⁷As it is meet for me to think this for you all, for that I have you in my heart; and that, in my bands and in the defence and confirmation of the gospel, you all are partakers of my joy.

⁸For God is my witness how I long after you all in the bowels of Jesus Christ.

⁹And this I pray: That your charity may more and more abound in knowledge and in all understanding:

¹⁰That you may approve the better things: that you may be sincere and without offence unto the day of Christ:

¹¹Filled with the fruit of justice, through Jesus Christ, unto the glory and praise of God.

¹²Now, brethren, I desire you should know that the things which have happened to me have fallen out rather to the furtherance of the gospel:

¹³So that my bands are made manifest in Christ, in all the court and in all other places.

¹⁴And many of the brethren in the Lord, growing confident by my bands, are much more bold to speak the word of God without fear.

¹⁵Some indeed, even out of envy and contention: but some also for good will preach Christ.

¹⁶Some out of charity, knowing that I am set for the defence of the gospel.

¹⁷And some out of contention preach Christ not sincerely: supposing that they raise affliction to my bands.

¹⁸But what then? So that by all means, whether by occasion or by truth, Christ be preached: in this also I rejoice, yea, and will rejoice.

¹⁹For I know that this shall fall out to me unto salvation, through your prayer and the supply of the Spirit of Jesus Christ,

²⁰According to my expectation and hope; that in nothing I shall be confounded: but with all confidence, as always, so now also, shall Christ be magnified in my body, whether it be by life or by death.

²¹For to me, to live is Christ: and to die is gain.

²²And if to live in the flesh: this is to me the fruit of labour. And what I shall choose I know not.

²³But I am straitened between two: having a desire to be dissolved and to be with Christ, a thing by far the better.

²⁴But to abide still in the flesh is needful for you.

²⁵And having this confidence, I know that I shall abide and continue with you all, for your furtherance and joy of faith:

²⁶That your rejoicing may abound in Christ Jesus for me, by my coming to you again.

²⁷Only let your conversation be worthy of the gospel of Christ: that, whether I come and see you, or, being absent, may hear of you, that you stand fast in one spirit, with one mind labouring together for the faith of the gospel.

²⁸And in nothing be ye terrified by the adversaries: which to them is a cause of perdition, but to you of salvation, and this from God.

²⁹For unto you it is given for Christ, not only to believe in him, but also to suffer for him:

³⁰Having the same conflict as that which you have seen in me and now have heard of me.

Chapter 2

If there be therefore any consolation in Christ, if any comfort of charity, if any society of the spirit, if any bowels of commiseration:

²Fulfil ye my joy, that you be of one mind, having the same charity, being of one accord, agreeing in sentiment.

³Let nothing be done through contention: neither by vain glory. But in humility, let each esteem others better than themselves:

⁴Each one not considering the things that are his own, but those that are other men’s.

⁵For let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus:

⁶Who being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God:

⁷But emptied himself, taking the form of a servant, being made in the likeness of men, and in habit found as a man.

⁸He humbled himself, becoming obedient unto death, even to the death of the cross.

⁹For which cause, God also hath exalted him and hath given him a name which is above all names:

¹⁰That in the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those that are in heaven, on earth, and under the earth:

¹¹And that every tongue should confess that the Lord Jesus Christ is in the glory of God the Father.

¹²Wherefore, my dearly beloved, (as you have always obeyed, not as in my presence only but much more now in my absence) with fear and trembling work out your salvation.

¹³For it is God who worketh in you, both to will and to accomplish, according to his good will.

¹⁴And do ye all things without murmurings and hesitations:

¹⁵That you may be blameless and sincere children of God, without reproof, in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation: among whom you shine as lights in the world.

¹⁶Holding forth the word of life to my glory in the day of Christ: because I have not run in vain, nor laboured in vain.

¹⁷Yea, and if I be made a victim upon the sacrifice and service of your faith, I rejoice and congratulate with you all.

¹⁸And for the selfsame thing, do you also rejoice and congratulate with me.

¹⁹And I hope in the Lord Jesus to send Timothy unto you shortly, that I also may be of good comfort, when I know the things concerning you.

²⁰For I have no man so of the same mind, who with sincere affection is solicitous for you.

²¹For all seek the things that are their own not the things that are Jesus Christ’s.

²²Now know ye the proof of him: that as a son with the father, so hath he served with me in the gospel.

²³Him therefore I hope to send unto you immediately: so soon as I shall see how it will go with me.

²⁴And I trust in the Lord that I myself also shall come to you shortly.

²⁵But I have thought it necessary to send to you Epaphroditus, my brother and fellow labourer and fellow soldier, but your apostle: and he that hath ministered to my wants.

²⁶For indeed he longed after you all: and was sad, for that you had heard that he was sick.

²⁷For indeed he was sick, nigh unto death: but God had mercy on him. And not only on him, but on me also, lest I should have sorrow upon sorrow.

²⁸Therefore, I sent him the more speedily: that seeing him again, you may rejoice, and I may be without sorrow.

²⁹Receive him therefore with all joy in the Lord: and treat with honour such as he is.

³⁰Because for the work of Christ he came to the point of death: delivering his life, that he might fulfil that which on your part was wanting towards my service.

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