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^(C1)Paul and ^(C2)Timothy, ^(C3)bond-servants of ^(C4)Christ Jesus, To ^(C5)all the ^(F1)(C6)saints in Christ Jesus who are in ^(C7)Philippi, ^(F2)including the ^(C8)overseers and ^(C9)deacons:

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^(C1)Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

^(C1)I thank my God in all my remembrance of you,

always offering prayer with joy in ^(C1)my every prayer for you all,

in view of your ^(F1)(C1)participation in the ^(C2)gospel ^(C3)from the first day until now.

For I am confident of this very thing, that He who began a good work ^(F1)among you will complete it ^(F2)by ^(C1)the day of Christ Jesus.

^(F1)For ^(C1)it is only right for me to feel this way about you all, because I ^(C2)have you in my heart, since both in my ^(F2)(C3)imprisonment and in the ^(C4)defense and confirmation of the ^(C5)gospel, you all are ^(F3)partakers of grace with me.

For ^(C1)God is my witness, how I long for you all with the ^(F1)affection of ^(C2)Christ Jesus.

And this I pray, that ^(C1)your love may overflow still more and more in ^(C2)real knowledge and all discernment,

so that you may ^(F1)(C1)discover the things that are excellent, that you may be sincere and blameless for ^(C2)the day of Christ;

having been filled with the ^(C1)fruit of righteousness which comes through Jesus Christ, for the glory and praise of God.

Now I want you to know, brothers and sisters, that my circumstances ^(C1)have turned out for the greater progress of the ^(C2)gospel,

so that my ^(F1)(C1)imprisonment in the cause of Christ has become well known throughout the ^(F2)praetorian guard and to ^(C2)everyone else,

and that most of the brothers and sisters, ^(F1)trusting in the Lord because of my ^(F2)(C1)imprisonment, have ^(C2)far more courage to speak the word of God without fear.

^(C1)Some, to be sure, are preaching Christ even ^(F1)from envy and strife, but some also ^(F1)from goodwill;

the latter do it out of love, knowing that I am appointed for the defense of the ^(C1)gospel;

the former proclaim Christ ^(C1)out of selfish ambition ^(F1)rather than from pure motives, thinking that they are causing me distress in my ^(F2)(C2)imprisonment.

What then? Only that in every way, whether in pretense or in truth, Christ is proclaimed, and in this I rejoice. But not only that, I also will rejoice,

for I know that this will turn out for my ^(F1)deliverance ^(C1)through your ^(F2)prayers and the provision of ^(C2)the Spirit of Jesus Christ,

according to my ^(C1)eager expectation and ^(C2)hope, that I will not be put to shame in anything, but that with ^(C3)all boldness, Christ will even now, as always, be ^(C4)exalted in my body, ^(C5)whether by life or by death.

For to me, ^(C1)to live is Christ, and to die is gain.

^(F1)But if I am to live on in the flesh, this will mean ^(C1)fruitful labor for me; and I do not know ^(F2)which to choose.

But I am hard-pressed from both directions, having the ^(C1)desire to depart and ^(C2)be with Christ, for that is very much better;

yet to remain on in the flesh is more necessary for your sakes.

^(C1)Convinced of this, I know that I will remain and continue with you all for your progress and joy ^(F1)in the faith,

so that your ^(C1)pride in Christ Jesus may be abundant because of me by my coming to you again.

Only conduct yourselves in a manner ^(C1)worthy of the ^(C2)gospel of Christ, so that whether I come and see you or remain absent, I will hear about you that you are ^(C3)standing firm in ^(C4)one spirit, with one ^(F1)mind ^(C5)striving together for the faith of the gospel;

and in no way alarmed by your opponents—which is a ^(C1)sign of destruction for them, but of salvation for you, and this too, from God.

For to you ^(C1)it has been granted for Christ's sake, not only to believe in Him, but also to ^(C2)suffer on His behalf,

experiencing the same ^(C1)conflict which ^(C2)you saw in me, and now hear to be in me.

Therefore if there is any encouragement in Christ, if any consolation of love, if any ^(C1)fellowship of the Spirit, if any ^(F1)(C2)affection and compassion,

^(C1)make my joy complete ^(F1)by ^(C2)being of the same mind, maintaining the same love, united in spirit, intent on one purpose.

Do nothing ^(F1)from ^(F2)(C1)selfishness or ^(C2)empty conceit, but with humility ^(C3)consider one another as more important than yourselves;

^(C1)do not merely look out for your own personal interests, but also for the interests of others.

^(C1)Have this attitude ^(F1)in yourselves which was also in ^(C2)Christ Jesus,

who, as He already ^(C1)existed in the ^(C2)form of God, ^(C3)did not consider equality with God something to be ^(F1)grasped,

but ^(F1)(C1)emptied Himself by taking the form of a ^(C2)bond-servant and ^(F2)(C3)being born in the likeness of men.

And being found in appearance as a man, ^(C1)He humbled Himself by becoming ^(C2)obedient to the point of death: ^(C3)death ^(F1)on a cross.

^(C1)For this reason also God ^(C2)highly exalted Him, and bestowed on Him ^(C3)the name which is above every name,

so that at the name of Jesus ^(C1)EVERY KNEE WILL BOW, of ^(C2)those who are in heaven and on earth and under the earth,

and that every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is ^(C1)Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

So then, my beloved, ^(C1)just as you have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own ^(C2)salvation with ^(C3)fear and trembling;

for it is ^(C1)God who is at work in you, both to ^(F1)desire and to work ^(C2)for His good pleasure.

Do all things without ^(C1)complaining or arguments;

so that you will ^(F1)prove yourselves to be ^(C1)blameless and innocent, ^(C2)children of God above reproach in the midst of a ^(C3)crooked and perverse generation, among whom you ^(F2)(C4)appear as ^(F3)lights in the world,

holding firmly the word of life, so that on ^(C1)the day of Christ I can take pride because I did not ^(C2)run in vain nor ^(C3)labor in vain.

But even if I am being ^(C1)poured out as a drink offering upon ^(C2)the sacrifice and service of your faith, I rejoice and share my joy with you all.

You too, I urge you, rejoice in the same way and share your joy with me.

But I hope, ^(F1)in the Lord Jesus, to ^(C1)send ^(C2)Timothy to you shortly, so that I also may be encouraged when I learn of your condition.

For I have no one else ^(C1)of kindred spirit who will genuinely be concerned for your welfare.

For they all ^(C1)seek after their own interests, not those of Christ Jesus.

But you know ^(C1)of his proven character, that ^(C2)he served with me in the furtherance of the gospel ^(C3)like a child serving his father.

^(C1)Therefore I hope to send him immediately, as soon as I see how things go with me;

and ^(C1)I trust in the Lord that I myself will also be coming shortly.

But I thought it necessary to send to you ^(C1)Epaphroditus, my brother and ^(C2)fellow worker and ^(C3)fellow soldier, who is also your ^(F1)(C4)messenger and ^(C1)minister to my need,

because he was longing ^(F1)for you all and was distressed because you had heard that he was sick.

For indeed he was sick to the point of death, but God had mercy on him, and not only on him but also on me, so that I would not have sorrow upon sorrow.

Therefore I have sent him all the more eagerly, so that when you see him again you may rejoice and I may be less concerned about you.

^(C1)Receive him then in the Lord with all joy, and ^(C2)hold people like him in high regard,

because he came close to death ^(F1)(C1)for the work of Christ, risking his life to ^(C2)compensate ^(F2)for your absence in your service to me.