章 |
1:1 |
Paul and Timothy, servants of Christ Jesus, To all the saints in Christ Jesus who are at Philip'pi, with the bishops and deacons:
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1:2 |
Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
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1:3 |
I thank my God in all my remembrance of you,
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1:4 |
always in every prayer of mine for you all making my prayer with joy,
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1:5 |
thankful for your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now.
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1:6 |
And I am sure that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ.
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1:7 |
It is right for me to feel thus about you all, because I hold you in my heart, for you are all partakers with me of grace, both in my imprisonment and in the defense and confirmation of the gospel.
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1:8 |
For God is my witness, how I yearn for you all with the affection of Christ Jesus.
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1:9 |
And it is my prayer that your love may abound more and more, with knowledge and all discernment,
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1:10 |
so that you may approve what is excellent, and may be pure and blameless for the day of Christ,
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1:11 |
filled with the fruits of righteousness which come through Jesus Christ, to the glory and praise of God.
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1:12 |
I want you to know, brethren, that what has happened to me has really served to advance the gospel,
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1:13 |
so that it has become known throughout the whole praetorian guard and to all the rest that my imprisonment is for Christ;
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1:14 |
and most of the brethren have been made confident in the Lord because of my imprisonment, and are much more bold to speak the word of God without fear.
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1:15 |
Some indeed preach Christ from envy and rivalry, but others from good will.
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1:16 |
The latter do it out of love, knowing that I am put here for the defense of the gospel;
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1:17 |
the former proclaim Christ out of partisanship, not sincerely but thinking to afflict me in my imprisonment.
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1:18 |
What then? Only that in every way, whether in pretense or in truth, Christ is proclaimed;and in that I rejoice.
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1:19 |
Yes, and I shall rejoice. For I know that through your prayers and the help of the Spirit of Jesus Christ this will turn out for my deliverance,
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1:20 |
as it is my eager expectation and hope that I shall not be at all ashamed, but that with full courage now as always Christ will be honored in my body, whether by life or by death.
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1:21 |
For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain.
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1:22 |
If it is to be life in the flesh, that means fruitful labor for me. Yet which I shall choose I cannot tell.
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1:23 |
I am hard pressed between the two. My desire is to depart and be with Christ, for that is far better.
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1:24 |
But to remain in the flesh is more necessary on your account.
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1:25 |
Convinced of this, I know that I shall remain and continue with you all, for your progress and joy in the faith,
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1:26 |
so that in me you may have ample cause to glory in Christ Jesus, because of my coming to you again.
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1:27 |
Only let your manner of life be worthy of the gospel of Christ, so that whether I come and see you or am absent, I may hear of you that you stand firm in one spirit, with one mind striving side by side for the faith of the gospel,
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1:28 |
and not frightened in anything by your opponents. This is a clear omen to them of their destruction, but of your salvation, and that from God.
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1:29 |
For it has been granted to you that for the sake of Christ you should not only believe in him but also suffer for his sake,
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1:30 |
engaged in the same conflict which you saw and now hear to be mine.
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