Philippians 1

1 Paul and Timothy, servants of Christ Jesus; To all the saints in Christ Jesus who are at Philippi, with the overseers 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 Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the 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 whenever I remember you,

I thank my God whenever I think about you.

4 always in every prayer of mine for all of you, making my requests with joy,

Every time [DOU] I pray [for you], I joyfully pray [DOU] for all of you.

5 for your partnership in the Good News from the first day until 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 being confident of this very thing, that he who began a good work in you will complete it until the day of Christ Jesus.

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 It is even right for me to think this way about all of you, because I have you in my heart, because, both in my imprisonment and in the defense and confirmation of the Good News, you all are partakers with me of grace.

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 I long after all of you in the tender mercies of Christ Jesus.

God [can] verify that Christ Jesus causes me to [love and] long for all of you very much, [just like] Christ loves [you].

9 This I pray, that your love may abound yet more and more in knowledge and all discernment;

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 so that you may approve the things that are excellent; that you may be pure and blameless for 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 being filled with the fruit of righteousness, which are 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 desire to have you know, brothers, that the things which happened to me have turned out rather to the progress of the Good News;

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 it became evident to the whole praetorian guard, and to all the rest, that my bonds are in Christ;

[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 that most of the brothers in the Lord, being confident through my bonds, are more abundantly 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 out of envy and strife, and some also out 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 out of love, knowing that I am appointed for the defense of the Good News.

17 The former insincerely preach Christ from selfish ambition, thinking that they add affliction to my chains.

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 does it matter? Only that in every way, whether out of false motives or in truth, Christ is proclaimed. I rejoice in this, 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 for my deliverance, through your petition 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 according to my earnest expectation and hope, that I will in no way be disappointed, but with all boldness, as always, 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 if I live on in the flesh, this will bring fruit from my work; yet I do not make known what I will choose.

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 But I am in a dilemma between the two, having the desire to depart and be with Christ, which is far 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 Yet, to remain in the flesh is more needful for your sake.

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 since I am persuaded of this, I know that I will remain and continue with all of you for your progress and joy in the 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 that your rejoicing may abound in Christ Jesus in me through my presence with you again.

[That is], you will be able to rejoice very greatly because of Christ Jesus [bringing] me [to be with you again].

27 Only let your manner of life be worthy of the Good News of Christ, that, whether I come and see you or am absent, I may hear of your state, that you stand firm in one spirit, with one soul striving for the faith of the Good News;

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 in nothing frightened by the adversaries, which is for them a proof of destruction, 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 Because it has been granted to you on behalf of Christ, not only to believe in him, but also to suffer on his behalf,

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 same conflict which you saw in me, and now hear is 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.