Paul and Timotheus, the servants of Jesus Christ, to all the saints in Christ
Jesus which are at Philippi, with the bishops and deacons: Grace be unto you,
and peace, from God our Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ. I thank my
God upon every remembrance of you, Always in every prayer of mine for you
all making request with joy, For your fellowship in the gospel from the first
day until now; Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a
good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ: Even as it is
meet for me to think this of you all, because I have you in my heart; inasmuch
as both in my bonds, and in the defence and confirmation of the gospel, ye
all are partakers of my grace. For God is my record, how greatly I long after
you all in the bowels of Jesus Christ. 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 fruits of righteousness, which are by
Jesus Christ, unto 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
many of the brethren in the Lord, waxing confident by my bonds, are much
more bold to speak the word without fear. Some indeed preach Christ even
of envy and strife; and some also of good will: The one preach Christ of
contention, not sincerely, supposing to add affliction to my bonds: But the
other of love, knowing that I am set for the defence of the gospel. What then?
notwithstanding, every way, whether in pretence, or in truth, Christ is
preached; and I therein do 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. For to
me to live is Christ, and to die is gain. But if I live in the flesh, this is the fruit of
my labour: yet what I shall choose I wot not. For I am in a strait betwixt two,
having a desire to depart, and to be with Christ; which is far better:
Nevertheless to abide in the flesh is more needful for you. 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 in the behalf of Christ,
not only to believe on him, but also to suffer for his sake; Having the same
conflict which ye saw in me, and now hear to be in me.
If there be therefore any consolation in Christ, if any comfort of love, if any
fellowship of the Spirit, if any bowels and mercies, 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. Look not every man on his own things,
but every man also on the things of others. Let this mind be in you, which
was also in Christ Jesus: Who, being in the form of God, thought it not
robbery to be equal with God: But made himself of no reputation, and took
upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men: And
being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient
unto death, even the death of the cross. Wherefore God also hath highly
exalted him, and given him a name 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.
Wherefore, my beloved, as ye have always obeyed, not as in my presence
only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with
fear and trembling. For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do
of his good pleasure. Do all things without murmurings and disputings: 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. Yea, and if I be
offered upon the sacrifice and service of your faith, I joy, and rejoice with you
all. For the same cause also do ye joy, and rejoice with me.
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 I have no man
likeminded, who will naturally care for your state. For all seek their own, not
the things which are 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. Him therefore I
hope to send presently, so soon as I shall see how it will 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, lest I should
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.
Receive him therefore in the Lord with all gladness; and hold such in
reputation: Because for the work of Christ he was nigh unto death, not
regarding his life, to supply your lack of service toward me.
Finally, my brethren, rejoice in the Lord. To write the same things to you, to
me indeed is not grievous, but for you it is safe.
Beware of dogs, beware of evil workers, beware of the concision. For we are
the circumcision, which worship God in the spirit, and rejoice in Christ Jesus,
and have no confidence in the flesh. 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: Circumcised the eighth day, of the stock of Israel, of the
tribe of Benjamin, an Hebrew of the Hebrews; as touching the law, a
Pharisee; Concerning zeal, persecuting the church; touching the
righteousness which is in the law, blameless. But what things were gain to
me, those I counted loss for Christ. 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; If by any means I might attain unto the resurrection of 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. Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one
thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto
those things which are before, I press toward the mark for the prize of the
high calling of God in Christ Jesus. Let us therefore, as many as be perfect, be
thus minded: and if in any thing ye be otherwise minded, God shall reveal
even this unto you. Nevertheless, whereto we have already attained, let us
walk by the same rule, let us mind the same thing. Brethren, be followers
together of me, and mark them which walk so 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: Whose end is
destruction, whose God is their belly, and whose glory is in their shame, who
mind earthly things.) For our conversation is in heaven; from whence also we
look for the Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ: 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.
Therefore, my brethren dearly beloved and longed for, my joy and crown, so
stand fast in the Lord, my dearly beloved. I beseech Euodias, and beseech
Syntyche, that they be of the same mind in the Lord. And I intreat thee also,
true yokefellow, help those women which laboured with me in the gospel,
with Clement also, and with other my fellowlabourers, whose names are in
the book of life. Rejoice in the Lord alway: and again I say, Rejoice. Let your
moderation be known unto all men. The Lord is at hand. Be careful for
nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let
your requests be made known unto God. And the peace of God, which
passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ
Jesus. Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are
honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever
things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue,
and if there be any praise, think on these things. Those things, which ye have
both learned, and received, and heard, and seen in me, do: and the God of
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 both how to be abased, and I know how to
abound: every where and in all things I am instructed both to be full and to
be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need. I can do all things through
Christ which 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. For
even in Thessalonica ye sent once and again unto my necessity. Not because I
desire a gift: but I desire fruit that may abound to your account. But I have all,
and abound: I am full, having received of Epaphroditus the things which were
sent from you, an odour of a sweet smell, a sacrifice acceptable, wellpleasing
to God. But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory
by Christ Jesus. Now unto God and our Father be glory for ever and ever.
Amen.
Salute every saint in Christ Jesus. The brethren which are with me greet you.
All the saints salute you, chiefly they that are of Caesar's household. The
grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. Amen.