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Philippians
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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 joy {5} 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. {14} Because 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
labour 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. |
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Philippians
2 |
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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 universe {16} 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 labour 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. |
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Philippians 3 |
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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: {5}
circumcised 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, {11} and 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. |
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Philippians 4 |
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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. |
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