Read the New Testament in 24 Weeks

Thanksgiving

1 ^(A)Paul and ^(B)Timothy, ^(C)slaves of ^(D)Christ Jesus,

To ^(E)all the ^[a](F)saints in Christ Jesus who are in ^(G)Philippi, with the ^(H)overseers and ^(I)deacons: ^2 (J)Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

^3 (K)I thank my God in all my remembrance of you, ⁴ always offering prayer with joy in ^(L)my every prayer for you all, ⁵ because of your ^[b](M)fellowship in the ^(N)gospel ^(O)from the first day until now. ⁶ For I am confident of this very thing, that He who began a good work in you will perfect it until ^(P)the day of Christ Jesus. ^7 [c]For ^(Q)it is only right for me to think this way about you all, because I ^(R)have you in my heart, since both in my ^(S)chains and in the ^(T)defense and confirmation of the ^(U)gospel, you all are fellow partakers with me in this grace. ⁸ For ^(V)God is my witness, how I long for you all with the ^[d]affection of ^(W)Christ Jesus. ⁹ And this I pray, that ^(X)your love may abound still more and more in ^(Y)full knowledge and all discernment, ¹⁰ so that you may ^[e](Z)approve the things that are excellent, in order to be sincere and without fault ^[f]until ^(AA)the day of Christ, ¹¹ having been filled with the ^(AB)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 ^(AC)have turned out for the greater progress of the ^(AD)gospel, ¹³ so that my ^(AE)chains in Christ have become well known throughout the whole ^[g]praetorian guard and to ^(AF)everyone else, ¹⁴ and that most of the ^[h]brothers, having become confident in the Lord because of my ^(AG)chains, have ^(AH)far more courage to speak the word of God without fear. ^15 (AI)Some, to be sure, are preaching Christ even ^[i]from envy and strife, but some also ^[j]from good will; ¹⁶ the latter do it out of love, knowing that I am appointed for the defense of the ^(AJ)gospel; ¹⁷ the former proclaim Christ ^(AK)out of selfish ambition ^[k]rather than from pure motives, thinking to cause me affliction in my ^(AL)chains. ¹⁸ What then? Only that in every way, whether in pretense or in truth, Christ is proclaimed, and in this I rejoice.

Yes, and I will rejoice, ¹⁹ for I know that ^(AM)this will turn out for my salvation ^(AN)through your ^[l]prayers and the provision of ^(AO)the Spirit of Jesus Christ, ²⁰ according to my ^(AP)earnest expectation and ^(AQ)hope, that I will not be put to shame in anything, but that with ^(AR)all boldness, Christ will even now, as always, be ^(AS)magnified in my body, ^(AT)whether by life or by death.

To Live Is Christ

²¹ For to me, ^(AU)to live is Christ and to die is gain. ^22 [m]But if I am to live on in the flesh, this will mean ^(AV)fruitful labor for me; and I do not know what I will choose. ²³ But I am hard-pressed ^[n]between the two, having the ^(AW)desire to depart and ^(AX)be with Christ, for that is very much better, ²⁴ yet to remain on in the flesh is more necessary for your sake. ^25 (AY)And convinced of this, I know that I will remain and continue with you all for your progress and joy ^[o]in the faith, ²⁶ so that your reason for ^(AZ)boasting may abound in Christ Jesus in me, through my coming to you again.

²⁷ Only ^[p]live your lives in a manner ^(BA)worthy of the ^(BB)gospel of Christ, so that whether I come and see you or remain absent, I will hear about your circumstances, that you are ^(BC)standing firm in ^(BD)one spirit, with one ^[q]mind ^(BE)contending together for the faith of the gospel, ²⁸ in no way alarmed by your opponents—which is a ^(BF)sign of destruction for them, but of salvation for you, and that too, from God. ²⁹ For to you ^(BG)it has been granted for Christ’s sake, not only to believe in Him, but also to ^(BH)suffer for His sake, ³⁰ having the same ^(BI)struggle which ^(BJ)you saw in me, and now hear to be in me.

Christ’s Humility and Exaltation

2 Therefore if there is any encouragement in Christ, if there is any consolation of love, if there is any ^(BK)fellowship of the Spirit, if any ^[r](BL)affection and compassion, ^2 (BM)fulfill my joy, that ^(BN)you think the same way, by maintaining the same love, being united in spirit, thinking on one purpose, ³ doing nothing ^[s]from ^[t](BO)selfish ambition or ^(BP)vain glory, but with humility of mind ^(BQ)regarding one another as more important than yourselves, ^4 (BR)not merely looking out for your own personal interests, but also for the interests of others. ^5 (BS)Have this way of thinking ^[u]in yourselves which was also in ^(BT)Christ Jesus, ⁶ who, although ^(BU)existing in the ^(BV)form of God, ^(BW)did not regard equality with God a thing ^[v]to be grasped, ⁷ but ^[w](BX)emptied Himself, by taking the form of a ^(BY)slave, by ^(BZ)being made in the likeness of men. ⁸ Being found in appearance as a man, ^(CA)He humbled Himself by becoming ^(CB)obedient to the point of death, even ^(CC)death ^[x]on a cross. ^9 (CD)Therefore, God also ^(CE)highly exalted Him, and bestowed on Him ^(CF)the name which is above every name, ¹⁰ so that at the name of Jesus ^(CG)every knee will bow, of ^(CH)those who are in heaven and on earth and under the earth, ¹¹ and that ^(CI)every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is ^[y](CJ)Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

¹² So then, my beloved, ^(CK)just as you have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your ^(CL)salvation with ^(CM)fear and trembling; ¹³ for it is ^(CN)God who is at work in you, both to will and to work ^(CO)for His good pleasure.

¹⁴ Do all things without ^(CP)grumbling or disputing, ¹⁵ so that you will be ^(CQ)blameless and innocent, ^(CR)children of God without blemish in the midst of a ^(CS)crooked and perverse generation, among whom you ^(CT)shine as ^[z]lights in the world, ¹⁶ holding ^[aa]fast the word of life, so that in ^(CU)the day of Christ I will have reason to boast because I did not ^(CV)run in vain nor ^(CW)labor in vain. ¹⁷ But even if I am being ^(CX)poured out as a drink offering upon ^(CY)the sacrifice and service of your faith, I rejoice and share my joy with you all. ¹⁸ And you also, rejoice in the same way and share your joy with me.

Timothy and Epaphroditus Sent

¹⁹ But I hope in the Lord Jesus to ^(CZ)send ^(DA)Timothy to you shortly, so that I also may be in good spirits when I learn of your circumstances. ²⁰ For I have no one else ^(DB)of kindred spirit who will genuinely be concerned about your circumstances. ²¹ For they all ^(DC)seek after their own interests, not those of Christ Jesus. ²² But you know ^(DD)of his proven worth, that ^(DE)he served with me in the furtherance of the gospel ^(DF)like a child serving his father. ^23 (DG)Therefore I hope to send him immediately, as soon as I ^[ab]evaluate my own circumstances, ²⁴ and ^(DH)I am confident in the Lord that I myself also will be coming shortly. ²⁵ But I regarded it necessary to send to you ^(DI)Epaphroditus, my brother and ^(DJ)fellow worker and ^(DK)fellow soldier, who is also your ^[ac](DL)messenger and ^(DM)minister to my need; ²⁶ because he was longing ^[ad]for you all and was distressed because you had heard that he was sick. ²⁷ For indeed he was sick to the point of death, but God had mercy on him, and not on him only but also on me, so that I would not have sorrow upon sorrow. ²⁸ Therefore I have sent him all the more eagerly so that when you see him again you may rejoice and I may be less concerned. ^29 (DN)Receive him then in the Lord with all joy, and ^(DO)hold men like him in high regard ³⁰ because he came close to death ^[ae](DP)for the work of Christ, risking his life to ^(DQ)fulfill ^[af]what was lacking in your service to me.