1:1 Paul and Timothy, servants of Christ Jesus, To all the saints in Christ Jesus who are at Philip'pi, with the bishops and deacons: |
1:2 Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. |
1:3 I thank my God in all my remembrance of you, |
1:4 always in every prayer of mine for you all making my prayer with joy, |
1:5 thankful for your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now. |
1:6 And I am sure that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ. |
1:7 It is right for me to feel thus about you all, because I hold you in my heart, for you are all partakers with me of grace, both in my imprisonment and in the defense and confirmation of the gospel. |
1:8 For God is my witness, how I yearn for you all with the affection of Christ Jesus. |
1:9 And it is my prayer that your love may abound more and more, with knowledge and all discernment, |
1:10 so that you may approve what is excellent, and may be pure and blameless for the day of Christ, |
1:11 filled with the fruits of righteousness which come through Jesus Christ, to the glory and praise of God. |
1:12 I want you to know, brethren, that what has happened to me has really served to advance the gospel, |
1:13 so that it has become known throughout the whole praetorian guard and to all the rest that my imprisonment is for Christ; |
1:14 and most of the brethren have been made confident in the Lord because of my imprisonment, and are much more bold to speak the word of God without fear. |
1:15 Some indeed preach Christ from envy and rivalry, but others from good will. |
1:16 The latter do it out of love, knowing that I am put here for the defense of the gospel; |
1:17 the former proclaim Christ out of partisanship, not sincerely but thinking to afflict me in my imprisonment. |
1:18 What then? Only that in every way, whether in pretense or in truth, Christ is proclaimed; and in that I rejoice. |
1:19 Yes, and I shall rejoice. For I know that through your prayers and the help of the Spirit of Jesus Christ this will turn out for my deliverance, |
1:20 as it is my eager expectation and hope that I shall not be at all ashamed, but that with full courage now as always Christ will be honored in my body, whether by life or by death. |
1:21 For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain. |
1:22 If it is to be life in the flesh, that means fruitful labor for me. Yet which I shall choose I cannot tell. |
1:23 I am hard pressed between the two. My desire is to depart and be with Christ, for that is far better. |
1:24 But to remain in the flesh is more necessary on your account. |
1:25 Convinced of this, I know that I shall remain and continue with you all, for your progress and joy in the faith, |
1:26 so that in me you may have ample cause to glory in Christ Jesus, because of my coming to you again. |
1:27 Only let your manner of life be worthy of the gospel of Christ, so that whether I come and see you or am absent, I may hear of you that you stand firm in one spirit, with one mind striving side by side for the faith of the gospel, |
1:28 and not frightened in anything by your opponents. This is a clear omen to them of their destruction, but of your salvation, and that from God. |
1:29 For it has been granted to you that for the sake of Christ you should not only believe in him but also suffer for his sake, |