Paul and Timothy, bondservants of Christ Jesus: To all God's people in Christ Jesus who are at Philippi, with the ministers of the Church and their assistants.

May grace and peace be granted to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

I thank my God at my every remembrance of you--

I thank my God, I say, for your cooperation in spreading the Good News, from the time it first came to you even until now.

For of this I am confident, that He who has begun a good work within you will go on to perfect it in preparation for the day of Jesus Christ.

And I am justified in having this confidence about you all, because, both during my imprisonment and when I stand up in defence of the Good News or to confirm its truth, I have you in my heart, sharers as you all are in the same grace as myself.

For God is my witness how I yearn over all of you with tender Christian affection.

being filled with these fruits of righteousness which come through Jesus Christ-- to the glory and praise of God.

Now I would have you know, brethren, that what I have gone through has turned out to the furtherance of the Good News rather than otherwise.

and the greater part of the brethren, made confident in the Lord through my imprisonment, now speak of God's Message without fear, more boldly than ever.

Some indeed actually preach Christ out of envy and contentiousness but there are also others who do it from good will.

These latter preach Him from love to me, knowing that I am here for the defence of the Good News;

Only let the lives you live be worthy of the Good News of the Christ, in order that, whether I come and see you or, being absent, only hear of you, I may know that you are standing fast in one spirit and with one mind, fighting shoulder to shoulder for the faith of the Good News.

Never for a moment quail before your antagonists. Your fearlessness will be to them a sure token of impending destruction, but to you it will be a sure token of your salvation--a token coming from God.

Although from the beginning He had the nature of God He did not reckon His equality with God a treasure to be tightly grasped.

It is in consequence of this that God has also so highly exalted Him, and has conferred on Him the Name which is supreme above every other,

and that every tongue should confess that JESUS CHRIST is LORD, to the glory of God the Father.

For it is God Himself whose power creates within you the desire to do His gracious will and also brings about the accomplishment of the desire.

so that you may always prove yourselves to be blameless and spotless--irreproachable children of God in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, among whom you are seen as heavenly lights in the world,

But you know Timothy's approved worth--how, like a child working with his father, he has served with me in furtherance of the Good News.

For it is true that he has been ill, and was apparently at the point of death; but God had pity on him, and not only on him, but also on me, to save me from having sorrow upon sorrow.

because it was for the sake of Christ's work that he came so near death, hazarding, as he did, his very life in endeavouring to make good any deficiency that there might be in your gifts to me.

For we are the true circumcision--we who render to God a spiritual worship and make our boast in Christ Jesus and have no confidence in outward ceremonies:

not having a righteousness of my own, derived from the Law, but that which arises from faith in Christ--the righteousness which comes from God through faith.

with my eyes fixed on the goal I push on to secure the prize of God's heavenward call in Christ Jesus.

Therefore let all of us who are mature believers cherish these thoughts; and if in any respect you think differently, that also God will make clear to you.

Their end is destruction, their bellies are their God, their glory is in their shame, and their minds are devoted to earthly things.

Yes, and I beg you also, my faithful yoke-fellow, to help these women who have shared my toil in connection with the Good News, together with Clement and the rest of my fellow labourers, whose names are recorded in the Book of Life.

Do not be over-anxious about anything, but by prayer and earnest pleading, together with thanksgiving, let your request be unreservedly made known in the presence of God.

And then the peace of God, which transcends all our powers of thought, will be a garrison to guard your hearts and minds in union with Christ Jesus.

Finally, brethren, whatever is true, whatever wins respect, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovable, whatever is of good repute--if there is any virtue or anything deemed worthy of praise--cherish the thought of these things.

The doctrines and the line of conduct which I taught you--both what you heard and what you saw in me-- hold fast to them; and God who gives peace will be with you.

And you men and women of Philippi also know that at the first preaching of the Good News, when I had left Macedonia, no other Church except yourselves held communication with me about giving and receiving;

I have enough of everything--and more than enough. My wants are fully satisfied now that I have received from the hands of Epaphroditus the generous gifts which you sent me--they are a fragrant odor, an acceptable sacrifice, truly pleasing to God.

But my God--so great is His wealth of glory in Christ Jesus--will fully supply every need of yours.

And to our God and Father be the glory throughout the Ages of the Ages! Amen.

My Christian greetings to every one of God's people. The brethren who are with me send their greetings.

All God's people here greet you--especially the members of Caesar's household.