Greetings from
Paul
1 This letter is from Paul and
Timothy, slaves of Christ Jesus. It is written to all of God’s people in
Philippi, who believe in Christ Jesus, and to the elders* and deacons.
2 May God our Father and
the Lord Jesus Christ give you grace and peace.
Paul’s Thanksgiving
&d Prayer
3 Every time I think of you,
I give thanks to my God.
4 I always pray for you,
and I make my requests with a heart full of joy
5 because you have been my
partners in spreading the Good News about Christ from the time you first
heard it until now.
6 And I am sure that God,
who began the good work within you, will continue his work until it is
finally finished on that day when Christ Jesus comes back again.
7 It is right that I should
feel as I do about all of you, for you have a very special place in my
heart. We have shared together the blessings of God, both when I was in
prison and when I was out, defending the truth and telling others the Good
News.
8 God knows how much I love
you and long for you with the tender compassion of Christ Jesus.
9 I pray that
your love for each other will overflow more and more, and that you will
keep on growing in your knowledge and understanding.
10 For I want you to understand
what really matters, so that you may live pure and blameless lives until
Christ returns.
11 May you always be filled
with the fruit of your salvation* —those good things that are produced
in your life by Jesus Christ—for this will bring much glory and praise
to God.
Paul’s Joy
That Christ Is Preached
12 And I want you to know, dear
brothers and sisters,* that everything that has happened to me here has
helped to spread the Good News.
13 For everyone here, including
all the soldiers in the palace guard, knows that I am in chains because
of Christ.
14 And because of my imprisonment,
many of the Christians* here have gained confidence and become more bold
in telling others about Christ.
15 Some are
preaching out of jealousy and rivalry. But others preach about Christ with
pure motives.
16 They preach because they
love me, for they know the Lord brought me here to defend the Good News.
17 Those others do not have
pure motives as they preach about Christ. They preach with selfish ambition,
not sincerely, intending to make my chains more painful to me.
18 But whether or not their
motives are pure, the fact remains that the message about Christ is being
preached, so I rejoice. And I will continue to rejoice.
19 For I know that as you
pray for me and as the Spirit of Jesus Christ helps me, this will all turn
out for my deliverance.
Paul’s Life for Christ
20 For I live in eager expectation
and hope that I will never do anything that causes me shame, but that I
will always be bold for Christ, as I have been in the past, and that my
life will always honor Christ, whether I live or I die.
21 For to me, living is for
Christ, and dying is even better.
22 Yet if I live, that means
fruitful service for Christ. I really don’t know which is better.
23 I’m torn between two desires:
Sometimes I want to live, and sometimes I long to go and be with Christ.
That would be far better for me,
24 but it is better for you
that I live.
25 I am convinced of this,
so I will continue with you so that you will grow and experience the joy
of your faith.
26 Then when I return to
you, you will have even more reason to boast about what Christ Jesus has
done for me.
Live as Citizens of Heaven
27 But whatever
happens to me, you must live in a manner worthy of the Good News about
Christ, as citizens of heaven.
Then, whether I come and
see you again or only hear about you, I will know that you are standing
side by side, fighting together for the Good News.
28 Don’t be intimidated by
your enemies. This will be a sign to them that they are going to be destroyed,
but that you are going to be saved, even by God himself.
29 For you have been given
not only the privilege of trusting in Christ but also the privilege of
suffering for him.
30 We are in this fight together.
You have seen me suffer for him in the past, and you know that I am still
in the midst of this great struggle.
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