Philippians 1
Greeting
Paul and Timothy, servants of Christ Jesus,
To all the asaints in Christ Jesus who are at Philippi, with the boverseers and cdeacons:
2 aGrace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
Thanksgiving and Prayer
3 aI thank my God bin all my remembrance of you, 4 always in every prayer of mine for you all making my prayer with joy, 5 abecause of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now. 6 And I am sure of this, that he who began aa good work in you bwill bring it to completion at cthe day of Jesus Christ. 7 It is right for me to feel this way about you all, because I hold you ain my heart, for you are all bpartakers with me of grace, both cin my imprisonment and in dthe defense and confirmation of the gospel. 8 For aGod is my witness, bhow I yearn for you all with the affection of Christ Jesus. 9 And it is my prayer that ayour love may abound more and more, bwith knowledge and all discernment, 10 so that you may approve what is excellent, aand so be pure and blameless bfor the day of Christ, 11 filled awith the fruit of righteousness that comes bthrough Jesus Christ, cto the glory and praise of God.
The Advance of the Gospel
12 I want you to know, brothers, that what has happened to me has really aserved to advance the gospel, 13 so that it has become known throughout the whole imperial guard and ato all the rest that bmy imprisonment is for Christ. 14 And most of the brothers, having become confident in the Lord by my imprisonment, are much more bold ato speak the word without fear.
15 aSome indeed preach Christ from envy and rivalry, but others from good will. 16 The latter do it out of love, aknowing that I am put here for bthe defense of the gospel. 17 The former proclaim Christ aout of selfish ambition, not sincerely but thinking to afflict me in my imprisonment. 18 What then? Only that in every way, whether in pretense or in truth, Christ is proclaimed, and in that I rejoice.
Yes, and I will rejoice,
To Live Is Christ
19 for I know that athrough your prayers and bthe help of cthe Spirit of Jesus Christ this will turn out for my deliverance, 20 as it is my eager expectation and hope athat I will not be at all ashamed, but that with full bcourage now as always Christ cwill be honored in my body, dwhether by life or by death. 21 For to me ato live is Christ, and to die is gain. 22 If I am to live in the flesh, that means fruitful labor for me. Yet which I shall choose I cannot tell. 23 aI am hard pressed between the two. My desire is bto depart and cbe with Christ, for that is far better. 24 But to remain in the flesh is more necessary on your account. 25 aConvinced of this, bI know that I will remain and continue with you all, for your cprogress and djoy in the faith, 26 so that in me ayou may have ample cause to glory in Christ Jesus, because of my coming to you again.
27 Only alet your manner of life be bworthy of the gospel of Christ, so that whether I come and see you or am absent, I may hear of you cthat you are standing firm in one spirit, with done mind estriving side by side for the faith of the gospel, 28 and not frightened in anything by your opponents. This is aa clear sign to them of their destruction, but bof your salvation, and that from God. 29 For ait has been granted to you that for the sake of Christ you should not only believe in him but also bsuffer for his sake, 30 engaged in the same aconflict that byou saw I had and now hear that I still have.
The ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), © 2001 by Crossway,
a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. ESV Text Edition: 2025.