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[1]Paul and Timothy, the servants of Jesus Christ, to all the saints in Christ Jesus who are at Philippi, with the bishops and deacons:
[2]Grace be to you, and peace, from God our Father and from the Lord Jesus Christ.
[3]I thank my God upon every remembrance of you,
[4]Always in every prayer of mine for you all making request with joy,
[5]For your fellowship in the gospel from the first day until now;
[6]Being confident of this very thing, that he who hath begun a good work in you, will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ:
[7]Even as it is meet for me to think this of you all, because I have you in my heart; inasmuch as both in my bonds, and in the defense and confirmation of the gospel, ye all are partakers of my grace.
[8]For God is my witness, how greatly I long after you all in the bowels of Jesus Christ.
[9]And this I pray, that your love may abound yet more and more in knowledge and in all judgment;
[10]That ye may approve things that are excellent; that ye may be sincere and without offense till the day of Christ;
[11]Being filled with the fruits of righteousness, which are by Jesus Christ, to the glory and praise of God.
[12]But I would ye should understand, brethren, that the things which happened to me have fallen out rather to the furtherance of the gospel;
[13]So that my bonds in Christ are manifest in all the palace, and in all other places;
[14]And many of the brethren in the Lord, becoming confident by my bonds, are much more bold to speak the word without fear.
[15]Some indeed preach Christ even from envy and strife; and some also from good will.
[16]The one preach Christ from contention, not sincerely, supposing to add affliction to my bonds:
[17]But the other from love, knowing that I am set for the defense of the gospel.
[18]What then? notwithstanding, every way, whether in pretense or in truth, Christ is preached; and I therein do rejoice, yes, and will rejoice.
[19]For I know that this will turn to my salvation through your prayer, and the supply of the Spirit of Jesus Christ,
[20]According to my earnest expectation and hope, that in nothing I shall be ashamed, but that with all boldness, as always, so now also, Christ will be magnified in my body, whether by life, or by death.
[21]For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain.
[22]But if I live in the flesh, this is the fruit of my labor: yet what I shall choose I know not.
[23]For I am in a strait betwixt two, having a desire to depart, and to be with Christ; which is far better:
[24]Nevertheless, to abide in the flesh is more needful for you.
[25]And having this confidence, I know that I shall abide and continue with you all for your furtherance and joy of faith;
[26]That your rejoicing for me may be more abundant in Jesus Christ by my coming to you again.
[27]Only let your manner of life be as it becometh the gospel of Christ: that whether I come and see you, or else be absent, I may hear of your affairs, that ye stand fast in one spirit, with one mind striving together for the faith of the gospel;
[28]And in nothing terrified by your adversaries: which is to them an evident token of perdition, but to you of salvation, and that from God.
[29]For to you it is given in the behalf of Christ, not only to believe on him, but also to suffer for his sake;
[30]Having the same conflict which ye saw in me, and now hear to be in me.
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