December 12

Philippians 1:1 — 4:23

Philippians

1 Paul and Timothy, slaves of Christ Jesus, to all the holy ones in union with Christ Jesus who are in Philippi, along with overseers and ministerial servants:
      2 May YOU have undeserved kindness and peace from God our Father and [the] Lord Jesus Christ.

3 I thank my God always upon every remembrance of YOU 4 in every supplication of mine for all of YOU, as I offer my supplication with joy, 5 because of the contribution YOU have made to the good news from the first day until this moment. 6 For I am confident of this very thing, that he who started a good work in YOU will carry it to completion until the day of Jesus Christ. 7 It is altogether right for me to think this regarding all of YOU, on account of my having YOU in my heart, all of YOU being sharers with me in the undeserved kindness, both in my [prison] bonds and in the defending and legally establishing of the good news.

8 For God is my witness of how I am yearning for all of YOU in such tender affection as Christ Jesus has. 9 And this is what I continue praying, that YOUR love may abound yet more and more with accurate knowledge and full discernment; 10 that YOU may make sure of the more important things, so that YOU may be flawless and not be stumbling others up to the day of Christ, 11 and may be filled with righteous fruit, which is through Jesus Christ, to God’s glory and praise.

12 Now I desire YOU to know, brothers, that my affairs have turned out for the advancement of the good news rather than otherwise, 13 so that my bonds have become public knowledge in association with Christ among all the Praetorian Guard and all the rest; 14 and most of the brothers in [the] Lord, feeling confidence by reason of my [prison] bonds, are showing all the more courage to speak the word of God fearlessly.

15 True, some are preaching the Christ through envy and rivalry, but others also through goodwill. 16 The latter are publicizing the Christ out of love, for they know I am set here for the defense of the good news; 17 but the former do it out of contentiousness, not with a pure motive, for they are supposing to stir up tribulation [for me] in my [prison] bonds. 18 What then? [Nothing,] except that in every way, whether in pretense or in truth, Christ is being publicized, and in this I rejoice. In fact, I will also keep on rejoicing, 19 for I know this will result in my salvation through YOUR supplication and a supply of the spirit of Jesus Christ, 20 in harmony with my eager expectation and hope that I shall not be ashamed in any respect, but that in all freeness of speech Christ will, as always before, so now be magnified by means of my body, whether through life or through death.

21 For in my case to live is Christ, and to die, gain. 22 Now if it be to live on in the flesh, this is a fruitage of my work—and yet which thing to select I do not make known. 23 I am under pressure from these two things; but what I do desire is the releasing and the being with Christ, for this, to be sure, is far better. 24 However, for me to remain in the flesh is more necessary on YOUR account. 25 So, being confident of this, I know I shall remain and shall abide with all of YOU for YOUR advancement and the joy that belongs to [YOUR] faith, 26 so that YOUR exultation may overflow in Christ Jesus by reason of me through my presence again with YOU.

27 Only behave in a manner worthy of the good news about the Christ, in order that, whether I come and see YOU or be absent, I may hear about the things which concern YOU, that YOU are standing firm in one spirit, with one soul striving side by side for the faith of the good news, 28 and in no respect being frightened by YOUR opponents. This very thing is a proof of destruction for them, but of salvation for YOU; and this [indication] is from God, 29 because to YOU the privilege was given in behalf of Christ, not only to put YOUR faith in him, but also to suffer in his behalf. 30 For YOU have the same struggle as YOU saw in my case and as YOU now hear about in my case.

2 If, then, there is any encouragement in Christ, if any consolation of love, if any sharing of spirit, if any tender affections and compassions, 2 make my joy full in that YOU are of the same mind and have the same love, being joined together in soul, holding the one thought in mind, 3 doing nothing out of contentiousness or out of egotism, but with lowliness of mind considering that the others are superior to YOU, 4 keeping an eye, not in personal interest upon just YOUR own matters, but also in personal interest upon those of the others.

5 Keep this mental attitude in YOU that was also in Christ Jesus, 6 who, although he was existing in God’s form, gave no consideration to a seizure, namely, that he should be equal to God. 7 No, but he emptied himself and took a slave’s form and came to be in the likeness of men. 8 More than that, when he found himself in fashion as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient as far as death, yes, death on a torture stake. 9 For this very reason also God exalted him to a superior position and kindly gave him the name that is above every [other] name, 10 so that in the name of Jesus every knee should bend of those in heaven and those on earth and those under the ground, 11 and every tongue should openly acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of God the Father.

12 Consequently, my beloved ones, in the way that YOU have always obeyed, not during my presence only, but now much more readily during my absence, keep working out YOUR own salvation with fear and trembling; 13 for God is the one that, for the sake of [his] good pleasure, is acting within YOU in order for YOU both to will and to act. 14 Keep doing all things free from murmurings and arguments, 15 that YOU may come to be blameless and innocent, children of God without a blemish in among a crooked and twisted generation, among whom YOU are shining as illuminators in the world, 16 keeping a tight grip on the word of life, that I may have cause for exultation in Christ’s day, that I did not run in vain or work hard in vain. 17 Notwithstanding, even if I am being poured out like a drink offering upon the sacrifice and public service to which faith has led YOU, I am glad and I rejoice with all of YOU. 18 Now in the same way YOU yourselves also be glad and rejoice with me.

19 For my part I am hoping in the Lord Jesus to send Timothy to YOU shortly, that I may be a cheerful soul when I get to know about the things pertaining to YOU. 20 For I have no one else of a disposition like his who will genuinely care for the things pertaining to YOU. 21 For all the others are seeking their own interests, not those of Christ Jesus. 22 But YOU know the proof he gave of himself, that like a child with a father he slaved with me in furtherance of the good news. 23 This, therefore, is the man I am hoping to send just as soon as I have seen how things stand concerning me. 24 Indeed, I am confident in [the] Lord that I myself shall also come shortly.

25 However, I consider it necessary to send to YOU Epaphroditus, my brother and fellow worker and fellow soldier, but YOUR envoy and private servant for my need, 26 since he is longing to see all of YOU and is depressed because YOU heard he had fallen sick. 27 Yes, indeed, he fell sick nearly to the point of death; but God had mercy on him, in fact, not only on him, but also on me, that I should not get grief upon grief. 28 Therefore with the greater haste I am sending him, that on seeing him YOU may rejoice again and I may be the more free from grief. 29 Therefore give him the customary welcome in [the] Lord with all joy; and keep holding men of that sort dear, 30 because on account of the Lord’s work he came quite near to death, exposing his soul to danger, that he might fully make up for YOUR not being here to render private service to me.


3 Finally, my brothers, continue rejoicing in [the] Lord. To be writing the same things to YOU is not troublesome for me, but it is of safety to YOU.
      2 Look out for the dogs, look out for the workers of injury, look out for those who mutilate the flesh. 3 For we are those with the real circumcision, who are rendering sacred service by God’s spirit and have our boasting in Christ Jesus and do not have our confidence in the flesh, 4 though I, if anyone, do have grounds for confidence also in the flesh.

If any other man thinks he has grounds for confidence in the flesh, I the more so: 5 circumcised the eighth day, out of the family stock of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew [born] from Hebrews; as respects law, a Pharisee; 6 as respects zeal, persecuting the congregation; as respects righteousness that is by means of law, one who proved himself blameless. 7 Yet what things were gains to me, these I have considered loss on account of the Christ. 8 Why, for that matter, I do indeed also consider all things to be loss on account of the excelling value of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord. On account of him I have taken the loss of all things and I consider them as a lot of refuse, that I may gain Christ 9 and be found in union with him, having, not my own righteousness, which results from law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness that issues from God on the basis of faith, 10 so as to know him and the power of his resurrection and a sharing in his sufferings, submitting myself to a death like his, 11 [to see] if I may by any means attain to the earlier resurrection from the dead.

12 Not that I have already received it or am already made perfect, but I am pursuing to see if I may also lay hold on that for which I have also been laid hold on by Christ Jesus. 13 Brothers, I do not yet consider myself as having laid hold on [it]; but there is one thing about it: Forgetting the things behind and stretching forward to the things ahead, 14 I am pursuing down toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God by means of Christ Jesus. 15 Let us, then, as many of us as are mature, be of this mental attitude; and if YOU are mentally inclined otherwise in any respect, God will reveal the above [attitude] to YOU. 16 At any rate, to what extent we have made progress, let us go on walking orderly in this same routine.

17 Unitedly become imitators of me, brothers, and keep YOUR eye on those who are walking in a way that accords with the example YOU have in us. 18 For there are many, I used to mention them often but now I mention them also with weeping, who are walking as the enemies of the torture stake of the Christ, 19 and their finish is destruction, and their god is their belly, and their glory consists in their shame, and they have their minds upon things on the earth. 20 As for us, our citizenship exists in the heavens, from which place also we are eagerly waiting for a savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, 21 who will refashion our humiliated body to be conformed to his glorious body according to the operation of the power that he has, even to subject all things to himself.

4 Consequently, my brothers beloved and longed for, my joy and crown, stand firm in this way in [the] Lord, beloved ones.
      2 Euodia I exhort and Syntyche I exhort to be of the same mind in [the] Lord. 3 Yes, I request you too, genuine yokefellow, keep assisting these [women] who have striven side by side with me in the good news along with Clement as well as the rest of my fellow workers, whose names are in the book of life.

4 Always rejoice in [the] Lord. Once more I will say, Rejoice! 5 Let YOUR reasonableness become known to all men. The Lord is near. 6 Do not be anxious over anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication along with thanksgiving let YOUR petitions be made known to God; 7 and the peace of God that excels all thought will guard YOUR hearts and YOUR mental powers by means of Christ Jesus.

8 Finally, brothers, whatever things are true, whatever things are of serious concern, whatever things are righteous, whatever things are chaste, whatever things are lovable, whatever things are well spoken of, whatever virtue there is and whatever praiseworthy thing there is, continue considering these things. 9 The things that YOU learned as well as accepted and heard and saw in connection with me, practice these; and the God of peace will be with you.

10 I do rejoice greatly in [the] Lord that now at last YOU have revived YOUR thinking in my behalf, to which YOU were really giving thought, but YOU lacked opportunity. 11 Not that I am speaking with regard to being in want, for I have learned, in whatever circumstances I am, to be self-sufficient. 12 I know indeed how to be low [on provisions], I know indeed how to have an abundance. In everything and in all circumstances I have learned the secret of both how to be full and how to hunger, both how to have an abundance and how to suffer want. 13 For all things I have the strength by virtue of him who imparts power to me.

14 Nevertheless, YOU acted well in becoming sharers with me in my tribulation. 15 In fact, YOU Philippians, also know that at [the] start of declaring the good news, when I departed from Macedonia, not a congregation took a share with me in the matter of giving and receiving, except YOU alone; 16 because, even in Thessalonica, YOU sent something to me both once and a second time for my need. 17 Not that I am earnestly seeking the gift, but that I am earnestly seeking the fruitage that brings more credit to YOUR account. 18 However, I have all things in full and have an abundance. I am filled, now that I have received from Epaphroditus the things from YOU, a sweet-smelling odor, an acceptable sacrifice, well-pleasing to God. 19 In turn, my God will fully supply all YOUR need to the extent of his riches in glory by means of Christ Jesus. 20 Now to our God and Father be the glory forever and ever. Amen.

21 Give my greetings to every holy one in union with Christ Jesus. The brothers who are with me send YOU their greetings. 22 All the holy ones, but especially those of the household of Caesar, send YOU their greetings.
      23 The undeserved kindness of the Lord Jesus Christ [be] with the spirit YOU [show].