New Living Translation
Philippians 2:21
21All the others care only for themselves and not for what matters to Jesus Christ.
Philippians 2:21 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)For all seek their own, not the things which are Jesus Christ’s.
- New International Version (NIV)For everyone looks out for their own interests, not those of Jesus Christ.
- English Standard Version (ESV)For they all seek their own interests, not those of Jesus Christ.
- New King James Version (NKJV)For all seek their own, not the things which are of Christ Jesus.
Context of Philippians 2:21
19If the Lord Jesus is willing, I hope to send Timothy to you soon for a visit. Then he can cheer me up by telling me how you are getting along. 20I have no one else like Timothy, who genuinely cares about your welfare. All the others care only for themselves and not for what matters to Jesus Christ. 22But you know how Timothy has proved himself. Like a son with his father, he has served with me in preaching the Good News. 23I hope to send him to you just as soon as I find out what is going to happen to me here.
Read all of Philippians 2Philippians 2:21 word by word
οἱ πάντες γὰρ τὰ ἑαυτῶν ζητοῦσιν, οὐ τὰ Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ·Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
Cross-references for Philippians 2:21
- Philippians 2:4Don’t look out only for your own interests, but take an interest in others, too.
- Isaiah 56:11Like greedy dogs, they are never satisfied. They are ignorant shepherds, all following their own path and intent on personal gain.
- Malachi 1:10“How I wish one of you would shut the Temple doors so that these worthless sacrifices could not be offered! I am not pleased with you,” says the Lord of Heaven’s Armies, “and I will not accept your offerings.
- Matthew 16:24Then Jesus said to his disciples, “If any of you wants to be my follower, you must give up your own way, take up your cross, and follow me.
- Luke 9:57As they were walking along, someone said to Jesus, “I will follow you wherever you go.”
- Luke 14:26“If you want to be my disciple, you must, by comparison, hate everyone else—your father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters—yes, even your own life. Otherwise, you cannot be my disciple.
- Acts 13:13Paul and his companions then left Paphos by ship for Pamphylia, landing at the port town of Perga. There John Mark left them and returned to Jerusalem.
- Acts 15:38But Paul disagreed strongly, since John Mark had deserted them in Pamphylia and had not continued with them in their work.
- 1 Corinthians 10:24Don’t be concerned for your own good but for the good of others.
- 1 Corinthians 13:5or rude. It does not demand its own way. It is not irritable, and it keeps no record of being wronged.
- 2 Timothy 1:15As you know, everyone from the province of Asia has deserted me—even Phygelus and Hermogenes.
- 2 Timothy 3:2For people will love only themselves and their money. They will be boastful and proud, scoffing at God, disobedient to their parents, and ungrateful. They will consider nothing sacred.
- 2 Timothy 4:10Demas has deserted me because he loves the things of this life and has gone to Thessalonica. Crescens has gone to Galatia, and Titus has gone to Dalmatia.
- Philippians 1:20For I fully expect and hope that I will never be ashamed, but that I will continue to be bold for Christ, as I have been in the past. And I trust that my life will bring honor to Christ, whether I live or die.
- 2 Corinthians 1:5For the more we suffer for Christ, the more God will shower us with his comfort through Christ.
- 2 Corinthians 5:14Either way, Christ’s love controls us. Since we believe that Christ died for all, we also believe that we have all died to our old life.
Commentaries on Philippians 2:21
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 21For all seek their own - This must relate to the persons who preached Christ even of envy and strife, Philemon 1:15; these must be very careless whether souls were saved or not by such preaching; and even those who preached the Gospel out of good will might not be fit for such an embassy as this, which required many sacrifices, and consequently much love and zeal to be able to make them.Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 21For all seek their own - That is, all who are with me. Who Paul had with him at this time is not fully known, but he doubtless means that this remark should apply to the mass of Christians and Christian ministers then in Rome. Perhaps he had proposed to some of them to go and visit the church at Philippi, and they had declined it because of the distance and the dangers of the way. When the trial of Paul came on before the emperor, all who were with him in…Read the comment
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 19-30Verses 19-30 It is best with us, when our duty becomes natural to us. Naturally, that is, sincerely, and not in pretence only; with a willing heart and upright views. We are apt to prefer our own credit, ease, and safety, before truth, holiness, and duty; but Timothy did not so. Paul desired liberty, not that he might take pleasure, but that he might do good. Epaphroditus was willing to go to the Philippians, that he might be comforted with those who had…Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 19-24Paul praises Timothy, whome he hopes to send to the Philippians in the near future. Timothy traveled with Paul on his first trip to Philippi (see Acts 16:1–3, 12; 17:15; 18:5; compare Acts 19:22). Timothy was known for dedicating his life to Jesus Christ and caring for others.Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 1-301. The "therefore" implies that he is here expanding on the exhortation (Php 1:27), "In one Spirit, with one mind (soul)." He urges four influencing motives in this verse, to inculcate the four Christian duties corresponding respectively to them (Php 2:2). "That ye be like-minded, having the same love, of one accord, of one mind"; (1) "If there be (with you) any consolation in Christ," that is, any consolation of which Christ is the source, leading you to…Read the comment
Topics related to Philippians 2:21
In the dictionaries
Commentaries on Philippians 2
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
- Tyndale Open Study Notes
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
- Calvin’s Commentaries
- John Wesley’s Notes
- Illustrated New Testament
- Burkitt’s Expository Notes
- Darby Translation Notes
- Family Bible Notes
- Geneva Bible Translation Notes
- Kingcomments
- Luther’s Commentary on Selected Bible Passages
- Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
- Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
- The People’s New Testament
- Robertson’s Word Pictures
- Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
- Original Douay–Rheims Annotations
- Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
- EGW Writings
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