Philippians 1;
Philippians 2; Philippians 3; Philippians 4
1 Paul and Timothy, servants of Christ Jesus, To all the
saints in Christ Jesus at Philippi, together with the overseers and
deacons: 2 Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the
Lord Jesus Christ.3 I thank my God every time I remember you. 4 In
all my prayers for all of you, I always pray with joy5 because of
your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now, 6 being
confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to
completion until the day of Christ Jesus. 7 It is right for me
to feel this way about all of you, since I have you in my heart; for whether I
am in chains or defending and confirming the gospel, all of you share in God's
grace with me. 8 God can testify how I long for all of you
with the affection of Christ Jesus. 9 And this is my prayer:
that your love may abound more and more in knowledge and depth of
insight, 10 so that you may be able to discern what is best
and may be pure and blameless until the day of Christ, 11 filled
with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ--to the glory
and praise of God. 12 Now I want you to know, brothers, that
what has happened to me has really served to advance the gospel. 13 As
a result, it has become clear throughout the whole palace guard and to everyone
else that I am in chains for Christ. 14Because of my chains, most
of the brothers in the Lord have been encouraged to speak the word of God more
courageously and fearlessly. 15 It is true that some preach
Christ out of envy and rivalry, but others out of goodwill. 16 The
latter do so in love, knowing that I am put here for the defense of the
gospel. 17 The former preach Christ out of selfish ambition,
not sincerely, supposing that they can stir up trouble for me while I am in
chains. 18 But what does it matter? The important thing is
that in every way, whether from false motives or true, Christ is preached. And
because of this I rejoice. Yes, and I will continue to rejoice, 19 for
I know that through your prayers and the help given by the Spirit of Jesus
Christ, what has happened to me will turn out for my deliverance. 20 I
eagerly expect and hope that I will in no way be ashamed, but will have
sufficient courage so that now as always Christ will be exalted in my body,
whether by life or by death. 21 For to me, to live is Christ
and to die is gain. 22 If I am to go on living in the body,
this will mean fruitful labor for me. Yet what shall I choose? I do not
know! 23 I am torn between the two: I desire to depart and be
with Christ, which is better by far; 24 but it is more
necessary for you that I remain in the body. 25 Convinced of
this, I know that I will remain, and I will continue with all of you for your
progress and joy in the faith, 26 so that through my being
with you again your joy in Christ Jesus will overflow on account of me. 27 Whatever
happens, conduct yourselves in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ. Then,
whether I come and see you or only hear about you in my absence, I will know
that you stand firm in one spirit, contending as one man for the faith of the
gospel 28 without being frightened in any way by those who
oppose you. This is a sign to them that they will be destroyed, but that you
will be saved--and that by God. 29 For it has been granted to
you on behalf of Christ not only to believe on him, but also to suffer for
him, 30 since you are going through the same struggle you saw
I had, and now hear that I still have.
1 If you have any encouragement from being united with
Christ, if any comfort from his love, if any fellowship with the Spirit, if any
tenderness and compassion, 2 then make my joy complete by
being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and purpose. 3 Do
nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider
others better than yourselves. 4 Each of you should look not
only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others. 5 Your
attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus: 6 Who,
being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be
grasped, 7 but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of
a servant, being made in human likeness. 8 And being found in
appearance as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient to death-- even
death on a cross! 9 Therefore God exalted him to the highest
place and gave him the name that is above every name, 10 that
at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under
the earth, 11 and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is
Lord, to the glory of God the Father. 12 Therefore, my dear
friends, as you have always obeyed--not only in my presence, but now much more
in my absence--continue to work out your salvation with fear and
trembling, 13 for it is God who works in you to will and to
act according to his good purpose. 14 Do everything without
complaining or arguing, 15 so that you may become blameless
and pure, children of God without fault in a crooked and depraved generation,
in which you shine like stars in the universe16 as you hold out the
word of life--in order that I may boast on the day of Christ that I did not run
or labor for nothing. 17 But even if I am being poured out
like a drink offering on the sacrifice and service coming from your faith, I am
glad and rejoice with all of you. 18 So you too should be glad
and rejoice with me. 19 I hope in the Lord Jesus to send
Timothy to you soon, that I also may be cheered when I receive news about
you. 20 I have no one else like him, who takes a genuine
interest in your welfare.21 For everyone looks out for his own
interests, not those of Jesus Christ. 22 But you know that
Timothy has proved himself, because as a son with his father he has served with
me in the work of the gospel. 23 I hope, therefore, to send
him as soon as I see how things go with me. 24 And I am
confident in the Lord that I myself will come soon. 25 But I
think it is necessary to send back to you Epaphroditus, my brother, fellow
worker and fellow soldier, who is also your messenger, whom you sent to take
care of my needs. 26 For he longs for all of you and is
distressed because you heard he was ill.27 Indeed he was ill, and
almost died. But God had mercy on him, and not on him only but also on me, to
spare me sorrow upon sorrow. 28 Therefore I am all the more
eager to send him, so that when you see him again you may be glad and I may
have less anxiety. 29 Welcome him in the Lord with great joy,
and honor men like him, 30 because he almost died for the work
of Christ, risking his life to make up for the help you could not give me.
1 Finally, my brothers, rejoice in the Lord! It is no
trouble for me to write the same things to you again, and it is a safeguard for
you. 2 Watch out for those dogs, those men who do evil, those
mutilators of the flesh. 3 For it is we who are the
circumcision, we who worship by the Spirit of God, who glory in Christ Jesus,
and who put no confidence in the flesh-- 4 though I myself
have reasons for such confidence. If anyone else thinks he has reasons to put
confidence in the flesh, I have more: 5circumcised on the eighth
day, of the people of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of Hebrews; in
regard to the law, a Pharisee; 6 as for zeal, persecuting the
church; as for legalistic righteousness, faultless. 7 But
whatever was to my profit I now consider loss for the sake of Christ. 8 What
is more, I consider everything a loss compared to the surpassing greatness of
knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider
them rubbish, that I may gain Christ 9 and be found in him,
not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which is
through faith in Christ--the righteousness that comes from God and is by
faith. 10 I want to know Christ and the power of his
resurrection and the fellowship of sharing in his sufferings, becoming like him
in his death, 11and so, somehow, to attain to the resurrection from
the dead. 12 Not that I have already obtained all this, or
have already been made perfect, but I press on to take hold of that for which
Christ Jesus took hold of me. 13 Brothers, I do not consider
myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is
behind and straining toward what is ahead, 14 I press on
toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in
Christ Jesus. 15 All of us who are mature should take such a
view of things. And if on some point you think differently, that too God will
make clear to you. 16 Only let us live up to what we have
already attained. 17 Join with others in following my example,
brothers, and take note of those who live according to the pattern we gave
you. 18 For, as I have often told you before and now say again
even with tears, many live as enemies of the cross of Christ. 19 Their
destiny is destruction, their god is their stomach, and their glory is in their
shame. Their mind is on earthly things. 20 But our citizenship
is in heaven. And we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus
Christ, 21 who, by the power that enables him to bring
everything under his control, will transform our lowly bodies so that they will
be like his glorious body.
1 Therefore, my brothers, you whom I love and long for, my
joy and crown, that is how you should stand firm in the Lord, dear
friends! 2 I plead with Euodia and I plead with Syntyche to
agree with each other in the Lord. 3 Yes, and I ask you, loyal
yokefellow, help these women who have contended at my side in the cause of the
gospel, along with Clement and the rest of my fellow workers, whose names are
in the book of life. 4 Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say
it again: Rejoice! 5 Let your gentleness be evident to all.
The Lord is near. 6 Do not be anxious about anything, but in
everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to
God. 7 And the peace of God, which transcends all
understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. 8 Finally,
brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is
pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable--if anything is excellent or
praiseworthy--think about such things. 9 Whatever you have
learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me--put it into practice. And
the God of peace will be with you.10 I rejoice greatly in the Lord
that at last you have renewed your concern for me. Indeed, you have been
concerned, but you had no opportunity to show it. 11 I am not
saying this because I am in need, for I have learned to be content whatever the
circumstances. 12 I know what it is to be in need, and I know
what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any
and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in
want. 13 I can do everything through him who gives me
strength. 14 Yet it was good of you to share in my
troubles. 15 Moreover, as you Philippians know, in the early
days of your acquaintance with the gospel, when I set out from Macedonia, not
one church shared with me in the matter of giving and receiving, except you
only; 16 for even when I was in Thessalonica, you sent me aid
again and again when I was in need. 17 Not that I am looking
for a gift, but I am looking for what may be credited to your account. 18 I
have received full payment and even more; I am amply supplied, now that I have
received from Epaphroditus the gifts you sent. They are a fragrant offering, an
acceptable sacrifice, pleasing to God. 19 And my God will meet
all your needs according to his glorious riches in Christ Jesus. 20 To
our God and Father be glory for ever and ever. Amen. 21 Greet
all the saints in Christ Jesus. The brothers who are with me send
greetings. 22 All the saints send you greetings, especially
those who belong to Caesar's household. 23 The grace of the
Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit. Amen.
