Philippians 1

1Paul and Timothy, servants of Messiah Jesus, to all the saints in Messiah Jesus who are in Philippi, together with the overseers and deacons:

2Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus the Messiah.

3I thank my God at every remembrance of you,

4always in every prayer of mine for all of you, praying with joy,

5because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now,

6I am confident of this very thing: that he who began a good work among you will bring it to completion at the day of Messiah Jesus.

7For it is right for me to think this about all of you, because I have you in my heart, since both in my chains and in the defense and confirmation of the gospel, all of you are fellow partakers with me of grace.

8For God is my witness, how I long for all of you with the affections of Messiah Jesus.

9And this I pray: that your love may abound still more and more in knowledge and all discernment,

10so that you may approve the things that are excellent, in order that you may be pure and blameless for the day of Messiah,

11filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus the Messiah, to the glory and praise of God.

12I want you to know, brothers, that what has happened to me has actually advanced the good news,

13so that my chains in Messiah have become known throughout the whole imperial guard and to all the rest,

14And most of the brothers, having become confident in the Lord because of my chains, dare all the more to speak the word fearlessly.

15Some indeed proclaim the Messiah because of envy and rivalry, but others because of goodwill.

16The former do so out of love, knowing that I am appointed for the defense of the good news,

17But the others proclaim the Messiah out of selfish ambition, not sincerely, thinking to raise up affliction for me in my imprisonment.

18What then? Only that in every way, whether in pretense or in truth, Messiah is being proclaimed, and in this I rejoice. Yes, and I will rejoice.

19For I know that this will turn out for my deliverance through your prayer and the provision of the Spirit of Jesus the Messiah,

20in keeping with my eager expectation and hope that I will not be put to shame in anything, but that with all boldness, as always, even now Messiah will be magnified in my body, whether through life or through death.

21For to me, to live is Christ, and to die is gain.

22But if to go on living in the flesh means fruitful labor for me, yet which I will choose I do not know.

23But I am hard pressed between the two, having the desire to depart and be with Messiah, for that is far better.

24But to remain in the flesh is more necessary for your sake.

25And convinced of this, I know that I will remain and continue with all of you for your progress and joy in the faith,

26so that your boasting in Messiah Jesus may abound because of me through my coming to you again.

27Only conduct yourselves in a manner worthy of the gospel of Messiah, so that whether I come and see you or am absent, I may hear about you that you are standing firm in one spirit, with one soul striving together for the faith of the gospel,

28and not being frightened in anything by those who oppose you. This is a sign to them of destruction, but of your salvation—and this from God.

29For it has been graciously granted to you on behalf of Messiah not only to believe in him, but also to suffer for him,

30having the same struggle that you saw in me and now hear that I still have.