Paul and Timotheus, the servants of Jesus Christ, to all the saints in Christ Jesus which are at Philippi, with the bishops and deacons:
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Grace be unto you, and peace, from God our Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ.
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I thank my God upon every remembrance of you,
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Always in every prayer of mine for you all making request with joy,
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For your fellowship in the gospel from the first day until now;
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Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ:
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Even as it is meet for me to think this of you all, because I have you in my heart; inasmuch as both in my bonds, and in the defence and confirmation of the gospel, ye all are partakers of my grace.
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For God is my record, how greatly I long after you all in the bowels of Jesus Christ.
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And this I pray, that your love may abound yet more and more in knowledge and in all judgment;
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That ye may approve things that are excellent; that ye may be sincere and without offence till the day of Christ.
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Being filled with the fruits of righteousness, which are by Jesus Christ, unto the glory and praise of God.
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But I would ye should understand, brethren, that the things which happened unto me have fallen out rather unto the furtherance of the gospel;
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So that my bonds in Christ are manifest in all the palace, and in all other places;
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And many of the brethren in the Lord, waxing confident by my bonds, are much more bold to speak the word without fear.
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Some indeed preach Christ even of envy and strife; and some also of good will:
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The one preach Christ of contention, not sincerely, supposing to add affliction to my bonds:
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But the other of love, knowing that I am set for the defence of the gospel.
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What then? notwithstanding, every way, whether in pretence, or in truth, Christ is preached; and I therein do rejoice, yea, and will rejoice.
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For I know that this shall turn to my salvation through your prayer, and the supply of the Spirit of Jesus Christ,
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According to my earnest expectation and my hope, that in nothing I shall be ashamed, but that with all boldness, as always, so now also Christ shall be magnified in my body, whether it be by life, or by death.
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For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain.
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But if I live in the flesh, this is the fruit of my labour: yet what I shall choose I wot not.
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For I am in a strait betwixt two, having a desire to depart, and to be with Christ; which is far better:
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Nevertheless to abide in the flesh is more needful for you.
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And having this confidence, I know that I shall abide and continue with you all for your furtherance and joy of faith;
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That your rejoicing may be more abundant in Jesus Christ for me by my coming to you again.
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Only let your conversation be as it becometh the gospel of Christ: that whether I come and see you, or else be absent, I may hear of your affairs, that ye stand fast in one spirit, with one mind striving together for the faith of the gospel;
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And in nothing terrified by your adversaries: which is to them an evident token of perdition, but to you of salvation, and that of God.
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For unto you it is given in the behalf of Christ, not only to believe on him, but also to suffer for his sake;
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Having the same conflict which ye saw in me, and now hear to be in me.
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Philippians 1 Study & Commentary
Philippians 1 reflects Paul’s joy despite his imprisonment, as he sees his bonds helping to spread the Gospel. He expresses his famous dilemma between living for Christ and dying to be with Him, exhorting the church to stand fast in one spirit.
CONTEMPORARY APPLICATIONS
1. Joy in Adversity: Paul’s chains actually served to "further the gospel" (v. 12). We should look for how God can use our personal setbacks and trials as a platform for His glory.2. To Live is Christ: "For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain" (v. 21). This single-minded focus removes the fear of the future and gives every moment of our current life a divine purpose.
3. Conduct Worthy of the Gospel: We are called to let our conversation be as it "becometh the gospel of Christ" (v. 27). Our public and private behavior should be a consistent testimony to the Truth we profess.
