Philippians

Paul’s Letter to the Philippians

1 Paul and Timothy, servants of Christ Jesus, to all God’s people in Christ Jesus at Philippi, with their visitors and deacons: 2 grace to you, and peace, from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

3 I always thank my God at all recollection of you, 4 in all my petitions for you all making the petitions with joy 5 at your cooperativeness toward the missionary work from the first day till now, 6 being confident of this very thing, that he who has started a good work in you will carry it through till the day of Christ Jesus, 7* as it is right for me to be thus minded about you all because I have it at heart that both in my imprisonment and in the defending and guaranteeing of the gospel you are all of you my fellows in grace. 8* For God is my witness how I yearn over you all in Christ Jesus’s tenderness, 9* and pray for this, that your love may superabound yet more and more in insight and the use of every sense 10* so that you shall be judges of the things worth caring about, in order that you may be clear and untainted for Christ’s day, 11 filled with fruit of righteousness such as comes through Jesus Christ, to God’s praise and glory.

12 But I wish you to know, brothers, that my affairs have come into such shape as more to advance the gospel work, 13* so that my imprisonment has become well known in connection with Christ throughout the Praetorian Guard and to everybody else, 14 and so that most of the brothers, resting confident in the Lord, are venturing to speak God’s word all the more fearlessly for my imprisonment. 15 Some are preaching Christ for sheer enviousness and rivalry, and some for sheer goodwill; 16 the one group out of love, knowing that the defense of the gospel is what I exist for, 17 but the others are delivering the message of the Christ from motives of church politics, not honestly, thinking they are fomenting distress for my imprisonment. 18 What of it? anyhow, be it in pretense or in truth, the message of Christ is being delivered, and of that I am glad; and I will be glad too, 19* for I know this will turn out to be for my salvation through your petitions and the support of Jesus Christ’s spirit, 20 in accordance with my expectation and hope that in no respect shall I be put to shame, but with all straightforwardness Christ shall be magnified in my body, whether through life or through death, now too as he always was. 21 For to me living is Christ and dying is profit-taking. 22* But if it is just living in flesh that means fruit of work for me, then I cannot tell what to choose; 23 but I am caught between the two things, having the desire for getting away and being with Christ—for it is a very long way better— 24 but staying in the flesh is more needful on your account; 25 and this I know with assurance, that I shall remain and stand by you all for your advancement and joy in the faith, 26 in order that you may in my case have the more to boast of in Christ Jesus through my arrival to be with you again.

27* Only lead a life worthy of the gospel of the Christ, in order that whether when I come and see you or while I am away I may hear of you that you are standing your ground in one spirit, united in wholesouled teamwork for the faith of the gospel, 28 and not frightened as to anything by your opponents, which is an omen of perdition for them but of your salvation, and that from God, 29 because you have been given the grace that for Christ you should not only believe in him but also suffer for him, 30* facing the same contest such as you saw in my case and are now hearing of in my case.