Philippians

¹Paul and Timothy, bondservants of Jesus Christ;

To all the saints in Christ Jesus who are at Philippi, with the overseers and deacons: ²Grace to you and peace, from God our Father and from the Lord Jesus Christ. ³I give thanks to my God whenever I remember you, ⁴and I always pray with joy when I intercede on your behalf ⁵because of your partnership¹⁹⁶⁶ in the furtherance of the Good News, even from the very first day until now. ⁶I am confident of this very thing: that God¹⁹⁶⁷ who began a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ. ⁷It is right for me to think this way about you, because I have you in my heart and because you are all partakers with me of grace, both in my imprisonment and in the defense and confirmation of the Good News. ⁸For God is my witness: I long for all of you in the tender mercies of Jesus Christ!

⁹I pray [especially] for this, that your love may overflow even more, with an increase of knowledge and all discernment. ¹⁰This way, you will be able to discern what things are excellent, so that you may be sincere and without offense until the day of Christ, ¹¹filled with the fruits of righteousness which are through Jesus Christ, to the glory and praise of God!

The progress of the Good News

¹²Now I want you to know, brethren, that what happened to me has turned out to be for the progress of the Good News! ¹³It became clear to the whole palace¹⁹⁶⁸ guard and to others that my chains are in Christ, ¹⁴and most of the brethren in the Lord, being confident through my bonds, are even bolder to speak the word without fear. ¹⁵Yes, some actually preach Christ out of envy and rivalry, and some also out of good will. ¹⁶The first¹⁹⁶⁹ [group] preaches Christ without sincerity and from selfish ambition, thinking that they are adding affliction to my imprisonment; ¹⁷but the second [group] does so out of love, knowing that I have been appointed to defend the Good News.

¹⁸Either way, it does not matter. I only care that whether in pretense or in truth, Christ is proclaimed! I rejoice in this, yes, and will continue to rejoice, ¹⁹because I know that this will turn out for my salvation, through your supplication and the support of Christ’s Spirit. ²⁰It is my eager expectation and hope that I will not be put to shame in any way, but that as I speak with all boldness, Christ will be exalted now as always in my body, whether by my life or by my death. ²¹For to me, living is Christ and dying is gain. ²²But if I remain alive in the flesh, this will bring fruit from my work. Yet, I do not know what I will choose! ²³I am in a dilemma between the two, having the desire to be released¹⁹⁷⁰ and be with Christ, which is far better. ²⁴At the same time, to remain in the flesh is a more urgent need for your sake. ²⁵Having this confidence, I know that I will remain and continue with all of you for your progress and joy in faith, ²⁶so that your rejoicing may overflow in Christ Jesus when I am with you again.

²⁷[In the meantime], let your way of life be worthy of the Good News of Christ, so that whether I come and see you or remain absent, I may hear this about your condition: that you stand firm in one spirit, striving with one soul for the faith of the Good News. ²⁸Do not be terrified by your opponents. This will be for them evidence of destruction, but to you, of salvation from God. ²⁹For the sake of Christ, you have been granted the privilege not only to believe in him but also to suffer on his behalf, ³⁰and so you are engaged in the same battle which you saw me fight and that you hear that I am [still] fighting.¹⁹⁷¹

A call to humility

1966. The word translated “partnership” (koinonia) also means “fellowship” and “sharing.”
1967. Greek “he”
1968. Or “praetorian”
1969. CT reverses the contents of verses 16 and 17
1970. [From the body]
1971. Or “struggling”