For I am certain of this very thing, that he by whom the good work was started in you will make it complete till the day of Jesus Christ:

So that it became clear through all the Praetorium, and to all the rest, that I was a prisoner on account of Christ;

because to you it was granted, on behalf of Christ, not only to believe in him, but also on behalf of him to suffer;

being engag'd in the same conflict, in which you saw I was formerly, and hear that I am at present engag'd.

Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus,

Though He was existing in the nature of God, He did not think His being on an equality with God a thing to be selfishly grasped,

but emptied himself of his glory by taking the form of a slave, when he was born in the likeness of men.

Because He was recognized as a man, in reality as well as in outward form, He finally humiliated Himself in obedience so as to die, even to die on a cross.

[This was] so that, in [honor of] the name of Jesus, everyone's knee in heaven, on earth and under the earth [i.e., all rational creatures] should bow [i.e., before God],

Wherefore, my dearly beloved, as ye have always obeyed - not when I was present only, but now much more in mine absence - even so work out your own salvation with fear and trembling.

Offering the word of life; so that I may have glory in you in the day of Christ, because my running was not for nothing and my work was not without effect.

But his quality is clear to you; how, as a child is to its father, so he was a help to me in the work of the good news.

Still I think it necessary to send Epaphroditus to you now, for he is my brother, fellow-worker, and fellow-soldier, and he was also your messenger to help me in my need.

For he longed after you, and was full of heaviness, because that ye had heard say that he should be sick,

And indeed he was sick nigh unto death; but God had mercy on him, and not on him only, but on me also so that I should not have sorrow upon sorrow.

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.

circumcised when I was a week old; a descendant of Israel; a member of the tribe of Benjamin; a Hebrew, a son of Hebrews. Measured by the law, I was a Pharisee;

and as concerning ferventness I persecuted the congregation, and as touching the righteousness which is in the law, I was unrebukable.

But what was once gain to me, that I have counted loss for Christ.

and be found in him, not having my own righteousness which was by law, but the righteousness which is by faith in Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith,

It is not a fact that I have already secured it or already reached perfection, but I am pressing on to see if I can capture it, the ideal for which I was captured by Christ Jesus.

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.

Not that I speak from [any personal] need, for I have learned to be content [and self-sufficient through Christ, satisfied to the point where I am not disturbed or uneasy] regardless of my circumstances.

Nevertheless, it was kind of you to share my troubles.

And you Philippians yourselves know that immediately after the good news was first preached to you, when I left Macedonia, no church but yours went into partnership with me to open an account of credits and debits.

For even while I was still in Thessalonica, you sent once and again for my needs.

I received all, and have plenty. I was even filled after that I have received of Epaphroditus, that which came from you, an odor that smelleth sweet, a sacrifice accepted and pleasant to God.