Philippians 1

1 ¹Paul and Timothy, servants of Christ Jesus, to all the holy ones in Christ Jesus at Philippi, with the overseers and deacons: ²Grace to you and peace from our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

Grateful for Partners in the Gospel

³I thank my Father every time I remember you, ⁴always praying for all of you with joy in every prayer, ⁵because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now. ⁶I'm confident of this very thing: the one who began a good work in you will complete it until the day of Christ Jesus. ⁷I'm right to feel this about you—I hold you in my heart, all of you sharing with me in grace, in my chains and in defending and confirming the gospel. ⁸For our Father is my witness, how I long for you all with Christ Jesus's deep affection.

⁹This is my prayer: that your love overflow more and more, with knowledge and all discernment, ¹⁰so you can discern what is best, staying pure and blameless until the day of Christ. ¹¹Filled with the fruit of righteousness through Jesus Christ, to our Father's glory and praise.

Chains That Advance the Gospel

¹²I want you to know, brothers and sisters, that my circumstances have actually advanced the gospel, ¹³so my chains for Christ became known to the whole imperial guard and everyone else. ¹⁴Most of the brothers and sisters, made confident in the Lord by my chains, now dare more to speak the word fearlessly. ¹⁵Some, it is true, preach Christ out of envy and rivalry, but others out of goodwill. ¹⁶These act from love, knowing I'm assigned to defend the gospel. ¹⁷The others proclaim Christ out of selfish ambition, not sincerely, thinking to stir up trouble for me in my chains.

¹⁸What then? Only that in every way—whether in pretense or truth—Christ is proclaimed, and I rejoice in this. Yes, I will keep rejoicing. ¹⁹For I know this will result in my rescue, through your prayers and the help of Jesus Christ's Spirit. ²⁰My eager expectation and hope: I will never be ashamed, but with full courage, now as always, Christ will be praised in my body, whether by life or by death.

²¹For to me, to live is Christ, and to die is gain. ²²If I am to go on living in the body, this will mean fruitful work for me. Yet I don't know which to choose. ²³Torn between the two, I want to leave and be with Christ—far better, ²⁴but to remain in the body is more necessary for your sake. ²⁵Convinced of this, I know I'll remain and stay with you all, for your progress and joy in the faith, ²⁶so your boasting in Christ Jesus may overflow because of me, when I come to you again.

Standing Worthy of the Gospel

²⁷Just live worthy of the gospel of Christ, so that whether I come and see you, or am absent, I hear you stand firm in one spirit, contending together with one mind for the gospel's faith, ²⁸and not scared of your opponents at all — proof to them of their destruction, but of your salvation, and that from our Father. ²⁹For it has been graciously granted to you, for Christ's sake, not only to believe in him but also to suffer for him, ³⁰going through the same struggle you saw me face, and now hear that I still face.