Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

in view of your participation in the gospel from the first day until now.

Some, to be sure, are preaching Christ even from envy and strife, but some also from good will;

the former proclaim Christ out of selfish ambition rather than from pure motives, thinking to cause me distress in my imprisonment.

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

Only conduct yourselves in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ, so that whether I come and see you or remain absent, I will hear of you that you are standing firm in one spirit, with one mind striving together for the faith of the gospel;

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

Do nothing from selfishness or empty conceit, but with humility of mind regard one another as more important than yourselves;

who, although He existed in the form of God, did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped,

but emptied Himself, taking the form of a bond-servant, and being made in the likeness of men.

and may be found in Him, not having a righteousness of my own derived from the Law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which comes from God on the basis of faith,

in order that I may attain to the resurrection from the dead.

For our citizenship is in heaven, from which also we eagerly wait for a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ;

Therefore, my beloved brethren whom I long to see, my joy and crown, in this way stand firm in the Lord, my beloved.

Not that I speak from want, for I have learned to be content in whatever circumstances I am.

But I have received everything in full and have an abundance; I am amply supplied, having received from Epaphroditus what you have sent, a fragrant aroma, an acceptable sacrifice, well-pleasing to God.