1:4 Every time I pray for all of you, I always pray with joy,
1:5 because of your fellowship in the gospel from the first day until now.
1:6 I am convinced of this very thing: that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.
1:7 I am equally convinced that it is right for me to think this way about all of you, because I have you in my heart, for both in my chains and in my defense and confirmation of the gospel, you all share in this grace with me.
1:8 Yes, God is my witness of how I long for all of you with the affection of Christ Jesus.
1:9 And I pray that your love may still increase more and more in knowledge and every insight.
1:10 This will result in your approval of the things that really matter, so that you will be pure and blameless for the day of Christ,
1:11 filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ, to the glory and praise of God.
1:12 I want you to know, brothers, that the things which happened to me actually took place to advance the gospel.
1:13 And so it has become clear throughout the whole palace guard and to all the rest, that I am in chains because of Christ.
1:14 And, through my chains, the majority of the brothers in the Lord have become much more confident about daring to speak the word of God fearlessly.
1:15 Some preach Christ out of envy and rivalry, and others out of good will.
1:16 The latter do so out of love, knowing that I am placed here for the defense of the gospel.
1:17 The former proclaim Christ out of selfish ambition, not sincerely, but thinking they can cause trouble for me while I am in chains.
1:18 What does it matter? Only this, that in every way, whether for outward appearance or for the truth, Christ is being proclaimed, and in this I rejoice. Yes, and I will continue to rejoice,
1:19 because I know that this will turn out for my deliverance, through your prayer and the support of the Spirit of Jesus Christ.
1:20 This matches my earnest expectation and hope that I will in no way be put to shame, but with all boldness, as always, so even now, Christ will be magnified in my body, whether by life or by death.
1:21 Yes, for me to live is Christ, and to die is gain.
1:22 But if I am to go on living in the flesh, that will mean fruitful labor for me. Yet which should I prefer? I do not know.
1:23 I am pulled in two directions, because I have the desire to depart and be with Christ, which is better by far.
1:24 But, it is more necessary for your sake that I remain in the flesh.
1:25 And since I am convinced of this, I know that I will remain and will continue with all of you, for your progress and joy in the faith.
1:26 And so by my coming to you again, my goal is to give you even more reason to boast in Christ Jesus.
1:27 Just conduct yourselves in a way that is worthy of the gospel of Christ, so that whether I come to see you or am absent, I may hear about you that you are standing firm in one spirit, contending together with one soul for the faith of the gospel,
1:28 not frightened in any way by the adversaries. This is a sign for them of their destruction and of your salvation, and that from God.
1:29 For it has been graciously granted to you on behalf of Christ, not only to believe in him, but also to suffer for him,
1:30 having the same kind of struggle that you saw I was in, and that you now hear I am still experiencing.
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