Chapter 3

The Goal of Life

1 Finally, my brethren, arejoice in the Lord. To write the same things again is no trouble to me, and it is a safeguard for you.

2 Beware of the adogs, beware of the bevil workers, beware of the 1false circumcision;

3 for awe are the true 1circumcision, who bworship in the Spirit of God and cglory in dChrist Jesus and put no confidence in the flesh,

4 although aI myself might have confidence even in the flesh. If anyone else has a mind to put confidence in the flesh, I far more:

5 acircumcised the eighth day, of the bnation of Israel, of the ctribe of Benjamin, a bHebrew of Hebrews; as to the Law, da Pharisee;

6 as to zeal, aa persecutor of the church; as to the brighteousness which is in the Law, found cblameless.

7 But awhatever things were gain to me, those things I have counted as loss for the sake of Christ.

8 More than that, I count all things to be loss 1in view of the surpassing value of 2aknowing bChrist Jesus my Lord, 1for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them but rubbish so that I may gain Christ,

9 and may be found in Him, not having aa righteousness of my own derived from the Law, but that which is through faith in Christ, bthe righteousness which comes from God on the basis of faith,

10 that I may aknow Him and bthe power of His resurrection and 1cthe fellowship of His sufferings, being dconformed to His death;

11 1in order that I may aattain to the resurrection from the dead.

12 Not that I have already aobtained it or have already bbecome perfect, but I press on 1so that I may clay hold of that 2for which also I dwas laid hold of by eChrist Jesus.

13 Brethren, I do not regard myself as having laid hold of it yet; but one thing I do: aforgetting what lies behind and reaching forward to what lies ahead,

14 I apress on toward the goal for the prize of the bupward call of God in cChrist Jesus.

15 Let us therefore, as many as are 1aperfect, have this attitude; and if in anything you have a bdifferent attitude, cGod will reveal that also to you;

16 however, let us keep 1aliving by that same standard to which we have attained.

17 Brethren, ajoin in following my example, and observe those who walk according to the bpattern you have in us.

18 For amany walk, of whom I often told you, and now tell you even bweeping, that they are enemies of cthe cross of Christ,

19 whose end is destruction, whose god is their 1aappetite, and whose bglory is in their shame, who cset their minds on earthly things.

20 For aour 1citizenship is in heaven, from which also we eagerly bwait for a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ;

21 who will atransform 1the body of our humble state into bconformity with 2the cbody of His glory, dby the exertion of the power that He has even to esubject all things to Himself.

Chapter 4

Think of Excellence

1 Therefore, my beloved brethren 1whom I along to see, my joy and crown, in this way bstand firm in the Lord, my beloved.

2 I urge Euodia and I urge Syntyche to 1alive in harmony in the Lord.

3 Indeed, true companion, I ask you also to help these women who have shared my struggle in the cause of the gospel, together with Clement also and the rest of my afellow workers, whose bnames are in the book of life.

4 aRejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice!

5 Let your gentle spirit be known to all men. aThe Lord is 1near.

6 aBe anxious for nothing, but in everything by bprayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.

7 And athe peace of God, which surpasses all 1comprehension, will bguard your hearts and your cminds in dChrist Jesus.

8 Finally, brethren, awhatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is 1lovely, whatever is of good repute, if there is any excellence and if anything worthy of praise, 2dwell on these things.

9 The things you have learned and received and heard and seen ain me, practice these things, and bthe God of peace will be with you.

God’s Provisions

10 But I rejoiced in the Lord greatly, that now at last ayou have revived your concern for me; indeed, you were concerned before, but you lacked opportunity.

11 Not that I speak 1from want, for I have learned to be 2acontent in whatever circumstances I am.

12 I know how to get along with humble means, and I also know how to live in prosperity; in any and every circumstance I have learned the secret of being filled and going ahungry, both of having abundance and bsuffering need.

13 I can do all things 1through Him who astrengthens me.

14 Nevertheless, you have done well to ashare with me in my affliction.

15 You yourselves also know, Philippians, that at the 1afirst preaching of the gospel, after I left bMacedonia, no church cshared with me in the matter of giving and receiving but you alone;

16 for even in aThessalonica you sent a gift more than once for my needs.

17 aNot that I seek the gift itself, but I seek for the 1profit which increases to your account.

18 But I have received everything in full and have an abundance; I am 1amply supplied, having received from aEpaphroditus 2what you have sent, 3ba fragrant aroma, an acceptable sacrifice, well-pleasing to God.

19 And amy God will supply 1all your needs according to His briches in glory in Christ Jesus.

20 Now to aour God and Father bbe the glory 1forever and ever. Amen.

21 Greet every 1saint in Christ Jesus. aThe brethren who are with me greet you.

22 aAll the 1bsaints greet you, especially those of Caesar’s household.

23 aThe grace of the Lord Jesus Christ bbe with your spirit.

The Letter of Paul to the

COLOSSIANS

Chapter 1

Thankfulness for Spiritual Attainments

1 aPaul, ban apostle of Jesus Christ 1cby the will of God, and dTimothy 2our brother,

2 To the 1asaints and faithful brethren in Christ who are at Colossae: bGrace to you and peace from God our Father.

3 aWe give thanks to God, bthe Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, praying always for you,

4 asince we heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and the blove which you have 1for call the 2saints;

5 because of the ahope blaid up for you in 1heaven, of which you previously cheard in the word of truth, 2the gospel

6 which has come to you, just as 1ain all the world also it is constantly bearing bfruit and 2increasing, even as it has been doing in you also since the day you cheard of it and 3understood the grace of God in truth;

7 just as you learned it from aEpaphras, our bbeloved fellow bond-servant, who is a faithful servant of Christ on our behalf,

8 and he also informed us of your alove in the Spirit.

9 For this reason also, asince the day we heard of it, bwe have not ceased to pray for you and to ask that you may be filled with the 1cknowledge of His will in all spiritual dwisdom and understanding,

10 so that you will awalk in a manner worthy of the Lord, 1bto please Him in all respects, cbearing fruit in every good work and 2increasing in the 3knowledge of God;

11 astrengthened with all power, according to 1His glorious might, 2for the attaining of all steadfastness and 3patience; bjoyously

12 giving thanks to athe Father, who has qualified us 1to share in bthe inheritance of the 2saints in cLight.

The Incomparable Christ

13 1For He rescued us from the 2adomain of darkness, and transferred us to the kingdom of 3bHis beloved Son,

14 ain whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.

15 1He is the aimage of the binvisible God, the cfirstborn of all creation.

16 For 1aby Him all things were created, aboth in the heavens and on earth, visible and invisible, whether bthrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—call things have been created through Him and for Him.

17 He 1ais before all things, and in Him all things 2hold together.

18 He is also ahead of bthe body, the church; and He is cthe beginning, dthe firstborn from the dead, so that He Himself will come to have first place in everything.

19 For 1it was athe Father’s good pleasure for all bthe 2fullness to dwell in Him,

20 and through Him to areconcile all things to Himself, having made bpeace through cthe blood of His cross; through Him, I say, dwhether things on earth or things in 1heaven.

21 And although you were aformerly alienated and hostile in mind, engaged in evil deeds,

22 yet He has now areconciled you in His fleshly bbody through death, in order to cpresent you before Him dholy and blameless and beyond reproach—

23 if indeed you continue in 1the faith firmly aestablished and steadfast, and not moved away from the bhope of the gospel that you have heard, which was proclaimed cin all creation under heaven, dand of which I, Paul, 2was made a 3eminister.

24 aNow I rejoice in my sufferings for your sake, and in my flesh bI 1do my share on behalf of cHis body, which is the church, in filling up what is lacking 2in Christ’s afflictions.

25 aOf this church I 1was made a minister according to the bstewardship from God bestowed on me for your benefit, so that I might 2fully carry out the preaching of the word of God,

26 that is, athe mystery which has been hidden from the past ages and generations, but has now been manifested to His 1saints,

27 to whom aGod willed to make known what is bthe riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles, which is cChrist in you, the dhope of glory.

28 We proclaim Him, aadmonishing every man and teaching every man 1with all bwisdom, so that we may cpresent every man 2dcomplete in Christ.

29 For this purpose also I alabor, bstriving caccording to His 1power, which 2mightily works within me.