Philippians 1
1 Paul, and Timothy, servants of Jesus Christ, to all the saints in Christ Jesus, who are in Philippi, with the bishops and deacons:
[I], Paul, and Timothy, [who is with me, are] men who serve Christ Jesus. I [am writing this letter] to all [of you who are] pastors and deacons in Philippi [city] and to the rest of God’s people [there who have a close relationship] with Christ Jesus.
2 Favor to you, and peace from God our Father, and from our Lord Jesus Christ.
[We both] (OR, [I]) [pray that] God, [who is] our Father, and Jesus Christ, [who is our] Lord, [will continue to] be kind to you and [will continue to] cause you to have [inner] peace.
3 I thank my God upon every remembrance of you;
I thank my God whenever I think about you.
4 always in my prayers for you all, giving thanks with joy
Every time [DOU] I pray [for you], I joyfully pray [DOU] for all of you.
5 for your contribution for the gospel, from the first day till now:
I [thank God and rejoice] because you have been [working] together with me in order to [make known] the good message about Christ. [You started doing that] when you first [MTY] [believed it, and you have continued doing it] until now.
6 having this very confidence, that he who has begun a good work among you, will continue to perfect it till the day of Jesus Christ.
I am completely confident that [God], who has begun to do in you what is good, (OR, that since [God] has begun to do in you what is good, he) will continue to do that until he finishes doing it on the day Christ Jesus [MTY] [returns].
7 As it is just for me to think this concerning you all, because you have me at heart, both in my bonds, and in the defense and confirmation of the gospel. You are all partakers of my gratitude;
During this time that I have been a prisoner [MTY] and during the times I was previously able to defend the good message about Christ and proved/confirmed [to others] that it is true, all of you have been sharing with me (OR, have helped me) in this work [that God] kindly gave [to me to do. So] indeed it is right that I feel joyful about you all, because you are very dear [IDM] to me.
8 for God is my witness how vehemently I long after you all, with the tender affections of Jesus Christ.
God [can] verify that Christ Jesus causes me to [love and] long for all of you very much, [just like] Christ loves [you].
9 And this I pray, that your love may yet abound more and more, with knowledge and with all discretion;
And what I pray [for you] is that [God will enable] you to truly know and learn how to love [one another] more and more in every situation.
10 that you may approve the things that are excellent; that you may be sincere and inoffensive till the day of Christ;
[And I pray that he will enable] you to completely understand [how you should believe and act]. I [pray this] in order that you might be [spiritually] pure and faultless (OR, completely faultless [DOU]) on the day that Christ [returns] [MTY],
11 filled with the fruit of righteousness, which is through Jesus Christ, to the glory and praise of God.
[and in order that] you might conduct your lives [IDM] completely righteously as a result of Jesus Christ [enabling you to do so], in order that [people will] honor God and praise him (OR, [people will] praise God very much [DOU]).
12 Now I wish you to know, brethren that the things which have befallen me, have turned out rather to the advancement of the gospel.
My fellow believers, I want you to know that the [troubles] I have experienced [have not prevented me from proclaiming the good message to people. Instead], [these things that I have experienced] have enabled even more people to hear the good message [about Christ].
13 So that my bonds are manifested to be on account of Christ, through the whole palace, and in all the other places.
[Specifically], all the military guards who are stationed [here in Rome] and many other [HYP] [people in this city] [HYP] now know that I am a prisoner [MTY] because I [proclaim the good news] about Christ.
14 And the greater number of the brethren in the Lord, made confident by my bonds, have become much more bold to speak the word without fear.
Also, most of the believers [here now] proclaim the message from God more courageously and fearlessly [because] they trust the Lord [more firmly to help them. They trust the Lord more] because [they have seen how the Lord has helped me] while I have been a prisoner [MTY] [here].
15 Some, indeed, preach Christ even of envy and strife; and some, also, of good will.
Some people proclaim [the message about Christ as I do] because they are happy [with my work]. They proclaim [the message about] Christ because they love [me and because] they know that [God] has placed me [here] to defend the message about Christ [CHI].
16 The latter, indeed, from love; knowing that I am set for the defense of the gospel;
17 the former preach Christ out of contention, not sincerely, thinking to add affliction to my bonds.
Others proclaim [the message about] Christ because they envy [me] and oppose [me]. They proclaim the message about Christ because they have wrong motives. They [wrongly] assume [that because they are causing many people to follow them, I will be jealous, and as a result], I will feel more miserable while I am a prisoner [MTY] [here].
18 What, then? Still in every way, whether in pretense or in truth, Christ is preached; even in this I do rejoice; yes, and will rejoice:
But it does not matter whether [people proclaim the message about Christ] because they have wrong motives, or whether [people proclaim the message about Christ] because they have right motives. The important thing in either case is that [the message about] Christ is being proclaimed {people are proclaiming [the message about] Christ}. And because of that I rejoice! Philippians 1:18b-26 Furthermore, I will continue to rejoice,
19 for I know that this will turn out to me for salvation, through your prayer, and the supply of the Spirit of Jesus Christ--
because when I experience troubles, I know that some day God will say that he approves [of what I have done] (OR, that [the Roman authorities] will set me free). [This will happen] as a result of your praying for me, and [as a result] of [God’s] Spirit, whom Jesus Christ gave me, helping me.
20 that agreeably to my earnest expectation and hope, in nothing I shall be ashamed; but that with all boldness, as at all times, so now, also, Christ will be magnified in my body, whether by life or by death.
I [know that this will happen] because I very confidently expect [DOU] that I will faithfully honor Christ. I expect that like I always [have done], Christ will be greatly honored {I will continue now also to very boldly honor Christ} by means of all that I do [SYN, MTY], whether by [the way I] live or [by the way I] die.
21 For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain.
As for me, I live [in order to honor] Christ. But if I die, it will be better [for me than if I continue to live, because then I will be with him].
22 But whether to live in the flesh would be to my advantage; or what to choose, I do not know:
On the other hand, if I continue to live, that will enable me to continue to serve [Christ] effectively. As a result, I do not know which to choose.
23 for I am in a strait between the two, having a strong desire to depart and be with Christ, which is by far the better.
That is, I am not sure which of those two I [prefer]. I long to leave [this world] and [go to] be with Christ, because that will be very much better [for me].
24 Nevertheless, to abide in the flesh is more needful for you.
Nevertheless, it is more important that I remain alive [than that I go to be with Christ because] you still need [me to help you].
25 And being firmly persuaded of this, I know that I shall live and abide some time with you all, for the advancement of the joy of your faith;
Since I am convinced of this, I know that I will remain [alive] and that I will [go/come to] be with you all. [As a result], you will believe [in Christ] more firmly, and [as a result of that], you will rejoice.
26 and that your boasting concerning me in Christ Jesus, may abound, through my coming again to you.
[That is], you will be able to rejoice very greatly because of Christ Jesus [bringing] me [to be with you again].
27 Only behave in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ; that whether I shall come and see you, ot, being absent, shall hear of your affairs, that you are steadfast in one spirit, with one soul striving together for the faith of the gospel;
Most importantly, as fellow [believers in Christ], conduct yourselves just like [you learned you should do when you heard] the message about Christ. Do that in order that whether I come and see you, or whether [I am away from you and] people tell me about you, [what I hear or see will make me happy]. They will tell me that you are unitedly and cooperatively resisting [those who oppose the message about Christ] (OR, [oppose you]). I [will know] that you are not allowing others to influence you to believe a message that is different from the gospel [about Christ].
28 and not terrified in anything by your adversaries; which is to them a demonstration of perdition; but to you of salvation, and that from God.
And I [will know] that you are not at all frightened by {afraid of} the people who oppose you. This will show/prove to those people that [God] will destroy them, but this will show/prove to you that [God] will save you eternally. It is God who is doing [all] this.
29 For to you it is graciously given, on the behalf of Christ, not only to believe on him, but also to suffer for his sake;
Remember that he has not only kindly enabled you to believe in Christ, [he] has also kindly allowed you to suffer for the sake of Christ.
30 having the very same conflict which you saw in me, and now hear to be in me.
[As a result], you are [having to] resist [those who oppose the good message], just like you saw that I [had to] resist [such people there in Philippi], and just like you hear that I [still have to resist such people here] now.
