For unto you it is given in the behalf of Christ, not only to believe on him, but also to suffer for his sake;
Parallel translations
- WEB Because it has been granted to you on behalf of Christ, not only to believe in him, but also to suffer on his behalf,
- BSB For it has been granted to you on behalf of Christ not only to believe in Him, but also to suffer for Him,
- NKJV For to you it has been granted on behalf of Christ, not only to believe in Him, but also to suffer for His sake,
- NASB For to you it has been granted for Christ’s sake, not only to believe in Him, but also to suffer on His behalf,
- NLT For you have been given not only the privilege of trusting in Christ but also the privilege of suffering for him.
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
It has been granted to them not only to believe in Christ but also to suffer for Him. Even suffering for Christ is a gift of grace.
Overview
Both faith and suffering are described as things "granted," gifts from God. This reframes persecution not as misfortune but as a privilege of belonging to Christ. The verse prepares believers to endure hardship as part of their union with their crucified Lord.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 14
- Jas 1:2My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations;
- 1 Pet 4:13But rejoice, inasmuch as ye are partakers of Christ’s sufferings; that, when his glory shall be revealed, ye may be glad also with exceeding joy.
- Acts 5:41And they departed from the presence of the council, rejoicing that they were counted worthy to suffer shame for his name.
- Rom 5:3And not only so, but we glory in tribulations also: knowing that tribulation worketh patience;
- Acts 14:22Confirming the souls of the disciples, and exhorting them to continue in the faith, and that we must through much tribulation enter into the kingdom of God.
- Matt 5:11–12Blessed are ye, when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake.
- Eph 2:8For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:
- Jas 1:17–18Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning.
- John 6:44–45No man can come to me, except the Father which hath sent me draw him: and I will raise him up at the last day.
- Col 2:12Buried with him in baptism, wherein also ye are risen with him through the faith of the operation of God, who hath raised him from the dead.
- Acts 14:27And when they were come, and had gathered the church together, they rehearsed all that God had done with them, and how he had opened the door of faith unto the Gentiles.
- John 1:12–13But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name:
- Acts 13:39And by him all that believe are justified from all things, from which ye could not be justified by the law of Moses.
- Matt 16:17And Jesus answered and said unto him, Blessed art thou, Simon Barjona: for flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee, but my Father which is in heaven.
Themes, concepts, people & topics
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Hebrew/Greek interlinear, word definitions, and cross-references for this verse.
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 1:29 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.