? thou hast the words of eternal life.
2 Corinthians 1:14 As also ye have acknowledged us in part, that we are your rejoicing, even as ye also are ours in the day of the Lord Jesus.
1 Thessalonians 3:5 For this cause, when I could no longer forbear, I sent to know your faith, lest by some means the tempter have tempted you, and our labour b…
Luke 12:8 Also I say unto you, Whosoever shall confess me before men, him shall the Son of man also confess before the angels of God:
John 6:63 It is the spirit that quickeneth; the flesh profiteth nothing: the words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life.

Cross-references from OpenBible.info (CC BY), in the lineage of the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (public domain).

Commentary

Matthew Henry on Philippians 2:14-18

The apostle exhorts them in these verses to adorn their Christian profession by a suitable temper and behaviour, in several instances. 1. By a cheerful obedience to the commands of God (Phi 2:14): "Do all things, do your duty in every branch of it, without murmurings. Do it, and do not find fault with it. Mind your work, and do not quarrel with it." God's commands were given to be obeyed, not to be disputed. This greatly adorns our profession, and shows we serve a good Master, whose service is freedom and whose work is its own reward. 2. By peaceableness and love one to another. "Do all things without disputing, wrangling, and debating one another; because the light of truth and the life of…

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Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on Philippians 2:16

Holding forth--to them, and so applying it (the common meaning of the Greek; perhaps here including also the other meaning, "holding fast"). The image of light-bearers or luminaries is carried on from Phi 2:15. As the heavenly luminaries' light is closely connected with the life of animals, so ye hold forth the light of Christ's "word" (received from me) which is the "life" of the Gentiles (Joh 1:4; Jo1 1:1, Jo1 1:5-7). Christ is "the Light of the world" (Joh 8:12); believers are only "light-bearers" reflecting His light. that I may rejoice in--literally, "with a view to (your being) a subject of rejoicing to me against the day of Christ" (Phi 4:1; Co2 1:14; Th1 2:19). that I have not ru…

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Adam Clarke on Philippians 2:16

Holding forth the word of life - An allusion, some think, to those towers which were built at the entrance of harbours, on which fires were kept during the night to direct ships into the port. Genuine Christians, by their holy lives and conversation, are the means of directing others, not only how to escape those dangers to which they are exposed on the tempestuous ocean of human life, but also of leading them into the haven of eternal safety and rest. That I have not run in vain - This appears to be a part of the same metaphor; and alludes to the case of a weather-beaten mariner who has been long tossed on a tempestuous sea, in hazy weather and dark nights, who has been obliged to run on di…

The Church Fathers

"I have glory through you because you possess the word of life"—that is, because you know Christ, who is the Word of life, "because what was made in Christ was life." Therefore Christ is the Word of life. From this we perceive how great is the profit and glory of those who correct the souls of others.
— Gaius Marius Victorinus, EPISTLE TO THE PHILIPPIANS 2.16

What means "holding fast the word of life"? i.e. "being destined to live, being of those that are gaining salvation." Observe how immediately he subjoins the rewards, which are in reserve. Lights [i.e. luminaries], he says, retain the principle of light; so do ye the principle of life. What means "the word of life"? Having the seed of life, i.e. having pledges of life, holding life itself, i.e. "having in yourselves the seed of life," this is what he calls "the word of life." Consequently the rest are all dead, for by these words he signified as much; for otherwise those others likewise would have held "the word of life." "That I may have whereof to glory," he says; what is this? I too participate in your good deeds, he says. So great is your virtue, as not only to save yourselves, but to render me illustrious. Strange kind of "boasting," thou blessed Paul! Thou art scourged, driven about, reviled for our sakes: therefore he adds, "in the day of Christ, that I did not run," he says, "in vain, nor labored in vain," but I always have a right to glory, he means, that I did not run in vain.
— John Chrysostom, Homily on Philippians 8

The Church Fathers: public-domain translations (Ante-Nicene and Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers), verse-indexed by SermonIndex (CC BY 4.0).

Dictionary and topics

Apphia — Increasing, a female Christian at Colosse (Philemon 1:2), supposed by some to have been the wife of Philemon.
Archippus — Master of the horse, a “fellow-soldier” of Paul’s (Philemon 1:2), whom he exhorts to renewed activity (Col. 4:17). He was a member of Philemon’s family, probably his son.
Games — (1.) Of children (Zech. 8:5; Matt. 11:16). The Jewish youth were also apparently instructed in the use of the bow and the sling (Judg. 20:16; 1 Chr. 12:2). (2.) Public games, such as were common…
Commandments · PRECEPTS OF PAUL. EXPLICITLY STATED OR IMPLIED IN DIDACTIC EPISTLES — PRECEPTS OF PAUL. EXPLICITLY STATED OR IMPLIED IN DIDACTIC EPISTLES
Games · Foot races — Foot races
Gospel · .WORD OF LIFE — .WORD OF LIFE
Gospel, The · Is called the: Word of life — Is called the: Word of life
Joy · Ministers should: Desire to render an account with — Ministers should: Desire to render an account with
Missionaries, All Christians Should Be As · In their intercourse with the world — In their intercourse with the world
Roman Empire, The · Allusions to grecian game adapted by: Foot races — Allusions to grecian game adapted by: Foot races
Word Of God · .WORD OF LIFE — .WORD OF LIFE

Dictionary: Easton's (1897) and Smith's (1863), public domain. Topics: Nave's Topical Bible (1896) and Torrey's Topical Textbook (1897), public domain. Both as parsed by NEUU (CC BY 4.0).

Philippians 2:16

Word by word — the Greek

Cross-references

Commentary

Matthew Henry on Philippians 2:14-18

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on Philippians 2:16

Adam Clarke on Philippians 2:16

The Church Fathers

Dictionary and topics

Philippians 2:16

Word by word — the Greek

Cross-references

Commentary

Matthew Henry on Philippians 2:14-18

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on Philippians 2:16

Adam Clarke on Philippians 2:16

The Church Fathers

Dictionary and topics

John Gill on Philippians 2:16

John Calvin on Philippians 2:12-16

Tyndale Open Study Notes on Philippians 2:16