Day 79 of 90

¹Then after a period of fourteen years I went up again to Jerusalem with Barnabas, taking Titus also with me.

²I went up by revelation, and I explained to them the Good News which I proclaim among the Gentiles, but privately before those who were respected, for fear that I might be running, or had run, in vain.

³But not even Titus, who was with me, being a Greek, was compelled to be circumcised.

⁴This was because of the false brothers secretly brought in, who stole in to spy out our liberty which we have in Christ Jesus, that they might bring us into bondage;

⁵to whom we gave no place in the way of subjection, not for an hour, that the truth of the Good News might continue with you.

⁶But from those who were reputed to be important (whatever they were, it makes no difference to me; God does not show partiality to man)-they, I say, who were respected imparted nothing to me,

⁷but to the contrary, when they saw that I had been entrusted with the Good News for the uncircumcision, even as Peter with the Good News for the circumcision

⁸(for he who appointed Peter to be an apostle of the circumcision appointed me also to the Gentiles);

⁹and when they perceived the grace that was given to me, Jacob and Cephas and John, they who were reputed to be pillars, gave to me and Barnabas the right hand of fellowship, that we should go to the Gentiles, and they to the circumcised.

¹⁰They only asked us to remember the poor-which very thing I was also zealous to do.

¹¹But when Cephas came to Antioch, I resisted him to his face, because he stood condemned.

¹²For before some people came from Jacob, he ate with the Gentiles. But when they came, he drew back and separated himself, fearing those who were of the circumcision.

¹³And the rest of the Jewish believers joined him in his hypocrisy; so that even Barnabas was carried away with their hypocrisy.

¹⁴But when I saw that they did not walk uprightly according to the truth of the Good News, I said to Cephas before them all, "If you, being a Jew, live as the Gentiles do, and not as the Jews do, how can you compel the Gentiles to live as the Jews do?

¹⁵"We, being Jews by birth, and not Gentile sinners,

¹⁶yet knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law but through faith in Jesus Christ, even we believed in Christ Jesus, that we might be justified by faith in Christ, and not by the works of the law, because no flesh will be justified by the works of the law.

¹⁷But if, while we sought to be justified in Christ, we ourselves also were found sinners, is Christ a servant of sin? Certainly not!

¹⁸For if I build up again those things which I destroyed, I prove myself a law-breaker.

¹⁹For I, through the law, died to the law, that I might live to God.

²⁰I have been crucified with Christ, and it is no longer I that live, but Christ living in me. That life which I now live in the flesh, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself up for me.

²¹I do not make void the grace of God. For if righteousness is through the law, then Christ died for nothing!"

¹Foolish Galatians, who has cunningly deceived you, before whose eyes Jesus Christ was openly set forth as crucified?

²I just want to learn this from you. Did you receive the Spirit by the works of the law, or by hearing of faith?

³Are you so foolish? Having begun in the Spirit, are you now completed in the flesh?

⁴Did you suffer so many things in vain, if it is indeed in vain?

⁵He therefore who supplies the Spirit to you, and works miracles among you, does he do it by the works of the law, or by hearing of faith?

⁶Even as Abraham "believed God, and it was counted to him for righteousness."

⁷Know therefore that those who are of faith, the same are children of Abraham.

⁸The Scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, preached the Good News beforehand to Abraham, saying, "In you all the nations will be blessed."

⁹So then, those who are of faith are blessed with the faithful Abraham.

¹⁰For as many as are of the works of the law are under a curse. For it is written, "Cursed is everyone who does not continue in all things that are written in the scroll of the Law, to do them."

¹¹Now that no man is justified by the law before God is evident, for, "The righteous will live by faith."

¹²The law is not of faith, but, "The man who does them will live by them."

¹³Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law, having become a curse for us. For it is written, "Cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree,"

¹⁴that the blessing of Abraham might come on the Gentiles through Christ Jesus; that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith.

¹⁵Brothers, speaking of human terms, though it is only a man's covenant, yet when it has been confirmed, no one makes it void, or adds to it.

¹⁶Now the promises were spoken to Abraham and to his seed. He does not say, "To seeds," as of many, but as of one, "To your seed," which is Christ.

¹⁷Now I say this. A covenant confirmed beforehand by God, the law, which came four hundred thirty years after, does not annul, so as to make the promise of no effect.

¹⁸For if the inheritance is of the law, it is no more of promise; but God has granted it to Abraham by promise.

¹⁹What then is the law? It was added because of transgressions, until the seed should come to whom the promise has been made. It was ordained through angels by the hand of a mediator.

²⁰Now a mediator is not between one, but God is one.

²¹Is the law then against the promises of God? Certainly not! For if there had been a law given which could make alive, most certainly righteousness would have been of the law.

²²But the Scriptures imprisoned all things under sin, that the promise by faith in Jesus Christ might be given to those who believe.

²³But before faith came, we were kept in custody under the law, confined for the faith which should afterwards be revealed.

²⁴So that the law has become our tutor to bring us to Christ, that we might be justified by faith.

²⁵But now that faith has come, we are no longer under a tutor.

²⁶For you are all children of God, through faith in Christ Jesus.

²⁷For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ.

²⁸There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free man, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus.

²⁹If you are Christ's, then you are Abraham's seed and heirs according to promise.

¹But I say that so long as the heir is a child, he is no different from a bondservant, though he is lord of all;

²but is under guardians and stewards until the day appointed by the father.

³So we also, when we were children, were held in bondage under the elemental principles of the world.

⁴But when the fullness of the time came, God sent out his Son, born to a woman, born under the law,

⁵that he might redeem those who were under the law, that we might receive the adoption of children.

⁶And because you are children, God sent out the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, crying, "Abba, Father!"

⁷So you are no longer a bondservant, but a son; and if a son, then an heir of God.

⁸However at that time, not knowing God, you were in bondage to those who by nature are not gods.

⁹But now that you have come to know God, or rather to be known by God, why do you turn back again to the weak and miserable elemental principles, to which you desire to be in bondage all over again?

¹⁰You observe days, months, seasons, and years.

¹¹I am afraid for you, that I might have wasted my labor for you.

¹²I beg you, brothers, become as I am, for I also have become as you are. You did me no wrong,

¹³but you know that because of weakness of the flesh I preached the Good News to you the first time;

¹⁴and though my condition was a trial to you, you did not despise nor reject; but you received me as an angel of God, even as Christ Jesus.

¹⁵Where was the blessing you enjoyed? For I testify to you that, if possible, you would have plucked out your eyes and given them to me.

¹⁶So then, have I become your enemy by telling you the truth?

¹⁷They zealously seek you, but for no good purpose; they desire to alienate you, that you may be zealous for them.

¹⁸But it is always good to be zealous in a good cause, and not only when I am present with you.

¹⁹My children, of whom I am again in travail until Christ is formed in you-

²⁰but I could wish to be present with you now, and to change my tone, for I am perplexed about you.

²¹Tell me, you that desire to be under the law, do you not listen to the law?

²²For it is written that Abraham had two sons, one by the handmaid, and one by the free woman.

²³However, the son by the handmaid was born according to the flesh, but the son by the free woman was born through promise.

²⁴These things contain an allegory, for these are two covenants. One is from Mount Sinai, bearing children to bondage, which is Hagar.

²⁵For this Hagar is Mount Sinai in Arabia, and answers to the Jerusalem that exists now, for she is in bondage with her children.

²⁶But the Jerusalem that is above is free, and she is our mother.

²⁷For it is written, "Rejoice, you barren who do not bear. Break forth and shout, you that do not travail. For more are the children of the desolate than of her who has a husband."

²⁸Now you, brothers, as Isaac was, are children of promise.

²⁹But as then, he who was born according to the flesh persecuted him who was born according to the Spirit, so also it is now.

³⁰However what does the Scripture say? "Throw out the handmaid and her son, for the son of the handmaid will not inherit with the son of the free woman."

³¹So then, brothers, we are not children of a handmaid, but of the free woman.

¹Stand firm therefore in the liberty by which Christ has made us free, and do not be entangled again with a yoke of bondage.

²Behold, I, Paul, tell you that if you receive circumcision, Christ will profit you nothing.

³Yes, I testify again to every man who receives circumcision, that he is a debtor to do the whole law.

⁴You are alienated from Christ, you who desire to be justified by the law. You have fallen away from grace.

⁵For we, through the Spirit, by faith wait for the hope of righteousness.

⁶For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision amounts to anything, nor uncircumcision, but faith working through love.

⁷You were running well! Who interfered with you that you should not obey the truth?

⁸This persuasion is not from him who calls you.

⁹A little yeast grows through the whole lump.

¹⁰I have confidence toward you in the Lord that you will think no other way. But he who troubles you will bear his judgment, whoever he is.

¹¹But I, brothers, if I still proclaim circumcision, why am I still persecuted? Then the stumbling block of the cross has been removed.

¹²I wish that those who disturb you would cut themselves off.

¹³For you, brothers, were called for freedom. Only do not use your freedom for gain to the flesh, but through love be servants to one another.

¹⁴For the whole law is fulfilled in one word, in this: "You shall love your neighbor as yourself."

¹⁵But if you bite and devour one another, be careful that you do not consume one another.

¹⁶But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not carry out the desires of the flesh.

¹⁷For the flesh lusts against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; and these are contrary to one another, that you may not do the things that you desire.

¹⁸But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law.

¹⁹Now the works of the flesh are obvious, which are: sexual immorality, uncleanness, lustfulness,

²⁰idolatry, sorcery, hatred, strife, jealousies, outbursts of anger, rivalries, divisions, heresies,

²¹envyings, drunkenness, orgies, and things like these; of which I forewarn you, even as I also forewarned you, that those who practice such things will not inherit the Kingdom of God.

²²But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faith,

²³gentleness, and self-control. Against such things there is no law.

²⁴Those who belong to Christ have crucified the flesh with its passions and lusts.

²⁵If we live by the Spirit, let us also walk by the Spirit.

²⁶Let us not become conceited, provoking one another, and envying one another.

¹Brothers, even if a man is caught in some fault, you who are spiritual must restore such a one in a spirit of gentleness; looking to yourself so that you also are not tempted.

²Bear one another's burdens, and so fulfill the Law of Christ.

³For if a man thinks himself to be something when he is nothing, he deceives himself.

⁴But let each man test his own work, and then he will take pride in himself and not in his neighbor.

⁵For each man will bear his own burden.

⁶But let him who is taught in the word share all good things with him who teaches.

⁷Do not be deceived. God is not mocked, for whatever a man sows, that he will also reap.

⁸For he who sows to his own flesh will from the flesh reap corruption. But he who sows to the Spirit will from the Spirit reap eternal life.

⁹Let us not be weary in doing good, for we will reap in due season, if we do not give up.

¹⁰So then, as we have opportunity, let us do what is good toward all men, and especially toward those who are of the household of the faith.

¹¹See with what large letters I write to you with my own hand.

¹²As many as desire to look good in the flesh, they compel you to be circumcised; only that they may not be persecuted for the cross of Christ.

¹³For even they who receive circumcision do not keep the law themselves, but they desire to have you circumcised, that they may boast in your flesh.

¹⁴But far be it from me to boast, except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, through which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world.

¹⁵For neither is circumcision anything, nor uncircumcision, but a new creation.

¹⁶As many as walk by this rule, peace and mercy be on them, and on God's Israel.

¹⁷From now on, let no one cause me any trouble, for I bear the marks of the Lord Jesus branded on my body.

¹⁸The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit, brothers. Amen.

¹Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus through the will of God, to the saints who are at Ephesus, and the faithful in Christ Jesus:

²Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

³Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ;

⁴even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we would be holy and without blemish before him in love;

⁵having predestined us for adoption as children through Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his desire,

⁶to the praise of the glory of his grace, which he freely bestowed on us in the Beloved One,

⁷in whom we have our redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace,

⁸which he made to abound toward us in all wisdom and prudence,

⁹making known to us the mystery of his will, according to his good pleasure which he purposed in him

¹⁰to an administration of the fullness of the times, to sum up all things in Christ, the things in the heavens, and the things on the earth, in him;

¹¹in whom also we were assigned an inheritance, having been foreordained according to the purpose of him who works all things after the counsel of his will;

¹²to the end that we should be to the praise of his glory, we who had before hoped in Christ:

¹³in whom you also, having heard the word of the truth, the Good News of your salvation,-in whom, having also believed, you were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise,

¹⁴who is a pledge of our inheritance, to the redemption of God's own possession, to the praise of his glory.

¹⁵For this cause I also, having heard of the faith in the Lord Jesus which is among you, and the love which you have toward all the saints,

¹⁶do not cease to give thanks for you, making mention of you in my prayers,

¹⁷that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give to you a spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of him;

¹⁸having the eyes of your hearts enlightened, that you may know what is the hope of his calling, and what are the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints,

¹⁹and what is the exceeding greatness of his power toward us who believe, according to that working of the strength of his might

²⁰which he worked in Christ, when he raised him from the dead, and made him to sit at his right hand in the heavenly places,

²¹far above all rule, and authority, and power, and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this age, but also in that which is to come.

²²He put all things in subjection under his feet, and gave him to be head over all things for the church,

²³which is his body, the fullness of him who fills all in all.

¹You were made alive when you were dead in your transgressions and sins,

²in which you once walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit who now works in the children of disobedience;

³among whom we also all once lived in the lust of our flesh, doing the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, even as the rest.

⁴But God, being rich in mercy, for his great love with which he loved us,

⁵even when we were dead through our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved),

⁶and raised us up with him, and made us to sit with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus,

⁷that in the ages to come he might show the exceeding riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus;

⁸for by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God,

⁹not of works, that no one would boast.

¹⁰For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared before that we would walk in them.

¹¹Therefore remember that once you, the Gentiles in the flesh, who are called "uncircumcision" by that which is called "circumcision," (in the flesh, made by hands);

¹²that you were at that time separate from Christ, alienated from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers from the covenants of the promise, having no hope and without God in the world.

¹³But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off are made near in the blood of Christ.

¹⁴For he is our peace, who made both one, and broke down the middle wall of partition,

¹⁵having abolished in the flesh the hostility, the law of commandments contained in ordinances, that he might create in himself one new man of the two, making peace;

¹⁶and might reconcile them both in one body to God through the cross, having killed the hostility thereby.

¹⁷He came and preached peace to you who were far off and peace to those who were near.

¹⁸For through him we both have our access in one Spirit to the Father.

¹⁹So then you are no longer strangers and foreigners, but you are fellow citizens with the saints, and of the household of God,

²⁰being built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus himself being the chief cornerstone;

²¹in whom the whole building, fitted together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord;

²²in whom you also are built together for a habitation of God in the Spirit.

¹For this cause I, Paul, am the prisoner of Christ Jesus on behalf of you Gentiles,

²if it is so that you have heard of the administration of that grace of God which was given me toward you;

³how that by revelation the mystery was made known to me, as I wrote before in few words,

⁴by which, when you read, you can perceive my understanding in the mystery of Christ;

⁵which in other generations was not made known to the children of men, as it has now been revealed to his holy apostles and prophets in the Spirit;

⁶that the Gentiles are fellow heirs, and fellow members of the body, and fellow partakers of the promise in Christ Jesus through the Good News,

⁷of which I was made a servant, according to the gift of that grace of God which was given me according to the working of his power.

⁸To me, the very least of all saints, was this grace given, to proclaim to the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ,

⁹and to make all men see what is the administration of the mystery which for ages has been hidden in God, who created all things;

¹⁰to the intent that now through the church the manifold wisdom of God might be made known to the principalities and the powers in the heavenly places,

¹¹according to the eternal purpose which he purposed in Christ Jesus our Lord;

¹²in whom we have boldness and access in confidence through our faith in him.

¹³Therefore I ask that you may not lose heart at my troubles for you, which are your glory.

¹⁴For this cause, I bow my knees before the Father,

¹⁵from whom every family in heaven and on earth is named,

¹⁶that he would grant you, according to the riches of his glory, that you may be strengthened with power through his Spirit in the inward man;

¹⁷that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; to the end that you, being rooted and grounded in love,

¹⁸may be strengthened to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth,

¹⁹and to know Christ's love which surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.

²⁰Now to him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us,

²¹to him be the glory in the church and in Christ Jesus to all generations forever and ever. Amen.

¹I therefore, the prisoner in the Lord, beg you to walk worthily of the calling with which you were called,

²with all lowliness and humility, with patience, bearing with one another in love;

³being eager to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.

⁴There is one body, and one Spirit, even as you also were called in one hope of your calling;

⁵one Lord, one faith, one baptism,

⁶one God and Father of all, who is over all, and through all, and in all.

⁷But to each one of us was the grace given according to the measure of the gift of Christ.

⁸Therefore he says, "When he ascended on high, he led captivity captive, and gave gifts to men."

⁹Now this, "He ascended," what is it but that he also descended into the lower parts of the earth?

¹⁰He who descended is the one who also ascended far above all the heavens, that he might fill all things.

¹¹He gave some to be apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, shepherds and teachers;

¹²for the perfecting of the saints, to the work of serving, to the building up of the body of Christ;

¹³until we all attain to the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a full grown man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ;

¹⁴that we may no longer be children, tossed back and forth and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, in craftiness, after the wiles of error;

¹⁵but speaking truth in love, we may grow up in all things into him, who is the head, Christ;

¹⁶from whom all the body, being fitted and knit together through that which every joint supplies, according to the proper working of each individual part, makes the body increase to the building up of itself in love.

¹⁷This I say therefore, and testify in the Lord, that you no longer walk as the rest of the Gentiles also walk, in the futility of their mind,

¹⁸being darkened in their understanding, alienated from the life of God, because of the ignorance that is in them, because of the hardening of their hearts;

¹⁹who having become callous gave themselves up to lust, to work all uncleanness with greediness.

²⁰But you did not learn Christ that way;

²¹if indeed you heard him, and were taught in him, even as truth is in Jesus:

²²that you put away, as concerning your former way of life, the old man, that grows corrupt after the lusts of deceit;

²³and that you be renewed in the spirit of your mind,

²⁴and put on the new man, who in the likeness of God has been created in righteousness and holiness of truth.

²⁵Therefore, putting away falsehood, speak truth each one with his neighbor. For we are members of one another.

²⁶"Be angry, and do not sin." Do not let the sun go down on your wrath,

²⁷neither give place to the devil.

²⁸Let him who stole steal no more; but rather let him labor, working with his hands the thing that is good, that he may have something to give to him who has need.

²⁹Let no corrupt speech proceed out of your mouth, but such as is good for building up as the need may be, that it may give grace to those who hear.

³⁰Do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, in whom you were sealed for the day of redemption.

³¹Let all bitterness, wrath, anger, outcry, and slander, be put away from you, with all malice.

³²And be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving each other, just as God also in Christ forgave you.

¹Be therefore imitators of God, as beloved children.

²Walk in love, even as Christ also loved you, and gave himself up for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet-smelling fragrance.

³But sexual immorality, and all uncleanness, or covetousness, let it not even be mentioned among you, as becomes saints;

⁴nor filthiness, nor foolish talking, nor jesting, which are not appropriate; but rather giving of thanks.

⁵Know this for sure, that no sexually immoral person, nor unclean person, nor covetous man, who is an idolater, has any inheritance in the Kingdom of Christ and God.

⁶Let no one deceive you with empty words. For because of these things, the wrath of God comes on the children of disobedience.

⁷Therefore do not be partakers with them.

⁸For you were once darkness, but are now light in the Lord. Walk as children of light,

⁹for the fruit of the light is in all goodness and righteousness and truth,

¹⁰proving what is well pleasing to the Lord.

¹¹Have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather even reprove them.

¹²For the things which are done by them in secret, it is a shame even to speak of.

¹³But all things, when they are reproved, are revealed by the light, for everything that reveals is light.

¹⁴Therefore he says, "Awake, you who sleep, and arise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you."

¹⁵Therefore watch carefully how you walk, not as unwise, but as wise;

¹⁶redeeming the time, because the days are evil.

¹⁷Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is.

¹⁸Do not be drunken with wine, in which is dissipation, but be filled with the Spirit,

¹⁹speaking to one another in psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs; singing, and singing praises in your heart to the Lord;

²⁰giving thanks always concerning all things in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ to God the Father;

²¹subjecting yourselves one to another in the fear of Christ.

²²Wives, be subject to your own husbands, as to the Lord.

²³For the husband is the head of the wife, and Christ also is the head of the church, being himself the savior of the body.

²⁴But as the church is subject to Christ, so let the wives also be to their own husbands in everything.

²⁵Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself up for it;

²⁶that he might sanctify it, having cleansed it by the washing of water with the word,

²⁷that he might present the church to himself gloriously, not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish.

²⁸Even so husbands also ought to love their own wives as their own bodies. He who loves his own wife loves himself.

²⁹For no man ever hated his own flesh; but nourishes and cherishes it, even as Christ also does the church;

³⁰because we are members of his body.

³¹"For this cause a man will leave his father and mother, and will be joined to his wife. The two will become one flesh."

³²This mystery is great, but I speak concerning Christ and of the church.

³³Nevertheless each of you must also love his own wife even as himself; and let the wife see that she respects her husband.

¹Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right.

²"Honor your father and mother," which is the first commandment with a promise:

³"that it may be well with you, and you may live long on the earth."

⁴You fathers, do not provoke your children to wrath, but nurture them in the discipline and instruction of the Lord.

⁵Servants, be obedient to those who according to the flesh are your masters, with fear and trembling, in singleness of your heart, as to Christ;

⁶not in the way of service only when eyes are on you, as men pleasers; but as servants of Christ, doing the will of God from the heart;

⁷with good will doing service, as to the Lord, and not to men;

⁸knowing that whatever good thing each one does, he will receive the same again from the Lord, whether he is bound or free.

⁹You masters, do the same things to them, and give up threatening, knowing that he who is both their Master and yours is in heaven, and there is no partiality with him.

¹⁰Finally, be strong in the Lord, and in the strength of his might.

¹¹Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.

¹²For our wrestling is not against flesh and blood, but against the principalities, against the powers, against the world's rulers of this darkness, and against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places.

¹³Therefore, put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and, having done all, to stand.

¹⁴Stand therefore, having the utility belt of truth buckled around your waist, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness,

¹⁵and having fitted your feet with the preparation of the Good News of peace;

¹⁶above all, taking up the shield of faith, with which you will be able to quench all the fiery darts of the evil one.

¹⁷And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the spoken word of God;

¹⁸with all prayer and requests, praying at all times in the Spirit, and being watchful to this end in all perseverance and requests for all the saints:

¹⁹on my behalf, that utterance may be given to me in opening my mouth, to make known with boldness the mystery of the Good News,

²⁰for which I am an ambassador in chains; that in it I may speak boldly, as I ought to speak.

²¹But that you also may know my affairs, how I am doing, Tychicus, the beloved brother and faithful servant in the Lord, will make known to you all things;

²²whom I have sent to you for this very purpose, that you may know our state, and that he may comfort your hearts.

²³Peace be to the brothers, and love with faith, from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

²⁴Grace be with all those who love our Lord Jesus Christ with incorruptible love.

¹Paul and Timothy, servants of Jesus Christ; To all the saints in Christ Jesus who are at Philippi, with the overseers and servants:

²Grace to you, and peace from God, our Father, and the Lord Jesus Christ.

³I thank my God whenever I remember you,

⁴always in every request of mine on behalf of you all making my requests with joy,

⁵for your partnership in furtherance of the Good News from the first day until now;

⁶being confident of this very thing, that he who began a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ.

⁷It is even right for me to think this way on behalf of all of you, because I have you in my heart, because, both in my bonds and in the defense and confirmation of the Good News, you all are partakers with me of grace.

⁸For God is my witness, how I long after all of you in the tender mercies of Christ Jesus.

⁹This I pray, that your love may abound yet more and more in knowledge and all discernment;

¹⁰so that you may approve the things that are excellent; that you may be sincere and without offense to the day of Christ;

¹¹being filled with the fruit of righteousness, which are through Jesus Christ, to the glory and praise of God.

¹²Now I desire to have you know, brothers, that the things which happened to me have turned out rather to the progress of the Good News;

¹³so that it became evident to the whole praetorian guard, and to all the rest, that my bonds are in Christ;

¹⁴and that most of the brothers in the Lord, being confident through my bonds, are more abundantly bold to speak the word of God without fear.

¹⁵Some indeed proclaim Christ even out of envy and strife, and some also out of good will.

¹⁶The former insincerely proclaim Christ from selfish ambition, thinking that they add affliction to my chains;

¹⁷but the latter out of love, knowing that I am appointed for the defense of the Good News.

¹⁸What does it matter? Only that in every way, whether out of false motives or in truth, Christ is proclaimed. I rejoice in this, yes, and will rejoice.

¹⁹For I know that this will turn out to my salvation, through your supplication and the supply of the Spirit of Jesus Christ,

²⁰according to my earnest expectation and hope, that I will in no way be disappointed, but with all boldness, as always, now also Christ will be magnified in my body, whether by life, or by death.

²¹For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain.

²²But if I live on in the flesh, this will bring fruit from my work; yet I do not make known what I will choose.

²³But I am in a dilemma between the two, having the desire to depart and be with Christ, which is far better.

²⁴Yet, to remain in the flesh is more needful for your sake.

²⁵Having this confidence, I know that I will remain, yes, and remain with you all, for your progress and joy in the faith,

²⁶that your rejoicing may abound in Christ Jesus in me through my presence with you again.

²⁷Only let your manner of life be worthy of the Good News of Christ, that, whether I come and see you or am absent, I may hear of your state, that you stand firm in one spirit, with one soul striving for the faith of the Good News;

²⁸and in nothing frightened by the adversaries, which is for them a proof of destruction, but to you of salvation, and that from God.

²⁹Because it has been granted to you on behalf of Christ, not only to believe in him, but also to suffer on his behalf,

³⁰having the same conflict which you saw in me, and now hear is in me.

¹If there is therefore any exhortation in Christ, if any consolation of love, if any fellowship of the Spirit, if any tender mercies and compassion,

²make my joy full, by being like-minded, having the same love, being of one accord, of one mind;

³doing nothing through rivalry or through conceit, but in humility, each counting others better than himself;

⁴each of you not just looking to his own things, but each of you also to the things of others.

⁵Have this in your mind, which was also in Christ Jesus,

⁶who, existing in the form of God, did not consider equality with God a thing to be grasped,

⁷but emptied himself, taking the form of a servant, being made in the likeness of men.

⁸And being found in human form, he humbled himself, becoming obedient to death, yes, the death of the cross.

⁹Therefore God also highly exalted him, and gave to him the name which is above every name;

¹⁰that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, those on earth, and those under the earth,

¹¹and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

¹²So then, my beloved, even as you have always obeyed, not only in my presence, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling.

¹³For it is God who works in you both to will and to work, for his good pleasure.

¹⁴Do all things without murmurings and disputes,

¹⁵that you may become blameless and harmless, children of God without blemish in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, among whom you are seen as lights in the world,

¹⁶holding up the word of life; that I may have something to boast in the day of Christ, that I did not run in vain nor labor in vain.

¹⁷Yes, and if I am poured out on the sacrifice and service of your faith, I rejoice, and rejoice with you all.

¹⁸In the same way, you also rejoice, and rejoice with me.

¹⁹But I hope in the Lord Jesus to send Timothy to you soon, that I also may be cheered up when I know how you are doing.

²⁰For I have no one else like-minded, who will truly care about you.

²¹For they all seek their own, not the things of Jesus Christ.

²²But you know the proof of him, that, as a child serves a father, so he served with me in furtherance of the Good News.

²³Therefore I hope to send him at once, as soon as I see how it will go with me.

²⁴But I trust in the Lord that I myself also will come shortly.

²⁵But I counted it necessary to send to you Epaphroditus, my brother, fellow worker, fellow soldier, and your apostle and servant of my need;

²⁶since he longed for you all, and was very troubled, because you had heard that he was sick.

²⁷For indeed he was sick, nearly to death, but God had mercy on him; and not on him only, but on me also, that I might not have sorrow on sorrow.

²⁸I have sent him therefore the more diligently, that, when you see him again, you may rejoice, and that I may be the less sorrowful.

²⁹Receive him therefore in the Lord with all joy, and hold such in honor,

³⁰because for the work of Christ he came near to death, risking his life to supply that which was lacking in your service toward me.

¹Finally, my brothers, rejoice in the Lord. To write the same things to you, to me indeed is not tiresome, but for you it is safe.

²Beware of the dogs, beware of the evil workers, beware of the false circumcision.

³For we are the circumcision, who worship God in the Spirit, and rejoice in Christ Jesus, and have no confidence in the flesh;

⁴though I myself might have confidence even in the flesh. If any other man thinks that he has confidence in the flesh, I yet more:

⁵circumcised the eighth day, of the stock of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of Hebrews; concerning the law, a Pharisee;

⁶concerning zeal, persecuting the church; concerning the righteousness which is in the law, found blameless.

⁷However, what things were gain to me, these have I counted loss for Christ.

⁸More than that, I count all things to be loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus, my Lord, for whom I suffered the loss of all things, and count them nothing but refuse, that I may gain Christ

⁹and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own, that which is of the law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which is from God by faith;

¹⁰that I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, becoming conformed to his death;

¹¹if by any means I may attain to the resurrection from the dead.

¹²Not that I have already obtained, or am already made perfect; but I press on, if it is so that I may take hold of that for which also I was taken hold of by Christ Jesus.

¹³Brothers, I do not regard myself as yet having taken hold, but one thing I do. Forgetting the things which are behind, and reaching forward to the things which are ahead,

¹⁴I press on toward the goal for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.

¹⁵Let us therefore, as many as are perfect, think this way. If in anything you think otherwise, God will also reveal that to you.

¹⁶Nevertheless, to what we have attained, to the same continue on.

¹⁷Brothers, be imitators together of me, and note those who walk this way, even as you have us for an example.

¹⁸For many walk, of whom I told you often, and now tell you even weeping, as the enemies of the cross of Christ,

¹⁹whose end is destruction, whose god is the belly, and whose glory is in their shame, who think about earthly things.

²⁰For our citizenship is in heaven, from where we also wait for a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ;

²¹who will change our lowly bodies into the likeness of his glorious body, according to the working by which he is able even to subject all things to himself.