|
- Paul and Timothy, bond-servants of Christ Jesus, To all the saints in Christ Jesus who are in Philippi, including the overseers and deacons:
- Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
- I thank my God in all my remembrance of you,
- always offering prayer with joy in my every prayer for you all,
- in view of your participation in the gospel from the first day until now.
|
- For I am confident of this very thing, that He who began a good work in you will perfect it until the day of Christ Jesus.
- For it is only right for me to feel this way about you all, because I have you in my heart, since both in my imprisonment and in the defense and confirmation of the gospel, you all are partakers of grace with me.
- For God is my witness, how I long for you all with the affection of Christ Jesus.
- And this I pray, that your love may abound still more and more in real knowledge and all discernment,
- so that you may approve the things that are excellent, in order to be sincere and blameless until the day of Christ;
|
- having been filled with the fruit of righteousness which comes through Jesus Christ, to the glory and praise of God.
- Now I want you to know, brethren, that my circumstances have turned out for the greater progress of the gospel,
- so that my imprisonment in the cause of Christ has become well known throughout the whole praetorian guard and to everyone else,
- and that most of the brethren, trusting in the Lord because of my imprisonment, have far more courage to speak the word of God without fear.
- Some, to be sure, are preaching Christ even from envy and strife, but some also from good will;
|
- the latter do it out of love, knowing that I am appointed for the defense of the gospel;
- the former proclaim Christ out of selfish ambition rather than from pure motives, thinking to cause me distress in my imprisonment.
- What then? Only that in every way, whether in pretense or in truth, Christ is proclaimed; and in this I rejoice. Yes, and I will rejoice,
- for I know that this will turn out for my deliverance through your prayers and the provision of the Spirit of Jesus Christ,
- according to my earnest expectation and hope, that I will not be put to shame in anything, but that with all boldness, Christ will even now, as always, be exalted in my body, whether by life or by death.
|
- For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain.
- But if I am to live on in the flesh, this will mean fruitful labor for me; and I do not know which to choose.
- But I am hard-pressed from both directions, having the desire to depart and be with Christ, for that is very much better;
- yet to remain on in the flesh is more necessary for your sake.
- Convinced of this, I know that I will remain and continue with you all for your progress and joy in the faith,
|
- so that your proud confidence in me may abound in Christ Jesus through my coming to you again.
|
|
|