Greeting

¹Paul and Timothy, servants of Jesus Christ, to all the saints in Christ Jesus who are at Philippi, with the overseers and deacons:

²Grace and peace to y’all from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

Thanksgiving Prayer

³I thank my God every time I remember y’all.

⁴In every prayer for all y’all, I always pray with joy,

⁵because of y’all’s partnership in the gospel from the first day until now,

⁶being confident of this very thing, that ʜᴇ who began a good work in y’all will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ.

⁷It is right for me to think this way about all y’all, because I have you* in my heart, since both in my chains and in the defense and confirmation of the gospel, all y’all are partakers of grace with me.

⁸For God is my witness, how I long for y’all in the affection of Christ Jesus.

⁹This I pray, that y’all’s love may abound even more and more in knowledge and insight,

¹⁰so that y’all may discern what is best, and thus y’all may be sincere and blameless until the day of Christ,

¹¹being filled with the fruit of righteousness which comes through Jesus Christ, to the glory and praise of God.

The Advance of the Gospel

¹²Now I want y’all to know, siblings, that what has happened to me actually advanced the gospel.

¹³It became evident to the whole palace guard and everyone else that my chains are for Christ,

¹⁴and most of the siblings, having confidence in the Lord because of my imprisonment, dare all the more to speak the word of God without fear.

¹⁵It is true that some preach Christ out of envy and infighting, but some also from good pleasure.

¹⁶The latter do so out of love, knowing that I have been placed here for the defense of the gospel.

¹⁷The former preach Christ from selfish ambition, not sincerely, thinking that they add oppression to my chains.

¹⁸But what really matters? Only that in every way, whether from pretense or truth, Christ is proclaimed. I rejoice in this. Yes, and I will continue to rejoice,

¹⁹for I know that this will turn out for my deliverance through y’all’s prayers and the provision of the Spirit of Jesus Christ.

²⁰My expectation and hope is that I will in no way be ashamed, but that with total boldness, Christ will be magnified in my body, now and always, whether by life or by death.

²¹For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain.

²²If I continue to live in the flesh, this will mean fruitful labor for me. Yet I don’t know which to choose.

²³I am squeezed between the two! I have a desire to depart and be with Christ, which is far better.

²⁴Yet to remain in the flesh is necessary for y’all’s sake.

²⁵Convinced of this, I know that I will remain and continue with all y’all for your* progress and joy in the faith,

²⁶so that your* confidence might increase in Christ Jesus when I am present with y’all again.

²⁷Only y’all should conduct yourselves* in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ, so that whether I come to see y’all or remain absent, I will hear that y’all are standing firm in one spirit and one mind, striving for the faith of the gospel;

²⁸not being frightened by those who oppose y’all. This is a sign of destruction for them, but of salvation for y’all, and that from God.

²⁹For it has been granted to y’all on behalf of Christ, not only to believe in him, but also to suffer on his behalf,

³⁰having the same conflict which y’all saw in me and now y’all hear is still with me.