Greetings

1 Paul and Timothy, slaves of Messiah Yeshua,

To all the kedoshim in Messiah Yeshua who are in Philippi with the overseers and servant-leaders:

² Grace to you and shalom from God our Father and the Lord Yeshua the Messiah.

Thanksgiving and Prayers of Joy

³ I thank my God at every memory of you, ⁴ always praying with joy in every prayer of mine for you all, ⁵ because of your sharing in the Good News from the first day until now. ⁶ I am sure of this very thing—that He who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the Day of Messiah Yeshua. ⁷ It is right for me to feel this way about you all, because I have you in my heart—for you all are partakers of grace with me, both in my imprisonment and in the defense and confirmation of the Good News. ⁸ For God is my witness, how I long for all of you with the affection of Messiah Yeshua.

⁹ Now this I pray, that your love might overflow still more and more in knowledge and depth of discernment, ¹⁰ in order to approve what is excellent—so that in the Day of Messiah you may be sincere and blameless, ¹¹ filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Yeshua the Messiah, to the glory and praise of God.

Even in Chains, Proclaiming Messiah

¹² Now I want you to know, brothers and sisters, that what has happened to me has actually resulted in the advancement of the Good News. ¹³ And so my imprisonment in the cause of Messiah has become well known throughout the whole Praetorian Guard and to everyone else. ¹⁴ Because of my imprisonment, most of the brothers and sisters have become confident in the Lord to dare more than ever to speak the message fearlessly. ¹⁵ Some are proclaiming the Messiah out of envy and strife, but others out of good will. ¹⁶ The latter do so out of love, knowing that I am appointed for the defense of the Good News. ¹⁷ The former proclaim Messiah not sincerely, but out of selfishness—expecting to stir up trouble for me in my imprisonment. ¹⁸ But what does it matter? Only that in every way, whether in dishonesty or in truth, Messiah is being proclaimed—and in this I rejoice!

To Live Is Messiah

Yes, and I will keep rejoicing, ¹⁹ for I know that this will turn out for my deliverance, through your intercession and the help of the Ruach of Messiah Yeshua. ²⁰ My eager expectation and hope is that in no way will I be put to shame, but that with complete boldness Messiah will even now, as always, be exalted in my body—whether through life or through death. ²¹ For to me, to live is Messiah and to die is gain. ²² But if to live on in the body means fruit from my work, what shall I choose? I do not know. ²³ I am torn between the two—having a desire to leave and be with Messiah, which is far better; ²⁴ yet for your sake, to remain in the body is more necessary. ²⁵ Convinced of this, I know that I will remain and continue with you all, for the sake of your progress and joy in the faith— ²⁶ so that your confidence in Messiah Yeshua might overflow because of me through my coming to you again.

²⁷ Only live your lives in a manner worthy of the Good News of the Messiah. Then, whether I come and see you or I am absent, I may hear of you that you are standing firm in one spirit—striving side by side with one mind for the faith of the Good News ²⁸ and not being frightened in any way by your opponents. For them this is a sign of destruction, but for you salvation—and that from God. ²⁹ For to you was granted for Messiah’s sake not only to trust in Him, but also to suffer for His sake— ³⁰ experiencing the same struggle you saw in me and now you are hearing in me.