Philippians 1
1 [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.
To all Christ’s people at Philippi, with the supervisors and assistants, from Paul and Timothy, servants of Christ Jesus.
2 [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.
May God, our Father, and the Lord Jesus Christ bless you, and give you peace.
3 I thank my God whenever I think about you.
Every recollection that I have of you is a cause of thanksgiving to God,
4 Every time [DOU] I pray [for you], I joyfully pray [DOU] for all of you.
always, in every prayer that I offer for you all – my prayers are full of joy –
5 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.
because of the share that you have had in spreading the good news, from the first day that you received it until now.
6 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].
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.
7 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.
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.
8 God [can] verify that Christ Jesus causes me to [love and] long for all of you very much, [just like] Christ loves [you].
God will bear me witness how I yearn for you all with the tenderness of Christ Jesus.
9 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.
And what I pray for is this – that your love may grow yet stronger and stronger, with increasing knowledge and all discernment,
10 [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],
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,
11 [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]).
bearing a rich harvest of that righteousness which comes through Jesus Christ, to the glory and praise of God.
12 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].
Friends, I want you to realise that what has happened to me has actually served to forward the good news.
13 [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.
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.
14 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].
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.
15 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].
It is true that some do proclaim the Christ out of jealousy and opposition, but there are others who proclaim him from goodwill.
The latter do it from love for me, knowing that I have been appointed to plead the cause of the good news.
17 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].
The former spread the news of the Christ in a factious spirit, and not sincerely, thinking to add to the pain of my chains.
18 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,
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.
19 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.
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.
20 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.
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,
21 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].
for to me life is Christ, and death is gain.
22 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.
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!
23 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].
My own desire is to depart and be with Christ, for this would be far better.
24 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].
But, for your sakes, it may be more needful that I should still remain here in the body.
25 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.
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;
26 [That is], you will be able to rejoice very greatly because of Christ Jesus [bringing] me [to be with you again].
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.
27 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].
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,
28 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.
without ever shrinking from your opponents. To them this will be a sign of their destruction and of your salvation – a sign from God.
29 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.
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.
30 [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.
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.
