Philippians 1

1 To all Christ’s people at Philippi, with the supervisors and assistants, from Paul and Timothy, servants of Christ Jesus.

PAUL and Timothy, servants of Jesus Christ, to all the saints in Christ Jesus which are at Philippi, with the bishops and deacons:

2 May God, our Father, and the Lord Jesus Christ bless you, and give you peace.

grace be unto you and peace, from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

3 Every recollection that I have of you is a cause of thanksgiving to God,

I give thanks to my God on every remembrance of you,

4 always, in every prayer that I offer for you all – my prayers are full of joy –

always in every prayer of mine for you all, making request with joy,

5 because of the share that you have had in spreading the good news, from the first day that you received it until now.

for your fellowship in the gospel from the first day even until now;

6 For of this I am confident, that he who began a good work in you will complete it in readiness for the day of Jesus Christ.

being confident of this very thing, that he who hath wrought in you the good work will perfect it until the day of Jesus Christ:

7 And, indeed, I am justified in feeling like this about you all; because you have a warm place in my heart – you who all, both in my imprisonment and in the work of defending and establishing the good news, shared my privilege with me.

as it is right for me to think this of you all, because I bear you on my heart, both in my bonds and in my defence and the confirmation of the gospel, as being all of you sharers in my grace.

8 God will bear me witness how I yearn for you all with the tenderness of Christ Jesus.

For God is my witness, how earnestly I long after you all in the bowels of Jesus Christ.

9 And what I pray for is this – that your love may grow yet stronger and stronger, with increasing knowledge and all discernment,

And this I pray, that your love may abound yet more and more in knowledge and all understanding;

10 until you are able to appreciate all moral distinctions. And I pray, too, that you may be kept pure and blameless against the day of Christ,

that ye may prove the things that are excellent, in order that ye may be sincere and without offence unto the day of Christ;

11 bearing a rich harvest of that righteousness which comes through Jesus Christ, to the glory and praise of God.

filled with fruits of righteousness, which by Jesus Christ are to the glory and praise of God.

12 Friends, I want you to realise that what has happened to me has actually served to forward the good news.

Now I wish you, brethren, to know, that the things which have befallen me have rather conduced to the progress of the gospel;

13 It has even become evident, not only to all the imperial guard, but to everyone else, that it is for Christ’s sake that I am in chains.

so that my bonds are manifest in Christ through the whole palace, and all other places;

14 And besides this, most of our fellow followers have gained confidence in the Lord through my chains, and now venture with far greater freedom to speak of God’s message fearlessly.

and very many of our brethren in the Lord, assuming confidence from my chains, are more abundantly bold, fearlessly to preach the word.

15 It is true that some do proclaim the Christ out of jealousy and opposition, but there are others who proclaim him from goodwill.

Some indeed do it in a spirit of envy and strife; but some also preach Christ with cordial good-will:

16 The latter do it from love for me, knowing that I have been appointed to plead the cause of the good news.

the one indeed preach Christ out of contention, not with purity of intention, thinking to add affliction to my bonds:

17 The former spread the news of the Christ in a factious spirit, and not sincerely, thinking to add to the pain of my chains.

but the others of love, knowing that I am exposed for the defence of the gospel.

18 But what of that? Only that in some way or other, either with assumed or with real earnestness, Christ is being made known; and at that I rejoice.

What then? if Christ is preached in whatever manner it be, whether in pretext or reality, even in this do I rejoice, yea, and will rejoice.

19 Yes, and I will rejoice, for I know that, through your prayers and through a rich supply of the Spirit of Jesus Christ, all this will make for my salvation.

For I know that this shall issue in my salvation through your prayers, and the supply of the Spirit of Jesus Christ,

20 And this will fulfil my earnest expectation and hope that I will have no cause for shame, but that, with unfailing courage, now as before, Christ will be honoured in my body, whether by my life or by my death,

according to my firm expectation and hope, that I shall be confounded by no event, but that with all boldness, as always hitherto, Christ shall now also be magnified in my body, whether by my life or death.

21 for to me life is Christ, and death is gain.

For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain.

22 But what if the life here in the body – if this brings me fruit from my labours? Then which to choose I cannot tell! I am sorely perplexed either way!

But if it be his will, that I should live in the flesh, this is the fruit of my travail: and what to chuse I know not.

23 My own desire is to depart and be with Christ, for this would be far better.

For I am in a strait between the two, having an earnest longing to be dissolved, and to be with Christ, for this is far, far better:

24 But, for your sakes, it may be more needful that I should still remain here in the body.

but to abide in the flesh may be more necessary for you.

25 Yes, I am confident that this is so, and therefore I am sure that I will stay, and stay near you all, to promote your progress and joy in the faith;

And being so persuaded, I know that I shall stay and continue with you all for your progress and joy of faith;

26 so that, when you once more have me among you, you, in your union with Christ Jesus, may find in me fresh cause for exultation.

that your glorying may abound in Christ Jesus for me by my coming again unto you.

27 Under all circumstances let your lives be worthy of the good news of the Christ: so that, whether I come and see you, or whether I hear of your affairs at a distance, I may know that you are standing firm, animated by one spirit, and joining with one heart in a common struggle for the faith taught by the good news,

Only conduct yourselves worthily as becometh the gospel of Christ; that whether I come and see you, or else be absent, I may hear of your affairs, that ye stand fast in one spirit, with one soul wrestling together in the faith of the gospel;

28 without ever shrinking from your opponents. To them this will be a sign of their destruction and of your salvation – a sign from God.

and not dismayed on any occasion by your adversaries; which is indeed the proof of perdition to them, but of salvation to you, and that from God.

29 For, on behalf of Christ, you have had the privilege granted you, not only of trusting in him, but also of suffering on his behalf.

For this favour on the part of Christ is granted you, not only that ye should believe on him, but also that ye should suffer for his sake;

30 You will be engaged in the same hard struggle as that which you once saw me waging, and which you hear that I am waging still.

experiencing the same conflict which ye have seen in me, and now hear to be in me.