so that you may approve the things that are excellent; that you may be sincere and without offense to the day of Christ;

according to my earnest expectation and hope, that I will in no way be disappointed, but with all boldness, as always, now also Christ will be magnified in my body, whether by life, or by death.

But I am in a dilemma between the two, having the desire to depart and be with Christ, which is far better.

Only let your manner of life be worthy of the Good News of Christ, that, whether I come and see you or am absent, I may hear of your state, that you stand firm in one spirit, with one soul striving for the faith of the Good News;

and in nothing frightened by the adversaries, which is for them a proof of destruction, but to you of salvation, and that from God.

make my joy full, by being like-minded, having the same love, being of one accord, of one mind;

who, existing in the form of God, did not consider equality with God a thing to be grasped,

that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, those on earth, and those under the earth,

But I hope in the Lord Jesus to send Timothy to you soon, that I also may be cheered up when I know how you are doing.

I have sent him all the more eagerly, therefore, so that when you see him again you may rejoice, and that I may be less anxious.

More than that, I count all things to be loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus, my Lord, for whom I suffered the loss of all things, and count them nothing but refuse, that I may gain Christ

and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own, that which is of the law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which is from God by faith;

if by any means I may attain to the resurrection from the dead.

Not that I have already obtained, or am already made perfect; but I press on, if it is so that I may take hold of that for which also I was taken hold of by Christ Jesus.

Brothers, be imitators together of me, and note those who walk this way, even as you have us for an example.

who will change our lowly bodies into the likeness of his glorious body, according to the working by which he is able even to subject all things to himself.

Let your gentleness be known to all men. The Lord is near.

Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God.

And the things you learned and received and heard and saw in me, do these things. And the God of peace will be with you.

Not that I speak in respect to lack, for I have learned in whatever state I am, to be content in it.

I know how to be humbled, and I know also how to abound. In everything and in all things I have learned the secret both to be filled and to be hungry, both to abound and to be in need.

Now to our God and Father be the glory forever and ever. Amen.

The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit.