Study Desk

having produced the harvest of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ for the glory and praise of God.

so that it has become known throughout the whole imperial guard and to everyone else that my imprisonment is for Christ;

These proclaim Christ out of love, knowing that I have been put here for the defense of the gospel;

for I know that through your prayers and the help of the Spirit of Jesus Christ this will turn out for my deliverance.

For to me, living is Christ and dying is gain.

If I am to live in the flesh, that means fruitful labor for me; and I do not know which I prefer.

I am hard pressed between the two: my desire is to depart and be with Christ, for that is far better;

but to remain in the flesh is more necessary for you.

Since I am convinced of this, I know that I will remain and continue with all of you for your progress and joy in faith,

Only, live your life in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ, so that, whether I come and see you or am absent and hear about you, I will know that you are standing firm in one spirit, striving side by side with one mind for the faith of the gospel,

and are in no way intimidated by your opponents. For them this is evidence of their destruction, but of your salvation. And this is God's doing.

For he has graciously granted you the privilege not only of believing in Christ, but of suffering for him as well—

for it is God who is at work in you, enabling you both to will and to work for his good pleasure.

I have no one like him who will be genuinely concerned for your welfare.

for he has been longing for all of you, and has been distressed because you heard that he was ill.

because he came close to death for the work of Christ, risking his life to make up for those services that you could not give me.

Finally, my brothers and sisters, rejoice in the Lord. To write the same things to you is not troublesome to me, and for you it is a safeguard.

For it is we who are the circumcision, who worship in the Spirit of God and boast in Christ Jesus and have no confidence in the flesh—

even though I, too, have reason for confidence in the flesh. If anyone else has reason to be confident in the flesh, I have more:

More than that, I regard everything as loss because of the surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things, and I regard them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ