tcent Philippians:1:12-30 SEEK
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Now I want you to know ,
brethren ,
that what has happened to me has really served to advance the gospel ,
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so that my imprisonment for Christ has become well known throughout the whole praetorian guard and to everyone else ,
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and that most of the brethren ,
trusting in the Lord because of my imprisonment ,
have been encouraged to speak the word of God without fear .
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Some indeed preach Christ from envy and rivalry ,
but others from good will .
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The latter do it out of love ,
knowing that I am put here for the defense of the gospel ;
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the former proclaim Christ out of selfish ambition ,
not sincerely ,
but thinking to cause me distress in my imprisonment .
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What then ?
Only that in every way ,
whether in pretense or in truth ,
Christ is proclaimed ;
and in this I rejoice .
Yes ,
and I will rejoice ,
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for I know that through your prayers and the help of the Spirit of Jesus Christ this will turn out for my deliverance ,
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as it is my eager expectation and hope that I will not be ashamed in anything ,
but that with full courage now as always Christ will be exalted in my body ,
whether by life or by death .
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For to me ,
to live is Christ and to die is gain .
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But if I am to live on in the flesh ,
this will mean fruitful labor for me .
Yet which I shall choose I do not know .
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I am hard pressed between the two .
My desire is to depart and be with Christ ,
for that is far better ;
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but to remain on in the flesh is more necessary for your sake .
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Convinced of this ,
I know that I will remain and continue with you all ,
for your progress and joy in the faith ,
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so that your proud confidence in me may abound in Christ Jesus through my coming to you again .
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Only conduct yourselves in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ ,
so that whether I come and see you or remain absent ,
I will hear of you that you stand firm in one spirit ,
with one mind striving together for the faith of the gospel ,
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in no way frightened by your opponents .
This is a sign of destruction to them ,
but of salvation for you
and that too ,
from God .
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For to you it has been granted for the sake of Christ ,
not only to believe in him ,
but also to suffer for his sake ,
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having the same conflict which you saw in me ,
and now hear to be in me .