for what you have contributed to the gospel from the very first day down to this moment;

For I am certain of this very thing, that He who began the good work in you will go on until the day of Jesus Christ to complete it.

For God beareth me record how greatly I long after you all from the very heart-root in Jesus Christ.

and very many of our brethren in the Lord, assuming confidence from my chains, are more abundantly bold, fearlessly to preach the word.

But I am hard pressed {between the two options}, having the desire to depart and to be with Christ, {for this is very much better}.

And yet for your sakes it is very necessary for me to stay on here.

He existed in the form of God [i.e., He shared God's very nature], but did not consider [remaining] equal with God something [to continue] to hold onto.

And that is why God raised him to the very highest place, and gave him the Name which stands above all other names,

However, I hope by the favour of the Lord Jesus to send Timothy to you very soon, that I may have some encouragement by knowing the state of your affairs:

nay, I trust in the Lord, that I myself too shall visit you very soon.

For indeed he greatly longed after you all, and was very sorry that ye had heard that he had been sick.

And I can assure you that his illness very nearly proved fatal. But God had pity on him, and not on him only but also on me, that I might not have sorrow upon sorrow.

I very eagerly send him, so that when you see him you may be glad of it, and I may be less sorrowful.

So give him a hearty Christian welcome, and value men like him very highly,

for it was through the work of the Lord that he came near to death; for he hazarded his very life to supply what was lacking in the help you sent me.

In very truth I count all things but loss compared to the excellence of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things, and esteem them but refuse that I may gain Christ,

WHEREFORE, my brethren, beloved, and very dear to me, my joy and crown, so stand fast in the Lord, O beloved.

I was made very happy as a Christian to have your interest in my welfare revived again after so long; because you have always had the interest but not the opportunity to show it.

But it was very kind of you to share my difficulties.

And you very well know, Philippians, that in the beginning of the gospel, when I had left Macedonia, no church but yourselves had fellowship with me in the matter of giving and receiving.

For I have received everything, and I have plenty. I have all I need because I received from Epaphroditus what you sent -- a fragrant offering, an acceptable sacrifice, very pleasing to God.