Philippians 1

MNT(i) 1 Paul and Timothy, slaves of Christ Jesus, to all the saints in Christ Jesus who are in Philippi, and to the elders and deacons. 2 Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. 3 Upon every remembrance of you I am ever thanking my God for you all; 4 in every petition of mine in your behalf I am offering my prayer with joy for your fellowship in forwarding the gospel, 5 from the first day you heard it until now. 6 Of this I am fully persuaded, that He who has begun a good work in you will go on completing it until the day of Jesus Christ. 7 It is but just that I should be thus mindful of you all, because I have you in my heart, and because in these fetters of mine and in my defense and confirmation of the gospel you are all my fellow partners in the privilege. 8 God is my witness how I yearn for you all in the tenderness of Christ Jesus. 9 And it is my prayer that your love may abound yet more and more in intelligence and insight 10 for testing things that differ, so that you may be pure and blameless until the day of Christ, 11 being filled with the fruit of righteousness through Jesus Christ to the glory and praise of God. 12 I want you to know, brothers, that what has happened to me has turned out rather to help than to the hindrance of the gospel. 13 Throughout the whole Praetorian guard and among all the others it has become plain that these chains of mine are for the sake of Christ; 14 and most of the brothers in the Lord, made confident in the Lord through my imprisonment, are much emboldened to speak God's message with free and fearless confidence. 15 Some indeed are preaching Christ out of envy and contentiousness, but others from good-will. 16 but the former preach Christ out of rivalry, not sincerely, because they think they are adding bitterness to my bonds. 17 These latter out of their love, because they know that I am set here for the defense of the gospel; 18 What of it? In any case, whether in pretence or in honest truth, Christ is still preached, and in that I am rejoicing, yes, and will rejoice. 19 For I know that these things will turn out to my salvation through your prayers and a rich supply of the Spirit of Jesus Christ. 20 So it is my keen expectation and hope that I shall never feel ashamed, but that with fearless courage, now as hither to, Christ may be magnified in my body, whether by my life or by my death. 21 For, with me, to live is Christ and to die is gain. 22 But now, if life in the flesh, if this be the fruit of my toil—what to choose I do not know, 23 but am in a quandary between the two. I am perplexed. I have a strong desire to break camp and to be with Christ, which is far better; 24 but for your sakes it is more necessary that I should still live on in the body. 25 And because I am convinced of this, I know that I shall live, and go on working side by side with you all for your progress and joy in the faith, 26 so that you may find me fresh cause of exultation in Christ Jesus, because of my presence among you once more. 27 Only do lead lives worthy of the gospel of Christ; so that whether I come to see you or hear reports concerning you in my absence, I may know that you are standing firm in one spirit, with one soul, enlisted in a common struggle for the faith of the gospel, 28 and in no way terrorized by its enemies. For you fearlessness is a clear indication of coming ruin for them, but of salvation for you at the hands of God. 29 For it has been granted you in Christ's behalf, not only to believe on him, but also to suffer for his sake, 30 while you wage the same conflict which you once saw in me, and now hear that I maintain.