1 From Paul and Timothy, servants of Christ Jesus—
To all God's people in Philippi who are in union with Christ Jesus, including the church leaders and helpers:
2 May God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ give you grace and peace.
Paul's Prayer for His Readers
3 I thank my God for you every time I think of you; 4 and every time I pray for you all, I pray with joy 5 because of the way in which you have helped me in the work of the gospel from the very first day until now. 6 And so I am sure that God, who began this good work in you, will carry it on until it is finished on the Day of Christ Jesus. 7 You are always in my heart! And so it is only right for me to feel as I do about you. For you have all shared with me in this privilege that God has given me, both now that I am in prison and also while I was free to defend the gospel and establish it firmly. 8 God is my witness that I tell the truth when I say that my deep feeling for you all comes from the heart of Christ Jesus himself.
9 I pray that your love will keep on growing more and more, together with true knowledge and perfect judgment, 10 so that you will be able to choose what is best. Then you will be free from all impurity and blame on the Day of Christ. 11 Your lives will be filled with the truly good qualities which only Jesus Christ can produce, for the glory and praise of God.
To Live Is Christ
12 I want you to know, my friends, that the things that have happened to me have really helped the progress of the gospel. 13 As a result, the whole palace guard and all the others here know that I am in prison because I am a servant of Christ. 14 And my being in prison has given most of the believers more confidence in the Lord, so that they grow bolder all the time to preach the message fearlessly.
15 Of course some of them preach Christ because they are jealous and quarrelsome, but others from genuine good will. 16 These do so from love, because they know that God has given me the work of defending the gospel. 17 The others do not proclaim Christ sincerely, but from a spirit of selfish ambition; they think that they will make more trouble for me while I am in prison.
18 It does not matter! I am happy about it—just so Christ is preached in every way possible, whether from wrong or right motives. And I will continue to be happy, 19 because I know that by means of your prayers and the help which comes from the Spirit of Jesus Christ I shall be set free. 20 My deep desire and hope is that I shall never fail in my duty, but that at all times, and especially right now, I shall be full of courage, so that with my whole being I shall bring honor to Christ, whether I live or die. 21 For what is life? To me, it is Christ. Death, then, will bring more. 22 But if by continuing to live I can do more worthwhile work, then I am not sure which I should choose. 23 I am pulled in two directions. I want very much to leave this life and be with Christ, which is a far better thing; 24 but for your sake it is much more important that I remain alive. 25 I am sure of this, and so I know that I will stay. I will stay on with you all, to add to your progress and joy in the faith, 26 so that when I am with you again, you will have even more reason to be proud of me in your life in union with Christ Jesus.
27 Now, the important thing is that your way of life should be as the gospel of Christ requires, so that, whether or not I am able to go and see you, I will hear that you are standing firm with one common purpose and that with only one desire you are fighting together for the faith of the gospel. 28 Don't be afraid of your enemies; always be courageous, and this will prove to them that they will lose and that you will win, because it is God who gives you the victory. 29 For you have been given the privilege of serving Christ, not only by believing in him, but also by suffering for him. 30 Now you can take part with me in the battle. It is the same battle you saw me fighting in the past, and as you hear, the one I am fighting still.
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.
