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📚Paul and Timothy✭, servants✭ of Jesus Christ, to all the saints✭ in Christ Jesus who are at Philippi✭, together with the overseers✭ and deacons:2 📚Grace be to you, and peace, from God our Father and from the Lord Jesus Christ.
Paul’s love, prayer, and thanksgiving for the believers in Philippi
3 📚I thank my God at every remembrance of you. 4 📚in every prayer✭ of mine for all of you I pray with joy✭, 5 📚✭because of your fellowship in the gospel✭ from the first day until now, 6 📚being confident✭ of this very thing, that he who has begun✭ a good work in you will go on completing it, until the day of Jesus Christ✭.
7 📚So it is right for me to think this of all of you, because I have you in my heart✭. For both in my chains✭ and in the defense✭ and confirmation of the gospel, you all share with me in God’s grace✭. 8 📚✭For God is my witness how greatly I long for you✭ with the tender affection of Jesus Christ.
9 📚✭And I pray that your love✭ may overflow still more and more, in knowledge and in complete discernment, 10 📚that you may approve things that are excellent✭, and that you may be sincere and without offense until the day of Christ, 11 📚being filled with the fruits✭ of righteousness✭, which are by Jesus Christ✭, for the glory and praise of God✭.
Paul’s imprisonment resulted in further spread of the gospel
12 📚✭I want you to understand, brethren, that the things which happened to me have really turned out for the advancement✭ of the gospel,
Good and bad motives in preaching
13 📚✭so that it has become clear among all the palace guard, and every other place, that my chains are for Christ✭, 14 📚✭and many of the brethren in the Lord, becoming confident because of my chains, are much more bold to speak the Word without fear.
15 📚✭Some indeed preach Christ out of envy and strife, but some with good will. 16 📚The former preach Christ out of selfish motives, not sincerely, thinking to add trouble to my chains, 17 📚but the latter out of love, knowing that I am set for the defense of the gospel. 18 📚✭What, then, is the result? Only that in every way, whether in pretense, or in truth, Christ is being preached. And in that I rejoice, yes, and will rejoice.
Paul’s confidence that he would be released
19 📚✭For I know that this will turn out for my deliverance, through your prayer✭, and the supply of the Spirit of Jesus Christ✭.
Paul’s aim in living or in dying
20 📚✭This is in accordance with my earnest expectation and my hope, that I will not be ashamed in anything, but that with complete boldness, now also, as always, Christ will be exalted✭ in my body✭, whether by life or by death. 21 📚For to me, to live is Christ✭ and to die is gain✭. 22 📚But if I live on in the body, this will mean fruit from my labour ✭. But I do not know what to choose✭. 23 📚For I am held between these two: I have a desire to depart and be with Christ✭, which is far better, 24 📚but to remain in the body is more necessary for you. 25 📚And being 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 your rejoicing for me may be more abundant in Jesus Christ by my coming to you again.
Living a life worthy of the gospel of Christ
27 📚Only let your conduct be worthy✭ of the gospel of Christ, so that whether I come and see you, or be absent, I may hear about you that you are standing firmly✭ in one spirit, with one mind✭ striving✭ together for the faith of the gospel, 28 📚and not at all afraid✭ of your opponents✭. This is a clear sign✭ to them of their destruction, but to you of your salvation, and that of God. 29 📚For it has been given to you on behalf of Christ, not only to believe✭ on him, but also to suffer for his sake, 30 📚finding yourselves in the same conflict which you saw in my case✭, and now hear to be in me.