Paul's Prayer of Thanksgiving

1 Paul and Timothy, slaves of Christ Jesus for (or: to) all the set-apart folks (the holy ones; the saints) within and in union with Christ Jesus, to those being in Philippi, together with care-givers (folks keeping a watchful eye upon [people and situations]; those noting and being concerned for others; overseers) and attending servants:

2 Grace and peace (or: Favor and harmony [= shalom]) to you folks from God, our Father and Lord, Jesus Christ (or: from God, our Father, and [the] Lord, Jesus [the] Anointed One).

3 I constantly give thanks (or: habitually speak of the goodness of grace) to my God upon every memory (or: recollection; or: mention) of you folks,

4 at all times (or: always) in my every request (or: petition) over [the situation of] you all (or: on behalf of all of you folks), habitually making the request (or: petition) with joy

5 upon [the basis of] your common being and existence, as well as the partnership, participation, communion, sharing, fellowship and contribution [from you] into the message of goodness, ease and well-being (or: good news), from the first day until the present moment (now),

6 being persuaded and convinced of this very thing: that the One inwardly beginning (making an inward start; inciting; inwardly originating [note: in the context of sacrifices, this word meant “to begin the offering”]) a good work, a virtuous action or an excellent deed within you people (or: among you folks; or: in union with you [all]), will fully bring it to the goal (will be bringing perfection upon it; shall continue upon it to the final act and finished product: its completion; will bring upon its destiny; [note: this was a technical term for the ending of the sacrifice]) – until (or: right up to) [the] Day of or from Christ Jesus [with other MSS: as far as {the} Day which is Jesus Christ]! –

7 just as (or: correspondingly as) it is fair for me (or: it is right in me; it accords with the Way pointed out to me) to habitually think this regarding all of you folks (or: to continuously have this opinion and disposition over you all), because of the [situation for] me to constantly hold (or: have) you folks within my heart, both within my bonds (fetters; chains) and within the verbal defense (a word spoken from and on behalf of) and legally valid confirmation (the placement on a good footing to establish and make firm and steadfast) of the message of goodness and well-being – you all being my co-participants (common partners; fellow-sharers together) of the grace and joyous favor! (or: ... to continuously possess you people in the midst of the core of my being – you all being my joint-partners of this grace, both in union with my imprisonments and in verification of the good news!)

8 You see, God [is] my witness (or: evidence), how I continually long (or: yearn) for all you folks within the inner seat of Jesus Christ's tender emotions (upper internal organs – heart, liver, lungs; = compassions).

9 And this I habitually think and speak toward having things be well (or: pray): that your love may continually grow with excess and would progressively encompass [you and your world] with surpassing abundance still more and more, within full and accurate experiential and intimate knowledge and all insight and sensible perception,

10 into the [situation for] you folks to habitually test, examine, distinguish and determine (or: make sure by proving) the things that carry through and are thus of consequence or make a difference, so that you may constantly be (continually exist being) folks judged by the light of the sun (thus: clearly sincere and with integrity) and ones [that are] not stumbling or jarring against [anything] nor striking toward [someone] and causing trouble, on into the Day of Christ,

11 being people having been filled full with [the] Fruit of fair and equitable dealings which bring right relationship within the Way pointed out (or: = from covenant inclusion): the one [that is] through Jesus Christ [that is] leading into God's glory (good reputation and manifestation of that which calls forth admiration) and praise (approval and commendation) (or: being those filled full of fruit of a rightwised nature through Jesus Christ, which proceeds into glory and praise that belongs to and pertains to God; or: ... through Jesus Christ, with a view to inhabiting the qualities and characteristics of God's reputation and praise).

Afflictions Further the Gospel

12 Now I am constantly intending (purposing and deciding for) you folks to habitually know through intimate experience, brothers, that the affairs pertaining to me have rather come, and yet remain, into an advancement (a progression; a striking ahead) of God's message of goodness and well-being,

13 so that my bonds (prison fetters) [are] clearly seen (visible; apparent; illuminated so as to be widely known) to be within Christ, within the whole of the praetorium (the living quarters of the emperor's guards), and among all those left over (the rest; the remaining ones),

14 and by my bonds most of the brothers (= the majority of the fellow believers), having become persuaded and now being confident in the Lord, [are] to a greater degree (or: more exceedingly) courageously daring to be fearlessly continuing to speak the Word of God (or: God’s thoughts and message)!

15 Certain folks (or: Some), indeed, are also habitually proclaiming (or: are even heralding publishing and preaching) the Christ through (or: because of) envy, jealousy and rivalry, as well as strife (discord; debate); yet also, certain ones (or: some) through delight (or: because of a good disposition and a good opinion [about it]; or: through thinking well [of it and/or people]; because of approval [of the message]; or: = because they are pleased to do it).

16 These, on the one hand, forth from out of love – having seen and thus knowing that I am constantly lying into (or: repeatedly located with a view to; habitually being laid down, and thus set into the midst of) a defense of the news of well-being and message of goodness.

17 Yet those, on the other hand, from out of faction (partisan purposes; contentiousness; or: from self-interest, or from a motive of financial gain, or to enhance their careers) are habitually announcing in accord with the message of the Christ, not purely (= with pure motives) – being ones habitually presuming (or: supposing) to be repeatedly arousing and raising up squeezing (pressure; affliction; tribulation; oppression) to (or: for) my bonds (or: in my imprisonment).

18 For what? (or: So what?; = What difference does it make?) That moreover, in every direction (or: by every turn; by every method), whether in pretense (as a cloak for other purposes) or in truth (reality; essential essence), Christ is continually being correspondingly announced, and in this I constantly rejoice.

Afflictions Magnify Christ

19 For I am aware (have seen and thus know) that this will continue stepping away into deliverance (rescue; health and wholeness; salvation) for me (and: in me) through your request and the supply (support; provision) of the Spirit of Jesus Christ (or: from the attitude pertaining to and having the characteristics of Jesus Christ; of the Breath-effect which is Jesus, [the] Anointed),

20 in accordance with my looking away – with my head stretched out to watch – and [the] expectation (or: hope) that within nothing will I proceed being put to shame (disgrace; embarrassment), but to the contrary, within all freedom of speech (boldness and public openness which comes from being a citizen) – as always, even now (at the present moment) – Christ will progressively be made great (be magnified; be enlarged) within my body, whether through life, or through death!

21 For you see, to me, to be living [is] Christ (or: For the [situation] in me and for me, life [is the] Anointed One), and to be dying [is] gain (advantage; profit).

22 et since (or: Now if) [p46, D: Whether] the [situation] is to continue living within flesh (= in a physical body in the natural realm), this for me (or: in me) [will be] a fruit from work (produce relating to [my] action) – and so what (or: which) I will proceed choosing (taking to myself in preference; [p46, B: I should and could choose]) I am not presently making known.

23 So I am being continuously held together (or: caught; squeezed) from out of the two: constantly having the craving (holding the strong desire and impulse) into the [situation] to untie and loose back up again [as in loosing tent pins and ropes when striking camp, or loosing moorings to set sail], and to be (to exist being) together with Christ – for [that is] rather to a much higher rank (a more advantageous situation; a more profitable thing; [it is] much better)!

24 Yet the [situation] to be staying (remaining-on) in the flesh [is] more necessary (indispensable; a more forced constraint) because of you folks.

25 So, having been persuaded and still being convinced of this, I have seen and thus know that I will continue remaining on, and shall continue abiding (dwelling so as to be ready to give aid) together alongside with (or: among) all you folks – on into your progress (or: cutting or striking a passage forward; advancement) and joy that comes from, belongs to and has the characteristics of the Faith (or: which is the trust, conviction and loyalty),

26 to the end that, in me – [that is], through my presence again face to face with you – your loud-tongued exultation-results (or: your justification for boasting) in Christ Jesus (or: in union with [the] Anointed Jesus) may surround [you] in excessive abundance.

Exhortation to the Afflicted

27 Only, by habit live (or: continue living) worthily, as citizens with behavior corresponding in value to Christ's good news (message of goodness), so that whether coming and seeing to become acquainted, or continuing absent, I may go on hearing about you folks (the things concerning you): that you are constantly and progressively standing firm within the midst of and in union with one Breath-effect (or: = steadfastly united in spirit and attitude), continuing to be corporately striving in one soul (by one inner life competing side-by-side as in the public games) by the faith that comes from the good news (or: in the conviction that belongs to and pertains to the message of goodness and well-being; or: by the trust which is the message of wellness and ease),

28 even constantly being folks [that are] in nothing startled, intimidated or frightened by (or: under) the opponents (the ones continuously lying in the opposing position) – which is a public indication (a pointing-out as of display; or: a showing within) of loss (ruin; destruction) for (or: to) them, yet of deliverance (wholeness, health, rescue and salvation) to, for and among you folks [other MSS: in and among us; other MSS: of your deliverance], and this [is] from God,

29 because to you folks it is given by grace (or: He graciously was given in you people, as a favor for you people), over the [issue] of, and on behalf of, Christ, not only to be progressively believing and habitually trusting into Him, but further, also, to be repeatedly having sensible experiences over Him (or: to constantly experience feelings and impressions on behalf of Him; to habitually suffer and be ill used for His sake; to be continuously affected on account of the things pertaining to Him) –

30 constantly having the very (or: continuously holding the same) contest [as] in the public games (or: race in the stadium; agonizing struggle in the gathered assembly) such as you saw (or: perceive) within me and now are presently hearing in me (or: and at this moment are repeatedly hearing [to be] in me).