Greetings from Paul and Timothy 1Paul and Timotheus the seruauntes of Iesu Christ. Vnto all the sayntes in Iesu Christ, which are at Philippos, with the Bisshoppes and mynisters. 2Grace be with you and peace from God oure father, and from the LORDE Iesus Christ. Thanksgiving and Prayer 3I thanke my God, as oft as I remebre you 4(which I allwayes do in all my prayers for you all, and praye with gladnesse) 5because of youre fellishippe which ye haue in the Gospell from the first daye vnto now, 6and am surely certified of this, yt he which hath begonne that good worke in you, shal go forth with it vntyll ye daye of Iesus Christ: 7as it becommeth me to iudge of you all, because I haue you in my hert, as those that are partakers with me of grace in my bondes, in defendinge and stablyshinge of the Gospell. 8For God is my recorde, how I loge after you all euen fro the very hert rote in Iesus Christ. 9And for the same I praye, yt yor loue maye increace more & more in all maner of knowlege and in all experience, 10yt ye maye proue what is best, that ye maye be pure, & soch as hurte no mans conscience, vnto the daye of Christ: 11fylled with the frutes of righteousnes, which come by Iesus Christ vnto the glorye and prayse of God. Paul’s Trials Advance the Gospel 12I wolde ye vnderstode brethren, that my busynes is happened vnto the greater furtheraunce of the Gospell, 13so that my bondes in Christ are manifest thorow out all ye iudgmet hall, and in all other places: 14In so moch that many brethren in the LORDE, are boldened thorow my bodes, and darre more largely speake the worde without feare. 15Some (no doute) preach Christ of enuye and stryfe, but some of good wil. 16The one parte preacheth Christ off stryfe and not purely, supposynge to adde more aduersite vnto my bondes. 17The other parte of loue, for they knowe that I lye here for the defence of the Gospell. 18What then? So that Christ be preached all maner of wayes (whether it be done by occasion or of true meaninge) I reioyce therin, and wil reioyce. 19For I knowe that the same shal chaunce to my saluacion, thorow youre prayer and mynistrynge of the sprete of Iesu Christ, 20as I loke for and hope, that in nothinge I shalbe ashamed: but yt with all cofidence (as allwayes in tymes past, eue so now) Christ shalbe magnified in my body whether it be thorow life or thorow death. To Live Is Christ 21For Christ is to me life, & death is to me auautage. 22But in as moch as to lyue in ye flesh is frutefull to me for the worke, I wote not what 23I shal chose, for both these thinges lye harde vpon me. I desyre to be lowsed, & to be with Christ, which thinge were moch better (for me) 24but to abyde in the flesh is more nedefull for you. 25And this am I sure of, that I shal abyde, and contynue with you all, for the furtheraunce and ioye of youre faith, 26that ye maye abundauntly reioyse in Christ Iesu thorow me, by my comynge to you agayne. Worthy of the Gospel 27Onely let youre conuersacion be as it becommeth the Gospell of Christ, that whether I come & se you, or els be absent, I maye yet heare of you that ye cotynue in one sprete and one soule, labourynge (as we do) to mayntayne the faith of the Gospell, 28and in nothinge fearinge youre aduersaries, which is to them a token off perdicion, but vnto you of saluacion, and that of God. 29For vnto you it is geuen, not onely that ye shulde beleue on Christ, but also suffre for his sake, 30and to haue euen the same fighte, which ye haue sene in me, and now heare of me. |