till we, everyone - in the unity of faith, and knowledge of the son of God - grow up unto a perfect man, after the measure of age which is of the fullness of Christ:

So we shall no longer be children, tossed up and down, and blown about by every wind of teaching, tricked by the craft of men in the snares of misleading error;

But speaking the truth in love, may grow up into him in all things, which is the head, even Christ:

from whom all the body fitly framed and knit together through that which every joint supplieth, according to the working in due measure of each several part, maketh the increase of the body unto the building up of itself in love.

Now in the Lord I insist and protest that you must give up living like pagans; for their purposes are futile,

who being past feeling gave themselves up to lasciviousness, to work all uncleanness with greediness.

Let no corrupt word out of your mouth go forth, but what is good unto the needful building up, that it may give grace to the hearers;

You must give up all bitterness, rage, anger, and loud, abusive talk, and all spite.

and walk in love, even as Christ also loved you, and gave himself up for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God for an odor of a sweet smell.

Wherefore he says, Wake up, thou that sleepest, and arise up from among the dead, and the Christ shall shine upon thee.

making the very most of your time [on earth, recognizing and taking advantage of each opportunity and using it with wisdom and diligence], because the days are [filled with] evil.

Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself up for it;

For none at any time hates his own flesh; but brings it up and cherishes it, as also the Lord the church:

To sum up, each one of you is to love his wife as himself, and the wife is to respect her husband.

Children, obey your parents in the Lord: for this is right.

And, ye fathers, provoke not your children to wrath: but bring them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord.

Bondmen, obey masters according to flesh, with fear and trembling, in simplicity of your heart as to the Christ;

Do not do this only while you're being watched in order to please them, but be like slaves of the Messiah, who are determined to obey God's will.

Obey with enthusiasm, as though serving the Lord and not people,

And, masters, do the same things towards them, giving up threatening, knowing that both their and your Master is in heaven, and there is no acceptance of persons with him.

Finally, be filled up with dynamite in the Lord, and in the power of his might.

Put on the full armor of God [for His precepts are like the splendid armor of a heavily-armed soldier], so that you may be able to [successfully] stand up against all the schemes and the strategies and the deceits of the devil.

Wherefore take up the whole armor of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and, having done all, to stand.

withal taking up the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the evil one .

I am convinced and confident of this very thing, that He who has begun a good work in you will [continue to] perfect and complete it until the day of Christ Jesus [the time of His return].

It is right for me to feel this way about you, because [you have me in your heart as] I have you in my heart, since both in my imprisonment and in the defense and confirmation of the good news [regarding salvation], all of you share in [His matchless] grace with me.

but the other proclaim Christ of faction, not sincerely, thinking to raise up affliction for me in my bonds.

Take your part in the same struggle that you have seen me engage in and that you hear I am still keeping up.

make my joy complete by being of the same mind, having the same love [toward one another], knit together in spirit, intent on one purpose [and living a life that reflects your faith and spreads the gospel—the good news regarding salvation through faith in Christ].

Instead, He gave up what He had and took on the form [i.e., the nature] of a slave, becoming like a man, [and even] His appearance was found to be like a man's.

Now lifted up by God to heaven, a name above all others given, this matchless name possessing.

So that, my beloved, as ye always obey, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, with fear and trembling your own salvation work out,

so that you will be without just blame and innocent [of wrongdoing], children of God without fault in the middle of a crooked and perverted generation of people. You must shine among them like stars lighting up the sky,

holding up the word of life; that I may have something to boast in the day of Christ, that I didn't run in vain nor labor in vain.

Yea, and though I be offered up upon the offering and sacrifice of your faith: I rejoice and rejoice with you all.

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.

because for the sake of the work he drew near even to death, venturing his life that he might fill up what lacked in your ministration toward me.

But those things which were profit to me, I gave up for Christ.

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,

To know him, and the power of his rising up, and the mutual participation of his sufferings, being rendered conformable to his death;

If somehow I shall arrive at the rising up of the dead.

In any case, we should live up to whatever truth we have attained.

The end of such men is Ruin; for their appetites are their God, and they glory in their shame; their minds are given up to earthly things.

By the help of the Lord always keep up the glad spirit; yes, I will repeat it, keep up the glad spirit.

As to the rest, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever venerable, whatever just, whatever pure, whatever lovely, whatever prosperous; if any ability, and if any praise, reckon up these things.

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.

I can do all things through him who fills me up with dynamite.

And you Philippians know that in the early days of preaching the gospel, after I left Macedonia, no church shared with me in the matter of giving and receiving except you alone;

It is not your gift that I want, but I do want the profits to pile up to your credit.

And, my God, will fill up your every need, according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus.

For the hope which is laid up for you in heaven, whereof ye heard before in the word of the truth of the gospel;

That is why, from the day I first heard of it, I have never given up praying for you and asking God to fill you, through full spiritual wisdom and insight, with a clear knowledge of what his will is,

Who now rejoice in my sufferings for you, and fill up that which is behind of the afflictions of Christ in my flesh for his body's sake, which is the church:

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 open secret, covered up from the people of former ages and generations, but now uncovered to God's people,

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,

in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge [regarding the word and purposes of God].

Rooted and built up in him, and stablished in the faith, as ye have been taught, abounding therein with thanksgiving.

having been buried with Him in baptism and raised with Him [to a new life] through [your] faith in the working of God, [as displayed] when He raised Christ from the dead.

Having blotted out the handwriting against us by the decrees, which was hostile to us, - and hath taken away, the same, out of the midst, nailing it up to the cross:

He rid himself of all the Powers of Evil, and held them up to open contempt, when he celebrated his triumph over them on the cross!

Let no man beguile you of your reward in a voluntary humility and worshipping of angels, intruding into those things which he hath not seen, vainly puffed up by his fleshly mind,

"You must not handle," "You must not taste," "You must not touch"??22 referring to things that are all meant to be used up and destroyed? This is to follow mere human rules and regulations.

All these regulations refer to what is destroyed by being used up; they are commands and doctrines of men.

Therefore if you have been raised up with Christ, keep seeking the things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God.

putting up with one another and forgiving one another. If anyone should have a complaint against anyone, just as also the Lord forgave you, thus also you [do the same].

And let the peace of God set up its throne in your hearts, whereunto also ye have been called in one body; and be ye thankful.

Children, obey your parents in all things: for this is well pleasing unto the Lord.

You fathers [Note: By implication, this would include both parents] should not stir up your children [i.e., irritate or exasperate them], so that they do not become discouraged.

Servants, obey in all things your masters according to the flesh; not with eyeservice, as menpleasers; but in singleness of heart, fearing God:

praying at the same time for us as well, that God will open up to us a door for the word, so that we may speak forth the mystery of Christ, for which I have also been imprisoned;

Conduct yourself with wisdom in your interactions with outsiders (non-believers), make the most of each opportunity [treating it as something precious].

Epaphras, one of your own number, a slave of Christ Jesus, wishes to be remembered to you. He is always standing up for you in his prayers that you may stand fast, like men of mature convictions, whatever God's will for you may be.

and so became an example to all the believers in Macedonia and Achaia. [Note: These two provinces make up present-day Greece].

And [they tell how you are] waiting for His Son [to come] from heaven, the One He raised up from the dead --- this Jesus, who rescues us from the coming wrath [of God].

But, as you will remember, after we had already met with suffering and outrage at Philippi, we summoned up boldness, by the help of our God, to tell you God's Good News amid much opposition.

For we were never found using flattering words at any time, as you know, nor did we try to cover up any greedy desires. God can testify [to this].

You remember, brothers, our hard labor and toil. We kept up our habit of working night and day, in order not to be a burden to any of you when we preached to you.

and urging you to live up to the standards of God, who calls you into His own kingdom and splendor.

Forbidding us to speak to the Gentiles that they might be saved, to fill up their sins alway: for the wrath is come upon them to the uttermost.

That was why we made up our minds to go and see you--at least I, Paul, did, more than once--but Satan put difficulties in our way.

And so, as we could bear it no longer, we made up our minds to remain behind alone at Athens,

[So], for this reason, when I could not stand it any longer, I also sent [Timothy] to find out about your faith. I was afraid that somehow the tempter [i.e., Satan] had tempted you [to give up] and that our work [on your behalf] will have become useless.

We pray earnestly night and day to see you in person and make up what may be lacking in your faith.

Thus He will build up your characters, so that you will be faultlessly holy in the presence of our God and Father at the Coming of our Lord Jesus with all His holy ones.

also keep up your ambition to live quietly, to practice attending to your own business and to work with your own hands, as we directed you,

For if we believe that Jesus died and rose up, so also God by Jesus Christ will bring with him them having slept.

Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.

But you, believers, [all you who believe in Christ as Savior and acknowledge Him as God’s Son] are not in spiritual darkness [nor held by its power], that the day [of judgment] would overtake you [by surprise] like a thief;

Wherefore exhort one another, and build each other up, even as also ye do.

And our desire is that you will keep control over those whose lives are not well ordered, giving comfort to the feeble-hearted, supporting those with little strength, and putting up with much from all.

never give up prayer,

Therefore, we speak of you with pride among the churches of God for your steadfastness [your unflinching endurance, and patience] and your firm faith in the midst of all the persecution and [crushing] distress which you endure.

In flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God, and that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ:

we request that you people do not become shaken up in your mind, nor alarmed, either by a spirit [i.e., by some prophetic prediction], or by a report, or by a letter supposedly from us, that the day of the Lord [i.e., when Jesus returns] has already come.

who is opposing and is raising himself up above all called God or worshipped, so that he in the sanctuary of God as God hath sat down, shewing himself off that he is God -- the day doth not come.

and then the lawless one will be revealed, whom the Lord Jesus will slay with the breath of his mouth, and wipe out by the appearance of his coming,

And for this cause, God will give them up to the power of deceit and they will put their faith in what is false:

But be not you, my brethren, discouraged from well-doing. And if any obey not our order,

And if any man obey not our word by this epistle, note that man, and have no company with him, that he may be ashamed.