1 aPaul and bTimothy, cbond-servants of dChrist Jesus, 2 aGrace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. 3 aI thank my God in all my remembrance of you, 4 always offering prayer with joy in amy every prayer for you all, 5 in view of your aparticipation in the bgospel cfrom the first day until now. 6 For I am confident of this very thing, that He who began a good work in you will perfect it until athe day of Christ Jesus. 7 For ait is only right for me to feel this way about you all, because I bhave you in my heart, since both in my cimprisonment and in the ddefense and confirmation of the egospel, you all are partakers of grace with me. 8 For aGod is my witness, how I long for you all with the affection of bChrist Jesus. 9 And this I pray, that ayour love may abound still more and more in breal knowledge and all discernment, 10 so that you may aapprove the things that are excellent, in order to be sincere and blameless until bthe day of Christ; 11 having been filled with the afruit of righteousness which comes through Jesus Christ, to the glory and praise of God. 12 Now I want you to know, brethren, that my circumstances ahave turned out for the greater progress of the bgospel, 13 so that my aimprisonment in the cause of Christ has become well known throughout the whole praetorian guard and to beveryone else, 14 and that most of the brethren, trusting in the Lord because of my aimprisonment, have bfar more courage to speak the word of God without fear. 15 aSome, to be sure, are preaching Christ even from envy and strife, but some also from good will; 16 the latter do it out of love, knowing that I am appointed for the defense of the agospel; 17 the former proclaim Christ aout of selfish ambition rather than from pure motives, thinking to cause me distress in my bimprisonment. 18 What then? Only that in every way, whether in pretense or in truth, Christ is proclaimed; and in this I rejoice. 19 for I know that this will turn out for my deliverance athrough your prayers and the provision of bthe Spirit of Jesus Christ, 20 according to my aearnest expectation and bhope, that I will not be put to shame in anything, but that with call boldness, Christ will even now, as always, be dexalted in my body, ewhether by life or by death. 21 For to me, ato live is Christ and to die is gain. 22 But if I am to live on in the flesh, this will mean afruitful labor for me; and I do not know which to choose. 23 But I am hard-pressed from both directions, having the adesire to depart and bbe with Christ, for that is very much better; 24 yet to remain on in the flesh is more necessary for your sake. 25 aConvinced of this, I know that I will remain and continue with you all for your progress and joy in the faith, 26 so that your aproud confidence in me may abound in Christ Jesus through my coming to you again. 27 Only conduct yourselves in a manner aworthy of the bgospel of Christ, so that whether I come and see you or remain absent, I will hear of you that you are cstanding firm in done spirit, with one mind estriving together for the faith of the gospel; 28 in no way alarmed by your opponents--which is a asign of destruction for them, but of salvation for you, and that too, from God. 29 For to you ait has been granted for Christ's sake, not only to believe in Him, but also to bsuffer for His sake, 30 experiencing the same aconflict which byou saw in me, and now hear to be in me.