New Testament · Letters

Philippians chapter 1

From Paul and Timothy, of , Jesus, to all in who are united with The One, Jesus, along with the and :May you experience and from God our Father and from the , Jesus, The One.Every time I think of you, I thank my God.Whenever I talk to God about all of you, it’s always with joy.I’m thankful because you’ve been with me in spreading the from the very first day until now.And I’m completely confident of this: the God who started a in you will keep at it until it’s perfectly complete on .It makes complete sense that I feel this way about all of you — you hold a special place in my heart. Whether I’m sitting in or out there the good news, you are all right there with me, sharing in this undeserved kindness.God himself can back me up on this — I long for every single one of you with the of The One, Jesus.And here’s what I’m asking God for: that your would just keep growing and growing, with a and for every situation,so that you can . Then you’ll live with and nothing to stumble over when the day of The One arrives,overflowing with the that comes through Jesus, The One — all to bring and praise to God.Now I want you to know, , that what has happened to me has actually helped spread the good news even further.It’s become clear to the entire and everyone else around here that I’m in chains because of The One.And most of the brothers and sisters, because of my chains, have found even more in the Master to speak the message fearlessly.Sure, some are talking about The One out of jealousy and rivalry, but others do it out of genuine good will.The ones motivated by love know that I’m here because God put me in this position to defend the good news.But the others are pushing The One from , not from honest motives — they think they can pile more trouble on me while I’m stuck in chains.But honestly? What does it matter? Either way — whether the motive is fake or genuine — The One is being talked about, and that makes me happy. And I’ll keep being happy about it,because I know this is all going to work out for my , thanks to your prayers and the supply of .It’s my that I won’t be put to shame in anything, but that right now, just like always, I’ll have the to through my body — whether I live or die.Because for me, , and dying is pure .But if staying alive in this body means more productive work, then I don’t know which I’d pick.I’m . Part of me wants to and be with The One — that would be so much better.But staying alive in this body is more important for your sake.Since I’m sure of this, I know I’ll stick around and be here for all of you, to help you and find joy in ,so that when I’m back with you again, you’ll have even more reason to in The One, Jesus, because of me.Just make sure you of the good news about The One. That way, whether I come see you or just hear about you from a distance, I’ll know you’re together, united, for the trust that the good news creates,and not by your opponents in any way. Your courage is evidence to them of their and of your — and this comes straight from God.Because you’ve been — not only of trusting in The One, but also of for him.You’re in the same you saw me go through, and you can see I’m still in it.