< Philippians 1 >
1 Paul and Timotheus, servants of Jesus Christ, to all the holy ones in Christ Jesus who are in Philippi, with overseers and servants:
2 Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ!
3 I give thanks to my God on all the remembrance of you,
4 always, in every supplication of mine for you all, with joy making the supplication,
5 for your contribution to the good news from the first day until now,
6 having been confident of this very thing, that He who began a good work in you, will complete [it] until [the] day of Jesus Christ,
7 according as it is righteous for me to think this in behalf of you all, because of my having you in the heart, both in my bonds, and [in] the defense and confirmation of the good news, all of you being fellow-partakers with me of grace.
8 For God is my witness, how I long for you all with [the] yearnings of Jesus Christ,
9 and this I pray, that your love may abound yet more and more in full knowledge, and all discernment,
10 for your proving the things that differ, that you may be pure and offenseless—to [the] Day of Christ,
11 being filled with the fruit of righteousness, that [is] through Jesus Christ, to the glory and praise of God.
12 And I intend you to know, brothers, that the things concerning me, rather have come to an advancement of the good news,
13 so that my bonds have become evident in Christ in the whole Praetorium, and to all the other places,
14 and the greater part of the brothers in the LORD, having confidence by my bonds, are more abundantly bold to fearlessly speak the word.
15 Certain, indeed, even through envy and contention, and certain also through goodwill, preach the Christ;
16 one, indeed, of rivalry proclaims the Christ, not purely, supposing to add affliction to my bonds,
17 and the other out of love, having known that I am set for defense of the good news:
18 what then? In every way, whether in pretense or in truth, Christ is proclaimed—and I rejoice in this, indeed, and will rejoice.
19 For I have known that this will turn out to me for salvation, through your supplication, and the supply of the Spirit of Christ Jesus,
20 according to my earnest expectation and hope, that I will be ashamed in nothing, and in all freedom, as always, also Christ will now be magnified in my body, whether through life or through death,
21 for to me to live [is] Christ, and to die [is] gain.
22 And if to live in the flesh [is] to me a fruit of work, then what will I choose? I do not know;
23 for I am pressed by the two, having the desire to depart, and to be with Christ, for it is far better,
24 and to remain in the flesh is more necessary on your account,
25 and being persuaded of this, I have known that I will remain and continue with you all, to your advancement and joy of the faith,
26 that your boasting may abound in Christ Jesus in me through my coming again to you.
27 Only conduct yourselves worthily of the good news of the Christ, that, whether having come and seen you, whether being absent I may hear of the things concerning you, that you stand fast in one spirit, with one soul, striving together for the faith of the good news,
28 and not be terrified in anything by those opposing, which is indeed a token of destruction to them, and to you of salvation, and that from God;
29 because to you it was granted, on behalf of Christ, not only to believe in Him, but also to suffer on behalf of Him;
30 having the same conflict, such as you saw in me, and now hear of in me.