Philippians 1
1
1 #
Ac 16.12. From Paul and Timothy, servants of Christ Jesus.
To all God's people who belong to Christ Jesus at Philippi and to all your bishops and deacons.
2I pray that God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ will be kind to you and will bless you with peace!
Paul's Prayer for the Church in Philippi
3Every time I think of you, I thank my God. 4And whenever I mention you in my prayers, it makes me happy. 5This is because you have taken part with me in spreading the good news from the first day you heard about it. 6God is the one who began this good work in you, and I am certain that he won't stop before it is complete on the day that Christ Jesus returns.
7You have a special place in my heart. So it is only natural for me to feel the way I do. All of you have helped in the work God has given me, as I defend the good news and tell about it here in jail. 8God himself knows how much I want to see you. He knows I care for you in the same way Christ Jesus does.
9I pray that your love will keep on growing and you will fully know and understand 10how to make the right choices. Then you will still be pure and innocent when Christ returns. And until that day, 11Jesus Christ will keep you busy doing good deeds that bring glory and praise to God.
What Life Means to Paul
12My dear friends, I want you to know that what has happened to me has helped to spread the good news. 13#Ac 28.30. The Roman guards and all the others know I am here in jail because I serve Christ. 14Now most of the Lord's followers have become brave and are fearlessly telling the message.#1.14 the message: Some manuscripts have “the Lord's message,” and others have “God's message.”
15Some are preaching about Christ because they are jealous and envious of us. Others are preaching because they want to help. 16They love Christ and know I am here to defend the good news about him. 17But the ones who are jealous of us are not sincere. They just want to cause trouble for me while I am in jail. 18But that doesn't matter. All that matters is that people are telling about Christ, whether they are sincere or not. This is what makes me glad.
I will keep on being glad, 19because I know that your prayers and the help that comes from the Spirit of Christ Jesus will keep me safe. 20I honestly expect and hope I will never do anything to be ashamed of. Whether I live or die, I always want to be as brave as I am now and bring honor to Christ.
21If I live, it will be for Christ, and if I die, I will gain even more. 22I don't know what to choose. I could keep on living and doing something useful. 23It is a hard choice to make. I want to die and be with Christ, because this would be much better. 24-25But I know that all of you still need me. This is why I am sure I will stay on to help you grow and be happy in your faith. 26Then, when I visit you again, you will have good reason to take great pride in Christ Jesus because of me.#1.26 take great pride in Christ Jesus because of me: Or “take great pride in me because of Christ Jesus.”
27Above all else, you must live in a way that brings honor to the good news about Christ. Then, whether I visit you or not, I will hear that all of you think alike. I will know that you are working together and are struggling side by side to get others to believe the good news.
28Be brave when you face your enemies. Your courage will show them that they are going to be destroyed, and it will show you that you will be saved. God will make all of this happen, 29and he has blessed you. Not only do you have faith in Christ, but you suffer for him. 30#Ac 16.19-40. You saw me suffer, and you still hear about my troubles. Now you must suffer in the same way.
Currently Selected:
Philippians 1: CEV
Highlight
Share
Copy
Want to have your highlights saved across all your devices? Sign up or sign in
Contemporary English Version, Second Edition (CEV®)
© 2006 American Bible Society. All rights reserved.
Philippians 1
1
Greeting
1Paul and Timothy, servants#1:1 For the contextual rendering of the Greek word doulos, see Preface of Christ Jesus,
To all the #2 Cor. 1:1; Col. 1:2 saints in Christ Jesus who are at Philippi, with the #See Acts 20:28 overseers#1:1 Or bishops; Greek episkopoi and #1 Tim. 3:8, 12deacons:#1:1 Or servants, or ministers; Greek diakonoi
2 #
Rom. 1:7; 1 Cor. 1:3 Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
Thanksgiving and Prayer
3 # See Rom. 1:8 I thank my God #Rom. 1:9; Eph. 1:16; 2 Tim. 1:3in all my remembrance of you, 4always in every prayer of mine for you all making my prayer with joy, 5#[ch. 2:12; 4:15; Acts 16:12-40]because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now. 6And I am sure of this, that he who began #[1 Thess. 1:3] a good work in you #Ps. 57:2 (Heb.); 138:8; [1 Thess. 5:24] will bring it to completion at #See 1 Cor. 1:8the day of Jesus Christ. 7It is right for me to feel this way about you all, because I hold you #2 Cor. 7:3 in my heart, for you are all #[ch. 4:14] partakers with me of grace,#1:7 Or you all have fellowship with me in grace both #Acts 20:23; 26:29; Col. 4:18; 2 Tim. 2:9; Philem. 10, 13; See Eph. 3:1 in my imprisonment and in #ver. 16the defense and confirmation of the gospel. 8For #See Rom. 1:9; 9:1 God is my witness, #[ch. 4:1; Rom. 1:11; 15:23; 1 Thess. 3:6; 2 Tim. 1:4]how I yearn for you all with the affection of Christ Jesus. 9And it is my prayer that #1 Thess. 3:12; 2 Thess. 1:3 your love may abound more and more, #Col. 1:9; 3:10; Philem. 6with knowledge and all discernment, 10so that you may approve what is excellent, #Acts 24:16; 1 Thess. 3:13; 5:23 and so be pure and blameless #ver. 6for the day of Christ, 11filled #[Col. 1:6, 10]; See James 3:18 with the fruit of righteousness that comes #[John 15:4, 5] through Jesus Christ, #See Eph. 1:12, 14to the glory and praise of God.
The Advance of the Gospel
12I want you to know, brothers,#1:12 Or brothers and sisters. In New Testament usage, depending on the context, the plural Greek word adelphoi (translated “brothers”) may refer either to brothers or to brothers and sisters; also verse 14 that what has happened to me has really #ver. 25; 1 Tim. 4:15served to advance the gospel, 13so that it has become known throughout the whole imperial guard#1:13 Greek in the whole praetorium and #[Acts 28:30, 31; 2 Tim. 2:9] to all the rest that #[Luke 21:13]; See ver. 7my imprisonment is for Christ. 14And most of the brothers, having become confident in the Lord by my imprisonment, are much more bold #[Acts 4:31]to speak the word#1:14 Some manuscripts add of God without fear.
15 # See 2 Cor. 11:13 Some indeed preach Christ from envy and rivalry, but others from good will. 16The latter do it out of love, #[1 Cor. 9:17] knowing that I am put here for #ver. 7the defense of the gospel. 17The former proclaim Christ #ch. 2:3; See James 3:14out of selfish ambition, not sincerely but thinking to afflict me in my imprisonment. 18What then? Only that in every way, whether in pretense or in truth, Christ is proclaimed, and in that I rejoice.
To Live Is Christ
Yes, and I will rejoice, 19for I know that #See 2 Cor. 1:11 through your prayers and #Gal. 3:5 the help of #See Acts 16:7the Spirit of Jesus Christ this will turn out for my deliverance, 20as it is my eager expectation and hope #Rom. 5:5; [Joel 2:27; 2 Tim. 2:15] that I will not be at all ashamed, but that with full #See Acts 4:13 courage now as always Christ #[1 Cor. 6:20] will be honored in my body, #Rom. 14:8whether by life or by death. 21For to me #[Gal. 2:20]to live is Christ, and to die is gain. 22If I am to live in the flesh, that means fruitful labor for me. Yet which I shall choose I cannot tell. 23#[2 Cor. 5:8] I am hard pressed between the two. My desire is #2 Tim. 4:6 to depart and #See John 12:26be with Christ, for that is far better. 24But to remain in the flesh is more necessary on your account. 25#[ch. 2:24] Convinced of this, #[Acts 20:25] I know that I will remain and continue with you all, for your #ver. 12 progress and #Rom. 15:13joy in the faith, 26so that in me #See 2 Cor. 1:14you may have ample cause to glory in Christ Jesus, because of my coming to you again.
27Only #[ch. 3:20] let your manner of life be #See Eph. 4:1 worthy#1:27 Greek Only behave as citizens worthy of the gospel of Christ, so that whether I come and see you or am absent, I may hear of you #See 1 Cor. 16:13 that you are standing firm in one spirit, with #[ch. 2:2; 1 Cor. 1:10] one mind #Jude 3striving side by side for the faith of the gospel, 28and not frightened in anything by your opponents. This is #[2 Thess. 1:5] a clear sign to them of their destruction, but #See Acts 14:22of your salvation, and that from God. 29For #See Matt. 5:12 it has been granted to you that for the sake of Christ you should not only believe in him but also #[See ver. 28 above]suffer for his sake, 30engaged in the same #Col. 1:29; 2:1; 1 Tim. 6:12; 2 Tim. 4:7; [Heb. 10:32] conflict that #Acts 16:19-40; 1 Thess. 2:2you saw I had and now hear that I still have.
Currently Selected:
:
Highlight
Share
Copy
Want to have your highlights saved across all your devices? Sign up or sign in
The Holy Bible, English Standard Version® (ESV®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.
Sign up to receive news and updates about the ESV: