Verse Lens · Context pointer
Philippians 4:16 Explained in Context
Use this verse as a doorway into the larger passage—not as an isolated saying.
Verse 16. 16For even in Thessalonica ye sent once and again unto my necessity.
King James Version — public domain in the United States · Bible text and permissions
Role in This Section
The Philippians sent help more than once while Paul was in Thessalonica.
Read It With
- Philippians 4:14–18
Read verses 14–18 together. Repeated help in Thessalonica is evidence of a longer partnership that Paul values for its spiritual fruit and describes as worship pleasing to God.
Why It Needs Context
Verse 16 records repeated assistance, but verses 14–15 and 17–18 explain what that history means within partnership, fruit, and worship.
Read Philippians 4:14–18 together
Why these verses belong together: The Philippians' gift expresses long partnership and becomes worship pleasing to God.
Verse 14. 14 Notwithstanding ye have well done, that ye did communicate with my affliction.
Verse 15. 15 Now ye Philippians know also, that in the beginning of the gospel, when I departed from Macedonia, no church communicated with me as concerning giving and receiving, but ye only.
Verse 16. 16 For even in Thessalonica ye sent once and again unto my necessity.
Verse 17. 17 Not because I desire a gift: but I desire fruit that may abound to your account.
Verse 18. 18 But I have all, and abound: I am full, having received of Epaphroditus the things which were sent from you, an odour of a sweet smell, a sacrifice acceptable, wellpleasing to God.
Continue in Context
The full thought-unit study remains the final contextual authority for this Verse Lens.
Read Philippians 4:10–20 — Contentment, Partnership, and God's ProvisionSources used for this context pointer
How certain is this explanation? strong
These are the sources used directly for this lens. Language, grammar, disagreements, and the complete source shelf remain attached to the full thought-unit research record.
Biblical text
King James (Authorized) Version — eng-kjv2006
eBible.org and CrossWire Bible Society
USFM archive eng-kjv2006_usfm.zip; source files dated 2026-08-19; downloaded 2026-08-24; archive SHA-256 aec1b3b26c622fd3d963d2bbac963016b9513246ffbfa20da00bb100372ea007; normalized corpus SHA-256 09aef51d90488aa7b9722b3fd9a93f4b25f6bf2064c5fd798fb39673c300ddf2.
Supports: The KJV wording and immediate English context for Philippians 4:10–20.
Exact location: eBible/CrossWire eng-kjv2006 USFM, source files dated 2026-08-19, Philippians 4; archive and normalized-corpus SHA-256 values are recorded in the library policy.
Open source ↗Greek textual evidence
The Greek New Testament: SBL Edition
Michael W. Holmes, editor; Society of Biblical Literature and Logos
Society of Biblical Literature and Logos Bible Software, 2010
Supports: The critically edited Greek wording and punctuation used as the base text for this passage.
Exact location: Faithlife SBLGNT repository, data/sblgnt/text/Phil.txt, Philippians 4, verses within Philippians 4:10–20.
Open the Philippians Greek text file ↗