Philippians 1
Greeting
1 From Paul and Timothy, slaves of Christ Jesus.
To all those in Philippi who are God’s people in Christ Jesus, along with your supervisorst and servantst.
2 May the grace and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ be with you.
Thanksgiving and prayer
3 I thank my God every time I mention you in my prayers.4 I’m thankful for all of you every time I pray, and it’s always a prayer full of joy.5 I’m glad because of the way you have been my partners in the ministry of the gospel from the time you first believed it until now.6 I’m sure about this: the one who started a good work in you will stay with you to complete the job by the day of Christ Jesus.7 I have good reason to think this way about all of you because I keep you in my heart. You are all my partners in God’s grace, both during my time in prison and in the defense and support of the gospel.
8 God is my witness that I feel affection for all of you with the compassion of Christ Jesus.
9 This is my prayer: that your love might become even more and more rich with knowledge and all kinds of insight.10 I pray this so that you will be able to decide what really matters and so you will be sincere and blameless on the day of Christ.
11 I pray that you will then be filled with the fruit of righteousness, which comes from Jesus Christ, in order to give glory and praise to God.
Priority of the gospel
12 Brothers and sisters, I want you to know that the things that have happened to me have actually advanced the gospel.13 The whole Praetorian Guard and everyone else knows that I’m in prison for Christ.14 Most of the brothers and sisters have had more confidence through the Lord to speak the word boldly and bravely because of my jail time.15 Some certainly preach Christ with jealous and competitive motives, but others preach with good motives.16 They are motivated by love, because they know that I’m put here to give a defense of the gospel;
17 the others preach Christ because of their selfish ambition. They are insincere, hoping to cause me more pain while I’m in prison.
18 What do I think about this? Just this: since Christ is proclaimed in every possible way, whether from dishonest or true motives, I’m glad and I’ll continue to be glad.19 I’m glad because I know that this will result in my release through your prayers and the help of the Spirit of Jesus Christ.20 It is my expectation and hope that I won’t be put to shame in anything. Rather, I hope with daring courage that Christ’s greatness will be seen in my body, now as always, whether I live or die.21 Because for me, living serves Christ and dying is even better.22 If I continue to live in this world, I get results from my work.23 But I don’t know what I prefer. I’m torn between the two because I want to leave this life and be with Christ, which is far better.24 However, it’s more important for me to stay in this world for your sake.25 I’m sure of this: I will stay alive and remain with all of you to help your progress and the joy of your faith,
26 and to increase your pride in Christ Jesus through my presence when I visit you again.
Live worthy of the gospel
27 Most important, live together in a manner worthy of Christ’s gospel. Do this, whether I come and see you or I’m absent and hear about you. Do this so that you stand firm, united in one spirit and mind as you struggle together to remain faithful to the gospel.28 That way, you won’t be afraid of anything your enemies do. Your faithfulness and courage are a sign of their coming destruction and your salvation, which is from God.29 God has generously granted you the privilege, not only of believing in Christ but also of suffering for Christ’s sake.
30 You are having the same struggle that you saw me face and now hear that I’m still facing.
Philippians 1
Salutation
1 From Pault and Timothy, slavests of Christ Jesus, to all the saints in Christ Jesus who are in Philippi,s with the overseerss and deacons.
2 Grace and peace to yout from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ!
Prayer for the Church
3 I thank my God every time I remember you.t4 I always pray with joy in my every prayer for all of you5 because of your participations in the gospel from the first day until now.t6 For I am sure of this very thing,t that the onet who began a good work int you will perfect itt until the day of Christ Jesus.7 Fort it is right for me to think this about all of you, because I have you in my heart,t since both in my imprisonmentt and in the defense and confirmation of the gospel all of you became partners in God’s gracet together with me.8 For God is my witness that I long for all of you with the affection of Christ Jesus.9 And I pray this, that your love may abound even more and more in knowledge and every kind of insight10 so that you can decide what is best, and thus be sincere and blameless for the day of Christ,
11 filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ to the glory and praise of God.
Ministry as a Prisoner
12 I want you to know, brothers and sisters,t that my situation has actually turned out to advance the gospel:t13 Thet whole imperial guards and everyone else knowst that I am in prisont for the sake of Christ,
14 and most of the brothers and sisters,t having confidence in the Lordt because of my imprisonment, now more than evert dare to speak the words fearlessly.
15 Some, to be sure, are preaching Christ from envy and rivalry, but others from goodwill.16 The latter do so from love because they know that I am placed here for the defense of the gospel.17 The former proclaim Christ from selfish ambition, not sincerely, because they think they can cause trouble for me in my imprisonment.t
18 What is the result? Only that in every way, whether in pretense or in truth, Christ is being proclaimed, and in this I rejoice.
Yes,t and I will continue to rejoice,19 for I know that this will turn out for my deliverancets through your prayers and the help of the Spirit of Jesus Christ.20 My confident hopet is that I will in no way be ashamedt but that with complete boldness, even now as always, Christ will be exalted in my body, whether I live or die.t21 For to me, living is Christ and dying is gain.22 Now if I am to go on living in the body,t this will mean productive workt for me, yet I don’t know which I prefer:ts23 I feel torn between the two,t because I have a desire to depart and be with Christ, which is better by far,24 but it is more vital for your sake that I remaint in the body.t25 And since I am sure of this, I know that I will remain and continue with all of you for the sake of your progresst and joy in the faith,s
26 so that what you can be proud of may increaset because of me in Christ Jesus, when I come back to you.t
27 Only conduct yourselvests in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ so that – whether I come and see you or whether I remain absent – I should hear thatt you are standing firm in one spirit, with one mind, by contending side by side for the faith of the gospel,t28 and by not being intimidated in any way by your opponents. This ists a sign of theirts destruction, but of your salvation – a sign whicht is from God.29 For it has been granted to yout not only to believe in Christ but also to suffer for him,
30 since you are encounteringt the same conflict that you saw me face and now hear that I am facing.t