1: 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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2: Grace be unto you, and peace, from God our Father, and from
the Lord Jesus Christ. |
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3:
I thank my God upon every remembrance of you, |
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4: Always in every prayer of mine for you all making request with
joy, |
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5: For your fellowship in the gospel from the first day until
now; |
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6: 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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7: 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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8: For God is my record, how greatly I long after you all in the
bowels of Jesus Christ. |
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9: And this I pray, that your love may abound yet more and more
in knowledge and in all judgment; |
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10: 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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11: Being filled with the fruits of righteousness, which are by
Jesus Christ, unto the glory and praise of God. |
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12: 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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13: So that my bonds in Christ are manifest in all the palace,
and in all other places; |
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14: 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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15: Some indeed preach Christ even of envy and strife; and some
also of good will: |
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16: The one preach Christ of contention, not sincerely, supposing
to add affliction to my bonds: |
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17: But the other of love, knowing that I am set for the defence
of the gospel. |
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18: 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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19: 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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20: 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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21: For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain.
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22: 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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23: 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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24: Nevertheless to abide in the flesh is more needful for you.
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25: 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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26: That your rejoicing may be more abundant in Jesus Christ for
me by my coming to you again. |
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27: 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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28: 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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29: 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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30: Having the same conflict which ye saw in me, and now hear to
be in me. |