Philippians 1:7

Textus Receptus:
καθως εστιν δικαιον εμοι τουτο φρονειν υπερ παντων υμων δια το εχειν με εν τη καρδια υμας εν τε τοις δεσμοις μου και τη απολογια και βεβαιωσει του ευαγγελιου συγκοινωνους μου της χαριτος παντας υμας οντας

King James:
Even as it is meet for me to think this of you all, because I have you in my heart; inasmuch as both in my bonds, and in the defence and confirmation of the gospel, ye all are partakers of my grace.

Comments:
it is meet for me to think this of you all: The word for "meet" (meaning "appropriate" in English) in Greek is dikaiou, which means "just" or "righteous." Paul does not manufacture positive thoughts about the Philippians. His encouragement regarding them is a legitimate reflection of their faithfulness, not the wishful thinking of a doting but blind parent and observer. The use of this word is also important because it implies that the Philippians are being true to who they really are. In other words, Paul is able to express gratitude for the Philippians because he knows God will finish what He began in their salvation, and their faithfulness is consistent with that expectation and therefore also an appropriate additional cause of Paul's gratitude. A Christian who tolerates sin in his life is not righteous--not simply because he is doing things that are unrighteous, but because He is not living up to who he really is in Christ. A lost person's sin is just sin. A Christian's sin is hypocrisy.

to mind...to have in heart: One of Paul's points in this verse is that it is right for Paul to think of the Philippians as he does because he has them in his heart the way he does. In other words, his genuine compassion and care for them motivates his mentality toward them. Christian relationships are about heart and head. Even their relationship with God has both attributes, as Matthew 22:37 makes clear.

in my bonds...in the defense and confirmation of the gospel...partakers: In verse 5, Paul used the un-prefixed form of this Greek word (koinonia) to describe their ongoing participation in the Gospel from the day they were saved until "now." In this verse, what he means by "now" becomes clear. While they are "together-participants" (synkoinonia) because they minister to Paul's needs (as chapter 4:10) while he is evangelizing in prison, it is just as likely that his wording here means that he used the testimony of the Philippians' faithfulness as one of his weapons in sharing the gospel with the lost.

Paraphrase:
Not only is God's faithfulness on your behalf, evidenced by your own faithfulness, just cause for me to be grateful, but it is right for me to hold you in my mind with gratitude since I have you in my heart, and because you have been joined with me in God's grace in and through my life. Not only have you ministered to me while I have been imprisoned, but also I have defended the gospel to others through your testimony.