although I once also had confidence in the flesh. If anyone else thinks he has grounds for confidence in the flesh, I have more:

In bitter hate I was cruel to the church; I kept all the righteousness of the law to the last detail.

But whatever former things were gains to me [as I thought then], these things [once regarded as advancements in merit] I have come to consider as loss [absolutely worthless] for the sake of Christ [and the purpose which He has given my life].

Not as though I had already attained, either were already perfect: but I follow after, if that I may apprehend that for which also I am apprehended of Christ Jesus.

I rejoiced greatly in the Lord, that now at last you have renewed your concern for me; indeed, you were concerned about me before, but you had no opportunity to show it.

Howbeit ye did well that ye had fellowship with my affliction.

And ye yourselves also know, ye Philippians, that in the beginning of the gospel, when I departed from Macedonia, no church had fellowship with me in the matter of giving and receiving but ye only;

But I have received everything [in full] and have an abundance; {I am well supplied} [because] I received from Epaphroditus {what you had sent}, a fragrant offering, an acceptable sacrifice, well-pleasing to God.

Which has come to you; and which in all the world is giving fruit and increase, as it has done in you from the day when it came to your ears and you had true knowledge of the grace of God;

For this reason, we, from the day when we had word of it, keep on in prayer for you, that you may be full of the knowledge of his purpose, with all wisdom and experience of the Spirit,

For Christ is the very incarnation of the invisible God-- First-born and Head of all creation;

And he is before all things, and by him all things consist, And he is the head of his body the church;

And he is the head of the body, the church: who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead; that in all things he might have the preeminence.

of which I am a minister, according to the dispensation of God, which was given me for you to fulfil the ministry of the word of God??26 the mystery which was hid from ages and from generations, but is now unveiled to his saints;

Even the mystery which hath been hid from ages and from generations, but now is made manifest to his saints:

In whom are hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.

Since you have had the messiah, even Jesus the Lord, brought to you, lead your life in him,

Take heed lest there shall be any one that maketh spoil of you through his philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ:

And ye are complete in him, which is the head of all principality and power:

In whom you had a circumcision not made with hands, in the putting off of the body of the flesh, in the circumcision of Christ;

[When he] had disarmed the rulers and the authorities, he made a display of [them] in public, triumphing over them by it.

And not holding the Head, from which all the body by joints and bands having nourishment ministered, and knit together, increaseth with the increase of God.

For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God.

among whom you had your conversation, when you followed their practices.

Being gentle to one another and having forgiveness for one another, if anyone has done wrong to his brother, even as the Lord had forgiveness for you:

Slaves, always obey your earthly masters, not only when their eyes are on you, as if you had but to please men, but giving them ungrudging service, in your reverence for the Master.

For, he that acteth unrighteously, shall get back what he had unrighteously done, and there is no respect of persons;

Aristarchus, my fellow-prisoner, wishes to be remembered to you, and so does Barnabas' cousin Mark. (About him you have had instructions; if he comes to see you, make him welcome.)

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

And you followed the pattern set you by us and by the Master, after you had received the Message amid severe persecution, and yet with the joy which the Holy Spirit gives,

For from you the word of the Lord was proclaimed not only in Macedonia and Achaia, but your faith with respect to God went into every place, so that we had no need to say any thing;

For they themselves shew of us what manner of entering in we had unto you, and how ye turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God;

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

But even after that we had suffered before, and were shamefully entreated, as ye know, at Philippi, we were bold in our God to speak unto you the gospel of God with much contention.

but as God had judged us worthy to be intrusted with the gospel, so we speak, not as pleasing men, but God, who tries our hearts.

For we never used flattering speech, as you know, or had greedy motives—God is our witness—

we never sought honour from men, from you or from anybody else, though as apostles of Christ we had the power of claiming to be men of weight;

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

Thus, yearning over you, we had found our delight in having imparted to you not only the glad tidings of God, but our own lives also, because ye had become beloved of us.

This, too, is a reason why we, on our part, are continually thanking God--because, in receiving the teaching that you had from us, you accepted it, not as the teaching of man, but as what it really is--the teaching of God, which is even now doing its work within you who believe in Christ.

For you, brothers, followed the example of God's churches in Judea that are in union with Christ Jesus, for you in your turn had to bear the same ill-treatment from your neighbors as they did from the Jews,

But we, my brothers, being away from you for a short time, in body but not in heart, had all the more desire to see your face;

For this cause I also, when I could no longer forbear, sent that I might know your faith, lest by any means the tempter had tempted you, and our labor should be in vain.

But now when Timotheus was come to us from you, and had brought us the good tidings of your faith and love, and that ye have good remembrance of us always, longing to see us, as we also to see you:

Therefore, brethren, had we consolation in you, in all our adversity, and necessity through your faith.

Finally, then, brethren, we beseech and exhort you in the Lord Jesus, that, as ye received from us how ye ought to walk, and to please God??ven as ye also are walking??hat ye abound more and more;

For we say this to you by [the authority of] the word of the Lord [Note: Paul was either quoting what Jesus had previously said, or was giving a revelation he had received from the Lord. See I Cor. 14:37], that we [Christians] who are [still] alive, who are left [on earth] when the Lord returns, will certainly not precede those who have fallen asleep. [Note: The point Paul is making is that the living will not be "changed" (I Cor. 15:51-52) and taken to heaven before the dead are raised].

At his coming, when he will have glory in his saints, and will be a cause of wonder in all those who had faith (because our witness among you had effect) in that day.

not to be quickly shaken in your mind, nor yet be troubled, either by spirit, or by word, or by letter as from us, saying that the day of Christ had come.

That they all might be damned who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness.

Now our Lord Jesus Christ himself, and God our Father who had love for us and has given us eternal comfort and good hope through grace,

And we have had confidence in the Lord for you, that what we announce to you, and ye do and will do.

Now we give you orders, brothers, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, to keep away from all those whose behaviour is not well ordered and in harmony with the teaching which they had from us.

This was not because we had not a claim upon you, but it arose from a desire to set you an example--for you to imitate us.

If any man does not give heed to what I have said in this letter, mark that man; do not associate with him, so as to make him feel ashamed;

Have no feeling of hate for him, but take him in hand seriously as a brother.

As I exhorted thee when I was going into Macedonia, abide at Ephesus; that thou mayest charge some to teach no other doctrine, Neither to give heed to fables and endless genealogies,

Neither give heed to fables and endless genealogies, which minister questions, rather than godly edifying which is in faith: so do.

even though I was formerly a blasphemer [of our Lord] and a persecutor [of His church] and a shameful and outrageous and violent aggressor [toward believers]. Yet I was shown mercy because I acted out of ignorance in unbelief.

but God had mercy on me in order that in my case as the foremost, Christ Jesus might display his perfect patience, as an example to those who would later believe in him and find eternal life.

keeping hold of faith and a good conscience. For some people have let that go and have had their faith ruined,

I exhort therefore that above all things, prayers, supplications, intercessions, and giving of thanks, be had for all men:

And without argument, great is the secret of religion: He who was seen in the flesh, who was given God's approval in the spirit, was seen by the angels, of whom the good news was given among the nations, in whom the world had faith, who was taken up in glory.

Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils;

Speaking lies in hypocrisy; having their conscience seared with a hot iron;

If you point this out to the brothers, you will be a good servant of Christ Jesus, living on the principles of the faith and the excellent teaching you have had.

Till I come, give heed to reading, to exhortation, to teaching.

Do not neglect the divine gift within you, which was given you, amid many a prediction, when the hands of the Officers of the Church were laid on your head.

Take heed unto thyself, and unto the doctrine; continue in them: for in doing this thou shalt both save thyself, and them that hear thee.

No widow under sixty years of age should be put on this roll. A widow must have had but one husband,

And if witness is given of her good works; if she has had the care of children, if she has been kind to travellers, washing the feet of the saints, helping those who are in trouble, giving herself to good works.

for which they are much to be condemn'd, because they violate the engagements they had before enter'd into:

Likewise also the good works of some are manifest beforehand; and they that are otherwise cannot be hid.

If any one teaches another doctrine, and does not give heed to the sound words which belonged to our Lord Jesus Christ, and to the doctrine which is according to godliness;

It was God who saved us, and from him we received our solemn Call--not as a reward for anything that we had done, but in fulfillment of his own loving purpose. For that love was extended to us, through Christ Jesus, before time began,

Keep the form of those true words which you had from me, in faith and love which is in Christ Jesus.

You have had news that all those in Asia went away from me; among whom are Phygelus and Hermogenes:

May the Lord give mercy to the house of Onesiphorus because he frequently gave me help, and had no feeling of shame because I was in chains;

and that they will come to their senses and escape from being trapped by the devil, who had captured them to do what he wanted.

callous, relentless, scurrilous, dissolute, and savage; they will hate goodness,

They will hate goodness, they will be treacherous, reckless, blinded with pride, lovers of pleasure, rather than lovers of God.

my persecutions, my sufferings ??all that befell me at Antioch, Iconium and Lystra, all the persecutions I had to undergo, from which the Lord rescued me.

and how from childhood you have known the sacred writings (Hebrew Scriptures) which are able to give you the wisdom that leads to salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus [surrendering your entire self to Him and having absolute confidence in His wisdom, power and goodness].

But as for you, be serious about everything, endure hardship, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry.

I have had a part in the great contest, I have run my race, I have preserved my faith.

From now on, the crown of righteousness is made ready for me, which the Lord, the upright judge, Will give to me at that day: and not only to me, but to all those who have had love for his revelation.

(I have had to send Tychicus to Ephesus.)

At my first defence I had no one at my side, but all deserted me. May it not be laid to their charge.

But the Lord stood by me and strengthened me, so that through me the message could be fully proclaimed and that all the Gentiles could hear it. And I was rescued from the lion's mouth. [Note: This is probably a figure of speech indicating that Paul had escaped some immediate danger. See Psa. 22:20-21].

in hope of life eternal, which God, who cannot lie, hath promised before time had a being;

For this cause left I thee in Crete, that thou shouldest set in order the things that are wanting, and ordain elders in every city, as I had appointed thee:

[For a bishop must be above reproach ??he is a steward of God's house ??he must not be presumptuous or hot-tempered or a drunkard or violent or addicted to pilfering;

Not giving heed to Jewish fables, and commandments of men, that turn from the truth.

For we ourselves also were in times past, unwise, disobedient, deceived, in danger to lusts, and to divers manners of voluptuousness, living in maliciousness and envy, full of hate, hating one another.

not on the principle of works which have been done in righteousness which we had done, but according to his own mercy he saved us through the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit,

This is a true saying; and it is my desire that you may give certain witness about these things, so that those who have had faith in God may give attention to good works. These things are good and of profit to men;

For I had much joy and comfort in thy love, because the hearts of the saints have been refreshed through thee, brother.

I had rather apply to your benevolent temper, and desire you would regard the years of Paul, who am now also a prisoner for Jesus Christ,

but in these latter days he has spoken to us in a Son, whom he had destined to possess everything, and through whom he had made the world.

Who being the brightness of his glory, and the express image of his person, and upholding all things by the word of his power, when he had by himself purged our sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high;