Sveiciens
1 Pāvils un Timotejs, Jēzus Kristus kalpi, visiem svētajiem Kristū Jēzū, kas esat Filipos, arī bīskapiem un diakoniem, 2 žēlastība jums un miers no Dieva, mūsu Tēva, un Kunga Jēzus Kristus!
Pateicība un lūgšana par filipiešiem
3 Ikreiz, kad atceros jūs, es pateicos savam Dievam 4 par jums visiem ikvienā savā lūgšanā; es ar prieku lūdzu 5 par mūsu kopību evaņģēlijā no pirmās dienas līdz pat šim brīdim. 6 Es paļaujos uz to, ka Dievs, kas pie jums iesāka labo darbu, to pabeigs līdz Jēzus Kristus dienai. 7 Ir pareizi, ka es šādi par jums visiem domāju, jo jūs esat manā sirdī – gan manās važās, gan evaņģēlija aizstāvībā un nostiprināšanā jūs visi esat manas žēlastības līdzdalībnieki. 8 Dievs ir mans liecinieks, kā es pēc jums visiem ilgojos ar Jēzus Kristus ilgošanos. 9 Tādēļ es lūdzu, lai jūsu mīlestība arvien vairāk pārplūstu atzīšanā un dziļā sapratnē, 10 ka jūs izšķirtos par labāko, un lai jūs būtu sirdsskaidri un nevainojami Kristus dienai, 11 pārpilni ar taisnības augļiem, kas nāk caur Jēzu Kristu, Dieva godam un slavai.
Pāvila važas veicinājušas evaņģēlija izplatīšanos
12 Es gribu, brāļi, lai jūs saprastu, ka viss, kas noticis ar mani, ir nācis par labu evaņģēlija izplatībai, 13 visā imperatora gvardē un arī visiem pārējiem ir kļuvis skaidri redzams, ka važās esmu saistīts Kristus dēļ 14 un lielākā daļa brāļu, kas manu važu dēļ stiprināti Kungā, drosmīgāk nekā jebkad uzdrošinās bezbailīgi paust Dieva vārdu. 15 Daži gan sludina Kristu skaudības un sāncensības dēļ, bet citi – no labas gribas. 16 Viņi sludina mīlestībā, zinādami, ka esmu nolikts evaņģēlija aizstāvībai, 17 bet tie, kas sludina Kristu, sāncensības mudināti, nevis ar šķīstu nolūku, tā domā vairot manas ciešanas cietumā. 18 Kā tad ir? Lai kādā veidā – vai nu ar citiem nolūkiem, vai patiesi – Kristus tiek pasludināts. Par to es priecājos un turpmāk priecāšos, 19 jo es zinu, ka caur jūsu lūgšanām un Jēzus Kristus gara palīdzību tas nesīs man glābšanu. 20 Manas karstākās ilgas un cerības ir – ka nekur es netikšu likts kaunā, bet būšu pilns drosmes, ka, tāpat kā vienmēr, arī tagad – vai caur dzīvību vai caur nāvi – Kristus tiks augsti pagodināts manā miesā, 21 jo dzīvot man nozīmē – Kristus un mirt man ir ieguvums. 22 Palikt dzīvam man nozīmē auglīgu darbu, un es nezinu, ko izvēlēšos. 23 Mani velk uz abām pusēm: es kāroju atraisīties un būt ar Kristu, jo tas ir daudz labāk, 24 bet jūsu dēļ ir nepieciešams palikt miesā. 25 Ar tādu paļāvību es zinu, ka palikšu un būšu kopā ar jums jūsu izaugsmē un ticības priekā, 26 lai, kad ieradīšos pie jums vēlreiz, jums pārpārēm būtu ar ko lepoties manis dēļ Kristū Jēzu. 27 Tikai dzīvojiet Kristus evaņģēlija cienīgi, lai es, pie jums aizgājis, redzētu vai, atkal prom būdams, dzirdētu par jums, ka jūs esat vienā garā un vienprātīgi strādājat evaņģēlija ticības labā. 28 Nebīstieties no pretiniekiem nevienā lietā; tas būs viņiem pierādījums par viņu bojā eju un par jūsu izglābšanos, un tas ir no Dieva. 29 Kristus dēļ jums dota dāvana ne tikai ticēt viņam, bet viņa dēļ arī ciest, 30 izcīnot tādu pašu cīņu, kādu esat redzējuši notiekam pie manis un kādu dzirdat notiekam tagad.
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.
