Philippians 1

Greeting

1Paul and Timothy, servants of Jesus Christ,

To all the saints in Christ Jesus who are at Philippi, with the overseers # Ac 20:28 and deacons: # 1Ti 3:8

2Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. # Ro 1:7

Paul’s Prayer for the Philippians

3I thank my God for every reminder of you. # Ro 1:8–9; 2Ti 1:3 4In every prayer of mine for you all, # Ro 1:9 I have always made requests with joy, 5due to your fellowship in the gospel from the first day until now. # Ac 16:12–40; Php 1:7 6I am confident of this very thing, that He who began a good work in you # Jn 6:29 will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ. # 1Co 1:8

7It is right for me to think this of you all because I have you in my heart, # 2Co 7:3 since both in my imprisonments # Ac 20:23 and in the defense and confirmation of the gospel, you all are fellow partakers of my grace. 8For God is my witness, # Ro 1:9; 9:1 how I long after you all with the affection of Jesus Christ.

9And this I pray, that your love may abound yet more and more in knowledge and in all discernment, # Col 1:9; 3:10; 1Th 3:12 10that you may approve things that are excellent so that you may be pure and blameless for the day of Christ, # Ro 12:2; 1Th 3:13 11being filled with the fruit of righteousness, # Jn 15:8; Col 1:6 which comes through Jesus Christ, for the glory and praise of God.

To Live Is Christ

12But I want you to know, brothers, that the things which happened to me have resulted in advancing the gospel, 13so that my imprisonments # Php 1:7 in Christ have become known throughout the entire palace guard and to all the rest. 14And a great many of the brothers in the Lord, having become confident because of my incarcerations, have dared to speak the word without fear.

15Some indeed are preaching Christ out of envy and strife, and some also from good will. 16The former preach Christ out of contention, not sincerely, intending to add trouble to my circumstance. 17But the latter preach out of love, knowing that I am appointed for the defense of the gospel. 18What then? Only that in every way, whether in pretense or in truth, Christ is preached. And in this I rejoice.

Indeed, I will rejoice. 19For I know that through your prayer and the support of the Spirit of Jesus Christ, # Ac 16:7; 2Co 1:11 this will result in my deliverance. 20Accordingly, it is my earnest expectation and my hope that I shall be ashamed in nothing, # Ro 5:5 but that with all boldness as always, so now also, Christ will be magnified in my body, # 1Co 6:20 whether it be by life or by death. 21For to me, to continue living is Christ, # Gal 2:20 and to die is gain. 22But if I am to live on in the body, this will mean fruitful labor to me. Yet I do not know what I shall choose. 23I am in a difficult position between the two, having a desire to depart and to be with Christ, # Lk 23:43; 2Co 5:8; 2Ti 4:6 which is far better. 24Nevertheless, to remain in the body is more needful for your sake. 25Having this confidence, I know that I shall remain and continue with you all for your joyful advancement of the faith, # Php 2:24 26so that your rejoicing for me may be more abundant in Jesus Christ when I am in your presence again.

27Only let your conduct be worthy of the gospel of Christ, # Eph 4:1 that whether or not I come and see you, I may hear of your activities, that you are standing fast in one spirit, with one mind, striving together for the faith of the gospel, # Jude 3 28and not in any way frightened by your adversaries. This is a sign to them of their destruction, but to you of salvation, and that from God. 29For to you it was granted on behalf of Christ not only to believe in Him, but also to suffer for His sake, 30having the same conflict which you saw in me and now hear is in me. # Ac 16:19–40; 1Th 2:2

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