Philippians 1:1-21 ▼

1 Paul and Timothy, the servants of Jesus Christ, to all the saints who are at Philippi, with the bishops and deacons.

2 Grace and peace unto you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

3 I thank my God for every mention of you,

4 always in all my prayer with joy making supplication,

5 for your fellowship in the gospel from the first clay until now;

6 having confidence as to this same thing, that the one having begun a good work in you will perfect it unto the day of Jesus Christ:

7 as it is righteous for me to think in behalf of you all, because I have you in my heart, both in my bonds and in the defence and confirmation of the gospel, that you are all my fellow-partakers of the grace.

8 For God is my witness, how I long after you in the affections of Jesus Christ.

9 And I pray this, that your divine love may yet more and more abound in perfect knowledge and all understanding;

10 in order that you may distinguish those things which differ; that you may be pure and without offence in the day of Christ;

11 being filled with the fruit of righteousness, through Jesus Christ, unto the glory and praise of God.

12 But I wish you, brethren, to know that the affairs appertaining to me have turned out rather unto the promotion of the gospel.

13 So that my bonds in Christ are manifest in all the pretorian army, and to all the rest;

14 and many of the brethren in the Lord, being confident through my bonds, are bold to speak the word of God more fluently without fear.

15 Some indeed through envy and strife, and some through good will, are preaching Christ:

16 the latter from divine love, knowing that I am set for the defence of the gospel:

17 the former from self-seeking are proclaiming Christ insincerely, thinking that they will add affliction to my bonds.

18 For what is it? moreover that in every place, whether in pretext or in truth, Christ is proclaimed; and I rejoice in this, yes, and I will rejoice.

19 For I know that this will turn out to me unto salvation, through your prayer and the supply of the Spirit of Jesus Christ,

20 according to my earnest expectation and hope, that I shall be ashamed in nothing, but with all boldness, as always, even now Christ will be magnified in my body, whether by life, or by death.

21 For Christ is my life, and death is my gain.