1 From Paul and Timothy, servants of Christ Jesus.
To all God's people who belong to Christ Jesus at Philippi and to all your bishops and deacons.
2 I pray that God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ will be kind to you and will bless you with peace!
Paul's Prayer for the Church in Philippi
3 Every time I think of you, I thank my God. 4 And whenever I mention you in my prayers, it makes me happy. 5 This is because you have taken part with me in spreading the good news from the first day you heard about it. 6 God is the one who began this good work in you, and I am certain that he won't stop before it is complete on the day that Christ Jesus returns.
7 You have a special place in my heart. So it is only natural for me to feel the way I do. All of you have helped in the work God has given me, as I defend the good news and tell about it here in jail. 8 God himself knows how much I want to see you. He knows I care for you in the same way Christ Jesus does.
9 I pray that your love will keep on growing and you will fully know and understand 10 how to make the right choices. Then you will still be pure and innocent when Christ returns. And until that day, 11 Jesus Christ will keep you busy doing good deeds that bring glory and praise to God.
What Life Means to Paul
12 My dear friends, I want you to know that what has happened to me has helped to spread the good news. 13 The Roman guards and all the others know I am here in jail because I serve Christ. 14 Now most of the Lord's followers have become brave and are fearlessly telling the message.
15 Some are preaching about Christ because they are jealous and envious of us. Others are preaching because they want to help. 16 They love Christ and know I am here to defend the good news about him. 17 But the ones who are jealous of us are not sincere. They just want to cause trouble for me while I am in jail. 18 But that doesn't matter. All that matters is that people are telling about Christ, whether they are sincere or not. This is what makes me glad.
I will keep on being glad, 19 because I know that your prayers and the help that comes from the Spirit of Christ Jesus will keep me safe. 20 I honestly expect and hope I will never do anything to be ashamed of. Whether I live or die, I always want to be as brave as I am now and bring honor to Christ.
21 If I live, it will be for Christ, and if I die, I will gain even more. 22 I don't know what to choose. I could keep on living and doing something useful. 23 It is a hard choice to make. I want to die and be with Christ, because this would be much better. 24-25 But I know that all of you still need me. This is why I am sure I will stay on to help you grow and be happy in your faith. 26 Then, when I visit you again, you will have good reason to take great pride in Christ Jesus because of me.
27 Above all else, you must live in a way that brings honor to the good news about Christ. Then, whether I visit you or not, I will hear that all of you think alike. I will know that you are working together and are struggling side by side to get others to believe the good news.
28 Be brave when you face your enemies. Your courage will show them that they are going to be destroyed, and it will show you that you will be saved. God will make all of this happen, 29 and he has blessed you. Not only do you have faith in Christ, but you suffer for him. 30 You saw me suffer, and you still hear about my troubles. Now you must suffer in the same way.
1 Pāvils un Timotejs, Kristus Jēzus kalpi, visiem svētajiem Kristū Jēzū, kas ir Filipos, arī bīskapiem un diakoniem: 2 lai jums ir žēlastība un miers no Dieva, mūsu Tēva, un Kunga Jēzus Kristus. 3 Es pateicos savam Dievam ik reizes, kad vien jūs atceros, 4 vienmēr katrā savā lūgšanā par jums visiem ar prieku aizlūgdams, 5 par jūsu līdzdalību evaņģēlijā no pirmās dienas līdz šim brīdim, 6 būdams pārliecināts, ka tas, kas jūsu sirdīs labo darbu iesācis, to pabeigs līdz Kristus Jēzus dienai. 7 Tā man piederas domāt par jums visiem, jo es jūs nesu savā sirdī - gan savās saitēs, gan aizstāvot un nostiprinot evaņģēliju, jūs visus, kas kopā ar mani esat dalībnieki žēlastībā. 8 Jo Dievs ir mans liecinieks, ka es ilgojos pēc jums visiem ar Kristus Jēzus sirsnību. 9 Un to es lūdzu, lai jūsu mīlestība vienumēr, pāri plūzdama, pieaugtu visā atziņā un izjūtā, 10 ka jūs svarīgāko pārbaudāt, lai Kristus dienā būtu tīri un nevainojami, 11 ieguvuši pilnīgu Jēzus Kristus taisnības augli, Dievam par godu un slavu. 12 Bet es gribu, brāļi, lai jūs zinātu, ka tas, kas ar mani notiek, ir drīzāk sekmējis evaņģēliju, 13 ka manas važas ir kļuvušas Kristū zināmas visā virssardzē un arī visiem citiem, 14 un ticības brāļu vairākums, kas uzticējušies manām važām, ar vēl lielāku drosmi bezbailīgi sludina Dieva vārdu. 15 Daži naida un strīda dēļ, bet citi ar labu prātu sludina Kristu. 16 Vieni aiz mīlestības, zinādami, ka esmu šeit, lai aizstāvētu evaņģēliju, 17 otri pasludina Kristu, patmīlības dzīti, aiz netīriem nolūkiem, domādami ar to manām važām pievienot bēdas. 18 Ko tad nu? Par katru veidu, kādā Kristus tiek pasludināts - vai ar izlikšanos vai patiesībā, es priecāšos. 19 Jo es zinu, ka, jums Dievu lūdzot, ar Jēzus Kristus Gara atbalstu tas man nesīs glābšanu. 20 Jo es gaidu un ceru, ka es nevienā vietā nepalikšu kaunā, bet kā vienmēr, tā arī tagad atklātībā Kristus tiks pagodināts manā miesā vai ar dzīvību, vai ar nāvi. 21 Jo dzīvot man ir - Kristus un mirt - ieguvums. 22 Bet, ja dzīvot miesā man ir darba auglis, tad es nezinu, ko lai izvēlos? 23 Mani spiež no abām pusēm; es kāroju atraisīties un būt kopā ar Kristu, kas ir daudz, daudz labāk. 24 Bet jūsu dēļ nepieciešams palikt miesā. 25 Un tādā paļāvībā es zinu, ka palieku un palikšu jums visiem par sekmējumu un ticības prieku, 26 lai jūsu līksmība Kristū Jēzū pieaugtu caur mani, kad es ieradīšos atkal pie jums. 27 Tikai dzīvojiet tā, kā tas ir Kristus evaņģēlija cienīgi, lai, vai nu nākdams un jūs redzēdams, vai prom būdams, par jums dzirdētu, ka jūs stāvat vienā Garā, vienprātīgi kopā cīnīdamies par evaņģēlija ticību, nekādā lietā nebīdamies no pretinieku draudiem. 28 Tā ir viņu pazušanas, bet mūsu pestīšanas zīme, un tas ir no Dieva; 29 jo jums dota žēlastība ne vien uz Kristu ticēt, bet arī par Viņu ciest, 30 jums, kam tā pati cīņa, kādu jūs pie manis redzējāt un par kādu tagad dzirdat.
