Christ’s Example of Humility
2 So if there is any encouragement in Christ, any comfort from love, any sparticipation in the Spirit, any affection and sympathy, 2 tcomplete my joy by ubeing of the same mind, having the same love, being in full accord and of one mind. 3 Do nothing from vselfish ambition or wconceit, xbut in yhumility count others more significant than yourselves. 4 zLet each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others. 5 aHave this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus,1 6 bwho, cthough dhe was in the form of God, edid not count fequality with God a thing to be grasped,2 7 but gemptied himself, by taking the form of a servant,3 hbeing born iin the likeness of men. 8 And being found in human form, he jhumbled himself by becoming kobedient to the point of death, leven death on a cross. 9 mTherefore God has highly nexalted him and bestowed on him the name that is oabove every name, 10 so that at the pname of Jesus qevery knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, 11 and every tongue rconfess that sJesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
Lights in the World
12 Therefore, my beloved, tas you have always obeyed, so now, not only as in my presence but much more in my absence, uwork out your own salvation with fear and trembling, 13 for it is God who vworks in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure.
14 Do all things wwithout grumbling or xdisputing, 15 that you may be blameless and innocent, children of God without blemish in the midst of a ycrooked and twisted generation, among whom you shine as zlights in the world, 16 holding fast to the aword of life, so that in the day of Christ bI may be proud that I did not crun din vain or labor in vain. 17 eEven if I am to be poured out as a drink offering upon the sacrificial offering of your faith, fI am glad and grejoice with you all. 18 Likewise you also should be glad and rejoice with me.
Timothy and Epaphroditus
19 hI hope in the Lord Jesus ito send Timothy to you soon, so that I too may be cheered by news of you. 20 For I have no one like him, who will be genuinely concerned for your welfare. 21 For they all seek their own interests, not those of Jesus Christ. 22 But you know Timothy’s4 proven worth, how as a json5 with a father khe has served with me in the gospel. 23 I hope therefore to send him just as soon as I see how it will go with me, 24 and lI trust in the Lord that shortly I myself will come also.
25 I have thought it necessary to send to you Epaphroditus my brother and fellow worker and mfellow soldier, and your messenger and minister to my need, 26 for he has been longing for you all and has been distressed because you heard that he was ill. 27 Indeed he was ill, near to death. But God had mercy on him, and not only on him but on me also, lest I should have sorrow upon sorrow. 28 I am the more eager to send him, therefore, that you may rejoice at seeing him again, and that I may be less anxious. 29 So nreceive him in the Lord with all joy, and ohonor such men, 30 for he pnearly died6 for the work of Christ, risking his life qto complete what was lacking in your service to me.
Righteousness Through Faith in Christ
3 Finally, my brothers,1 rrejoice in the Lord. To write the same things to you is no trouble to me and is safe for you.
2 Look out for the sdogs, look out for the evildoers, look out for those who tmutilate the flesh. 3 For we are the ucircumcision, who vworship by the Spirit of God2 and glory in Christ Jesus and put no confidence in the wflesh— 4 though I myself have reason for confidence in the flesh also. xIf anyone else thinks he has reason for confidence in the flesh, I have more: 5 circumcised on the yeighth day, zof the people of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a aHebrew of Hebrews; as to the law, a bPharisee; 6 as to czeal, a dpersecutor of the church; as to erighteousness under the law,3 blameless. 7 But whatever fgain I had, I counted as loss for the sake of Christ. 8 Indeed, gI count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. hFor his sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ 9 and be found in him, not having a irighteousness of my own that comes from the law, but jthat which comes through kfaith in Christ, the lrighteousness from God that depends on faith— 10 that I may know him and the mpower of his resurrection, and may nshare his sufferings, obecoming like him in his death, 11 that by any means possible I may pattain the resurrection from the dead.
Straining Toward the Goal
12 Not that I have already obtained this or am already qperfect, but I press on to make it my own, because Christ Jesus has made me his own. 13 Brothers, I do not consider that I have made it my own. But one thing I do: rforgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, 14 sI press on toward the goal for the tprize of the upward ucall of God in Christ Jesus. 15 Let those of us who are vmature think this way, and if in anything wyou think otherwise, God will reveal that also to you. 16 Only let us hold true to what we have attained.
17 Brothers, xjoin in imitating me, and keep your eyes on those who walk according to the example you have in us. 18 For many, of whom I have often told you and now tell you even with tears, walk as enemies of the cross of Christ. 19 yTheir end is destruction, their god is their zbelly, and they glory in their shame, with aminds set on earthly things. 20 But bour citizenship is cin heaven, and dfrom it we eawait a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, 21 who will ftransform our glowly body to be hlike his iglorious body, jby the power that enables him even to subject kall things to himself.
4 Therefore, my brothers,1 whom I love and long for, my ljoy and crown, mstand firm thus in the Lord, my beloved.
Exhortation, Encouragement, and Prayer
2 I entreat Euodia and I entreat Syntyche to nagree in the Lord. 3 Yes, I ask you also, true companion,2 help these women, who have olabored3 side by side with me in the gospel together with Clement and the rest of my fellow workers, whose names are in the pbook of life.
4 qRejoice in the Lord ralways; again I will say, rejoice. 5 Let your reasonableness4 be known to everyone. The Lord is sat hand; 6 tdo not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication uwith thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. 7 And the vpeace of God, which wsurpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
8 Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things. 9 xWhat you have learned5 and yreceived and heard and seen in me—practice these things, and the God of peace will be with you.
God’s Provision
10 I rejoiced in the Lord greatly that now at length you have revived your concern for me. You were indeed concerned for me, but you had no opportunity. 11 Not that I am speaking of being in need, for I have learned, in whatever situation I am, to be zcontent. 12 I know ahow to be brought low, and I know how to abound. In any and every circumstance, I have learned the secret of facing plenty and hunger, abundance and need. 13 I can do all things through him who bstrengthens me.
14 Yet it was kind of you to share6 my trouble. 15 And you Philippians yourselves know that cin the beginning of the gospel, dwhen I left Macedonia, eno church entered into fpartnership with me in giving and receiving, except you only. 16 Even in Thessalonica you sent me help for my needs once and again. 17 Not that I seek the gift, but I seek the gfruit that increases to your credit.7 18 I have received full payment, and more. I am well supplied, having received from Epaphroditus the gifts you sent, a fragrant offering, a sacrifice acceptable and pleasing to God. 19 And hmy God will supply every need of yours according to his iriches in glory in Christ Jesus. 20 jTo our God and Father be glory forever and ever. Amen.
Final Greetings
21 Greet every saint in Christ Jesus. The brothers who are with me greet you. 22 kAll the saints greet you, especially those of Caesar’s household.
23 The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit.
Colossians
Greeting
1 Paul, an aapostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, and Timothy our brother,
2 To the saints and bfaithful brothers1 in Christ at Colossae:
Grace to you and peace from God our Father.
Thanksgiving and Prayer
3 cWe always thank God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, when we pray for you, 4 since dwe heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and of the love that you have for all the saints, 5 because of the ehope flaid up for you in heaven. Of this you have heard before in the gword of the truth, the gospel, 6 which has come to you, as indeed hin the whole world it is ibearing fruit and increasing—as it also does among you, since the day you jheard it and understood the grace of God in truth, 7 just as you learned it from kEpaphras our beloved fellow servant.2 He is a faithful minister of Christ on your3 behalf 8 and has made known to us your llove in the Spirit.
9 And so, from the day we heard, we have mnot ceased to pray for you, asking that you may be filled with the knowledge nof his will in oall spiritual wisdom and understanding, 10 so as to pwalk in a manner worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing to him: qbearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God; 11 being rstrengthened with all power, according to his glorious might, for all endurance and patience with joy; 12 giving thanks4 to the Father, who has qualified you5 to share in the sinheritance of the saints in light. 13 He has tdelivered us from the udomain of darkness and vtransferred us to the kingdom of his wbeloved Son, 14 in whom we have xredemption, the yforgiveness of sins.
The Preeminence of Christ
15 He is the zimage of the ainvisible God, bthe firstborn of all creation. 16 For cby6 him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether dthrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things were created through him and for him. 17 And he is ebefore all things, and in him all things fhold together. 18 And he is the ghead of the body, the church. He is hthe beginning, ithe firstborn from the dead, that in everything he might be jpreeminent. 19 For in him all the kfullness of God was pleased to dwell, 20 and through him lto reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, mmaking peace by the blood of his cross.
21 And you, nwho once were oalienated and hostile in mind, doing evil deeds, 22 he has now preconciled qin his body of flesh by his death, rin order to present you sholy and blameless and tabove reproach before him, 23 uif indeed you continue in the faith, vstable and wsteadfast, not shifting from the hope of the gospel that you heard, which has been proclaimed in all creation7 under heaven, and of which I, Paul, became a xminister.
Paul’s Ministry to the Church
24 Now I rejoice in my sufferings for your sake, and in my flesh I am yfilling up what is lacking in Christ’s afflictions for the sake of his zbody, that is, the church, 25 of which I became a minister according to the astewardship from God that was given to me for you, to make the word of God fully known, 26 the bmystery hidden for ages and generations but now revealed to his saints. 27 To them cGod chose to make known how great among the Gentiles are the driches of the glory of this emystery, which is Christ fin you, the ghope of glory. 28 Him we proclaim, warning everyone and teaching everyone with all wisdom, that we may present everyone hmature in Christ. 29 For this I toil, struggling iwith all his energy that he powerfully jworks within me.
2 For I want you to know how great a kstruggle I have for you and for those at Laodicea and for all who have not seen me face to face, 2 that their hearts may be lencouraged, being mknit together in love, to reach all the riches of full assurance of understanding and the knowledge of God’s nmystery, which is Christ, 3 oin whom are hidden pall the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. 4 I say this in order that no one may delude you with plausible arguments. 5 For though I am qabsent in body, yet I am with you in spirit, rejoicing to see your good rorder and the sfirmness of your faith in Christ.
Alive in Christ
6 Therefore, tas you ureceived Christ Jesus the Lord, so vwalk in him, 7 wrooted and xbuilt up in him and established in the faith, just as you were ytaught, abounding in thanksgiving.
8 See to it that no one ztakes you captive by philosophy and empty deceit, according to human atradition, according to the belemental spirits1 of the world, and not according to Christ. 9 For in him the whole cfullness of deity dwells bodily, 10 and dyou have been filled in him, who is the ehead of all rule and authority. 11 In him also you were fcircumcised with a circumcision made without hands, by gputting off the body of the flesh, by the circumcision of Christ, 12 having been hburied with him in ibaptism, in which you were also jraised with him through faith in the powerful working of God, kwho raised him from the dead. 13 And you, who were ldead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made alive together with him, having forgiven us all our trespasses, 14 mby ncanceling the record of debt that stood against us with its legal demands. This he set aside, nailing it to the cross. 15 He disarmed the orulers and authorities2 and put them to open shame, by ptriumphing over them in him.3
Let No One Disqualify You
16 Therefore qlet no one pass judgment on you in questions of rfood and drink, or swith regard to a festival or a new moon or a Sabbath. 17 These are a tshadow of the things to come, but the substance belongs to Christ. 18 Let no one udisqualify you, insisting on asceticism and worship of angels, going on in detail about visions,4 vpuffed up wwithout reason by his sensuous mind, 19 and not holding fast to the xHead, from whom the whole body, nourished and knit together through its joints and ligaments, grows with a growth that is from God.
20 If with Christ you died to the elemental spirits of the world, ywhy, as if you were still alive in the world, do you submit to regulations— 21 z“Do not handle, Do not taste, Do not touch” 22 a(referring to things that all perish as they are used)—according to bhuman precepts and teachings? 23 These have indeed an appearance of wisdom in promoting self-made religion and asceticism and severity to the body, but they are of no value in cstopping the indulgence of the flesh.
