Philippians 1
English Standard Version
Greeting
1 Paul and Timothy, servants[a] of Christ Jesus,
To all the (A)saints in Christ Jesus who are at Philippi, with the (B)overseers[b] and (C)deacons:[c]
2 (D)Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
Thanksgiving and Prayer
3 (E)I thank my God (F)in all my remembrance of you, 4 always in every prayer of mine for you all making my prayer with joy, 5 (G)because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now. 6 And I am sure of this, that he who began (H)a good work in you (I)will bring it to completion at (J)the day of Jesus Christ. 7 It is right for me to feel this way about you all, because I hold you (K)in my heart, for you are all (L)partakers with me of grace,[d] both (M)in my imprisonment and in (N)the defense and confirmation of the gospel. 8 For (O)God is my witness, (P)how I yearn for you all with the affection of Christ Jesus. 9 And it is my prayer that (Q)your love may abound more and more, (R)with knowledge and all discernment, 10 so that you may approve what is excellent, (S)and so be pure and blameless (T)for the day of Christ, 11 filled (U)with the fruit of righteousness that comes (V)through Jesus Christ, (W)to the glory and praise of God.
The Advance of the Gospel
12 I want you to know, brothers,[e] that what has happened to me has really (X)served to advance the gospel, 13 so that it has become known throughout the whole imperial guard[f] and (Y)to all the rest that (Z)my imprisonment is for Christ. 14 And most of the brothers, having become confident in the Lord by my imprisonment, are much more bold (AA)to speak the word[g] without fear.
15 (AB)Some indeed preach Christ from envy and rivalry, but others from good will. 16 The latter do it out of love, (AC)knowing that I am put here for (AD)the defense of the gospel. 17 The former proclaim Christ (AE)out of selfish ambition, not sincerely but thinking to afflict me in my imprisonment. 18 What then? Only that in every way, whether in pretense or in truth, Christ is proclaimed, and in that I rejoice.
To Live Is Christ
Yes, and I will rejoice, 19 for I know that (AF)through your prayers and (AG)the help of (AH)the Spirit of Jesus Christ this will turn out for my deliverance, 20 as it is my eager expectation and hope (AI)that I will not be at all ashamed, but that with full (AJ)courage now as always Christ (AK)will be honored in my body, (AL)whether by life or by death. 21 For to me (AM)to live is Christ, and to die is gain. 22 If I am to live in the flesh, that means fruitful labor for me. Yet which I shall choose I cannot tell. 23 (AN)I am hard pressed between the two. My desire is (AO)to depart and (AP)be with Christ, for that is far better. 24 But to remain in the flesh is more necessary on your account. 25 (AQ)Convinced of this, (AR)I know that I will remain and continue with you all, for your (AS)progress and (AT)joy in the faith, 26 so that in me (AU)you may have ample cause to glory in Christ Jesus, because of my coming to you again.
27 Only (AV)let your manner of life be (AW)worthy[h] of the gospel of Christ, so that whether I come and see you or am absent, I may hear of you (AX)that you are standing firm in one spirit, with (AY)one mind (AZ)striving side by side for the faith of the gospel, 28 and not frightened in anything by your opponents. This is (BA)a clear sign to them of their destruction, but (BB)of your salvation, and that from God. 29 For (BC)it has been granted to you that for the sake of Christ you should not only believe in him but also (BD)suffer for his sake, 30 engaged in the same (BE)conflict that (BF)you saw I had and now hear that I still have.
Footnotes
- Philippians 1:1 For the contextual rendering of the Greek word doulos, see Preface
- Philippians 1:1 Or bishops; Greek episkopoi
- Philippians 1:1 Or servants, or ministers; Greek diakonoi
- Philippians 1:7 Or you all have fellowship with me in grace
- Philippians 1:12 Or brothers and sisters. In New Testament usage, depending on the context, the plural Greek word adelphoi (translated “brothers”) may refer either to brothers or to brothers and sisters; also verse 14
- Philippians 1:13 Greek in the whole praetorium
- Philippians 1:14 Some manuscripts add of God
- Philippians 1:27 Greek Only behave as citizens worthy
Philippians 1
21st Century King James Version
1 Paul and Timothy, the servants of Jesus Christ, To all the saints in Christ Jesus who are at Philippi, with the bishops and deacons:
2 Grace be unto you and peace from God our Father and from the Lord Jesus Christ.
3 I thank my God upon every remembrance of you,
4 always in my every prayer for you all making request with joy,
5 for your fellowship in the Gospel from the first day until now,
6 being confident of this very thing, that He who hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the Day of Jesus Christ.
7 It is meet for me to think this of you all, because I have you in my heart, inasmuch as, both in my bonds and in the defense and confirmation of the Gospel, ye are all partakers of my grace.
8 For God is my record how greatly I long for you all in the compassion of Jesus Christ.
9 And this I pray, that your love may abound yet more and more in knowledge and in all judgment,
10 that ye may approve things that are excellent, and that ye may be sincere and without offense until the Day of Christ,
11 being filled with the fruits of righteousness which are by Jesus Christ, unto the glory and praise of God.
12 But I would ye should understand, brethren, that the things which have happened unto me have turned out unto the furtherance of the Gospel,
13 so that my bonds in Christ are manifest in all the palace and in all other places;
14 and many of the brethren in the Lord, waxing confident by my bonds, are much bolder to speak the Word without fear.
15 Some indeed preach Christ even out of envy and strife, and some also out of good will.
16 The one preaches Christ out of contention and not sincerely, supposing to add affliction to my bonds;
17 but the other out of love, knowing that I am set for the defense of the Gospel.
18 What then? Notwithstanding, every way, whether in pretense or in truth, Christ is preached; and I therein do rejoice, yea, and will rejoice.
19 For I know that this shall turn out to my salvation through your prayer and the support of the Spirit of Jesus Christ,
20 according to my earnest expectation and my hope that in nothing shall I be ashamed, but that with all boldness, as always so now also, Christ shall be magnified in my body, whether it be by life or by death.
21 For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain.
22 But if I live in the flesh, this is the fruit of my labor; yet what I shall choose, I know not.
23 For I am in a strait between the two, having a desire to depart and to be with Christ, which is far better;
24 nevertheless to abide in the flesh is more needful for you.
25 And having this confidence, I know that I shall abide and continue with you all for your furtherance and joy in faith,
26 that your rejoicing for me may be more abundant in Jesus Christ by my coming to you again.
27 Only let your manner of living be as becometh the Gospel of Christ, that whether I come and see you or else am absent, I may hear of your affairs that ye stand fast in one spirit, with one mind, striving together for the faith of the Gospel,
28 and terrified in nothing by your adversaries, which is to them an evident token of perdition, but to you of salvation, and that from God.
29 For unto you it is given on behalf of Christ, not only to believe in Him, but also to suffer for His sake,
30 having the same conflict which ye saw in me, and now hear to be in me.
The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Text Edition: 2016. Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.
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