Greetings from Paul and Timothy
(2 Samuel 6:12-15; 1 Chronicles 15:1-14; Colossians 1:1-2)

1Paul and Timothy, servants of Christ Jesus,

To all the saints in Christ Jesus being in Philippi, with the overseers and deacons:

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

Thanksgiving and Prayer
(1 Corinthians 1:4-9; Colossians 1:3-14; 2 Thessalonians 1:3-4)

3I thank my God upon every remembrance of you, 4always making the supplication with joy in my every supplication for all of you, 5for your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now, 6being persuaded of this very thing, that the One having begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Christ Jesus.

7Accordingly, it is right for me to feel this about all of you, since I have you in the heart. Both in my chains and in the defense and confirmation of the gospel, you all are fellow partakers of grace with me. 8For God is my witness how I long after you all in the affection of Christ Jesus.

9And this I pray, that your love may abound yet more and more in knowledge and all discernment, 10for you to approve the things being excellent, so that you may be pure and blameless unto the day of Christ, 11being filled with the fruit of righteousness that is through Jesus Christ, to the glory and praise of God.

Paul's Trials Advance the Gospel
(James 1:2-8)

12Now I want you to know brothers, that the things concerning me really have turned out to the advancement of the gospel, 13so as for my chains in Christ to have become clearly known in all the palace guarda and to all the rest; 14and most of the brothers, trusting in the Lord by my chains, to dare more abundantly to speak fearlessly the word.b

15For some, even from envy and strife, are proclaiming Christ, but some also from goodwill— 16the ones indeed out of love, knowing that I am appointed for the defense of the gospel; 17but the others are proclaiming Christ out of selfish ambition, not purely, supposing to add tribulation to my chains.

18What then? Only that in every way, whether in pretext or in truth, Christ is proclaimed. And in this I rejoice. Yes, and I will rejoice, 19for I know that through your prayer and the provision of the Spirit of Jesus Christ, this will turn out for me to deliverance, 20according to my earnest expectation and hope that I will be ashamed in nothing, but in all boldness also now as always, Christ will be magnified in my body, whether by life or by death.

To Live is Christ

21For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain. 22But if I am to live in flesh, this is the fruit of labor for me. And what shall I choose? I do not know. 23But I am pressed between the two, having the desire to depart and to be with Christ, indeed very much better, 24but to remain in the flesh is more necessary for your sake.

25And having been persuaded of this, I know that I will remain and will continue with all of you for your progress and joy of the faith, 26so that through my coming to you again your boasting in me may abound to Christ Jesus.

Worthy of the Gospel

27Only conduct yourselves worthily of the gospel of Christ, so that, whether having come and having seen you, or being absent, I might hear the things concerning you, that you are standing firm in one spirit, striving together with one mind for the faith of the gospel, 28and not being frightened in anything by those opposing you, which is a demonstration of destruction to them, but of salvation to you—and this from God. 29For it has been granted to you concerning Christ, not only to believe in Him but also to suffer concerning Him, 30having the same conflict such as you saw in me and now hear of in me.