as it is righteous for me to think this as to you all, because ye have me in your hearts, and that both in my bonds and in the defence and confirmation of the glad tidings ye are all participators in my grace.

For God [is] my witness, that I long for all of you with the affection of Christ Jesus.

And this I pray, that your love may abound yet more and more in knowledge and in all judgment;

That ye may approve things that are excellent; that ye may be sincere and without offence till the day of Christ;

being filled with the fruit of righteousness, that is through Jesus Christ, to the glory and praise of God.

But I would ye should understand, brethren, that the things which happened unto me have fallen out rather unto the furtherance of the gospel;

So that my bonds in Christ are manifest in all the palace, and in all other places;

and that most of the brethren in the Lord, being confident through my bonds, are more abundantly bold to speak the word of God without fear.

Some, it is true, are [actually] preaching Christ out of envy and rivalry [toward me—for no better reason than a competitive spirit or misguided ambition], but others out of goodwill and a loyal spirit [toward me].

the one do it of love, knowing that I am set for the defence of the gospel;

But the other of love, knowing that I am set for the defence of the gospel.

What then? only that in every way, whether in pretence or in truth, Christ is proclaimed; and therein I rejoice, yea, and will rejoice.

For I know that this shall turn to my salvation through your prayer, and the supply of the Spirit of Jesus Christ,

According to my earnest expectation and my hope, that in nothing I shall be ashamed, but that with all boldness, as always, so now also Christ shall be magnified in my body, whether it be by life, or by death.

If, however, it is to be life here and I am to go on living, this will mean useful and productive service for me; so I do not know which to choose [if I am given that choice].

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;

But for your sakes it is more important that I should still remain in the body.

And having this confidence, I know that I shall abide and continue with you all for your furtherance and joy of faith;

That your rejoicing may be more abundant in Jesus Christ for me by my coming to you again.

Only let your conversation be as it becometh the gospel of Christ: that whether I come and see you, or else be absent, I may hear of your affairs, that ye stand fast in one spirit, with one mind striving together for the faith of the gospel;

And in nothing terrified by your adversaries: which is to them an evident token of perdition, but to you of salvation, and that of God.

For unto you it is given, that not only ye should believe on Christ: but also suffer for his sake,

having the same struggle that you saw I had and now hear that I have.

Fulfil ye my joy, that ye be likeminded, having the same love, being of one accord, of one mind.

Let nothing be done through strife or vainglory; but in lowliness of mind let each esteem other better than themselves.

and that no man consider his own, but what is mete for others.

For, let this mind be in you that is also in Christ Jesus,

To whom, though himself in the form of God, it did not seem that to take for oneself was to be like God;

but emptied Himself [without renouncing or diminishing His deity, but only temporarily giving up the outward expression of divine equality and His rightful dignity] by assuming the form of a bond-servant, and being made in the likeness of men [He became completely human but was without sin, being fully God and fully man].

and having been found in figure as a man, humbled himself, becoming obedient even unto death, and that the death of the cross.

Wherefore also God highly exalted him, and granted him a name, that which is above every name,

That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth;

And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

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

for it is God that influences your desires and endeavours, out of his benevolence to you.

In all that you do, avoid murmuring and dissension,

That ye may be blameless and harmless, the sons of God, without rebuke, in the midst of a crooked and perverse nation, among whom ye shine as lights in the world;

Holding forth the word of life; that I may rejoice in the day of Christ, that I have not run in vain, neither laboured in vain.

and you too should be glad and congratulate me upon that account.

But I trust in the Lord Jesus to send Timotheus shortly unto you, that I also may be of good comfort, when I know your state.

For, no one, have I, of equal soul, who, genuinely, as to the things that concern you, will be anxious;

For all others seek their own, and not that which is Jesus Christ's.

But ye know the proof of him, that, as a son with the father, he hath served with me in the gospel.

So it is he that I hope to send as soon as ever I see how things go with me;

But I trust in the Lord that I also myself shall come shortly.

Yet I supposed it necessary to send to you Epaphroditus, my brother, and companion in labour, and fellowsoldier, but your messenger, and he that ministered to my wants.

For he longed after you all, and was full of heaviness, because that ye had heard that he had been sick.

for indeed he was sick nigh unto death: but God had mercy on him; and not on him only, but on me also, that I might not have sorrow upon sorrow.

I sent him therefore the more carefully, that, when ye see him again, ye may rejoice, and that I may be the less sorrowful.

Give him a welcome in the Lord, then, with your hearts full of joy. Value men like that,

because for the work of Christ he came nigh unto death, hazarding his life to supply that which was lacking in your service toward me.

Finally, my fellow believers, continue to rejoice and delight in the Lord. To write the same things again is no trouble for me, and it is a safeguard for you.

Beware of those that are like dogs, beware of evil doers, beware of the concision.

for we are the genuine sons of Abraham, who worship God in the spiritual manner, and value no other dependance than that on Jesus Christ, without confiding in any external advantages:

Though I might also have confidence in the flesh. If any other man thinketh that he hath whereof he might trust in the flesh, I more:

according to zeal persecuting the assembly! according to righteousness that is in law becoming blameless!

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].

Yea doubtless, and I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord: for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but dung, that I may win Christ,

And be found in him, not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith:

That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death;

so that I may attain to the resurrection [that will raise me] from the dead.

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.

Brothers and sisters, I do not consider that I have made it my own yet; but one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and reaching forward to what lies ahead,

and press unto that mark appointed, to obtain the reward of the high calling 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.

only, whereunto we have attained, by that same rule let us walk.

Brethren, be ye imitators together of me, and mark them that so walk even as ye have us for an ensample.

(For many walk, of whom I have told you often, and now tell you even weeping, that they are the enemies of the cross of Christ:

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.

Our citizenship, however, is in heaven, and it is from there that we eagerly wait for a Savior, the Lord Jesus, the Messiah.

Who shall change our vile body, that it may be fashioned like unto his glorious body, according to the working whereby he is able even to subdue all things unto himself.

So that, my brethren, beloved and longed for, my joy and crown, thus stand fast in the Lord, beloved.

I beseech Euodias, and beseech Syntyche, that they be of the same mind in the Lord.

Yes, and I ask you, my true comrade, to help them, remembering that they toiled by my side in spreading the Good News; and so, too, did Clement and my other fellow-workers, whose names are 'in the Book of Life.'

and the peace of God, that is surpassing all understanding, shall guard your hearts and your thoughts in Christ Jesus.

Now, brothers, let your minds dwell on what is true, what is worthy, what is right, what is pure, what is amiable, what is kindly??n everything that is excellent or praiseworthy.

the things that also ye did learn, and receive, and hear, and saw in me, those do, and the God of the peace shall be with you.

But I rejoiced in the Lord greatly, that now at the last your care of me hath flourished again; wherein ye were also careful, but ye lacked opportunity.

Not that I speak in respect of want: for I have learned, in whatsoever state I am, therewith to be content.

I know what it is even to be kept low, and I know what it is to have more than enough, - in every way, and in all things, have I been let into the secret - both to be well fed, and to be hungering, both to have more than enough, and to be coming short:

I can do all things in him that strengtheneth me.

Notwithstanding ye have well done, that ye did communicate with my affliction.

Now ye Philippians know also, that in the beginning of the gospel, when I departed from Macedonia, no church communicated with me as concerning giving and receiving, but ye only.

because even in Thessalonica {on more than one occasion} you sent for my need.

Not because I desire a gift: but I desire fruit that may abound to your account.

But I have all things, and abound: I am filled, having received from Epaphroditus the things that came from you, and odor of a sweet smell, a sacrifice acceptable, well-pleasing to God.

Salute every saint in Christ Jesus. The brethren that are with me salute you.

All the saints salute you, chiefly they that are of Caesar's household.

To the saints and faithful brethren in Christ that are at Colossae: Grace to you and peace from God our Father.

having heard of your faith in Christ Jesus, and of the love that is to all the saints,

because of the hope that is laid up for you in the heavens, which ye heard of before in the word of the truth of the good news,

which has come to you. Indeed, just as in the whole world the gospel is constantly bearing fruit and spreading [by God’s power], just as it has been doing among you ever since the day you first heard of it and understood the grace of God in truth [becoming thoroughly and deeply acquainted with it].

You got that lesson from our beloved fellow-servant Epaphras, a minister of Christ who is faithful to your interests;

For this cause we also, since the day we heard it, do not cease to pray for you, and to desire that ye might be filled with the knowledge of his will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding;

That ye might walk worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing, being fruitful in every good work, and increasing in the knowledge of God;

[we pray that you may be] strengthened and invigorated with all power, according to His glorious might, to attain every kind of endurance and patience with joy;

Giving thanks unto the Father that hath made you sufficient for your share in the inheritance of the saints in the light,

in whom we have redemption through his blood, that is to say, forgiveness of sins,

He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn One [i.e., who takes preeminence] over all that is created.

For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him: