CHAPTER I.
PAUL'S LOVE FOR THE PHILIPPIANS, AFFAIRS AT ROME, MORAL DUTIES, ETC.
1 1:1PAUL and Timothy, servants of Jesus Christ, to all the saints in Christ Jesus at Philippi, with the bishops and deacons. 1:2Grace be to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
2 1:3I thank my God at every remembrance of you, 1:4always in every prayer of mine for you all making request with joy, 1:5for your fellowship in the gospel from the first day till now, 1:6having this same confidence, that he who has begun a good work in you will carry it on till the day of Jesus Christ, 1:7as it is right for me to think this of you all, because I have you in my heart, both in my bonds and in the defense and confirmation of the gospel, you being all partakers of my grace. 1:8For God is my witness, how much I desire you all with the tender affections of Christ Jesus. 1:9And this I pray, that your love may abound yet more and more in knowledge and all understanding, 1:10that you may prove the excellent, that you may be without fault and without offense in the day of Christ, 1:11filled with the fruit of righteousness, through Jesus Christ, to the glory and praise of God.
3 1:12But I wish you to know, brothers, that the things as to me have resulted in the advancement of the gospel, 1:13so that my bonds in Christ are manifest in all the Prætorium and in all other places, 1:14and many of the brothers having been made confident by my bonds in the Lord have more abundant courage to speak the word without fear. 1:15For some indeed preach Christ because of envy and strife, and some also because of good will; 1:17those from love, knowing that I am set for the defense of the gospel, 1:16but those from contention preach Christ not sincerely, thinking to raise up affliction for my bonds. 1:18What then? nevertheless, in every way, whether in pretence or in truth, Christ is preached, and in this I rejoice. But I also will rejoice; 1:19for I know that this will result in salvation to me, through your prayer, and the supply of the Spirit of Jesus Christ, 1:20according to my expectation and hope that I shall be ashamed in nothing, but with all boldness as always also now Christ shall be magnified in my body, whether by life or by death. 1:21Because for me to live is Christ and to die is gain. 1:22But if to live in the flesh [is allowed me], I have this fruit of my work, and which I shall choose I know not. 1:23But I am in a strait between the two, having a desire to depart and be with Christ; for this is far better; 1:24but to continue in the flesh is more necessary for you. 1:25And fully believing this, I know that I shall continue, and continue with you all, for your advancement and joy of the faith, 1:26that your rejoicing may abound in Christ Jesus by me through my coming again to you.
4 1:27Only conduct yourselves as citizens worthily of the gospel of Christ, that whether I come and see you, or be absent, I may hear of your affairs, that you stand firm in one spirit, striving together with one mind for the faith of the gospel, 1:28terrified in nothing by the adversaries, which is to them a token of destruction, but to you of salvation, and this from God; 1:29because it was given to you in behalf of Christ, not only to believe on him but also to suffer for him, 1:30having the same conflict which you saw in me and now hear of in me.
5 2:1If therefore there is any consolation in Christ, if any comfort in love, if any participation of the Spirit, if any affections and compassions, 2:2fulfil my joy, that you have the same mind, having the same love, sympathizing with each other, having one opinion. 2:3Do nothing in strife or vain glory, but in humility let each esteem others better than himself, 2:4and let each consider not his own interests, but also those of others. 2:5Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus, 2:6who being in the form of God thought it not a robbery to be equal with God; 2:7but he abased himself, taking the form of a servant, being made in the likeness of man, 2:8and being found in form like a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient even till death, and the death of the cross. 2:9Wherefore God also highly exalted him, and gave him a name which is above every name, 2:10that at the name of Jesus every knee shall bow, of beings in heaven and in the earth and under the earth, 2:11and every tongue shall confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
6 2:12And so, my beloved, as you always obeyed, not in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your salvation with fear and trembling; 2:13for God works in you both to will and to work of his good pleasure. 2:14Do all things without complainings and disputations, 2:15that you may be blameless and sincere, children of God without blame in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, in which you shine as luminaries in the world, 2:16holding fast the word of life, for my glorying in the day of Christ, that I did not run in vain, nor labor in vain. 2:17But if I am even poured out as a libation on the sacrifice and service of your faith, I rejoice and congratulate you all; 2:18do you also rejoice with the same joy and congratulate me.
7 2:19But I hope in the Lord Jesus to send Timothy to you shortly, that I may be refreshed when I know your affairs. 2:20For I have no one like minded who really will care for your interests; 2:21for all seek their own, not the things of Jesus Christ. 2:22But you know his tried virtue, that as a son with a father he has served with me in the gospel. 2:23Him therefore I hope to send to you as soon as I know how it will be with me; 2:24and I hope in the Lord that I also myself shall come shortly.
8 2:25But I thought it necessary to send to you Epaphroditus, the brother and my fellow-laborer and fellow-soldier, but your apostle and servant of my need, 2:26for he greatly desired you all and was anxious, because you heard that he was sick. 2:27For indeed he was sick nigh to death; but God had mercy on him, and not on him only but on me also, lest I should have sorrow upon sorrow. 2:28I have sent him therefore the more diligently, that seeing him again you may rejoice and I be less sorrowful. 2:29Receive him therefore in the Lord with all joy, and have such in estimation, 2:30because on account of the work he was nigh to death, not having consulted properly for his life, that he might fully supply your lack of service to me.