holding up the word of life, that I may glory in the day of Christ, that I have not run in vain, nor laboured in vain.

But I hope in the Lord Jesus to send Timothy shortly unto you, that I also may be refreshed in spirit, when I know your affairs.

But ye have known the trial of him, that, as a son with a father, he hath served with me in the gospel.

But I have confidence in the Lord that I myself shall come shortly.

For indeed he greatly longed after you all, and was very sorry that ye had heard that he had been sick.

For sick indeed he was, nigh unto death: but God had mercy on him; and not on him only, but on me also, that I might not have sorrow upon sorrow.

I have sent him therefore the more diligently, that seeing him once more ye may rejoice, and I be less sorrowful.

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

for in the work of Christ he was nigh unto death indifferent about life, that he might afford me that service which it was not in your power to render me.

Though I too might have confidence in the flesh; if any other man thinks that he may have confidence in the flesh, I may claim more:

Yea doubtless, and I count all things but loss for the transcendently excellent knowledge of Jesus Christ my Lord: for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them but as offals of ordure, that I may gain Christ,

and be found in him, not having mine own righteousness, which is by the law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith:

that I may know him, and the virtue of his resurrection, and communion with his sufferings, being conformed to his death;

Not that I have already attained, or am now perfect: but I pursue, that I may overtake that for which also by his apprehension of me I am destined by Christ Jesus.

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

who shall transform our body of humiliation, that it may be conformed to his body of glory, according to the effectual working of him who is able to subdue even all things to himself.

Now I rejoiced greatly in the Lord, that now once more your thoughtful attention about me hath again sprung up, to which also your mind had been disposed, but ye had not found the opportunity.

Not that I mention this with a view to my indigence: for I have learned in whatever circumstances I am, to be content.

But know also, Philippians, that at my first preaching the gospel, when I went from Macedonia, no church communicated to me in the way of giving and receiving but ye alone.

Not that I am anxious for a gift; but I am anxious to see fruit abounding on your account.

Salute every saint in Christ Jesus. The brethren that are with me salute you.

which is come unto you, as it is also unto all the world; and beareth fruit, as also among you, from the day that ye heard and knew the grace of God in truth;

For this cause we also from the day we heard it have not ceased praying for you, and beseeching God that ye may be filled with the knowledge of his will, in all wisdom and spiritual understanding;

that ye may walk worthy of the Lord, well pleasing him in all things, in every good work fruitful, and increasing in the knowledge of God;

And he is the head of the body, the church; he is the beginning, the first begotten from the dead, that he might be in all things pre-eminent.

For it hath pleased the Father that in him all fulness should dwell;

whom we preach, warning every man, and teaching every man in all wisdom, that we may present every man perfect in Christ Jesus;

that their hearts may be comforted, firmly united together in love, and unto all riches of full assurance of understanding, in the knowledge of the mystery of God, and of the Father, and of Christ;

Beware that no man make a prey of you by means of philosophy and vain delusion, after the tradition of men, after the principles of the world, and not after Christ:

and hath blotted out the handwriting in ordinances that was against us, which was the obstacle to us, and took it from the midst, nailing it to the cross;

and have put on the new man, which is renewed in knowledge, after the image of him that created him.

And everything that ye do in word or in work, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God and the Father by him.

And in every thing that ye do, labour from the soul, as for the Lord, and not man;

knowing that from the Lord ye shall receive the reward of the inheritance: for ye are servants to the Lord Christ.

But he that is guilty of injustice shall receive punishment for the wrong he hath done: and there is no respect of persons.

MASTERS, afford to your servants that which is just, and an equivalent, knowing that ye also have a Master in the heavens.

praying also at the same time for us, that God may open to us a door for the word, that I may speak the mystery of Christ, for which I am also in chains:

that I may make it evident, as I ought to speak.

Let your discourse be always gracious, seasoned with salt, that ye may know how ye ought to reply to every man.

whom I have sent unto you for this very purpose, that he might know your affairs, and comfort your hearts;

with Onesimus, that faithful and beloved brother, who is one of you: they will make known unto you all things that have passed here.

Epaphras, one of you, saluteth you, a servant of Christ, always wrestling for you in prayers, that ye may stand perfect and complete in all the will of God.

For I bear him witness that he hath great zeal for you, and for those in Laodicea, and those in Hierapolis.

Salute the brethren that are in Laodicea, and Nymphas, and the church which is at his house.

And when this epistle hath been read among you, cause that it also be read in the church of the Laodiceans, and that ye also read that from Laodicea.

And say to Archippus, Take heed to the ministry which thou hast received from the Lord, that thou fulfil it.

so that ye became models for all that believe in Macedonia and Achaia.

For from you sounded forth the word of the Lord, not only into Macedonia and Achaia, but into every region also your fidelity towards God is gone out, so that we have no need to say any thing.

FOR ye yourselves, brethren, know our entrance in to you, that it was not in vain.

For ye remember, brethren, our labour and toil: for night and day working hard, that we might be no burden to any of you, we preached unto you the gospel of God.

Ye are witnesses, and God also, how holily, and justly, and faultlessly we conducted ourselves among you that believe:

that ye should walk worthy of God, as calling you into his kingdom and glory.

For this cause do we also give thanks to God unceasingly, because when ye received the word reported by us from God, ye received it not as the word of man, but, as it is in truth, the word of God, which worketh also effectually in you that believe.

forbidding us to speak to the Gentiles, that they might be saved, to fill up the measure of their iniquities always: but wrath is coming upon them to the extremity.

and sent Timothy our brother, and a minister of God, and our fellow-labourer in the gospel of Christ, that he might stablish you, and comfort you concerning your faith:

that no man might be shaken by these tribulations; for ye yourselves know that thereunto we are appointed.

For when we were with you, we told you before that we were about to suffer tribulation; as also it came to pass, and ye know.

But now when Timothy returned to us from you, and brought us the glad tidings of your faith and love, and that ye retain a kind remembrance of us always, earnestly desirous to see us, as we are also to see you:

night and day most fervently praying that we may see your face, and amply supply the deficiencies of your faith?

to the end that your hearts may be established blameless in holiness before God and our Father, at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ with all his saints.

FINALLY, brethren, we beseech you therefore, and conjure you by the Lord Jesus, that as ye have received of us how ye ought to walk, and please God, so ye would abound more and more.

For this is the will of God, even your sanctification, that you should abstain from whoredom;

that every one of you may know how to possess his own vessel in sanctification and honour,

that no man transgress against, or act dishonestly to his brother in this matter because the Lord is the avenger of all such things, as we have told you before, and testified.

Therefore he that despiseth, despiseth not man, but God, who hath also given unto us his Holy Spirit.

And indeed ye practise it towards all the brethren that are throughout Macedonia: but we conjure you, brethren, to abound more and more;

and that you make it your study to live peaceably, and to do your own business, and to work with your own hands, even as we have enjoined you;

that ye walk becomingly towards those without, and need no assistance from any person.

Now I would not have you ignorant, brethren, concerning those who are fallen asleep, that ye be not afflicted, as the rest [of mankind] who have no hope.

For if we believe that Jesus died, and rose again, so also those that have fallen asleep for Jesus shall God bring with him.

For this I say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive, who are left unto the coming of the Lord, shall not prevent those who are fallen asleep.

NOW concerning the times and the seasons, brethren, ye have no need that I should write to you:

for yourselves know precisely that the day of the Lord so cometh as a thief in the night.

But ye, brethren, are not in darkness, that the day should overtake you as a thief.

who died for us, that whether we sleep, or whether we wake, we may live together with him.

See that no man return evil for evil to any man; but always pursue that which is good, both towards one another, and towards all men.

Prove all things; hold fast that which is good.

Faithful is he that calleth you, who also will do it.

I conjure you by the Lord, that this epistle be read to all the holy brethren.

so that we ourselves make our boast of you among the churches of God, for your patience and fidelity under all your persecutions and afflictions which ye endure:

which is a manifest proof of the righteous judgment of God, that ye should be counted worthy of the kingdom of God, for which ye also suffer:

seeing it is a righteous thing with God to recompense tribulation to them that trouble you;

in a flame of fire, taking vengeance of them that know not God, and obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ:

when he shall come to be glorified in his saints, and to be admired by all those who believe; because our testimony was believed among you in that day.

Wherefore also we pray continually for you, that our God would count you worthy of the calling, and fulfil all the good pleasure of his goodness, and the work of faith with power:

that the name of our Lord Jesus Christ may be glorified by you, and you by him, according to the grace of our God and Lord, Jesus Christ.

that ye be not hastily agitated with apprehension, nor troubled, neither by spirit, nor by discourse, nor by letter, as coming from us, as though the day of the Lord was instantly approaching.

Let no man deceive you in any way: because that cannot be till the apostasy come first, and the man of sin appear, the son of perdition,

who opposeth himself against, and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or is the object of adoration; so that he in the temple of God sitteth as God, exhibiting himself in public that he is God.

Do ye not remember that when I was yet with you, I told you these things?

And now ye know what withholdeth, that he may be revealed in his own time.

For the mystery of iniquity is already powerfully working; only he that withholdeth hitherto, will do so till he is removed.

And then that lawless person will appear, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of his coming;

and in every unrighteous delusion among those who perish: in consequence of which things they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved.

And for this cause God shall send unto them the energy of delusion, that they should believe a lie:

that they all might be damned who have not believed the truth, but have taken pleasure in unrighteousness.

FINALLY, brethren, pray for us, that the word of the Lord may run, and be glorified, even as among you;

and that we may be delivered from unreasonable and wicked men: for there is not faith in all.

But we have confidence in the Lord towards you, that the things which we have enjoined you, ye both do, and will do.

neither did we eat bread with any man unpaid for, but with labour and toil worked night and day, that we might be burdensome to none of you: