I thank my God for all your remembrance of me;

in all my prayers for you all I always pray with a sense of joy

It is only natural for me to be thinking of you all in this way, for alike in my prison and as I defend and vindicate the gospel, I bear in mind how you all share with me in the grace divine.

(God is my witness that I yearn for you all with the affection of Christ Jesus himself!)

And it is my prayer that your love may be more and more rich in knowledge and all manner of insight, enabling you to have a sense of what is vital,

so that you may be transparent and no harm to anyone in view of the day of Christ,

I would have you understand, my brothers, that my affairs have really tended to advance the gospel;

throughout the whole of the praetorian guard and everywhere else it is recognized that I am imprisoned on account of my connexion with Christ,

and my imprisonment has given the majority of the brotherhood greater confidence in the Lord to venture on speaking the word of God without being afraid.

the latter do it from love to me, knowing that I am set here to defend the gospel,

but the former proclaim Christ for their own ends, with mixed motives, intending to annoy me as I lie in prison.

The outcome of all this, I know, will be my release, as you continue to pray for me, and as I am provided with the Spirit of Jesus Christ ??20 my eager desire and hope being that I may never feel ashamed but that now as ever I may do honour to Christ in my own person by fearless courage. Whether that means life or death, no matter!

As life means Christ to me, so death means gain.

But then, if it is to be life here below, that means fruitful work for me. So ??well, I cannot tell which to choose;

I am in a dilemma between the two. My strong desire is to depart and be with Christ, for that is far the best.

Thus you will have ample cause to glory in Christ Jesus over me ??over my return to you.

Only, do lead a life that is worthy of the gospel of Christ. Whether I come and see you or only hear of you in absence, let me know you are standing firm in a common spirit, fighting side by side like one man for the faith of the gospel.

I pray you to give me the utter joy of knowing you are living in harmony, with the same feelings of love, with one heart and soul,

Therefore, my beloved, as you have been obedient always and not simply when I was present, so, now that I am absent, work all the more strenuously at your salvation with reverence and trembling,

Even if my life-blood has to be poured as a libation on the sacred sacrifice of faith you are offering to God, I rejoice, I congratulate you all ??18 and you in turn must rejoice and congratulate me.

I hope in the Lord Jesus to send you Timotheus before long, that I may be heartened by news of you.

But you know how he has stood the test, how he has served with me in the gospel, like a son helping his father.

I hope to send him then, as soon as ever I see how it will go with me ??24 though I am confident in the Lord that I shall be coming myself before long.

As for Epaphroditus, however, my brother, my fellow-worker, my fellow-soldier, and your messenger to meet my wants, I think it necessary to send you him at once,

And he was ill, nearly dead with illness. But God had mercy on him, and not only on him but on me, to save me from having one sorrow upon another.

So I am specially eager to send him, that you may be glad when you see him again, and thus my own anxiety may be lightened.

for he nearly died in the service of Christ by risking his life to make up for the services you were not here to render me.

Well then, my brothers, rejoice in the Lord. I am repeating this word 'rejoice' in my letter, but that does not tire me and it is the safe course for you. ??2 Beware of these dogs, these wicked workmen, the incision-party!

But for Christ's sake I have learned to count my former gains a loss;

indeed I count anything a loss, compared to the supreme value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have lost everything (I count it all the veriest refuse) in order to gain Christ

and be found at death in him, possessing no legal righteousness of my own but the righteousness of faith in Christ, the divine righteousness that rests on faith.

I would know him in the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of his sufferings, with my nature transformed to die as he died,

Brothers, I for one do not consider myself to have appropriated this; my one thought is, by forgetting what lies behind me and straining to what lies before me,

Copy me, brothers, one and all of you, and notice those who live by the example you get from me.

So then, my brothers, for whom I cherish love and longing, my joy and crown, this is how you must stand firm in the Lord, O my beloved.

And you, my true comrade, lend a hand to these women, I beg of you; they have fought at my side in the active service of the gospel, along with Clement and the rest of my fellow-workers, whose names are in the book of life.

Practise also what you have learned and received from me, what you heard me say and what you saw me do; then the God of peace will be with you.

It was a great joy to me in the Lord that your care for me could revive again; for what you lacked was never the care but the chance of showing it.

In him who strengthens me I am able for anything.

But you were kind enough to take your share in my trouble.

You Philippians are well aware that in the early days of the gospel, when I had left Macedonia, no church but yourselves had any financial dealings with me;

even when I was in Thessalonica, you sent money more than once for my needs.

Your debt to me is fully paid and more than paid! I am amply supplied with what you have sent by Epaphroditus, a fragrant perfume, the sort of sacrifice that God approves and welcomes.

My God will supply all your own needs from his wealth in Glory in Christ Jesus.

Salute every saint in Christ Jesus. The brothers beside me salute you.