Greeting
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Paul and Timothy, servantsa of Christ Jesus, To all the 1saints in Christ Jesus who are at Philippi, with the 2overseersb and 3deacons:c
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4Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
Thanksgiving and Prayer
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always in every prayer of mine for you all making my prayer with joy,
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7because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now.
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And I am sure of this, that he who began 8a good work in you 9will bring it to completion at 10the day of Jesus Christ.
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It is right for me to feel this way about you all, because I hold you 11in my heart, for you are all 12partakers with me of grace,d both 13in my imprisonment and in 14the defense and confirmation of the gospel.
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And it is my prayer that 17your love may abound more and more, 18with knowledge and all discernment,
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so that you may approve what is excellent, 19and so be pure and blameless 20for the day of Christ,
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filled 21with the fruit of righteousness that comes 22through Jesus Christ, 23to the glory and praise of God.
The Advance of the Gospel
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I want you to know, brothers,e that what has happened to me has really 24served to advance the gospel,
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so that it has become known throughout the whole imperial guardf and 25to all the rest that 26my imprisonment is for Christ.
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And most of the brothers, having become confident in the Lord by my imprisonment, are much more bold 27to speak the wordg without fear.
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28Some indeed preach Christ from envy and rivalry, but others from good will.
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The former proclaim Christ 31out of rivalry, not sincerely but thinking to afflict me in my imprisonment.
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What 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,
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for I know that 32through your prayers and 33the help of 34the Spirit of Jesus Christ this will turn out for my deliverance,
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as it is my eager expectation and hope 35that I will not be at all ashamed, but that with full 36courage now as always Christ 37will be honored in my body, 38whether by life or by death.
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For to me 39to live is Christ, and to die is gain.
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If I am to live in the flesh, that means fruitful labor for me. Yet which I shall choose I cannot tell.
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40I am hard pressed between the two. My desire is 41to depart and 42be with Christ, for that is far better.
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But to remain in the flesh is more necessary on your account.
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43Convinced of this, 44I know that I will remain and continue with you all, for your 45progress and 46joy in the faith,
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so that in me 47you may have ample cause to glory in Christ Jesus, because of my coming to you again.
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Only 48let your manner of life be 49worthyh of the gospel of Christ, so that whether I come and see you or am absent, I may hear of you 50that you are standing firm in one spirit, with 51one mind 52striving side by side for the faith of the gospel,
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and not frightened in anything by your opponents. This is 53a clear sign to them of their destruction, but 54of your salvation, and that from God.
The English Standard Version is published with the permission of Good News Publishers.
(English Standard Version - The Holy Bible Online)