Greetings from Paul and Timothy (Colossians 1:1–2; Philemon 1:1–3)
1 UST { I,} Paul,{ am writing this letter} to all of God’ s people who are joined to the Messiah Jesus in{ the city of} Philippi. Timothy is with me. We are servants of the Messiah Jesus.{ We especially write this letter} for the leaders of the believers and for those who assist{ them}. BSB BSB: Paul and Timothy, servants of Christ Jesus, To all the saints in Christ Jesus at Philippi, together with the overseers and deacons:
2 UST May God our Father and our Lord Jesus the Messiah{ continue to} be kind to you and{ make you} peaceful. BSB BSB: Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
Thanksgiving and Prayer (1 Corinthians 1:4–9; Colossians 1:3–14)
3 UST Every time I think about you, I thank my God whom I worship{ because of you}. BSB BSB: I thank my God every time I remember you.
4 UST I always pray joyfully each time I pray for all of you. BSB BSB: In every prayer for all of you, I always pray with joy,
5 UST { The reason I pray joyfully is} because you have partnered with me in telling people the good news from the time you first believed{ it} and you continue to partner with me now. BSB BSB: because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now,
7 UST I love you all greatly, so it is right for me to think about you in this way. God has kindly blessed us to share together{ in this work}, both{ as I endure} being a prisoner and also as I explain to people why the good news{ about Jesus} is true. BSB BSB: It is right for me to feel this way about all of you, since I have you in my heart. For in my chains and in my defense and confirmation of the gospel, you are all partners in grace with me.
8 UST I desire very much to be with you all, and I love you all in the same way as Jesus the Messiah loves you. God knows that this is true. BSB BSB: God is my witness how I long for all of you with the affection of Christ Jesus.
9 UST I pray that God will enable you to love{ God and others} in a way that continues to increase. As you increasingly love others, I pray that God will also help you to know{ him} better and to understand{ how to love others} in all situations. BSB BSB: And this is my prayer: that your love may abound more and more in knowledge and depth of insight,
10 UST The reason I pray this is so that you will test and choose what is most pleasing{ to God} so that then you will be completely free of doing anything wrong when the Messiah returns. BSB BSB: so that you may be able to test and prove what is best and may be pure and blameless for the day of Christ,
11 UST { Instead of doing wrong things,} you will be busy doing the truly good things that Jesus the Messiah enables us to do. These things will cause people to honor and praise God. BSB BSB: filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ, to the glory and praise of God.
Paul’s Trials Advance the Gospel (James 1:2–12)
12 UST My fellow believers, I want you to know that the things that have happened to me have not hindered people from hearing the good news. Instead, even more people have been able to hear the good news because I am in prison. BSB BSB: Now I want you to know, brothers, that my circumstances have actually served to advance the gospel.
13 UST In fact, all the military guards here and many other people now know that I am in prison because I proclaim the good news about the Messiah. BSB BSB: As a result, it has become clear throughout the whole palace guard and to everyone else that I am in chains for Christ.
14 UST Also, because the believers{ here} have seen what the Lord has done through me in prison, most of them now proclaim the good news about Jesus more courageously and fearlessly{ than they did before}. BSB BSB: And most of the brothers, confident in the Lord by my chains, now dare more greatly to speak the word without fear.
15 UST Some people are proclaiming the good news about the Messiah because they want to{ obey God} and because they love{ me and others}. They understand that God has appointed me to explain to people why the good news{ about Jesus} is true. But some are not honest about why they are proclaiming the good news about the Messiah. They do it only because they want to promote themselves. They are envious of me and want to cause trouble for me. They think that I will suffer even more in prison as they become famous for proclaiming the good news. BSB BSB: It is true that some preach Christ out of envy and rivalry, but others out of goodwill.
18 UST But what they want to do to me is not important! The important thing is that people are proclaiming{ the good news about} the Messiah, either for good reasons or for bad reasons. So I am rejoicing that people are spreading the message about the Messiah! And I will continue to rejoice in that! BSB BSB: What then is the issue? Just this: that in every way, whether by false motives or true, Christ is preached. And in this I rejoice. Yes, and I will continue to rejoice,
19 UST { I will rejoice} because I know how this situation will turn out: that God will deliver me{ from prison}. He will do this because you are praying for me and because the Spirit of Jesus the Messiah is helping me. BSB BSB: because I know that through your prayers and the provision of the Spirit of Jesus Christ, my distress will turn out for my deliverance.
20 UST { I know that this will happen, because} I very confidently expect that I will continue to faithfully honor the Messiah.{ I expect and desire that} I will boldly honor the Messiah by my actions now and always, whether by the way I live or by the way I die. BSB BSB: I eagerly expect and hope that I will in no way be ashamed, but will have complete boldness so that now as always Christ will be exalted in my body, whether by life or by death.
To Live Is Christ 21 UST As for me, I live to honor the Messiah, and if I die, it will be even better for me. BSB BSB: For to me, to live is Christ, and to die is gain.
22 UST But if I continue to live here in my body, I will be able to productively serve the Messiah. So I do not know which I prefer,{ to live or to die}. BSB BSB: But if I go on living in the body, this will mean fruitful labor for me. So what shall I choose? I do not know.
23 UST It is difficult for me to choose which I prefer,{ living or dying}. I long to leave{ this world} and go to be with the Messiah, because to be with the Messiah is very much better{ than being here}, BSB BSB: I am torn between the two. I desire to depart and be with Christ, which is far better indeed.
24 UST but I need to remain alive here on earth in order to continue to help you. BSB BSB: But it is more necessary for you that I remain in the body.
25 UST Since I am convinced of this, I know that I will remain alive with you all in order to help you to be even more joyful as you continue to trust in Jesus. BSB BSB: Convinced of this, I know that I will remain and will continue with all of you for your progress and joy in the faith,
26 UST { I will do this} so that you will praise Jesus the Messiah even more because of me, because I will come and visit you again. BSB BSB: so that through my coming to you again your exultation in Christ Jesus will resound on account of me.
Worthy of the Gospel 27 UST The important thing is that you act in a way that honors the good news about the Messiah.{ Do this} so that people will tell me that you are working hard together in a unified way as you resist those who oppose the message about the Messiah and as you help people to live according to the good news.{ You must act in this way} whether or not I visit you again. BSB BSB: Nevertheless, conduct yourselves in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ. Then, whether I come and see you or only hear about you in my absence, I will know that you stand firm in one spirit, contending together as one for the faith of the gospel,
28 UST Do not let the people who are against you make you afraid by anything{ that they do or say}. When they see that you are not afraid of them, they will know that God will destroy them, but he will save you. All of this is from God. BSB BSB: without being frightened in any way by those who oppose you. This is a clear sign of their destruction but of your salvation, and it is from God.
29 UST God does this for you because he has given you the gift of suffering for the Messiah, along with the gift of believing in him. BSB BSB: For it has been granted to you on behalf of Christ not only to believe in Him, but also to suffer for Him,
30 UST You saw how I had to resist the people who opposed me{ when I was there in Philippi}. Now you have to resist the people who are opposing you in the same way. As people tell you even now, I am still struggling to resist such people. BSB BSB: since you are encountering the same struggle you saw I had, and now hear that I still have.
Select verses for actions: Enter goes to them and Escape comes back.