Paul now gives the reasons for his “joy” (not for his “thanksgiving” in verse 3, as Revised Standard Version suggests). The way in which you have helped me translates a Greek noun phrase “your partnership” (Revised Standard Version) or “your fellowship” (King James Version [King James Version]). The basic meaning of the word translated “partnership” is “participation in something with someone,” but it can have a more restricted meaning, that of “contributions” or “gifts” (cf. Rom 15.26; 2 Cor 9.13; Moffatt “what you have contributed to the gospel”). For this reason some commentators suggest that Paul is here referring to the Philippians’ tangible expression of Christian partnership, their gift of money. This interpretation may well be true, but the context seems to indicate that Paul is using “partnership” in a wider sense and hence refers to all the cooperation and share in the work of the gospel which the Philippians have shown, whether it be in the spreading of the gospel, in sympathy, in suffering, or in generosity.
Because of the way in which you have helped me may be rendered in some languages as “because of how you helped me,” “… how you made it easier for me,” or “… how you made it possible for me.”
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.”
Quoted with permission from Luo, I-Jin. and Nida, Eugene A. A Handbook on Paul’s Letter to the Philippians. (UBS Handbook Series). New York: UBS, 1977. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .