even as it is right for me to think this of you all, because I have you in my heart both in my bonds, and in the defence and confirmation of the gospel, all of you being sharers of the grace bestowed on me.

But I wish you to know, brethren, that things with me have resulted in the furtherance of the gospel;

so that my bonds have become known in connection with Christ in the whole camp of the imperial guards, and to all the rest;

as ye have the same conflict which ye saw in me, and now hear of in me.

holding forth the word of life, that I may have whereof to boast against the day of Christ, that I did not run in vain, or labor in vain.

For I have no one likeminded, who will have a true concern for your state;

For indeed he was sick near to death; but God had mercy on him; and not on him only, but on me also, lest I should have sorrow upon sorrow.

For we are the circumcision, who worship by the Spirit of God, and glory in Christ Jesus, and have no confidence in the flesh;

though I myself have reason for confidence even in the flesh. If any other man thinketh that he hath reason for confidence in the flesh, I more;

But whatever things were gain to me, those for the sake of Christ I have counted but loss.

Nay more, I count all things to be loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them as refuse, that I may gain Christ,

Not that I have already obtained, or have been already perfected; but I press on, if I may also lay hold of that for which I was laid hold of by Christ.

Brethren, I do not reckon myself to have laid hold of it; but one thing I do, forgetting the things that are behind, and stretching forth to the things that are before,

Let us, therefore, as many as are perfect, be of this mind; and if ye have a different mind in anything, even this will God reveal to you.

Nevertheless, whereto we have reached, in that let us walk.

Brethren, be ye followers together of me, and mark those who walk as ye have us for an example.

But I rejoiced in the Lord greatly, that now at length ye have revived again in your care for my welfare; for which indeed ye cared before, but lacked opportunity.

Not that I speak on account of want; for I have learned, in whatever state I am, therewith to be content.

I know how to be abased, and I know also how to abound; in every thing and in all things I have been well taught, both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to be in want;

But I have all, and abound; I am full, having received from Epaphroditus what was sent from you, a sweet odor, a sacrifice acceptable, wellpleasing to God.