< Philippians 1 >

1 Paul and Timothy, servants of Christ Jesus, To all the saints in Christ Jesus at Philippi, together with the overseers and deacons:
Paul and Timotheus, the servants of Jesus Christ, to all the saints in Christ Jesus which are at Philippi, with the bishops and deacons:
2 Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
Grace be to you, and peace, from God our Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ.
3 I thank my God every time I remember you.
I thank my God on every remembrance of you,
4 In every prayer for all of you, I always pray with joy,
Always in every prayer of my for you all making request with joy,
5 because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now,
For your fellowship in the gospel from the first day until now;
6 being confident of this, that He who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.
Being confident of this very thing, that he which has begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ:
7 It is right for me to feel this way about all of you, since I have you in my heart. For in my chains and in my defense and confirmation of the gospel, you are all partners in grace with me.
Even as it is meet for me to think this of you all, because I have you in my heart; inasmuch as both in my bonds, and in the defense and confirmation of the gospel, you all are partakers of my grace.
8 God is my witness how I long for all of you with the affection of Christ Jesus.
For God is my record, how greatly I long after you all in the bowels of Jesus Christ.
9 And this is my prayer: that your love may abound more and more in knowledge and depth of insight,
And this I pray, that your love may abound yet more and more in knowledge and in all judgment;
10 so that you may be able to test and prove what is best and may be pure and blameless for the day of Christ,
That you may approve things that are excellent; that you may be sincere and without offense till the day of Christ.
11 filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ, to the glory and praise of God.
Being filled with the fruits of righteousness, which are by Jesus Christ, to the glory and praise of God.
12 Now I want you to know, brothers, that my circumstances have actually served to advance the gospel.
But I would you should understand, brothers, that the things which happened to me have fallen out rather to the furtherance of the gospel;
13 As a result, it has become clear throughout the whole palace guard and to everyone else that I am in chains for Christ.
So that my bonds in Christ are manifest in all the palace, and in all other places;
14 And most of the brothers, confident in the Lord by my chains, now dare more greatly to speak the word without fear.
And many of the brothers in the Lord, waxing confident by my bonds, are much more bold to speak the word without fear.
15 It is true that some preach Christ out of envy and rivalry, but others out of goodwill.
Some indeed preach Christ even of envy and strife; and some also of good will:
16 The latter do so in love, knowing that I am appointed for the defense of the gospel.
The one preach Christ of contention, not sincerely, supposing to add affliction to my bonds:
17 The former, however, preach Christ out of selfish ambition, not sincerely, supposing that they can add to the distress of my chains.
But the other of love, knowing that I am set for the defense of the gospel.
18 What then is the issue? Just this: that in every way, whether by false motives or true, Christ is preached. And in this I rejoice. Yes, and I will continue to rejoice,
What then? notwithstanding, every way, whether in pretense, or in truth, Christ is preached; and I therein do rejoice, yes, and will rejoice.
19 because I know that through your prayers and the provision of the Spirit of Jesus Christ, my distress will turn out for my deliverance.
For I know that this shall turn to my salvation through your prayer, and the supply of the Spirit of Jesus Christ,
20 I eagerly expect and hope that I will in no way be ashamed, but will have complete boldness so that now as always Christ will be exalted in my body, whether by life or by death.
According to my earnest expectation and my hope, that in nothing I shall be ashamed, but that with all boldness, as always, so now also Christ shall be magnified in my body, whether it be by life, or by death.
21 For to me, to live is Christ, and to die is gain.
For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain.
22 But if I go on living in the body, this will mean fruitful labor for me. So what shall I choose? I do not know.
But if I live in the flesh, this is the fruit of my labor: yet what I shall choose I know not.
23 I am torn between the two. I desire to depart and be with Christ, which is far better indeed.
For I am in a strait between two, having a desire to depart, and to be with Christ; which is far better:
24 But it is more necessary for you that I remain in the body.
Nevertheless to abide in the flesh is more needful for you.
25 Convinced of this, I know that I will remain and will continue with all of you for your progress and joy in the faith,
And having this confidence, I know that I shall abide and continue with you all for your furtherance and joy of faith;
26 so that through my coming to you again your exultation in Christ Jesus will resound on account of me.
That your rejoicing may be more abundant in Jesus Christ for me by my coming to you again.
27 Nevertheless, conduct yourselves in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ. Then, whether I come and see you or only hear about you in my absence, I will know that you stand firm in one spirit, contending side by side for the faith of the gospel,
Only let your conversation be as it becomes the gospel of Christ: that whether I come and see you, or else be absent, I may hear of your affairs, that you stand fast in one spirit, with one mind striving together for the faith of the gospel;
28 without being frightened in any way by those who oppose you. This is a clear sign of their destruction but of your salvation, and it is from God.
And in nothing terrified by your adversaries: which is to them an evident token of perdition, but to you of salvation, and that of God.
29 For it has been granted to you on behalf of Christ not only to believe in Him, but also to suffer for Him,
For to you it is given in the behalf of Christ, not only to believe on him, but also to suffer for his sake;
30 since you are encountering the same struggle you saw I had, and now hear that I still have.
Having the same conflict which you saw in me, and now hear to be in me.

< Philippians 1 >