Philippians 1
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Paul and Timothy, servants of Christ Jesus, to all the saints in Christ Jesus that are at Philippi, with the bishops and deacons: |
Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. |
I thank my God upon all my remembrance of you, |
always in every supplication of mine on behalf of you all making my supplication with joy, |
for your fellowship in furtherance of the gospel from the first day until now; |
being confident of this very thing, that he who began a good work in you will perfect it until the day of Jesus Christ: |
even as it is right for me to be thus minded on behalf of you all, because I have you in my heart, inasmuch as, both in my bonds and in the defence and confirmation of the gospel, ye all are partakers with me of grace. |
For God is my witness, how I long after you all in the tender mercies of Christ Jesus. |
And this I pray, that your love may abound yet more and more in knowledge and all discernment; |
so that ye may approve the things that are excellent; that ye may be sincere and void of offence unto the day of Christ; |
being filled with the fruits of righteousness, which are through Jesus Christ, unto the glory and praise of God. |
Now I would have you know, brethren, that the things [which happened] unto me have fallen out rather unto the progress of the gospel; |
so that my bonds became manifest in Christ throughout the whole praetorian guard, and to all the rest; |
and that most of the brethren in the Lord, being confident through my bonds, are more abundantly bold to speak the word of God without fear. |
Some indeed preach Christ even of envy and strife; and some also of good will: |
the one [do it] of love, knowing that I am set for the defence of the gospel; |
but the other proclaim Christ of faction, not sincerely, thinking to raise up affliction for me in my bonds. |
What then? only that in every way, whether in pretence or in truth, Christ is proclaimed; and therein I rejoice, yea, and will rejoice. |
For I know that this shall turn out to my salvation, through your supplication and the supply of the Spirit of Jesus Christ, |
according to my earnest expectation and hope, that in nothing shall I be put to shame, but [that] with all boldness, as always, [so] now also Christ shall be magnified in my body, whether by life, or by death. |
For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain. |
But if to live in the flesh, --[if] this shall bring fruit from my work, then what I shall choose I know not. |
But I am in a strait betwixt the two, having the desire to depart and be with Christ; for it is very far better: |
yet to abide in the flesh is more needful for your sake. |
And having this confidence, I know that I shall abide, yea, and abide with you all, for your progress and joy in the faith; |
that your glorying may abound in Christ Jesus in me through my presence with you again. |
Only let your manner of life be worthy of the gospel of Christ: that, whether I come and see you and be absent, I may hear of your state, that ye stand fast in one spirit, with one soul striving for the faith of the gospel; |
and in nothing affrighted by the adversaries: which is for them an evident token of perdition, but of your salvation, and that from God; |
because to you it hath been granted in the behalf of Christ, not only to believe on him, but also to suffer in his behalf: |
having the same conflict which ye saw in me, and now hear to be in me. |