and how surpassingly great his power is for us who believe; like the mighty strength

which is his body, filled by him who fills everything everywhere.

in the midst of which you once lived under the control of the present age of the world, and the master-spirit of the air, who is still at work among the disobedient.

So remember that you were once physically heathen, and called uncircumcised by those who called themselves circumcised, though only physically, by human hands.

But now through your union with Christ Jesus you who were once far away have through the blood of Christ been brought near.

He came with the good news of peace for you who were far away and for those who were near;

This is why I, Paul, whom Jesus the Christ has made a prisoner for the sake of you heathen??2 if at least you have heard how I dealt with the mercy of God that was given me for you,

from whom every family in heaven or on earth takes its name,

To him who by the exertion of his power within us can do unutterably more than all we ask or imagine,

one God and Father of all, who is above us all, pervades us all, and is within us all.

It is he who went down who has also gone up above all the heavens, to fill the universe.

We must lovingly hold to the truth and grow up into perfect union with him who is the head??hrist himself.

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.

No bad word must ever pass your lips, but only words that are good and suited to improve the occasion, so that they will be a blessing to those who hear them.

For you may be sure that no one who is immoral, or greedy for gain (for that is idolatry) can have any share in the Kingdom of Christ and God.

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

That is the way husbands ought to love their wives??s if they were their own bodies; a man who loves his wife is really loving himself,

You who are slaves, obey your earthly masters, in reverence and awe, with sincerity of heart, as you would the Christ,

You who are masters, too, must treat your slaves in the same way, and cease to threaten them, for you know that their Master and yours is in heaven, and that he will show no partiality.

God's blessing be with all who have an unfailing love for our Lord Jesus Christ.

Paul and Timothy, slaves of Christ Jesus, to all the devoted adherents of Christ Jesus who are in Philippi, with the superintendents and assistants;

For I am certain that he who has begun the good work in you will finish it for the Day of Jesus Christ.

Some of them, it is true, are actually preaching the Christ from jealousy and partisanship, but there are others who are doing it out of good-will.

For it is God who in his good will is at work in your hearts, inspiring your will and your action.

For I have no one like him who would take such a real interest in you.

But I feel that I must send back to you Epaphroditus, my brother, fellow-laborer, and fellow-soldier, whom you sent to look after my needs.

We are the true circumcision, who worship God by his Spirit, priding ourselves only on Christ Jesus, and not relying on physical advantages,

Follow my example, brothers, all of you, and notice those who follow the pattern we have set you.

For there are many who live, as I have often told you, and tell you now with tears, like enemies of the cross of Christ.

So, my dear brothers whom I so long to see, my joy and pride, stand firm in the Lord, dear friends.

Do the things that you learned, received, and heard from me, and that you saw me do. Then God who gives peace will be with you.

I can do anything through him who gives me strength.

Remember me to all my fellow-Christians. The brothers who are with me wish to be remembered to you.

All God's people wish to be remembered to you, especially those who belong to the emperor's household.

and it is he who has told me of the love the Spirit has awakened in you.

and you will thank the Father who has entitled you to share the lot of God's people in the realm of light.

by whom we have been ransomed from captivity through having our sins forgiven.

And it has brought you, who were once estranged from him, hostile in attitude and engaged in doing wrong (though now he has reconciled you

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 has chosen to make known among the heathen how glorious this mystery of Christ in you, the promise of glorification, really is.

For I want you to know what a fight I am putting up for you and for our brothers in Laodicea, and for all who do not know me personally,

when in your baptism you were buried with him, and raised to life with him through your faith in the power of God who raised him from the dead.

Yes, you who were dead through your misdeeds and physically uncircumcised, God raised to life with Christ. He forgave us all our misdeeds,

When Christ, who is our true life, shall make his appearance, then you also will appear glorified with him.

You who are husbands must love your wives and not be harsh to them.

You who are slaves must always obey your earthly masters, not with mere external service, as though you had only men to please, but with sincerity of heart, because you fear the Lord.

For the man who wrongs anyone will be paid back for the wrong he has done; there will be no exceptions.

You who are masters must treat your slaves justly and fairly, and remember that you have a Master too, in heaven.

And with him I send my dear, faithful brother Onesimus, who is one of your own number. They will tell you all about matters here.

So also does Jesus who is called Justus. They are the only ones among the converts from Judaism who have worked with me for the reign of God who have proved a comfort to me.

For we know, brothers whom God so loves, that he has chosen you,

and to wait for the coming from heaven of his Son, whom he raised from the dead??esus, our deliverer from God's coming wrath.

God has thought us fit to be intrusted with the good news, and so we tell it, making no effort to please men, but to please God, who tests our hearts.

You will testify, and God will, how pure and upright and irreproachable our relations were with you who believed.

to make your lives worthy of God who invites you into his kingdom and his glory.

who killed the Lord Jesus and persecuted the prophets and us; who displease God, and in their hostility to all mankind

not to gratify his passion, like the heathen who know nothing of God.

So whoever disregards this is not disregarding man, but God, who gives you his holy Spirit.

We do not want you to be under any misapprehension, brothers, about those who are falling asleep. You must not grieve for them, as others do who have no hope.

For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, then by means of Jesus God will bring back with him those who have fallen asleep.

For we can assure you, on the Lord's own authority, that those of us who will still be living when the Lord comes will have no advantage over those who have fallen asleep.

For the Lord himself, at the summons, when the archangel calls and God's trumpet sounds, will come down from heaven, and first those who died in union with Christ will rise;

then those of us who are still living will be caught up with them on clouds into the air to meet the Lord, and so we shall be with the Lord forever.

For those who sleep sleep at night and those who get drunk do so at night,

but we who belong to the day must be composed, wearing faith and love for a coat of mail, and helmeted with the hope of salvation.

who died for us so that whether we are still alive or fall asleep we may live with him.

We beg you, brothers, to respect those who work with you and who lead you in the service of the Lord, and teach you.

He who calls you can be relied on, and he will do this.

since God considers it only just to repay with suffering those who are making you suffer

and to give rest to you who are suffering and to us, when our Lord Jesus appears from heaven, with his mighty angels

in a blaze of fire, and takes vengeance on the godless who will not listen to the good news of our Lord Jesus.

when on that Day he comes to be honored in his people, and wondered at in all who believe in him??ecause our testimony has been confirmed in you.

You must not let anyone deceive you at all. For that is not until the rebellion takes place and the embodiment of disobedience makes his appearance??e who is doomed to destruction,

For disobedience is already secretly at work, but only until he who is now holding it in check is gotten out of the way.

and full of wicked deception for men who are going to destruction, because they refused to love the truth and be saved.

so that all who have refused to believe the truth but have preferred disobedience may be condemned.

We always have to thank God for you, brothers whom the Lord so loves, because God chose you from the beginning to be saved through consecration by the Spirit and through faith in the truth,

May our Lord Jesus Christ himself and God our Father, who has loved us and kindly given us unfailing encouragement and a well-founded hope,

We charge you, brothers, in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, to keep away from any brother who lives in idleness, instead of following the teaching you received from us.

with the understanding that law is not intended for upright men but for the lawless and disorderly, the godless and irreligious, the irreverent and profane, men who kill their fathers or mothers, murderers,

I thank Christ Jesus our Lord who has given me the strength for it, for thinking me trustworthy and putting me into his service,

but God had mercy on me in order that in my case as the foremost, Christ Jesus might display his perfect patience, as an example to those who would later believe in him and find eternal life.

like Hymenaeus and Alexander, whom I turned over to Satan, to be taught not to blaspheme.

for emperors and all who are in authority, so that we may live tranquil, quiet lives, with perfect piety and probity.

who wants all men to be saved and to come to know the truth.

who gave himself as a ransom for all men. This is what was testified to at the proper times,

but, as is appropriate for women who profess to be religious, with good actions.

and it was not Adam who was deceived, it was the woman who was deluded and fell into sin.

For those who do good service as assistants gain a good standing for themselves and great confidence in their faith in Christ Jesus.

who forbid people to marry and insist on abstinence from certain kinds of food that God created for men who believe and understand the truth to enjoy and give thanks for.

It is for this that we toil and struggle, for we have fixed our hopes on the living God, the Savior of all men, especially those who believe.

Let no one look down on you because you are young, but set those who believe an example in speech, conduct, love, faith, and purity.

Look out for yourself and for your teaching. Persevere in your work, for if you do you will save both yourself and those who listen to you.

Look after widows who are really dependent.

If a widow has children or grandchildren, let them learn first to show piety in the treatment of their own families, and to return the care of those who brought them up, for that is what God approves.

But a woman who is really a widow, and has no children, has fixed her hope on God, and devotes herself to prayers and entreaties night and day.

A widow who gives herself up to pleasure is dead while she is still alive.

Any Christian woman who has widowed relatives should look after them, and relieve the church, so that it can look after widows who are really dependent.

Elders who do their duties well should be considered as deserving twice as much as they get, particularly those who work at preaching and teaching.

Those who are found guilty you must reprove publicly, as a warning to others.