1 PAUL and Timothy, servants of Christ Jesus, to all the Holy in Christ Jesus who are in Philippi, with Bishops and Deacons:

2 Grace be to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

3 I thank my God for all your remembrance of me,

4 always in every prayer of mine for you all making request with joy

5 for your fellowship in spreading the good news from the first day until now,

6 being confident of this very thing, that he who has begun the good work in you will carry it on to completion on the day of Christ Jesus.

7 So it is right for me to think of you all, because you have me in your hearts, and in my chains and in my defense and in establishing the good news you are all sharers in my privilege.

8 For God is my witness how much I long for you all in the affections of Christ Jesus.

9 And this is my prayer that your love may abound more and more in knowledge and all insight,

10 so that you may discriminate between the things that differ, that you may be pure and blameless in the day of Christ,

11 filled with the fruit of knowledge through Jesus Christ to the glory and praise of God.

12 I wish you to know, brethren, that my affairs have turned out rather to the furtherance of the good news,

13 so that my chains have become well known as for Christ to the whole Praetorian Guard and to all the rest,

14 and the most of the brethren in the Lord, made confident by my chains, are unusually brave in speaking the message fearlessly.

15 Some indeed proclaim Christ because of envy and rivalry, some also because of good will.

16 Some announce Christ from love, knowing that I am placed for the defense of the good news,

17 but others out of partisanship, thinking to add distress to my chains.

18 What then? Still in every way, whether in pretense or in truth, Christ is proclaimed and in that I rejoice, yes, and will rejoice.

19 For I know that this will make for my salvation through your prayer and the supply of the Spirit of Jesus Christ,

20 according to my earnest expectation and hope that I may be put to shame in nothing, but with all courage, as always, so now Christ may be honored in my body, whether by my life or by my death.

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

22 If it is to be life in the flesh, that means fruitful work for me. I know not which to choose.

23 I am under pressure both ways, having the desire to depart and be with Christ, for it is far better,

24 yet that I should stay in the flesh is more needful on your account.

25 And this I confidently know, that I shall stay and stay near you all for your advancement and joy of faith,

26 that your exultation in Christ Jesus may overflow on my account, because of my presence again with you.

27 Only exercise your citizenship in a manner worthy of the good news of Christ, so that, whether I come and see you or in absence hear news of you, I may know that you are standing in one spirit, with one mind wrestling in the faith of the good news

28 and not frightened in anything by your adversaries, which for them is a sign of ruin, but for you of salvation, and that from God;

29 because it has been graciously allowed you not only to believe in Christ but also to suffer for his sake,

30 and you have the same struggle that you saw in me and now hear of in me.