For this reason it is said, "Awake, thou sleeper! Arise from the dead; And Christ shall shine upon thee!"

For this cause, do not become foolish, but have discernment as to what is the will of the Lord;

and this the burthen of the song, "thanks be to God, even the father, for his son Jesus Christ our Lord."

because a husband is the Head of his wife as Christ also is the Head of the Church, being indeed the Saviour of this His Body.

He did this to present the church to Himself in splendor, without spot or wrinkle or anything like that, but holy and blameless.

This is the way married men ought to love their wives, as they do their own bodies. The married man who loves his wife is really loving himself,

For this cause, will a man leave his father and his mother, and will cleave unto his wife, and, they two, shall become, one flesh.

This sacred secret, is, great, - I, however, am speaking as to Christ and as tothe assembly; -

Ye children, be obedient unto your parents in the Lord, for this is right:

Honor [esteem, value as precious] your father and your mother [and be respectful to them]—this is the first commandment with a promise—

And you fathers [Note: This word probably includes both parents], do not stir up your children to become angry, but bring them up in the training and instruction of the Lord.

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.

Knowing that whatever good thing each may do, he will receive this from the Lord, whether bondman or freeman.

Because our struggle is not against blood and flesh, but, against the principalities, against the authorities, against the world-holders, of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenlies.

For this cause, take up the complete armour of God, in order that ye may receive power to withstand in the evil day, and, all things, having accomplished, to stand!

and in all of this, by taking up the shield of faith with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one.

praying through every prayer and entreaty at every time in spirit, and being alert in this same thing in all perseverance and entreaty for all the sanctified,

For this I am an ambassador in chains. Pray that I might be bold enough in Him to speak as I should.

Whom I have sent unto you for this very purpose, that ye may get to know the things concerning us, and he may encourage your hearts.

[This letter is from] Paul and Timothy, slaves of Christ Jesus, [and is being sent] to all the saints [i.e., God's holy people] who are at Philippi [Note: This is a town in present-day northeastern Greece, and the first place in Europe where Paul established Christianity], along with the overseers [Note: These men were also called elders, shepherds or pastors] and deacons.

for what you have contributed to the gospel from the very first day down to this moment;

Being persuaded of this very thing - that, he who hath begun in you a good work, will perfect it, until the day of Jesus Christ;

According as it is right in me to have this regard in behalf of you all, - because ye have had me in your hearts, both in my bonds and in the defence and confirmation of the glad-message, all of you being, joint partakers of my favour.

And, this, I pray - that, your love, may be, yet more and more, pre-eminent in personal knowledge and all perception,

Now I want you to know, believers, that what has happened to me [this imprisonment that was meant to stop me] has actually served to advance [the spread of] the good news [regarding salvation].

My imprisonment in [the cause of] Christ has become common knowledge throughout the whole praetorian (imperial) guard and to everyone else.

And besides this, most of our Brothers have gained confidence in the Lord through my chains, and now venture with far greater freedom to speak of God's Message fearlessly.

the former are preaching Christ from the motive of rivalry, not in sincerity, supposing that this is making it harder for me to bear my imprisonment.

What then? That, in any way, whether in pretext, or in truth, Christ, is declared, and, in this, I rejoice - yea, and will rejoice!

For I know that, this, shall turn unto me for salvation - through your supplication, and the supply of the Spirit of Jesus Christ, -

It is my own eager expectation and hope, that [looking toward the future] I will not disgrace myself nor be ashamed in anything, but that with courage and the utmost freedom of speech, even now as always, Christ will be magnified and exalted in my body, whether by life or by death.

For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain: and if I live in the flesh, this is the fruit of my labor:

But, if living in flesh, is Christ , this, unto me, is a fruit of work, - and, what I shall choose, I make not known:

But I am hard-pressed between the two. I have the desire to leave [this world] and be with Christ, for that is far, far better;

and my inclination to abide in this life, as being more advantageous for YOU:

And, of, this, being assured, know that I shall abide, - yea abide with you all, for your advancement, and the joy of your faith;

Only [be sure to] lead your lives in a manner [that will be] worthy of the gospel of Christ, so that whether I do come and see you or remain absent, I will hear about you that you are standing firm in one spirit [and one purpose], with one mind striving side by side [as if in combat] for the faith of the gospel.

And not being affrighted in anything by the opposers, - the which, is, unto them, a token of destruction, although of your salvation, and this from God;

This also is of God. For to you it is given, with regard to Christ, not only to believe on him, but also to suffer for him:

fill my joy, that you may think the same thing, having the same divine love, being like-minded, thinking this one thing;

Have this same attitude in yourselves which was in Christ Jesus [look to Him as your example in selfless humility],

who, although He existed in the form and unchanging essence of God [as One with Him, possessing the fullness of all the divine attributes—the entire nature of deity], did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped or asserted [as if He did not already possess it, or was afraid of losing it];

More than this, after he had shone himself in human form, he humbled himself in his obedience even to death; yes, and to death on a cross.

For this reason God has put him in the highest place and has given to him the name which is greater than every name;

[This was] so that, in [honor of] the name of Jesus, everyone's knee in heaven, on earth and under the earth [i.e., all rational creatures] should bow [i.e., before God],

for it is God who in his goodwill enables you to will this and to achieve it.

because of this do ye also rejoice and joy with me.

Indeed therefore I hope to send this man immediately, whenever I may focus on the things concerning me.

For this reason, I am very eager to send him so that you may rejoice when you see him again and I may be less anxious.

Finally, my brothers, rejoice in the Lord. To write to you again about this is no trouble for me and is a protection for you.

and to be found in [fellowship with] Him, not having a righteousness of my own, acquired by observing the law of Moses, but one acquired through believing in Christ. This righteousness, which comes from God, is based on faith.

Not that I have already obtained it [this goal of being Christlike] or have already been made perfect, but I actively press on so that I may take hold of that [perfection] for which Christ Jesus took hold of me and made me His own.

Brothers, I do not regard myself to have yet laid hold of it; but this one thing I do, forgetting what is behind me, but straining every nerve toward that which lies ahead,

with this goal in mind, I strive toward the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.

All of us who are mature [pursuing spiritual perfection] should have this attitude. And if in any respect you have a different attitude, that too God will make clear to you.

but in what we have attained, in this let us walk.

Become fellow imitators of me, brothers, and observe those who walk in this way, just as you have us [as] an example.

who in the. end will be ruin'd, who place their religion in sensuality, their glory in that which is their shame, and fix their thoughts upon this earth.

By whom this poor body of ours will be changed into the image of the body of his glory, in the measure of the working by which he is able to put all things under himself.

So then, my brothers, beloved and longed for, my joy and crown, so stand firm in Lord this way beloved.

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].

You should let your gentleness be known to all people. The Lord is near. [Note: This "nearness" could refer to Christ's second coming or to His nearness to His people in a spiritual sense].

practise what I have taught, what you have learnt of me, what you have heard me preach, and seen me practise. this do, and the God of peace will then be with you.

Moreover, I greatly rejoiced in the Lord that now once more your care for me blossomed afresh; though indeed you did take thought in this matter, but you lacked the opportunity of expression.

I don’t say this out of need, for I have learned to be content in whatever circumstances I am.

And as you Philippians know, at the beginning of my gospel ministry, when I left Macedonia, no church shared with me in this matter of giving and receiving except you alone.

I do not say this because I am seeking a gift. Rather, I seek the credit that abounds to your account.

[This letter is from] Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by God's will, and [from] our brother Timothy,

because of the [confident] hope [of experiencing that] which is reserved and waiting for you in heaven. You previously heard of this hope in the message of truth, the gospel [regarding salvation]

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.

You learned this from Epaphras, our dearly loved fellow slave. He is a faithful servant of the Messiah on your behalf,

For this reason, since the day we heard about it, we have not stopped praying for you, asking [specifically] that you may be filled with the knowledge of His will in all spiritual wisdom [with insight into His purposes], and in understanding [of spiritual things],

and that through Him He might reconcile to Himself all things on earth or in heaven, making this peace through the blood He shed On His cross.

[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.

Now I rejoice in my sufferings for you, and am filling up the measure of those remaining afflictions, which in my turn I am to suffer in this life, in the cause of Christ, for the sake of his body, which is the church:

It is of this I was made a minister, according to the stewardship entrusted to me by God for you, fully to declare God's message;

[This message is] the secret which has been kept hidden throughout the ages and generations, but has now been revealed to God's saints [i.e., His holy people].

God [in His eternal plan] chose to make known to them how great for the Gentiles are the riches of the glory of this mystery, which is Christ in and among you, the hope and guarantee of [realizing the] glory.

This is the Christ whom we proclaim, warning every one, and instructing every one, with all the wisdom that we possess, in the hope of bringing every one into God's presence perfected by union with Christ.

For this I labor [often to the point of exhaustion], striving with His power and energy, which so greatly works within me.

I want you to know how much I am struggling for you [Note: This probably refers to the great effort Paul was exerting in prayer, preaching, etc.], and for those at Laodicia [Note: This was a town ten miles west of Colosse], and for all those who have never met me in person.

that their hearts might be comforted, and that being firmly united in love, they might possess the highest and fullest persuasion of the truth of this doctrine, by entring into this mystery, even of God the father, and of Christ,

I say this so that no one will deceive you with persuasive [but thoroughly deceptive] arguments.

Beware lest any man make a prey of you through philosophy and empty deceit, after the traditions of men, after the rudiments of this world, and not after Christ.

[This happened when you were] buried with Christ in [the act of] immersion, from which you were also raised up with Him through [your] faith in the accomplishment of God, who raised Him up 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.

having canceled out the certificate of debt consisting of legal demands [which were in force] against us and which were hostile to us. And this certificate He has set aside and completely removed by nailing it to the cross.

[In doing this] Christ disarmed the rulers and authorities [i.e., evil forces] and made a public display of them, triumphing over them through the cross. [Note: This could possibly be rendered "God triumphed over them through Christ"].

For this reason let no man be your judge in any question of food or drink or feast days or new moons or Sabbaths:

Do not allow anyone, who delights in acting humble [i.e., living an ascetic life] and who worships angels, to rob you of your reward [in heaven]. [Note: This "angel worship" could mean holding angels in high regard because of their role as God's messengers, or the claim that God can be approached only through angelic intermediaries]. He places great importance on what he [claims to] see [i.e., visions], being inflated with pride by his fleshly mind for no [good] reason.

If you died with Christ to the world's rudimentary notions, why, as if you still lived in the world, do you submit yourselves to dogmatisms found on teachings and doctrines of men??21 such as "Do not handle this," "You must not taste that," "Do not touch this"??22 all things which are intended to perish in the using?

“Do not handle [this], do not taste [that], do not [even] touch!”?

(these things all perish with use)—in accordance with the commandments and teachings of men.

For you died [to this world], and your [new, real] life is hidden with Christ in God.

You also lived your lives in this way at one time, when you used to live among them.

improv'd by knowledge into a resemblance of him, who made this change:

a renewal in which there is no [distinction between] Greek and Jew, circumcised and uncircumcised, [nor between nations whether] barbarian or Scythian, [nor in status whether] slave or free, but Christ is all, and in all [so believers are equal in Christ, without distinction].

to all this add love, which is the band of perfect union:

Let the peace that Christ can give keep on acting as umpire in your hearts, for you were called to this state as members of one body. And practice being thankful.

You married women must continue to live in subordination to your husbands, for this is your Christian duty.