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“To: All All Those Set Apart to God as a Special Holy Possession in Union with Messiah Jesus in Philippi”
1 From: Paul and Timothy, slaves of Messiah Jesus.
To: All those set apart to God as a special holy possession in union with Messiah Jesus in Philippi, especially the overseers and deacons.
2 To all of ᵖyou+ grace, and peace, from God our Father and the Lord Jesus the Messiah.
“I Give Thanks to My God Every Time I Think of You”
3 I give thanks to my God every time I think of you,
4 always, in all my prayers for all of you, presenting my requests with such great joy
5 because of your friendship and support and shared interest in relation to the gospel from the time we were first together until now,
6 being convinced of this very thing, that the one who began a good work in you will see it through to its completion on the Day of Messiah Jesus.
7 I am entirely justified in feeling this way about all of you, on account of the deep love that I have for you,+ since all of you are, whether I am in prison or on trial defending and confirming the truth of the gospel, sharers in the same gift that God has also so graciously put to work in me.
8 Yes, God is my witness of how deeply I love all of you with the affection of Messiah Jesus.
9 And here is what I am constantly praying for: That your love will continue to grow more and more and more, with true knowledge and every kind of moral insight,
10 so that you can discern the things that are of greater value and importance, that you will be genuine and blameless for the Day of the Messiah,
11 filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus the Messiah to the glory and praise of God.
“These Difficulties I Have Experienced Have Resulted, in Fact, in the Advancement of the Gospel”
12 Now I want you to know, brothers and sisters, that these difficulties I have experienced have resulted, in fact, in the advancement of the gospel.
13 Because of what has happened, the whole imperial guard and all the others here are very aware that it is for the cause of the Messiah that I am in prison,
14 and most of the brothers and sisters, having gained greater confidence in the Lord as a result of my confinement, are daring to declare the message all the more courageously and fearlessly.
15 Although it is true that, in the case of some, envy and rivalry are what drive them to proclaim the news about the Messiah, in the case of others goodwill is the motivation.
16 Whereas the latter are impelled by love, knowing that it is for the purpose of defending the truth of the gospel that I have been placed here,
17 the former announce the news about the Messiah how? Out of selfish ambition, not with pure motives, hoping to stir up against me, while I am here in prison, even more trouble.
18 But what does it really matter? The important thing is that in every way, whether in pretense or from sincere motives, it is the Messiah who is being heralded; and because of this I rejoice. Yes, and I will continue to rejoice,
19 because I know that this will “turn out for my deliverance,”+ thanks to your prayers and the help provided by the Spirit of Jesus the Messiah,
20 in keeping with my earnest and confident expectation, namely, that I will not be failed in any way, but that with the utmost boldness and courage, as always even now, the Messiah’s greatness will be displayed in my body, whether by life or by death.
21 For as I see it, to go on living means the Messiah, and to die is gain.
22 Now if I am to remain in this weak and mortal body of mine, this will mean for me more harvest resulting from more labor. And yet I’m not sure which one it is I would prefer.
23 I’m torn between the two, having the desire to depart this life and be with the Messiah, which would be far better.
24 To remain in this lowly body, however, is more important for your sakes,
25 and of this being convinced, I know that I will remain alive and continue with all of you as your servant in order to help you mature and bring you joy in the faith,
26 so that you may have even more reason to praise the work of Messiah Jesus through me when I come to see you again.
27 Whatever happens, live your lives in a manner befitting the very gospel of the Messiah, so that, whether I actually am able to come and see you or not, I will receive news that you are standing firm in one spirit, fighting the battle side by side, because of your faith in the gospel, with one heart and purpose,
28 not allowing yourselves to be intimidated in any way by those who oppose you. Such unity and courage in the face of opposition is to your adversaries a sign that they will be consigned to utter ruin, but that you will be saved, and this by God.
29 For you have been granted for the sake of the Messiah the gracious privilege not only of believing in him, but also of suffering for his sake,
30 as evidenced by the fact that you are fighting the same battle that you saw me fight, and now hear that I’m still fighting.