001 Paul and Timotheus, the servants of Jesus Christ, to all the saints in Christ Jesus which are at Philippi, with the bishops and deacons:
002 Grace be unto you, and peace, from God our Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ.
003 I thank my God upon every remembrance of you,
004 Always in every prayer of mine for you all making request with joy,
005 For your fellowship in the gospel from the first day until now;
006 Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ:
007 Even as it is meet for me to think this 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 of my grace.
008 For God is my record, how greatly I long after you all in the bowels of Jesus Christ.
009 And this I pray, that your love may abound yet more and more in knowledge and in all judgment;
010 That ye may approve things that are excellent; that ye may be sincere and without offence till the day of Christ;
011 Being filled with the fruits of righteousness, which are by Jesus Christ, unto the glory and praise of God.
012 But I would ye should understand, brethren, that the things which happened unto me have fallen out rather unto the furtherance of the gospel;
013 So that my bonds in Christ are manifest in all the palace, and in all other places;
014 And many of the brethren in the Lord, waxing confident by my bonds, are much more bold to speak the word without fear.
015 Some indeed preach Christ even of envy and strife; and some also of good will:
016 The one preach Christ of contention, not sincerely, supposing to add affliction to my bonds:
017 But the other of love, knowing that I am set for the defence of the gospel.
018 What then? notwithstanding, every way, whether in pretence, or in truth, Christ is preached; and I therein do rejoice, yea, and will rejoice.
019 For I know that this shall turn to my salvation through your prayer, and the supply of the Spirit of Jesus Christ,
020 According to my earnest expectation and my hope, that in nothing I shall be ashamed, but that with all boldness, as always, so now also Christ shall be magnified in my body, whether it be by life, or by death.
021 For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain.
022 But if I live in the flesh, this is the fruit of my labour: yet what I shall choose I wot not.
023 For I am in a strait betwixt two, having a desire to depart, and to be with Christ; which is far better:
024 Nevertheless to abide in the flesh is more needful for you.
025 And having this confidence, I know that I shall abide and continue with you all for your furtherance and joy of faith;
026 That your rejoicing may be more abundant in Jesus Christ for me by my coming to you again.
027 Only let your conversation be as it becometh the gospel of Christ: that whether I come and see you, or else be absent, I may hear of your affairs, that ye stand fast in one spirit, with one mind striving together for the faith of the gospel;
028 And in nothing terrified by your adversaries: which is to them an evident token of perdition, but to you of salvation, and that of God.
029 For unto you it is given in the behalf of Christ, not only to believe on him, but also to suffer for his sake;
030 Having the same conflict which ye saw in me, and now hear to be in me.