ye are to put off concerning the former behaviour the old man, that is corrupt according to the desires of the deceit,

you are being renewed in the spirit of your minds;

Wherefore putting away lying, speak every man truth with his neighbour: for we are members one of another.

"Be angry, yet do not sin." Do not let the sun set while you are still angry,

The man who stole must not steal any more; he must work with his hands at honest toil instead, so as to have something to share with those who are in need.

Let no bad word pass your lips, but only such speech as is good for edification, as occasion may require, words that are gracious and a means of grace to those who hear them.

And grieve not the holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption.

But among you there must not be either sexual immorality, impurity of any kind, or greed, as these are not fitting for the saints.

Neither filthiness, nor foolish talking, nor jesting, which are not convenient: but rather giving of thanks.

For this ye are well informed of, knowing that no fornicator, or unclean person, or person of unbridled lust, who is an idolater, has inheritance in the kingdom of the Christ and God.

Do not let anyone deceive you with empty words, for because of such things, the wrath of God will fall upon people who are disobedient [to Him].

For ye were sometimes darkness, but now are ye light in the Lord: walk as children of light:

and have nothing to do with the unfruitful actions that darkness produces. Instead, expose them for what they are.

For it is a shame even to speak of those things which are done of them in secret.

But all things that are reproved are made manifest by the light: for whatsoever doth make manifest is light.

For this reason he says, Be awake, you who are sleeping, and come up from among the dead, and Christ will be your light.

Take care then how you are living, not as unwise, but as wise;

Redeeming the time, because the days are evil.

but even as the assembly is subject to Christ, so also are the wives to their own husbands in everything.

You who are husbands must love your wives, just as Christ loves the church and gave himself for her,

so that He could dedicate her [to Himself], after cleansing her by means of the washing of water [i.e., immersion], accompanied by the word. [Note: "The word" here refers either to a person's profession of faith (See Rom. 10:9) or to the Gospel message (See Rom. 10:17), both of which are associated with immersion].

For we are members of his body, of his flesh, and of his bones.

This is a great secret: but my words are about Christ and the church.

Servants, be obedient to them that are your masters according to the flesh, with fear and trembling, in singleness of your heart, as unto Christ;

not in the way of service only when eyes are on you, as men pleasers; but as servants of Christ, doing the will of God from the heart;

And you masters, act towards your slaves on the same principles, and refrain from threats. For you know that in Heaven there is One who is your Master as well as theirs, and that merely earthly distinctions there are none with Him.

For our struggle is not against flesh and blood [contending only with physical opponents], but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this [present] darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly (supernatural) places.

in everything taking up the shield of faith, with which you are able to quench all the flaming arrows of the evil one,

I have sent him to you for this very purpose, so that you may know how we are, and that he may comfort and encourage and strengthen your hearts.

Paul and Timotheus, the servants of Jesus Christ, to all the saints in Christ Jesus which are at Philippi, with the bishops and deacons:

Always, in every prayer that I offer for you all--my prayers are full of joy--

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.

That ye may approve things that are excellent; that ye may be sincere and without offence till the day of Christ;

Being filled with the fruits of righteousness, which are by Jesus Christ, unto the glory and praise of God.

So that my bonds in Christ are manifest in all the palace, and in all other places;

And many of the brethren in the Lord, waxing confident by my bonds, are much more bold to speak the word without fear.

Some, it is true, are [actually] preaching Christ out of envy and rivalry [toward me—for no better reason than a competitive spirit or misguided ambition], but others out of goodwill and a loyal spirit [toward me].

The latter are motivated by love, because they know that I have been appointed to defend the gospel.

but the former preach Christ [insincerely] out of selfish ambition [just self-promotion], thinking that they are causing me distress in my imprisonment.

Only [be sure to] lead your lives in a manner [that will be] worthy of the gospel of Christ, so that whether I do come and see you or remain absent, I will hear about you that you are standing firm in one spirit [and one purpose], with one mind striving side by side [as if in combat] for the faith of the gospel.

Having no fear of those who are against you; which is a clear sign of their destruction, but of your salvation, and that from God;

[and so you are] experiencing the same [kind of] conflict which you saw me endure, and which you hear to be mine now.

complete my joy, so that {you are in agreement}, having the same love, united in spirit, {having one purpose}.

that in the name of Jesus every knee may bow -- of heavenlies, and earthlies, and what are under the earth --

that ye may become blameless and harmless, children of God without blemish in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, among whom ye are seen as lights in the world,

Even if my life-blood has to be poured as a libation on the sacred sacrifice of faith you are offering to God, I rejoice, I congratulate you all ??18 and you in turn must rejoice and congratulate me.

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.

For all seek their own, not the things which are Jesus Christ's.

Therefore, I hope to send him as soon as I see how things are going to turn out for me.

So, I am all the more eager to send him to you people, so that when you see him again you will be glad, and that my sorrow will be lessened [i.e., in knowing that you are relieved to see that he is well again].

Receive him therefore in the Lord with all joy, and honourably treat those that are such:

Finally, my fellow believers, continue to rejoice and delight in the Lord. To write the same things again is no trouble for me, and it is a safeguard for you.

Beware of those that are like dogs, beware of evil doers, beware of the concision.

For we are the circumcision, which worship God in the spirit, and rejoice in Christ Jesus, and have no confidence in the flesh.

-- though mine too are significant. If someone thinks he has good reasons to put confidence in human credentials, I have more:

Yes truly, and I am ready to give up all things for the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord, which is more than all: for whom I have undergone the loss of all things, and to me they are less than nothing, so that I may have Christ as my reward,

Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before,

but there is one thing, indeed forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forward to those which are before, I press toward the goal unto the mark of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.

Let us therefore, as many as are perfect, be thus minded: and if in anything ye are otherwise minded, this also shall God reveal unto you:

Nevertheless in that whereunto we are come, let us proceed by one rule, that we may be of one accord.

Brothers, take me as your example, and take note of those who are walking after the example we have given.

(For many walk, of whom I have told you often, and now tell you even weeping, that they are the enemies of the cross of Christ:

whose end is destruction, whose god is the belly, and whose glory is in their shame, who the things on earth are minding.

But [we are different, because] our citizenship is in heaven. And from there we eagerly await [the coming of] the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ;

So, my dearly loved brothers, those whom I long to see, [who are] my [reason for] being glad and [who are] my crown of victory; stand firm in [your devotion to] the Lord, my dear ones.

And I intreat thee also, true yokefellow, help those women which laboured with me in the gospel, with Clement also, and with other my fellowlabourers, whose names are in the book of life.

Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.

I rejoice in the Lord greatly, that now at the last ye are revived again to care for me in that wherein ye were also careful, but ye lacked opportunity.

And you at Philippi know, as well as I, that in the early days of the Good News--at the time when I had just left Macedonia--no Church, with the one exception of yourselves, had anything to do with me as far as giving and receiving are concerned.

But I have received everything in full and more; I am amply supplied, having received from Epaphroditus the gifts you sent me. They are the fragrant aroma of an offering, an acceptable sacrifice which God welcomes and in which He delights.

Salute every saint in Christ Jesus. The brethren which are with me greet you.

All the saints salute you, chiefly they that are of Caesar's household.

To the saints and faithful brethren in Christ which are at Colosse: Grace be unto you, and peace, from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

We give thanks to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, as we pray always for you,

which are come to you, as they are in all the world, and are bearing fruit and growing, even as also among you, from the day ye heard them and knew indeed the grace of God, in truth:

For this reason also, since the day we heard this, we haven’t stopped praying for you. We are asking that you may be filled with the knowledge of His will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding,

You are being strengthened with all power according to his glorious might, so that you might patiently endure everything with joy

through whom we receive redemption [i.e., are bought back from Satan], which is the forgiveness of [our] sins.

For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him:

And He Himself existed and is before all things, and in Him all things hold together. [His is the controlling, cohesive force of the universe.]

Through him uniting all things with himself, having made peace through the blood of his cross; through him, I say, uniting all things which are on earth or in heaven.

if indeed you remain grounded and steadfast in the faith and are not shifted away from the hope of the gospel that you heard. This gospel has been proclaimed in all creation under heaven, and I, Paul, have become a servant of it.

In it, by divine appointment, I became a worker, that I might preach among you the message of God in its fulness??26 that secret, hidden from the ages and generations, but now disclosed to those who are consecrated to him,

to whom God would make known what are the riches of the glory of this mystery among the nations, which is Christ in you the hope of glory:

Whom we are preaching; guiding and teaching every man in all wisdom, so that every man may be complete in Christ;

For I want you to know how great a struggle I have on your behalf and for those who are at Laodicea, and for all those who have not personally seen my face,

[For my hope is] that their hearts may be encouraged as they are knit together in [unselfish] love, so that they may have all the riches that come from the full assurance of understanding [the joy of salvation], resulting in a true [and more intimate] knowledge of the mystery of God, that is, Christ,

In whom are hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.

For although I am physically absent, I am with you in spirit, rejoicing to see how stable you are and how firm your faith in the Messiah is.

For you have been rooted in him and are being built up and strengthened in the faith, just as you were taught, while you continue to be thankful.

For it is in Christ that the fulness of God's nature dwells embodied, and in Him you are made complete,

And ye are complete in him, which is the head of all principality and power:

In whom also ye are circumcised with the circumcision made without hands, in putting off the body of the sins of the flesh by the circumcision of Christ:

Buried with him in baptism, wherein also ye are risen with him through the faith of the operation of God, who hath raised him from the dead.

Let none therefore judge you in meat, or drink, or in respect of a feast-day, or of the new-moon, or of sabbath-days: Which are shadow of things to come;

Which are a shadow of things to come; but the body is of Christ.

Wherefore if ye be dead with Christ from the rudiments of the world, why, as though living in the world, are ye subject to ordinances,

"Hands off this!" "Taste not that!" "Touch not this!" ??22 referring to things that perish by being used? These rules are determined by human precepts and tenets;

Which all are to perish with the using;) after the commandments and doctrines of men?

Which things have indeed a show of wisdom in will-worship, and humility, and severity to the body; but are not of any value against the indulgence of the flesh.