1Paul and Timothy, servants[1] of Christ Jesus, To all the saints in Christ Jesus who are at Philippi, with the overseers[2] and deacons:[3] (Ac 20:28; 2Co 1:1; Col 1:2; 1Ti 3:8; 1Ti 3:12)2Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. (Ro 1:7; 1Co 1:3)
Thanksgiving and Prayer
3I thank my God in all my remembrance of you, (Ro 1:8; Ro 1:9; Eph 1:16; 2Ti 1:3)4always in every prayer of mine for you all making my prayer with joy,5because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now. (Ac 16:12; Php 2:12; Php 4:15)6And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ. (Ps 57:2; Ps 138:8; 1Co 1:8; 1Th 1:3; 1Th 5:24)7It is right for me to feel this way about you all, because I hold you in my heart, for you are all partakers with me of grace,[4] both in my imprisonment and in the defense and confirmation of the gospel. (Ac 20:23; Ac 26:29; 2Co 7:3; Eph 3:1; Php 1:16; Php 4:14; Col 4:18; 2Ti 2:9; Phm 1:10; Phm 1:13)8For God is my witness, how I yearn for you all with the affection of Christ Jesus. (Ro 1:9; Ro 1:11; Ro 9:1; Ro 15:23; Php 4:1; 1Th 3:6; 2Ti 1:4)9And it is my prayer that your love may abound more and more, with knowledge and all discernment, (Col 1:9; Col 3:10; 1Th 3:12; 2Th 1:3; Phm 1:6)10so that you may approve what is excellent, and so be pure and blameless for the day of Christ, (Ac 24:16; Php 1:6; 1Th 3:13; 1Th 5:23)11filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ, to the glory and praise of God. (Joh 15:4; Eph 1:12; Eph 1:14; Col 1:6; Col 1:10; Jas 3:18)
The Advance of the Gospel
12I want you to know, brothers,[5] that what has happened to me has really served to advance the gospel, (Php 1:25; 1Ti 4:15)13so that it has become known throughout the whole imperial guard[6] and to all the rest that my imprisonment is for Christ. (Lu 21:13; Ac 28:30; Php 1:7; 2Ti 2:9)14And most of the brothers, having become confident in the Lord by my imprisonment, are much more bold to speak the word[7] without fear. (Ac 4:31)15Some indeed preach Christ from envy and rivalry, but others from good will. (2Co 11:13)16The latter do it out of love, knowing that I am put here for the defense of the gospel. (1Co 9:17; Php 1:7)17The former proclaim Christ out of selfish ambition, not sincerely but thinking to afflict me in my imprisonment. (Php 2:3; Jas 3:14)
To Live Is Christ
18What then? Only that in every way, whether in pretense or in truth, Christ is proclaimed, and in that I rejoice. Yes, and I will rejoice,19for I know that through your prayers and the help of the Spirit of Jesus Christ this will turn out for my deliverance, (Ac 16:7; 2Co 1:11; Ga 3:5)20as it is my eager expectation and hope that I will not be at all ashamed, but that with full courage now as always Christ will be honored in my body, whether by life or by death. (Joe 2:27; Ac 4:13; Ro 5:5; Ro 14:8; 1Co 6:20; 2Ti 2:15)21For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain. (Ga 2:20)22If I am to live in the flesh, that means fruitful labor for me. Yet which I shall choose I cannot tell.23I am hard pressed between the two. My desire is to depart and be with Christ, for that is far better. (Joh 12:26; 2Co 5:8; 2Ti 4:6)24But to remain in the flesh is more necessary on your account.25Convinced of this, I know that I will remain and continue with you all, for your progress and joy in the faith, (Ac 20:25; Ro 15:13; Php 1:12; Php 2:24)26so that in me you may have ample cause to glory in Christ Jesus, because of my coming to you again. (2Co 1:14)27Only let your manner of life be worthy[8] of the gospel of Christ, so that whether I come and see you or am absent, I may hear of you that you are standing firm in one spirit, with one mind striving side by side for the faith of the gospel, (1Co 1:10; 1Co 16:13; Eph 4:1; Php 2:2; Php 3:20; Jud 1:3)28and not frightened in anything by your opponents. This is a clear sign to them of their destruction, but of your salvation, and that from God. (Ac 14:22; 2Th 1:5)29For it has been granted to you that for the sake of Christ you should not only believe in him but also suffer for his sake, (Mt 5:12; Php 1:28)30engaged in the same conflict that you saw I had and now hear that I still have. (Ac 16:19; Col 1:29; Col 2:1; 1Th 2:2; 1Ti 6:12; 2Ti 4:7; Heb 10:32)