Greetings from Paul and Timothy
(Colossians 1:1–2; Philemon 1:1–3)

1Paul and Timotheus, servants of Jesus Christ, to all the holy in Christ Jesus at Philippi, with the overseers and servants: 2Grace to you, and peace, from God our Father, and the Lord Jesus Christ.

Thanksgiving and Prayer
(1 Corinthians 1:4–9; Colossians 1:3–14)

3I return thanks to my God for all your remembrance, 4Always in all my prayer for you all with joy making prayer, 5For your mutual participation in the good news from the first day until now; 6Confident of this same, that he having begun a good work in you will complete till the day of Jesus Christ: 7As it is just for me to think this concerning you all, for my having you in the heart; both in my bonds, and in the justification and confirmation of the good news, ye all being partakers of grace with me. 8For God is my witness, how I long for you all in the bowels of Jesus Christ. 9And this I prey, that your love may abound yet more and more in knowledge and all intelligence; 10For you to try things differing; that ye may be pure and not stumbling to the day of Christ; 11Filled with the fruits of justice, by Jesus Christ, to the glory and praise of God.

Paul’s Trials Advance the Gospel
(James 1:2–12)

12And I wish you to know, brethren, that the things concerning me have rather gone to the advancement of the good news; 13So that my bonds in Christ were manifest in the whole pretorium, and to all the rest; 14And many of the brethren in the Lord, having trusted to my bonds, more abundantly dared to speak the word fearlessly. 15And some truly by envy and strife, and some also by kindness of disposition, proclaim Christ. 16Some truly of hired labor announce Christ, not purely, thinking to bring pressure upon my bonds: 17And some of love, knowing that I am placed for justification of the good news: 18For what? but in any manner, whether in pretence, or truth, Christ is announced; and in this I rejoice, and certainly I will rejoice. 19For I know that this shall be turned to me for salvation by your prayer, and the furnishing more of the Spirit of Jesus Christ, 20According to my anxious expectation, and hope, that in nothing shall I be ashamed, but in all freedom of speech, as always, and now shall Christ be Magnified in my body, whether by life, whether by death.

To Live Is Christ

21For me to live is Christ, and to die gain. 22And if to live in the flesh, this to me the fruit of work: and whether I shall be taken away I know not. 23For I am pressed together from two, having one eager desire to be loosed, and be with Christ (rather much better:) 24And to tarry yet longer in the flesh is more necessary for you. 25And confident in this, I know that I shall remain, and shall remain near together with you all for your advancement and joy of faith: 26That your boasting may abound in Jesus Christ in me, for my coming again to you.

Worthy of the Gospel

27Only live as citizens worthy of the good news of Christ: that whether coming and seeing you, whether being absent, I shall bear the things concerning you, that ye stand in one spirit, one soul, fighting together in faith of the good news; 28And terrified in nothing by them being hostile to you: which to them is truly an indication of destruction, and to you of salvation, and this from God. 29For upon you was it conferred as a favor for Christ, not only to believe on him, but also to suffer for him; 30Having the same struggle which ye saw in me, and now hear in me.