1Paul and Timothy, bondservants of Jesus Christ,

2Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

3I thank my God upon every remembrance of you,

4always in every prayer of mine making request for you all with joy,

5for your fellowship in the gospel from the first day until now,

6being confident of this very thing, that He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ;

7just as it is right for me to think this of you all, because I have you in my heart, inasmuch as both in my chains and in the defense and confirmation of the gospel, you all are partakers with me of grace.

8For God is my witness, how greatly I long for you all with the affection of Jesus Christ.

9And this I pray, that your love may abound still more and more in knowledge and all discernment,

10that you may approve the things that are excellent, that you may be sincere and without offense till the day of Christ,

11being filled with the fruits of righteousness which are by Jesus Christ, to the glory and praise of God.

12But I want you to know, brethren, that the things which happened to me have actually turned out for the furtherance of the gospel,

13so that it has become evident to the whole 1:13 Or Praetoriumpalace guard, and to all the rest, that my chains are in Christ;

14and most of the brethren in the Lord, having become confident by my chains, are much more bold to speak the word without fear.

15Some indeed preach Christ even from envy and strife, and some also from goodwill:

161:16 NU reverses vv. 16 and 17.The former preach Christ from selfish ambition, not sincerely, supposing to add affliction to my chains;

17but the latter out of love, knowing that I am appointed for the defense of the gospel.

18What then? Only that in every way, whether in pretense or in truth, Christ is preached; and in this I rejoice, yes, and will rejoice.

19For I know that this will turn out for my deliverance through your prayer and the supply of the Spirit of Jesus Christ,

20according to my earnest expectation and hope that in nothing I shall be ashamed, but with all boldness, as always, so now also Christ will be magnified in my body, whether by life or by death.

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

22But if I live on in the flesh, this will mean fruit from my labor; yet what I shall choose I 1:22 do not knowcannot tell.

231:23 NU, M ButFor I am hard-pressed between the two, having a desire to depart and be with Christ, which is far better.

24Nevertheless to remain in the flesh is more needful for you.

25And being confident of this, I know that I shall remain and continue with you all for your progress and joy of faith,

26that your rejoicing for me may be more abundant in Jesus Christ by my coming to you again.

27Only let your conduct be worthy of the gospel of Christ, so that whether I come and see you or am absent, I may hear of your affairs, that you stand fast in one spirit, with one mind striving together for the faith of the gospel,

28and not in any way terrified by your adversaries, which is to them a proof of perdition, but 1:28 NU of your salvationto you of salvation, and that from God.

29For to you it has been granted on behalf of Christ, not only to believe in Him, but also to suffer for His sake,

30having the same conflict which you saw in me and now hear is in me.