Greeting

1 Paul and Timothy, slaves of Christ Jesus, to all the saints in Christ Jesus who are in Philippi, together with the overseers and deacons. ² Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

Thanksgiving

³ I give thanks to my God upon my every remembrance of you,^{[a] 4} always in my every prayer for all of you, making the prayer with joy, ⁵ because of your participation in the gospel from the first day until now, ⁶ convinced of this same thing, that the one who began a good work in you will finish it^[b] until the day of Christ Jesus, ⁷ just as it is right for me to think this about all of you, because I have you in my heart, since^[c] both in my imprisonment and in the defense and confirmation of the gospel all of you are sharers of grace with me. ⁸ For God is my witness, that I long for all of you with the affection of Christ Jesus.

Prayer for Spiritual Maturity

⁹ And this I pray: that your love may abound still more and more in knowledge and all discernment, ¹⁰ so that you may approve what is superior, in order that you may be sincere and blameless in^[d] the day of Christ, ¹¹ having been filled with the fruit of righteousness which comes through Jesus Christ to the glory and praise of God.

The Progress of the Gospel

¹² Now I want you to know, brothers, that my circumstances^[e] have happened instead for the progress of the gospel, ¹³ so that my imprisonment in Christ has become known in the whole praetorium^[f] and to all the rest, ¹⁴ and most of the brothers, trusting in the Lord because of my imprisonment, dare even more to speak the word without fear. ¹⁵ Some even because of envy and strife preach Christ, but some also because of good will. ¹⁶ The latter do so from love, knowing that I am appointed for the defense of the gospel. ¹⁷ The former proclaim Christ from selfish ambition, not sincerely, thinking to raise up affliction in my imprisonment. ¹⁸ What is the result?^[g] Only that in every way, whether in pretense or in truth, Christ is proclaimed, and in this I rejoice. But also I will rejoice, ¹⁹ for I know that this will turn out to me for deliverance through your prayer and the support of the Spirit of Jesus Christ, ²⁰ according to my eager expectation and hope, that I will be put to shame in nothing, but with all boldness, even now as always Christ will be exalted in my body, whether through life or through death. ²¹ For to me to live is Christ and to die is gain. ²² But if it is to live in the flesh, this is fruitful work for me, and which I will prefer I do not know. ²³ But I am hard pressed between the two options^[h], having the desire to depart and to be with Christ, for this is very much better^[i]. ²⁴ But to stay on in the flesh is more necessary for your sake. ²⁵ And because I am^[j] convinced of this, I know that I will remain and continue with all of you for your progress and joy in the faith, ²⁶ so that what you can be proud of may increase in Christ Jesus because of me through my return again to you.

Stand Firm for the Gospel

²⁷ Only lead your lives in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ, so that whether I come and see you or am absent I hear your circumstances^[k], that you are standing firm in one spirit, with one soul contending side by side for the faith of the gospel, ²⁸ and not letting yourselves be intimidated in anything by your opponents, which is a sign of destruction to them, but of your salvation, and this from God, ²⁹ because to you has been graciously granted on behalf of Christ not only to believe in him, but also to suffer on behalf of him, ³⁰ having the same struggle which you saw in me and now hear about in me.