Now I desire to have you know, brothers, that the things which happened to me have turned out rather to the progress of the Good News;
Parallel translations
- KJV But I would ye should understand, brethren, that the things which happened unto me have fallen out rather unto the furtherance of the gospel;
- BSB Now I want you to know, brothers, that my circumstances have actually served to advance the gospel.
- NKJV But I want you to know, brethren, that the things which happened to me have actually turned out for the furtherance of the gospel,
- NASB Now I want you to know, brothers and sisters, that my circumstances have turned out for the greater progress of the gospel,
- NLT And I want you to know, my dear brothers and sisters, that everything that has happened to me here has helped to spread the Good News.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Quick answer
Paul reassures them that his imprisonment has actually advanced the gospel. God turns apparent setbacks into gospel progress.
Overview
The Philippians might fear that Paul's chains had hindered the mission, but he reports the opposite. His circumstances, however grim, served to spread the Good News further. This reflects the biblical pattern of God working through suffering and weakness for His purposes.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 11
- 2 Tim 2:9in which I suffer hardship to the point of chains as a criminal. But God’s word isn’t chained.
- Rom 8:28We know that all things work together for good for those who love God, to those who are called according to his purpose.
- Acts 11:19–21They therefore who were scattered abroad by the oppression that arose about Stephen traveled as far as Phoenicia, Cyprus, and Antioch, speaking the word to no one except to Jews only.
- Rom 8:37No, in all these things, we are more than conquerors through him who loved us.
- Acts 22:1–30“Brothers and fathers, listen to the defense which I now make to you.”
- Acts 8:4Therefore those who were scattered abroad went around preaching the word.
- Esth 9:1Now in the twelfth month, which is the month Adar, on the thirteenth day of the month, when the king’s commandment and his decree came near to be put in execution, on the day that the enemies of the Jews hoped to conquer them, (but it was turned out the opposite happened, that the Jews conquered those who hated them),
- Acts 28:1–31When we had escaped, then they learned that the island was called Malta.
- Ps 76:10Surely the wrath of man praises you. The survivors of your wrath are restrained.
- Exod 18:11Now I know that Yahweh is greater than all gods because of the thing in which they dealt arrogantly against them.”
- Acts 21:28–36crying out, “Men of Israel, help! This is the man who teaches all men everywhere against the people, and the law, and this place. Moreover, he also brought Greeks into the temple, and has defiled this holy place!”
Themes, concepts, people & topics
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Commentaries & study tools
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Christ at the center
The one who, being in the form of God, emptied himself to the point of death on a cross and was exalted to the name above every name — the joy and prize of the believer.
How Philippians 1:12 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.
Original language
Each word below is tagged with its Strong’s number — tap one to see the underlying Greek word, its meaning, and every verse that uses it.