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Philippians 1
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Chapter 1
Address
1
From Paul and Timothy, servants of Christ Jesus, to all the saints in Christ Jesus, together with their presiding elders and deacons.
2
We wish you the grace and peace of God our Father and of the Lord Jesus Christ.
Thanksgiving and prayer
3
I thank my God whenever I think of you; and
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every time I pray for all of you, I pray with joy,
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remembering how you have helped to spread the Good News from the day you first heard it right up to the present.
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I am quite certain that the One who began this good work in you will see that it is finished when the Day of Christ Jesus comes.
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It is only natural that I should feel like this towards you all, since you have shared the privileges which have been mine: both my chains and my work defending and establishing the gospel. You have a permanent place in my heart,
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and God knows how much I miss you all, loving you as Christ Jesus loves you.
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My prayer is that your love for each other may increase more and more and never stop improving your knowledge and deepening your perception.
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so that you can always recognise what is best. This will help you to become pure and blameless, and prepare you for the Day of Christ,
11
when you will reach the perfect goodness which Jesus Christ produces in us for the glory and praise of God.
Paul’s own circumstances
12
I am glad to tell you, brothers, that the things that happened to me have actually been a help to the Good News.
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My chains, in Christ, have become famous not only all over the Praetorium but everywhere,
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and most of the brothers have taken courage in the Lord from these chains of mine and are getting more and more daring in announcing the Message without any fear.
15
It is true that some of them are doing it just out of rivalry and competition, but the rest preach Christ with the right intention,
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out of nothing but love, as they know that this is my invariable way of defending the gospel.
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The others, who proclaim Christ for jealous or selfish motives, do not mind if they make my chains heavier to bear.
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But does it matter? Whether from dishonest motives or in sincerity, Christ is proclaimed; and that makes me happy;
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and I shall continue being happy, because I know this will help to save me,[*a] thanks to your prayers and to the help which will be given to me by the Spirit of Jesus.
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My one hope and trust is that I shall never have to admit defeat, but that now as always I shall have the courage for Christ to be glorified in my body, whether by my life or by my death.
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Life to me, of course, is Christ, but then death would bring me something more;
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but then again, if living in this body means doing work which is having good results-I do not know what I should choose.
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I am caught in this dilemma: I want to be gone and be with Christ, which would be very much the better,
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but for me to stay alive in this body is a more urgent need for your sake.
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This weighs with me so much that I feel sure I shall survive and stay with you all, and help you to progress in the faith and even increase your joy in it;
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and so you will have another reason to give praise to Christ Jesus on my account when I am with you again.
Fight for the faith
27
Avoid anything in your everyday lives that would be unworthy of the gospel of Christ, so that, whether I come to you and see for myself, or stay at a distance and only hear about you, I shall know that you are unanimous in meeting the attack with firm resistance, united by your love for the faith of the gospel
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and quite unshaken by your enemies. This would be the sure sign that they will lose and you will be saved. It would be a sign from God
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that he has given you the privilege not only of believing in Christ, but of suffering for him as well.
30
You and I are together in the same fight as you saw me fighting before and, as you will have heard, I am fighting still.
Chapters of Philippians
1
2
3
4
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