Philippians 1:30
in Philippians 1since you are encountering the same struggle you saw I had, and now hear that I still have.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
having the same conflict which ye saw in me, and now hear to be in me.
KJV
Having the same conflict which ye saw in me, and now hear to be in me.
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This verse in Philippians 1
Commentary
11 notes on this verseHe shows that they are fighting for the same cause and enduring the same things as he; and this testifies to their great virtue. You, he says, have in me an example, because you know that I endured sufferings before your eyes, when, indeed, I …
This site's exposition
without being frightened in any way
on Philippians 1:28-30
Standing without fear before those who oppose you is itself a clear sign, endeixis, courtroom evidence, of their destruction but of your salvation. That sign is from God.
This site's exposition
the same struggle you saw I had
The Philippians had watched Paul suffer in their own city. Clarke recalls Acts 16, where he was stripped, beaten and set in the stocks at Philippi. Now they heard of him held as a prisoner.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers2 voices
"Having the same conflict which ye saw in me"; i.e. ye have also an example. Here again he raises them up, by showing them that everywhere their conflicts were the same with his, their struggles were the same with his, both severally, and in that they united with him in bearing trials. He said not, ye have heard, but "ye saw," for he strove too at Philippi. Truly this is an exceeding virtue. Wherefore writing to the Galatians, also he said, "Did ye suffer so many things in vain, if it be indeed in vain." And again, writing to the Hebrews, he said, "But call to remembrance the former days, in which, after ye were enlightened, ye endured a great conflict of suffering; partly, being made a gazing-stock both by reproaches and afflictions." And writing again to Macedonians, that is, to the Thessalonians, he said, "For they themselves report concerning us, what manner of entering in we had unto you." And again, "For yourselves, brethren, know our entering in unto you, that it hath not been found vain." And in like sort does he witness the same things of them all, labors and strivings. But such things ye will not now find among us; now it is much if one suffer a little in goods alone. And in respect of their goods also he witnesses great things of them. For to some he says, "For ye took joyfully the spoiling of your possessions"; and to others, "For it hath been the good pleasure of Macedonia and Achaia to make a certain contribution for the poor"; and "your zeal hath stirred up very many of them." Seest thou the praises of the men of that time? But we endure not so much as buffetings or blows, neither insult nor loss of our possessions: they were straightway zealous, and all of them strove as martyrs, whilst we have grown cold in love toward Christ.
This is our struggle. This is our contest, our contention and our goal. This it is that leads to the crown and the palm of victory: To do all things for him, to suffer all things for him and not to turn away. You, he …
The Medieval Church1 voice
The third reason is taken from his example, because he deals with them as people who are the first fruits of the faith. Hence he says, engaged in the same conflict which you saw to be mine, namely, when among you I was naked and …
The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices
): " Having the same conflict which you saw in me, and now hear to be in me; that is, suffering in the same manner as you saw and now hear of me that I suffer." It is not simply the suffering, but the cause, and not only the cause, but the spirit, which makes the martyr.
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — leading-punctuation+unbalanced-parens
Having the same conflict,....
3 more voices on this verse
The Puritans and the Awakening1 voice
They are not only the servants of Christ, but the servants of the church for his sake. Ourselves your servants for Jesus' sake, 2 Cor. iv. Observe, The Christians here are called saints; set apart for God, or sanctified by his Spirit, either by visible profession or real holiness.
The Nineteenth Century2 voices
Having the same conflict - When Paul preached the Gospel at Philippi he was grievously persecuted, as we learn from Acts 16:19-40, being stripped, scourged, thrown into prison, even into the dungeon, and his feet made fast in the stocks. This was the conflict they had seen in him; and now they heard that he had been sent prisoner to Rome as an evil doer, and that he was at present in bonds, and shortly to be tried for his life before the Roman emperor to whom he had been obliged to appeal.
A commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
proposed
Having the same conflict - The same agony - ἀγῶνα agōna - the same strife with bitter foes, and the same struggle in the warfare. Which ye saw in me - When I was in Philippi, opposed by the multitude, and thrown into prison; Acts 16. And now hear to be in me - In Rome. He was a prisoner there, was surrounded by enemies, and was about to be tried for his life. He says that they ought to rejoice if they were called to pass through the same trials. In this chapter we have a beautiful illustration of the true spirit of a Christian in circumstances exceedingly trying. The apostle was in a situation where religion would show itself, if there were any in the heart; and where, if there was none, the bad passions of our nature would be developed. He was a prisoner. He had been unjustly accused. He was about to be put on trial for his life, and it was wholly uncertain what the result would be. He was surrounded with enemies, and there were not a few false friends and rivals who took advantage of his imprisonment to diminish his influence and to extend their own. He was, perhaps, about to die; and at any rate, was in such circumstances as to be under a necessity of looking death in the face. In this situation he exhibited some of the tenderest and purest feelings that ever exist in the heart of man - the genuine fruit of pure religion. He remembered them with affectionate and constant interest in his prayers. He gave thanks for all that God had done for them. Looking upon his own condition, he said that the trials which had happened to him, great as they were, had been overruled to the furtherance of the gospel. The gospel had become known even in the imperial palace. […]
The words behind it
13 Greek wordsEvery Greek word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.
| Greek | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| τὸν | ton | the | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| αὐτὸν | auton | same | G846 → | 5565 times |
| ἀγῶνα | agona | conflict | G73 → | |
| ἔχοντες | echontes | having | G2192 → | 707 times |
| οἷον | hoion | such as | G3634 → | |
| εἴδετε | eidete | you saw | G1492 → | 374 times |
| ἐν | en | in | G1722 → | 2738 times |
| ἐμοὶ | emoi | me myself | G1473 → | 839 times |
| καὶ | kai | and | G2532 → | 9120 times |
| νῦν | nun | now | G3568 → | 145 times |
| ἀκούετε | akouete | you hear of | G191 → | 425 times |
| ἐν | en | in | G1722 → | 2738 times |
| ἐμοί.¶ | emoi | me myself. | G1473 → | 839 times |
τὸνthe
tonG3588 →19766 times
αὐτὸνsame
autonG846 →5565 times
ἀγῶναconflict
agonaG73 →
ἔχοντεςhaving
echontesG2192 →707 times
οἷονsuch as
hoionG3634 →
εἴδετεyou saw
eideteG1492 →374 times
ἐνin
enG1722 →2738 times
ἐμοὶme myself
emoiG1473 →839 times
καὶand
kaiG2532 →9120 times
νῦνnow
nunG3568 →145 times
ἀκούετεyou hear of
akoueteG191 →425 times
ἐνin
enG1722 →2738 times
ἐμοί.¶me myself.
emoiG1473 →839 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
8 stopsEach card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.
Through
2 Timothy 4:7I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.
it leads to
- 1 Timothy 6:12
Fight the good fight of the faith. Take hold of the eternal life to which you were called when you made the good confession before many witnesses.
- 1 Corinthians 9:24–27
Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one receives the prize? Run in such a way as to take the prize.
- Hebrews 12:1–2
Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off every encumbrance and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with endurance the race set…
- Acts 20:24
But I consider my life of no value to me, if only I may finish my course and complete the ministry I have received from the Lord Jesus—the ministry of testifying to the good…
- Philippians 3:13–14
Brothers, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead,
- 1 Timothy 6:12
Through
1 Thessalonians 2:2As you are aware, we had already endured suffering and shameful treatment in Philippi. But in the face of strong opposition, we were bold in our God to speak to you the gospel of…
it leads to
- Acts 4:13
When they saw the boldness of Peter and John and realized that they were unschooled, ordinary men, they marveled and took note that these men had been with Jesus.
- Acts 16:22–24
The crowd joined in the attack against Paul and Silas, and the magistrates ordered that they be stripped and beaten with rods.
- Acts 17:2–9
As was his custom, Paul went into the synagogue, and on three Sabbaths he reasoned with them from the Scriptures,
- Acts 4:13
Where this verse is studied
On this page
Studies10
About Philippians
This page draws on 9 works. Open the list of works
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); Gaius Marius Victorinus, EPISTLE TO THE PHILIPPIANS 1.30; Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; John Chrysostom, Homily on Philippians 4; John Gill, Exposition of the New Testament (1746-1748); Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible; Theophylact of Ohrid, Commentary on Philippians and Thomas Aquinas, Commentary on Philippians.