Philippians 1:10
“That ye may approve things that are excellent; that ye may be sincere and without offence till the day of Christ;”
King James Version (KJV)
Read this verse in context with translation switching:
Read Full Chapter →Paul prays that they would discern what truly matters and live pure and blameless until Christ returns.
What Does Philippians 1:10 Mean?
This verse names the aim of the growing, discerning love Paul has just prayed for. He wants the Philippians to approve things that are excellent, to test the options of life and choose what truly counts, keeping themselves sincere and blameless until the day of Christ.
Life constantly presses lesser things upon us, and even good things can crowd out the best. A love joined to discernment learns to recognize what is excellent and to give itself there. The word translated sincere suggests something tested in the light and found genuine, with nothing hidden. Paul longs for these believers to live transparent and undamaged lives, oriented toward the day they will stand before Christ, choosing now what they will be glad to have chosen then.
In the Original Language
eilikrines (εἰλικρινής), 'sincere' -- unmixed and pure, suggesting something tested in sunlight and found genuine.