Yes, and I am asking you also, [my] faithful partner [Note: This person is unknown, but may have been one of Paul's preacher companions], help those women, for they have worked hard with me in [spreading] the Gospel, along with Clement also, and the rest of my fellow-workers, whose names are in the book of life. [See Rev. 3:5; Heb. 12:23].

Howbeit I have been made to rejoice in the Lord greatly - that, now, at length, ye have flourished in your care for me, - although, indeed, ye were caring, but lacked opportunity.

I know how to live humbly, and I also know how to bear prosperity. In every place and under all circumstances I have been initiated into the secret of fulness and of hunger, of prosperity and of want.

But I receive all things, and I abound. I have been filled, having received from Epaphroditus the things from you, an aroma of fragrance, an acceptable sacrifice well-pleasing to God.

for the sake of that happiness, which you hope for, and is reserv'd for you in heaven, of which you have already been inform'd by the preaching of the truth, that is, the gospel:

that has come to you. Just as in the entire world this gospel is bearing fruit and growing, so it has also been bearing fruit and growing among you from the first day you heard it and understood the grace of God in truth.

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

He is the likeness of the unseen God, born first before all the creation ??16 for it was by him that all things were created both in heaven and on earth, both the seen and the unseen, including Thrones, angelic Lords, celestial Powers and Rulers; all things have been created by him and for him;

Because in him all things were created, things in the heavens and things upon the earth, things visible and things invisible, whether thrones or lordships or principal offices or positions of authority, all things have been created

And he is before all, and all things have been established by him.

but now you have been reconciled by {his physical body} through death, to present you holy and blameless and above reproach before him,

[and He will do this] if you continue in the faith, well-grounded and steadfast, and not shifting away from the [confident] hope [that is a result] of the gospel that you have heard, which was proclaimed in all creation under heaven, and of which [gospel] I, Paul, was made a minister.

Of which, I, have become minister - according to the administration of God which hath been given unto me to you-ward, to fill up the word of God,

the mystery that was hidden from the ages and from the generations, but has now been made known to his sanctified.

Unto whom God hath been pleased to make known what is the glorious wealth of this sacred secret among the nations, which is Christ in you, the hope of the glory, -

So that their hearts may be encouraged, having been united together in love, and for all wealth of the full assurance of understanding, to knowledge of the mystery of the God and Father of the Christ.

Rooted, and being built up, in him, and making yourselves sure in your faith, even as ye have been taught, - surpassing therein with thanksgiving.

And ye are men who have been made full in him, who is the head of every principal office and position of authority.

In whom, ye have also been circumcised with a circumcision not done by hand, in the despoiling of the body of flesh, in the circumcision of the Christ, -

Having been buried with him in immersion, in which also ye were raised together through faith of the working of God, who raised him from the dead.

And when you were [spiritually] dead because of your sins and your lack of being physically circumcised [Note: This refers to their having been unconverted Gentiles and therefore outside of a relationship with God], God made you alive [again] together with Christ, having forgiven us for all of our sins.

and not holding the Head, from whom all the body, having been supplied through the joints and bands, and having been joined together, will grow with the growth of God.

If then ye have been dead with Christ from the rudiments of the world, why, as though living in the world, are ye dogmatically taught,

Therefore if you have been raised with Christ [to a new life, sharing in His resurrection from the dead], keep seeking the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God.

For ye died, and your life has been hidden with the Christ in God.

and have been clothed with the new man that is being renewed in knowledge according to the image of the one who created it.

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

And let, the peace of Christ, act as umpire in your hearts, unto which ye have been called in onebody, and be thankful:

Praying simultaneously about us also, so that God may open to us a door of the word, to speak the mystery of the Christ, because of which I have also been bound,

Let your speech be always with grace, having been seasoned with salt, that you may know how you ought to answer each one.

Aristarchus, my brother-prisoner, sends his love to you, and Mark, a relation of Barnabas (about whom you have been given orders: if he comes to you, be kind to him),

These are my only fellow workers for the kingdom of God, belonging to the circumcision, who have been any comfort to me.

Epaphras, who is from you, the servant of Jesus Christ, always agonizing in your behalf in his prayers, in order that you may stand perfect even having been fully carried away in all the will of God, salutes you.

When this letter has been read among you, see that it is read in the church of the Laodiceans; and also that you in turn read my letter [that is coming to you] from Laodicea.

And tell Archippus, "See that you perform the Christian service you have been assigned."

Being conscious, my brothers, dear to God, that you have been marked out by God's purpose;

For our gospel came not unto you in word only, but in power, and in the Holy Ghost, and in great fulness of assurance; as ye know what manner of men we have been among you for your sakes.

For the word of the Lord has been sounded forth from you, and its sound has been heard not only in Macedonia and Achaia, but also in every place where the tidings of your faith toward God have been spread abroad, so that I have no need to speak of it.

For ye know yourselves, brethren, our entering in which we had to you, that it has not been in vain;

but after we had already suffered and been outrageously treated in Philippi, as you know, yet in [the strength of] our God we summoned the courage to proclaim boldly to you the good news of God [regarding salvation] amid great opposition.

But just as we have been approved by God to be entrusted with the gospel [that tells the good news of salvation through faith in Christ], so we speak, not as [if we were trying] to please people [to gain power and popularity], but to please God who examines our hearts [expecting our best].

For we have not at any time been among you with flattering discourse, even as ye know, nor with a pretext for covetousness, God is witness;

Nor of men sought we glory, neither of you, nor yet of others, when we might have been burdensome, as the apostles of Christ.

But we became gentle in your midst, - as though, a nursing mother, had been cherishing her own children:

Thus, yearning after you, we could have been well-pleased to impart unto you - not only the glad-message of God, but, our own lives also, - because, very dear to us, had ye become.

Now, we, brethren, having been bereaved away from you, for the season of an hour, - in presence, not in heart, gave more abundant diligence, your face, to behold, with much longing;

this I Paul have frequently attempted, but Satan has been my obstacle.

so that no one would be disturbed by these afflictions; for you yourselves know that we have been destined for this.

for we told you beforehand, when we were with you, that "we Christians are to have trouble" ??and, as you know, it has been so.)

So, when I could no longer endure it, I sent to find out about your faith, fearing that the tempter had tempted you and that my labor had been in vain.

I have been comforted, my brothers, in regard to you, in spite of all my distress and affliction over your faith.

how can I be sufficiently thankful to God upon your account, for all the joy, which by your means we have been affected with,

Now as to brotherly love, you have no need of anyone's writing you, for you have yourselves been taught by God to love one another,

And I wish you not to be ignorant, brethren, of them having been asleep, that ye should not grieve, as also the rest, they hating no hope.

So then, go on comforting and building up one another, as you have been doing.

God, by whom you have been marked out in his purpose, is unchanging and will make it complete.

when on that day He comes to be glorified in His consecrated ones and to be admired by all who believe in Him because our testimony has been confidently accepted among you.

This is why we always pray for you also, so that our God will consider you worthy to be [i.e., to have been] called [into the kingdom] by Him, and will fulfill, by His power, every good purpose [or, "desire for goodness"] of yours and every act produced by [your] faith.

not readily to become unsettled in mind or troubled--either by any pretended spiritual revelation or by any message or letter claiming to have been sent by us--through fancying that the day of the Lord is now here.

Let not any one deceive you in any manner, because it will not be unless the apostasy have first come, and the man of sin have been revealed, the son of perdition;

For the secret power of lawlessness is already at work, but only until he who is holding it back has been gotten out of the way.

and in all deceivableness of unrighteousness, among them that perish: because they received not the love of the truth, that they might have been saved.

So, brothers, stand fast, and hold fast the teachings which you have been taught by me, whether by word of mouth or by letter.

From which some have been turned away, giving themselves to foolish talking;

as measured by the glorious good news of the blessed God, with which I have been entrusted.

I am thankful to Christ Jesus, our Lord, who has been my strength, for showing that he thought me worthy of trust by appointing me to his ministry,

although I had formerly been a blasphemer and a persecutor and a doer of outrage. But I obtained mercy because I acted ignorantly in unbelief.

and the blessing of our Lord has been given me in the greatest abundance, together with faith and love that union with Christ Jesus brings.

holding faith and a good conscience, which some having renounced, as touching the faith, have been shipwrecked:

who gave himself a ransom for all, of which the testimony has been given in its proper times,

Unto which, I, have been appointed proclaimer and apostle - Truth I speak, I utter no falsehood - a teacher of nations, in faith and truth.

And Adam was not deceived, but the woman, having been deceived, became in transgression.

not a new convert, lest having been puffed up he may fall into the condemnation of the devil.

the mystery of piety is the pillar and basts of truth; and certainly most extraordinary. God has appear'd in the flesh, been justified by the spirit, seen by angels, proclaim'd to the Gentiles, believ'd by the world, and assum'd into glory.

speaking lies in hypocrisy, their own conscience having been seared with a hot iron,

If you keep these things before the minds of the brothers, you will be a good servant of Christ Jesus, trained in the words of the faith and of the right teaching which has been your guide:

Be not negligent of the gift that is in thee, which has been given to thee through prophecy, with imposition of the hands of the elderhood.

Now she who is a real widow, and who has been left all alone, has set her hope on God and continues in supplications and prayers night and day.

Let no woman be numbered among the widows who is under sixty years old, and only if she has been the wife of one man,

being testified in good works: if she has reared children, if she has been hospitable to strangers, if she has washed the feet of the sanctified, if she has relieved those who are afflicted, if she has followed every good work.

And they are judged because they have been false to their first faith;

The vices of some men are so notorious, they prevent any inquisition: others don't discover themselves till they have been ordain'd.

If anyone teaches a different doctrine [i.e., from what has been urged above], and does not agree to [proclaim the] sound words of our Lord Jesus Christ and to teaching that is godly [i.e., in harmony with godliness],

He has been proud, knowing nothing, but sick about questions and disputes of words, of which is envy, strife, slanders, evil conjectures,

meddling, of men whose minds have been corrupted and deprived of the truth, supposing that gain is godliness. Withdraw from such.

For the love of money is a root of all evil: and some whose hearts were fixed on it have been turned away from the faith, and been wounded with unnumbered sorrows.

Strive earnestly in the good conflict of faith. Lay hold of eternal life, to which thou hast been called, and hast confessed the good confession before many witnesses.

Timothy, guard what has been entrusted to you; continue to turn away from the worldly, futile phrases and contradictions of what is falsely called "knowledge,"

Through which some, who gave their minds to it, have been turned away from the faith. Grace be with you.

I give praise to God, whose servant I have been, with a heart free from sin, from the time of my fathers, because in my prayers at all times the thought of you is with me, night and day

I have been reminded of that sincere faith which is in your heart; which dwelt first in your grandmother Lois and in your mother Eunice, and, I am fully persuaded, dwells in you also.

who has saved us, and by the gospel hath called us to holiness, not in consideration of our works, but in pursuance of his own resolution, and the favour, which having been promised us by Jesus Christ several ages ago,

but has only recently been made known through the appearance of our Saviour Christ Jesus, who through the good news has put a stop to the power of death, and brought life and immortality to light.

Of this good news I have been appointed a preacher, an apostle, and a teacher.

This is why I suffer as I do. Still, I am not ashamed; for I know Him [and I am personally acquainted with Him] whom I have believed [with absolute trust and confidence in Him and in the truth of His deity], and I am persuaded [beyond any doubt] that He is able to guard that which I have entrusted to Him until that day [when I stand before Him].

Guard the glorious trust which has been committed to you by the aid of the Holy Spirit who makes his home in us.

You know that I have been abandon'd by all the Asiatics, by Phygellus and Hermogenes among the rest.

The Lord grant mercy unto the house, of Onesiphorus, in that, ofttimes, hath he refreshed me, and, as regardeth my chain, hath not been put to shame,

All that you have been taught by me in the hearing of many witnesses, you must hand on to trusty men who shall themselves, in turn, be competent to instruct others also.

Always remember that Jesus Christ, a descendant of David, has been raised from the dead according to the gospel I proclaim.