1 | Paul and Timothy, servants of Jesus Christ, to all the saints in Christ Jesus who are at Philippi, with the bishops and deacons. |
2 | Grace and peace to you, from God our Father and from the Lord Jesus Christ. |
3 | I give thanks to my God, with every remembrance of you, |
4 | always, in all my prayers, making supplication for all of you with joy, |
5 | because of your communion in the Gospel of Christ, from the first day even until now. |
6 | I am confident of this very thing: that he who has begun this good work in you will perfect it, unto the day of Christ Jesus. |
7 | So then, it is right for me to feel this way about all of you, because I hold you in my heart, and because, in my chains and in the defense and confirmation of the Gospel, you all are partakers of my joy. |
8 | For God is my witness how, within the heart of Jesus Christ, I long for all of you. |
9 | And this I pray: that your charity may abound more and more, with knowledge and with all understanding, |
10 | so that you may be confirmed in what is better, in order that you may be sincere and without offense on the day of Christ: |
11 | filled with the fruit of justice, through Jesus Christ, in the glory and praise of God. |
12 | Now, brothers, I want you to know that the things concerning me happened for the advancement of the Gospel, |
13 | in such a way that my chains have become manifest in Christ in every place of judgment and in all other such places. |
14 | And many from among the brothers in the Lord, becoming confident through my chains, are now much bolder in speaking the Word of God without fear. |
15 | Certainly, some do so even because of envy and contention; and others, too, do so because of a good will to preach Christ. |
16 | Some act out of charity, knowing that I have been appointed for the defense of the Gospel. |
17 | But others, out of contention, announce Christ insincerely, claiming that their difficulties lift them up to my chains. |
18 | But what does it matter? As long as, by every means, whether under pretext or in truthfulness, Christ is announced. And about this, I rejoice, and moreover, I will continue to rejoice. |
19 | For I know that this will bring me to salvation, through your prayers and under the ministration of the Spirit of Jesus Christ, |
20 | by means of my own expectation and hope. For in nothing shall I be confounded. Instead, with all confidence, now just as always, Christ shall be magnified in my body, whether by life or by death. |
21 | For to me, to live is Christ, and to die is gain. |
22 | And while I live in the flesh, for me, there is the fruit of works. But I do not know which I would choose. |
23 | For I am constrained between the two: having a desire to be dissolved and to be with Christ, which is the far better thing, |
24 | but then to remain in the flesh is necessary for your sake. |
25 | And having this confidence, I know that I shall remain and that I shall continue to remain with all of you, for your advancement and for your joy in the faith, |
26 | so that your rejoicing may abound in Christ Jesus for me, through my return to you again. |
27 | Only let your behavior be worthy of the Gospel of Christ, so that, whether I return and see you, or whether, being absent, I hear about you, still you may stand firm with one spirit, with one mind, laboring together for the faith of the Gospel. |
28 | And in nothing be terrified by the adversaries. For what is to them is an occasion of perdition, is to you an occasion of salvation, and this is from God. |
29 | For this has been given to you on behalf of Christ, not only so that you may believe in him, but even so that you may suffer with him, |
30 | engaging in the same struggle, of a kind which you also have seen in me, and which you now have heard from me. |