since it was because of the work of Christ that he almost died. He risked his life so that he could make up for your inability to serve me. ¹ 

I always pray with joy in my every prayer for all of you

complete my joy and be of the same mind, ¹  by having the same love, being united in spirit, ²  and having one purpose.

Therefore let those of us who are “perfect” embrace this point of view. ¹  If you think otherwise, God will reveal to you the error of your ways. ² 

The former proclaim Christ from selfish ambition, not sincerely, because they think they can cause trouble for me in my imprisonment. ¹ 

Not that I have already attained this – that is, I have not already been perfected – but I strive to lay hold of that for which Christ Jesus also laid hold of me. ¹ 

I want you to know, brothers and sisters, ¹  that my situation has actually turned out to advance the gospel: ² 

¹ who though he existed in the form of God ²  did not regard equality with God as something to be grasped,

I appeal to Euodia and to Syntyche to agree in the Lord.

Do not be anxious about anything. Instead, in every situation, through prayer and petition with thanksgiving, tell your requests to God.

For I am sure of this very thing, ¹  that the one ²  who began a good work in ³  you will perfect it ⁴  until the day of Christ Jesus.

Now if I am to go on living in the body, ¹  this will mean productive work ²  for me, yet I don’t know which I prefer: ³ 

Instead of being motivated by selfish ambition ¹  or vanity, each of you should, in humility, be moved to treat one another as more important than yourself.

and be found in him, not because I have my own righteousness derived from the law, but because I have the righteousness that comes by way of Christ’s faithfulness ¹  – a righteousness from God that is in fact ²  based on Christ’s ³  faithfulness. ⁴ 

who will transform these humble bodies of ours ¹  into the likeness of his glorious body by means of that power by which he is able to subject all things to himself.

Yes, I say also to you, true companion, ¹  help them. They have struggled together in the gospel ministry ²  along with me and Clement and my other coworkers, whose names are in the book of life.

For ¹  it is right for me to think this about all of you, because I have you in my heart, ²  since both in my imprisonment ³  and in the defense and confirmation of the gospel all of you became partners in God’s grace ⁴  together with me.