Philippians 1

1 ¹Paul and Timothy, servants of Christ Jesus, to all the saints in Christ Jesus that are at Philippi, with the bishops and deacons: ²Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. ³I thank my God upon all my remembrance of you, ⁴always in every supplication of mine on behalf of you all making my supplication with joy, ⁵for your fellowship in furtherance of the gospel from the first day until now; ⁶being confident of this very thing, that he who began a good work in you will perfect it until the day of Jesus Christ: ⁷even as it is right for me to be thus minded on behalf of you all, because I have you in my heart, inasmuch as, both in my bonds and in the defence and confirmation of the gospel, ye all are partakers with me of grace. ⁸For God is my witness, how I long after you all in the tender mercies of Christ Jesus. ⁹And this I pray, that your love may abound yet more and more in knowledge and all discernment; ¹⁰so that ye may approve the things that are excellent; that ye may be sincere and void of offence unto the day of Christ; ¹¹being filled with the fruits of righteousness, which are through Jesus Christ, unto the glory and praise of God. ¹²Now I would have you know, brethren, that the things which happened unto me have fallen out rather unto the progress of the gospel; ¹³so that my bonds became manifest in Christ throughout the whole praetorian guard, and to all the rest; ¹⁴and that most of the brethren in the Lord, being confident through my bonds, are more abundantly bold to speak the word of God without fear. ¹⁵Some indeed preach Christ even of envy and strife; and some also of good will: ¹⁶the one do it of love, knowing that I am set for the defence of the gospel; ¹⁷but the other proclaim Christ of faction, not sincerely, thinking to raise up affliction for me in my bonds. ¹⁸What then? only that in every way, whether in pretence or in truth, Christ is proclaimed; and therein I rejoice, yea, and will rejoice. ¹⁹For I know that this shall turn out to my salvation, through your supplication and the supply of the Spirit of Jesus Christ, ²⁰according to my earnest expectation and hope, that in nothing shall I be put to shame, but that with all boldness, as always, so now also Christ shall be magnified in my body, whether by life, or by death. ²¹For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain. ²²But if to live in the flesh, --if this shall bring fruit from my work, then what I shall choose I know not. ²³But I am in a strait betwixt the two, having the desire to depart and be with Christ; for it is very far better: ²⁴yet to abide in the flesh is more needful for your sake. ²⁵And having this confidence, I know that I shall abide, yea, and abide with you all, for your progress and joy in the faith; ²⁶that your glorying may abound in Christ Jesus in me through my presence with you again. ²⁷Only let your manner of life be worthy of the gospel of Christ: that, whether I come and see you and be absent, I may hear of your state, that ye stand fast in one spirit, with one soul striving for the faith of the gospel; ²⁸and in nothing affrighted by the adversaries: which is for them an evident token of perdition, but of your salvation, and that from God; ²⁹because to you it hath been granted in the behalf of Christ, not only to believe on him, but also to suffer in his behalf: ³⁰having the same conflict which ye saw in me, and now hear to be in me.