and that which was a trial to you in my bodily condition you did not despise or loathe, but you received me as an angel of God, as Christ Jesus Himself.

They eagerly seek you, not commendably, but they wish to shut you out so that you will seek them.

But it is good always to be eagerly sought in a commendable manner, and not only when I am present with you.

but I could wish to be present with you now and to change my tone, for I am perplexed about you.

But the son by the bondwoman was born according to the flesh, and the son by the free woman through the promise.

But the Jerusalem above is free; she is our mother.

But as at that time he who was born according to the flesh persecuted him who was born according to the Spirit, so it is now also.

But what does the Scripture say?
“Cast out the bondwoman and her son,
For the son of the bondwoman shall not be an heir with the son of the free woman.”

So then, brethren, we are not children of a bondwoman, but of the free woman.

For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision means anything, but faith working through love.

I have confidence in you in the Lord that you will adopt no other view; but the one who is disturbing you will bear his judgment, whoever he is.

But I, brethren, if I still preach circumcision, why am I still persecuted? Then the stumbling block of the cross has been abolished.

For you were called to freedom, brethren; only do not turn your freedom into an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another.

But if you bite and devour one another, take care that you are not consumed by one another.

But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not carry out the desire of the flesh.

But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the Law.

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,

But each one must examine his own work, and then he will have reason for boasting in regard to himself alone, and not in regard to another.

For the one who sows to his own flesh will from the flesh reap corruption, but the one who sows to the Spirit will from the Spirit reap eternal life.

For those who are circumcised do not even keep the Law themselves, but they desire to have you circumcised so that they may boast in your flesh.

But may it never be that I would boast, except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, through which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world.

For neither is circumcision anything, nor uncircumcision, but a new creation.

far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this age but also in the one to come.

And He put all things in subjection under His feet, and gave Him as head over all things to the church,

But God, being rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us,

But now in Christ Jesus you who formerly were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ.

and might reconcile them both in one body to God through the cross, by it having put to death the enmity.

So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints, and are of God’s household,

But to each one of us grace was given according to the measure of Christ’s gift.

but speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in all aspects into Him who is the head, even Christ,

But you did not learn Christ in this way,

and put on the new self, which in the likeness of God has been created in righteousness and holiness of the truth.

He who steals must steal no longer; but rather he must labor, performing with his own hands what is good, so that he will have something to share with one who has need.

Let no unwholesome word proceed from your mouth, but only such a word as is good for edification according to the need of the moment, so that it will give grace to those who hear.

Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice.

But immorality or any impurity or greed must not even be named among you, as is proper among saints;

and there must be no filthiness and silly talk, or coarse jesting, which are not fitting, but rather giving of thanks.

for you were formerly darkness, but now you are Light in the Lord; walk as children of Light

Do not participate in the unfruitful deeds of darkness, but instead even expose them;

But all things become visible when they are exposed by the light, for everything that becomes visible is light.

Therefore be careful how you walk, not as unwise men but as wise,

So then do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is.

And do not get drunk with wine, for that is dissipation, but be filled with the Spirit,

But as the church is subject to Christ, so also the wives ought to be to their husbands in everything.

that He might present to Himself the church in all her glory, having no spot or wrinkle or any such thing; but that she would be holy and blameless.

for no one ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it, just as Christ also does the church,

This mystery is great; but I am speaking with reference to Christ and the church.

Fathers, do not provoke your children to anger, but bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord.

not by way of eyeservice, as men-pleasers, but as slaves of Christ, doing the will of God from the heart.

Put on the full armor of God, so that you will be able to stand firm against the schemes of the devil.

For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places.

Stand firm therefore, having girded your loins with truth, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness,

But that you also may know about my circumstances, how I am doing, Tychicus, the beloved brother and faithful minister in the Lord, will make everything known to you.

Some, to be sure, are preaching Christ even from envy and strife, but some also from good will;

according to my earnest expectation and hope, that I will not be put to shame in anything, but that with all boldness, Christ will even now, as always, be exalted in my body, whether by life or by death.

But if I am to live on in the flesh, this will mean fruitful labor for me; and I do not know which to choose.

But I am hard-pressed from both directions, having the desire to depart and be with Christ, for that is very much better;

in no way alarmed by your opponents—which is a sign of destruction for them, but of salvation for you, and that too, from God.

For to you it has been granted for Christ’s sake, not only to believe in Him, but also to suffer for His sake,

Do nothing from selfishness or empty conceit, but with humility of mind regard one another as more important than yourselves;

do not merely look out for your own personal interests, but also for the interests of others.

but emptied Himself, taking the form of a bond-servant, and being made in the likeness of men.

So then, my beloved, just as you have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your salvation with fear and trembling;

But even if I am being poured out as a drink offering upon the sacrifice and service of your faith, I rejoice and share my joy with you all.

But I hope in the Lord Jesus to send Timothy to you shortly, so that I also may be encouraged when I learn of your condition.

But you know of his proven worth, that he served with me in the furtherance of the gospel like a child serving his father.

But I thought it necessary to send to you Epaphroditus, my brother and fellow worker and fellow soldier, who is also your messenger and minister to my need;

For indeed he was sick to the point of death, but God had mercy on him, and not on him only but also on me, so that I would not have sorrow upon sorrow.

for we are the true circumcision, who worship in the Spirit of God and glory in Christ Jesus and put no confidence in the flesh,

although I myself might have confidence even in the flesh. If anyone else has a mind to put confidence in the flesh, I far more:

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

More than that, I count all things to be loss in view of the surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them but rubbish so that I may gain Christ,

and may be found in Him, not having a righteousness of my own derived from the Law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which comes from God on the basis of faith,

Not that I have already obtained it or have already become perfect, but I press on so that I may lay hold of that for which also I was laid hold of by Christ Jesus.

Brethren, I do not regard myself as having laid hold of it yet; but one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and reaching forward to what lies ahead,

Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.

But I rejoiced in the Lord greatly, that now at last you have revived your concern for me; indeed, you were concerned before, but you lacked opportunity.

You yourselves also know, Philippians, that at the first preaching of the gospel, after I left Macedonia, no church shared with me in the matter of giving and receiving but you alone;

Not that I seek the gift itself, but I seek for the profit which increases to your account.

But I have received everything in full and have an abundance; I am amply supplied, having received from Epaphroditus what you have sent, a fragrant aroma, an acceptable sacrifice, well-pleasing to God.

that is, the mystery which has been hidden from the past ages and generations, but has now been manifested to His saints,

things which are a mere shadow of what is to come; but the substance belongs to Christ.

These are matters which have, to be sure, the appearance of wisdom in self-made religion and self-abasement and severe treatment of the body, but are of no value against fleshly indulgence.

But now you also, put them all aside: anger, wrath, malice, slander, and abusive speech from your mouth.

and have put on the new self who is being renewed to a true knowledge according to the image of the One who created him—

a renewal in which there is no distinction between Greek and Jew, circumcised and uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave and freeman, but Christ is all, and in all.

So, as those who have been chosen of God, holy and beloved, put on a heart of compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience;

Beyond all these things put on love, which is the perfect bond of unity.

Slaves, in all things obey those who are your masters on earth, not with external service, as those who merely please men, but with sincerity of heart, fearing the Lord.

for our gospel did not come to you in word only, but also in power and in the Holy Spirit and with full conviction; just as you know what kind of men we proved to be among you for your sake.

For the word of the Lord has sounded forth from you, not only in Macedonia and Achaia, but also in every place your faith toward God has gone forth, so that we have no need to say anything.

but after we had already suffered and been mistreated in Philippi, as you know, we had the boldness in our God to speak to you the gospel of God amid much opposition.

but just as we have been approved by God to be entrusted with the gospel, so we speak, not as pleasing men, but God who examines our hearts.

But we proved to be gentle among you, as a nursing mother tenderly cares for her own children.

Having so fond an affection for you, we were well-pleased to impart to you not only the gospel of God but also our own lives, because you had become very dear to us.

For this reason we also constantly thank God that when you received the word of God which you heard from us, you accepted it not as the word of men, but for what it really is, the word of God, which also performs its work in you who believe.

who both killed the Lord Jesus and the prophets, and drove us out. They are not pleasing to God, but hostile to all men,

hindering us from speaking to the Gentiles so that they may be saved; with the result that they always fill up the measure of their sins. But wrath has come upon them to the utmost.

But we, brethren, having been taken away from you for a short while—in person, not in spirit—were all the more eager with great desire to see your face.

But now that Timothy has come to us from you, and has brought us good news of your faith and love, and that you always think kindly of us, longing to see us just as we also long to see you,