New Living Translation | International Standard Version |
1This letter is from Paul and Timothy, slaves of Christ Jesus. I am writing to all of God’s holy people in Philippi who belong to Christ Jesus, including the church leaders and deacons. | 1From: Paul and Timothy, servants of the Messiah Jesus. To: All the holy ones in Philippi, along with their overseers and ministers, who are in union with the Messiah Jesus. |
2May God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ give you grace and peace. Paul’s Thanksgiving and Prayer | 2May grace and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus, the Messiah, be yours! |
3Every time I think of you, I give thanks to my God. | 3I thank my God every time I remember you, |
4Whenever I pray, I make my requests for all of you with joy, | 4always praying joyfully in every one of my prayers for all of you |
5for you have been my partners in spreading the Good News about Christ from the time you first heard it until now. | 5because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now. |
6And I am certain that God, who began the good work within you, will continue his work until it is finally finished on the day when Christ Jesus returns. | 6I am convinced of this, that the one who began a good action among you will bring it to completion by the Day of the Messiah Jesus. |
7So it is right that I should feel as I do about all of you, for you have a special place in my heart. You share with me the special favor of God, both in my imprisonment and in defending and confirming the truth of the Good News. | 7For it is only right for me to think this way about all of you, because you're constantly on my mind. Both in my imprisonment and in the defense and confirmation of the gospel, all of you are partners with me in this privilege. |
8God knows how much I love you and long for you with the tender compassion of Christ Jesus. | 8For God is my witness how much I long for all of you with the compassion that the Messiah Jesus provides. |
9I pray that your love will overflow more and more, and that you will keep on growing in knowledge and understanding. | 9And this is my prayer, that your love will keep on growing more and more with full knowledge and insight, |
10For I want you to understand what really matters, so that you may live pure and blameless lives until the day of Christ’s return. | 10so that you may be able to choose what is best and be pure and blameless until the day when the Messiah returns, |
11May you always be filled with the fruit of your salvation—the righteous character produced in your life by Jesus Christ —for this will bring much glory and praise to God. Paul’s Joy That Christ Is Preached | 11having been filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus the Messiah so that God will be glorified and praised. |
12And I want you to know, my dear brothers and sisters, that everything that has happened to me here has helped to spread the Good News. | 12Now I want you to know, brothers, that what has happened to me has actually caused the gospel to advance. |
13For everyone here, including the whole palace guard, knows that I am in chains because of Christ. | 13As a result, it has become clear to the whole imperial guard and to everyone else that I am in prison for preaching about the Messiah. |
14And because of my imprisonment, most of the believers here have gained confidence and boldly speak God’s message without fear. | 14Moreover, because of my imprisonment the Lord has caused most of the brothers to become confident to speak God's word more boldly and courageously than ever before. |
15It’s true that some are preaching out of jealousy and rivalry. But others preach about Christ with pure motives. | 15Some are preaching the Messiah because of jealousy and dissension, while others do so because of their good will. |
16They preach because they love me, for they know I have been appointed to defend the Good News. | 16The latter are motivated by love, because they know that I have been appointed to defend the gospel. |
17Those others do not have pure motives as they preach about Christ. They preach with selfish ambition, not sincerely, intending to make my chains more painful to me. | 17The former proclaim the Messiah because they are selfishly ambitious and insincere, thinking that they will stir up trouble for me during my imprisonment. |
18But that doesn’t matter. Whether their motives are false or genuine, the message about Christ is being preached either way, so I rejoice. And I will continue to rejoice. | 18But so what? Just this—that in every way, whether by false or true motives, the Messiah is being proclaimed. Because of this, I rejoice and will continue to rejoice. |
19For I know that as you pray for me and the Spirit of Jesus Christ helps me, this will lead to my deliverance. Paul’s Life for Christ | 19I know that this will result in my deliverance through your prayers and the help that comes from the Spirit of Jesus the Messiah. |
20For I fully expect and hope that I will never be ashamed, but that I will continue to be bold for Christ, as I have been in the past. And I trust that my life will bring honor to Christ, whether I live or die. | 20I rejoice because I eagerly expect and hope that I will have nothing to be ashamed of, because through my boldness the Messiah will be exalted through me, now as always, whether I live or die. |
21For to me, living means living for Christ, and dying is even better. | 21For to me, to go on living is the Messiah, and to die is gain. |
22But if I live, I can do more fruitful work for Christ. So I really don’t know which is better. | 22Now if I continue living, fruitful labor is the result, so I do not know which I would prefer. |
23I’m torn between two desires: I long to go and be with Christ, which would be far better for me. | 23Indeed, I cannot decide between the two. I have the desire to leave this life and be with the Messiah, for that is far better. |
24But for your sakes, it is better that I continue to live. | 24But for your sake it is better that I remain alive. |
25Knowing this, I am convinced that I will remain alive so I can continue to help all of you grow and experience the joy of your faith. | 25Since I am convinced of this, I know that I will continue to live and be with all of you, so you will mature in the faith and know joy in it. |
26And when I come to you again, you will have even more reason to take pride in Christ Jesus because of what he is doing through me. Live as Citizens of Heaven | 26Then your rejoicing in the Messiah Jesus will increase along with mine when I visit with you again. |
27Above all, you must live as citizens of heaven, conducting yourselves in a manner worthy of the Good News about Christ. Then, whether I come and see you again or only hear about you, I will know that you are standing together with one spirit and one purpose, fighting together for the faith, which is the Good News. | 27The only thing that matters is that you continue to live as good citizens in a manner worthy of the gospel of the Messiah. Then, whether I come to see you or whether I stay away, I may hear all about you—that you are standing firm in one spirit, struggling with one mind for the faith of the gospel, |
28Don’t be intimidated in any way by your enemies. This will be a sign to them that they are going to be destroyed, but that you are going to be saved, even by God himself. | 28and that you are not intimidated by your opponents in any way. This is evidence that they will be destroyed and that you will be saved—and all because of God. |
29For you have been given not only the privilege of trusting in Christ but also the privilege of suffering for him. | 29For you have been given the privilege for the Messiah's sake not only to believe in him but also to suffer for him. |
30We are in this struggle together. You have seen my struggle in the past, and you know that I am still in the midst of it. | 30You have the same struggle that you saw in me and now hear that I am still having. |
Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved. | The Holy Bible: International Standard Version® Release 2.1 Copyright © 1996-2012 The ISV Foundation ALL RIGHTS RESERVED INTERNATIONALLY. |
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