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Philippians 1 (AMP)

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¹ PAUL AND Timothy, bond servants of Christ Jesus (the Messiah), to all the saints (God's consecrated people) in Christ Jesus who are at Philippi, with the bishops (overseers) and deacons (assistants): ² Grace (favor and blessing) to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ (the Messiah). ³ I thank my God in all my remembrance of you. ⁴ In every prayer of mine I always make my entreaty and petition for you all with joy (delight). ⁵ for your fellowship (your sympathetic cooperation and contributions and partnership) in advancing the good news (the Gospel) from the first day until now. ⁶ And I am convinced and sure of this very thing, that He Who began a good work in you will continue until the day of Jesus Christ , developing and perfecting and bringing it to full completion in you. ⁷ It is right and appropriate for me to have this confidence and feel this way about you all, because you have me in your heart and I hold you in my heart as partakers and sharers, one and all with me, of grace (God's unmerited favor and spiritual blessing). both when I am shut up in prison and when I am out in the defense and confirmation of the good news (the Gospel). ⁸ For God is my witness how I long for and pursue you all with love, in the tender mercy of Christ Jesus ! ⁹ And this I pray: that your love may abound yet more and more and extend to its fullest development in knowledge and all keen insight , ¹⁰ So that you may surely learn to sense what is vital, and approve and prize what is excellent and of real value , and that you may be untainted and pure and unerring and blameless the day of Christ . ¹¹ May you abound in and be filled with the fruits of righteousness (of right standing with God and right doing) which come through Jesus Christ (the Anointed One), to the honor and praise of God . ¹² Now I want you to know and continue to rest assured, brethren, that what to me has actually only served to advance and give a renewed impetus to the good news (the Gospel). ¹³ So much is this a fact that throughout the whole imperial guard and to all the rest my imprisonment has become generally known to be in Christ . ¹⁴ And most of the brethren have derived fresh confidence in the Lord because of my chains and are much more bold to speak and publish fearlessly the Word of God . ¹⁵ Some, it is true, preach Christ (the Messiah) out of envy and rivalry (party spirit), but others are doing so out of a loyal spirit and goodwill. ¹⁶ The latter out of love, because they recognize and know that I am put here for the defense of the good news (the Gospel). ¹⁷ But the former preach Christ out of a party spirit, insincerely , supposing they are making my bondage more bitter and my chains more galling. ¹⁸ But what does it matter, so long as either way, whether in pretense or in all honesty , Christ is being proclaimed? And in that I rejoice, yes, and I shall rejoice also. ¹⁹ For I am well assured and indeed know that through your prayers and a bountiful supply of the Spirit of Jesus Christ (the Messiah) this will turn out for my preservation (for the spiritual health and welfare of my own soul) and avail toward the saving work of the Gospel. ²⁰ This is in keeping with my own eager desire and persistent expectation and hope, that I shall not disgrace myself nor be put to shame in anything; but that with the utmost freedom of speech and unfailing courage, now as always heretofore, Christ (the Messiah) will be magnified and get glory and praise in this body of mine and be boldly exalted in my person, whether through (by) life or through (by) death. ²¹ For me to live is Christ , and to die is gain . ²² If, however, it is to be life in the flesh and I am to live on here, that means fruitful service for me; so I can say nothing as to my personal preference , ²³ But I am hard pressed between the two. My yearning desire is to depart (to be free of this world, to set forth) and be with Christ, for that is far, far better; ²⁴ But to remain in my body is more needful and essential for your sake. ²⁵ Since I am convinced of this, I know that I shall remain and stay by you all, to promote your progress and joy in believing, ²⁶ So that in me you may have abundant cause for exultation and glorying in Christ Jesus, through my coming to you again. ²⁷ Only be sure as citizens so to conduct yourselves your manner of life worthy of the good news (the Gospel) of Christ, so that whether I come and see you or am absent, I may hear this of you: that you are standing firm in united spirit and purpose, striving side by side and contending with a single mind for the faith of the glad tidings (the Gospel). ²⁸ And do not be frightened or intimidated in anything by your opponents and adversaries, for such will be a clear sign (proof and seal) to them of destruction, but of your deliverance and salvation, and that from God. ²⁹ For you have been granted for Christ's sake not only to believe in (adhere to, rely on, and trust in) Him, but also to suffer in His behalf. ³⁰ So you are engaged in the same conflict which you saw me and which you now hear to be mine .