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The Work of the Gospel

The Work of the Gospel

Philippians 1:5


In the work of the gospel is literally “into the gospel.” The word “gospel” originally meant a reward for bringing good news, but later it came to be used for good news itself, often the joyous news of victory in war. In the New Testament it always means good news itself and refers to the salvation that God has made possible through the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. The word appears nine times in Philippians and is used in a variety of ways. It is the message about Jesus Christ that is proclaimed (1:5; 4:15), defended (1:7, 16), promoted, spread, and advanced (4:3; 1:12; 2:22). It is also the standard of Christian living and basis of faith (1:27). The phrase in this context is not a reference to the Philippians’ sharing in accepting Paul’s preaching, but rather to their active participation in the work of the gospel. It may therefore be expressed as “in proclaiming the good news to others,” or “in the telling of the good news to others.”

The phrase from the very first day is obviously a reference to the beginning of Paul’s mission to Philippi (cf. Acts 16:12 ff.), and it may be essential to indicate this temporal relation. It may be rendered in some languages as “from the first day I was in Philippi until now,” or, perhaps better, “from the very first day you believed until now.”


Loh, I-Jin, and Eugene Albert Nida. A Handbook on Paul’s Letter to the Philippians. New York: United Bible Societies, 1995. Print. UBS Handbook Series.

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