Philippians 1:1-21 ▼

1 Paul and Timothy, servants of Jesus Christ, to all the saints in Christ Jesus, which are at Philippi, with the bishops and deacons:

2 grace be unto you, and peace from God our father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ.

3 I give thanks unto my God upon every mention of you,

4 (always making supplication for you all with joy

5 in every prayer of mine) for your attachment to the gospel, from the first day even till now;

6 being confident of this, that He who hath begun a good work in you will continue to perfect it till the day of Jesus Christ.

7 As it is just for me to think this of you all, because ye have me in your heart, both in my bonds, and in the defence and confirmation of the gospel, being all of you partakers of the same grace with me.

8 For God is my witness, how much I long for you all, as with the bowels of Jesus Christ.

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

10 that ye may try things that differ, that ye may be sincere and without offence until the day of Christ;

11 being full of the fruits of righteousness which are through Jesus Christ unto the glory and praise of God.

12 But I would have you know, my brethren, that the things, which have befallen me, have proved rather to the advancement of the gospel:

13 so that my bonds are manifest in all the palace, and all other places, to be for the sake of Christ;

14 and many of the brethren in the Lord, encouraged by my bonds, are much more bold to publish the word without fear.

15 Some indeed through envy and strife, and some also through good-will:

16 the former preach Christ out of contention, not sincerely, thinking to add affliction to my bonds;

17 the others out of love, knowing that I am set for the defence of the gospel.

18 What then? yet every way, whether in pretence or in truth, Christ is preached: and in this I rejoice, yea and I will rejoice;

19 for I know that this shall turn to my safety through your prayer, and the aid of the Spirit of Jesus Christ.

20 According to my earnest expectation and hope, that I shall be put to shame in nothing; but that with all freedom of speech, as always, so now also Christ shall be magnified in my body, whether by life or by death.

21 For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain: and if I live in the flesh, this is the fruit of my labor: