Bible Strands
Philippians 2:14
Do everything without complaining or arguing,
Berean Standard Bible
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Study note
Setting — Paul writes to the Philippian church, positioning this command between God's internal work in them (v.13) and their visible fruit before a hostile world (v.15).
The words — γογγυσμῶν (gongusmōn) is the same word used for Israel's wilderness murmuring (Exodus 16:2, 7; Numbers 14:2); διαλογισμῶν (dialogismōn) denotes restless mental churning, not calm deliberation.
The thread — 1 Corinthians 10:10 explicitly links Christian complaining to Israel's complaint that drew the destroying angel, making the wilderness motif the governing intertext. 1 Peter 4:9 and Ephesians 4:31 extend the prohibition to ongoing interpersonal conduct.
Why it lands — The scope is total (πᾶντα, "everything"), not limited to specific situations, and the imperative demands the reader stop two internal habits—grumbling and anxious mental churn—rather than merely adjusting outward behavior.
Drafted by a language model from the text, its original words and its cross-references, then checked against them. It can still be wrong: open the verse in the app to report it.
The Greek words
King James Version
Do all things without murmurings and disputings:
Cross-references
- 1 Peter 4:9 Show hospitality to one another without complaining.
- 1 Corinthians 10:10 And do not complain, as some of them did, and were killed by the destroying angel.
- Ephesians 4:31 Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, outcry and slander, along with every form of malice.
- James 5:9 Do not complain about one another, brothers, so that you will not be judged. Look, the Judge is standing at the door!
- Philippians 2:3 Do nothing out of selfish ambition or empty pride, but in humility consider others more important than yourselves.
- Romans 12:18 If it is possible on your part, live at peace with everyone.
- Exodus 16:7 and in the morning you will see the LORD’s glory, because He has heard your grumbling against Him. For who are we, that you should grumble against us?”
- 1 Thessalonians 5:15 Make sure that no one repays evil for evil. Always pursue what is good for one another and for all people.
- Galatians 5:26 Let us not become conceited, provoking and envying one another.
- James 1:20 for man’s anger does not bring about the righteousness that God desires.