I thank my God every time I remember you.

I always pray with joy in my every prayer for all of you

For it is right for me to think this about all of you, because I have you in my heart, since both in my imprisonment and in the defense and confirmation of the gospel all of you became partners in God's grace together with me.

For God is my witness that I long for all of you with the affection of Christ Jesus.

And I pray this, that your love may abound even more and more in knowledge and every kind of insight

I want you to know, brothers and sisters, that my situation has actually turned out to advance the gospel:

and most of the brothers and sisters, having confidence in the Lord because of my imprisonment, now more than ever dare to speak the word fearlessly.

The former proclaim Christ from selfish ambition, not sincerely, because they think they can cause trouble for me in my imprisonment.

for I know that this will turn out for my deliverance through your prayers and the help of the Spirit of Jesus Christ.

My confident hope is that I will in no way be ashamed but that with complete boldness, even now as always, Christ will be exalted in my body, whether I live or die.

For to me, living is Christ and dying is gain.

Now if I am to go on living in the body, this will mean productive work for me, yet I don't know which I prefer:

so that what you can be proud of may increase because of me in Christ Jesus, when I come back to you.

since you are encountering the same conflict that you saw me face and now hear that I am facing.

complete my joy and be of the same mind, by having the same love, being united in spirit, and having one purpose.

So then, my dear friends, just as you have always obeyed, not only in my presence but even more in my absence, continue working out your salvation with awe and reverence,

so that you may be blameless and pure, children of God without blemish though you live in a crooked and perverse society, in which you shine as lights in the world

And in the same way you also should be glad and rejoice together with me.

Now I hope in the Lord Jesus to send Timothy to you soon, so that I too may be encouraged by hearing news about you.

But you know his qualifications, that like a son working with his father, he served with me in advancing the gospel.

So I hope to send him as soon as I know more about my situation,

But for now I have considered it necessary to send Epaphroditus to you. For he is my brother, coworker and fellow soldier, and your messenger and minister to me in my need.

In fact he became so ill that he nearly died. But God showed mercy to him -- and not to him only, but also to me -- so that I would not have grief on top of grief.

since it was because of the work of Christ that he almost died. He risked his life so that he could make up for your inability to serve me.

Finally, my brothers and sisters, rejoice in the Lord! To write this again is no trouble to me, and it is a safeguard for you.

In my zeal for God I persecuted the church. According to the righteousness stipulated in the law I was blameless.

More than that, I now regard all things as liabilities compared to the far greater value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things -- indeed, I regard them as dung! -- that I may gain Christ,

and be found in him, not because I have my own righteousness derived from the law, but because I have the righteousness that comes by way of Christ's faithfulness -- a righteousness from God that is in fact based on Christ's faithfulness.

My aim is to know him, to experience the power of his resurrection, to share in his sufferings, and to be like him in his death,

Not that I have already attained this -- that is, I have not already been perfected -- but I strive to lay hold of that for which Christ Jesus also laid hold of me.

Be imitators of me, brothers and sisters, and watch carefully those who are living this way, just as you have us as an example.

So then, my brothers and sisters, dear friends whom I long to see, my joy and crown, stand in the Lord in this way, my dear friends!

Yes, I say also to you, true companion, help them. They have struggled together in the gospel ministry along with me and Clement and my other coworkers, whose names are in the book of life.

And what you learned and received and heard and saw in me, do these things. And the God of peace will be with you.

I have great joy in the Lord because now at last you have again expressed your concern for me. (Now I know you were concerned before but had no opportunity to do anything.)

I am able to do all things through the one who strengthens me.

Nevertheless, you did well to share with me in my trouble.

And as you Philippians know, at the beginning of my gospel ministry, when I left Macedonia, no church shared with me in this matter of giving and receiving except you alone.

For even in Thessalonica on more than one occasion you sent something for my need.

And my God will supply your every need according to his glorious riches in Christ Jesus.

May glory be given to God our Father forever and ever. Amen.

Give greetings to all the saints in Christ Jesus. The brothers with me here send greetings.