The Letter of Paul to the

Philippians

Salutation

1 Paul and Timothy, servants of Christ Jesus,

To all the saints in Christ Jesus who are in Philippi, with the bishopsa and deacons:b

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

Paul’s Prayer for the Philippians

3 I thank my God for every remembrance of you, 4 always in every one of my prayers for all of you, praying with joy 5 for your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now.* 6 I am confident of this, that the one who began a good work in you will continue to completec it until the day of Jesus Christ. 7 It is right for me to think this way about all of you, because I hold you in my heart,d for all of you are my partners in God’s grace,e both in my imprisonment and in the defense and confirmation of the gospel.* 8 For God is my witness, how I long for all of you with the tender affection of Christ Jesus.* 9 And this is my prayer, that your love may overflow more and more with knowledge and full insight* 10 to help you to determine what really matters, so that in the day of Christ you may be pure and blameless, 11 having produced the harvestf of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ for the glory and praise of God.

Paul’s Present Circumstances

12 I want you to know, brothers and sisters, that what has happened to me has actually resulted in the progress of the gospel, 13 so that it has become known throughout the whole imperial guardg and to everyone else that my imprisonment is for Christ, 14 and most of the brothers and sisters, having been made confident in the Lord by my imprisonment, dare to speak the wordh with greater boldness and without fear.

15 Some proclaim Christ from envy and rivalry but others from goodwill. 16 These proclaim Christ out of love, knowing that I have been put here for the defense of the gospel; 17 the others proclaim Christ out of selfish ambition, not sincerely but intending to increase my suffering in my imprisonment. 18 What does it matter? Just this, that Christ is proclaimed in every way, whether out of false motives or true, and in that I rejoice.

Yes, and I will rejoice, 19 for I know that through your prayers and the help of the Spirit of Jesus Christ this will turn out for my salvation.* 20 It is my eager expectation and hope that I will not be put to shame in any way but that by my speaking with all boldness Christ will be exalted now as always in my body, whether by life or by death.* 21 For to me, living is Christ and dying is gain. 22 If I am to live in the flesh, that means fruitful labor for me, yet I cannot say which I will choose. 23 I am hard pressed between the two: my desire is to depart and be with Christ, for that is far better,* 24 but to remain in the flesh is more necessary for you. 25 Since I am convinced of this, I know that I will remain and continue with all of you for your progress and joy in faith, 26 so that, by my presence again with you, your boast might abound in Christ Jesus because of me.*

27 Only, live your life in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ, so that, whether I come and see you or am absent and hear about you, I will know that you are standing firm in one spirit, striving side by side with one mind for the faith of the gospel 28 and in no way frightened by those opposing you. For them, this is evidence of their destruction but of your salvation. And this is God’s doing.* 29 For he has graciously granted you the privilege not only of believing in Christ but of suffering for him as well,* 30 since you are having the same struggle that you saw I had and now hear that I still have.*

Imitating Christ’s Humility

2 If, then, there is any comfort in Christ, any consolation from love, any partnership in the Spirit, any tender affection and sympathy,* 2 make my joy complete: be of the same mind, having the same love, being in full accord and of one mind.* 3 Do nothing from selfish ambition or empty conceit, but in humility regard others as better than yourselves.* 4 Let each of you look not to your own interests but to the interests of others.* 5 Let the same mind be in you that wasi in Christ Jesus,*

6 who, though he existed in the form of God,

did not regard equality with God

as something to be grasped,*

7 but emptied himself,

taking the form of a slave,

assuming human likeness.

And being found in appearance as a human,*

8 he humbled himself

and became obedient to the point of death—

even death on a cross.*

9 Therefore God exalted him even more highly

and gave him the name

that is above every other name,*

10 so that at the name given to Jesus

every knee should bend,

in heaven and on earth and under the earth,*

11 and every tongue should confess

that Jesus Christ is Lord,

to the glory of God the Father.*

Shining as Lights in the World

12 Therefore, my beloved, just as you have always obeyed me, not only in my presence but much more now in my absence, work on your own salvation with fear and trembling,* 13 for it is God who is at work in you, enabling you both to will and to work for his good pleasure.

14 Do all things without murmuring and arguing,* 15 so that you may be blameless and innocent, children of God without blemish in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, in which you shine like stars in the world,* 16 holding forth the word of life so that I can boast on the day of Christ that I did not run in vain or labor in vain.*

17 But even if I am being poured out as a libation over the sacrifice and the service of your faith, I rejoice, and I rejoice together with all of you;* 18 in the same way also you should rejoice and rejoice together with me.

Timothy and Epaphroditus

19 I hope in the Lord Jesus to send Timothy to you soon, so that I, too, may be consoled by news of you. 20 I have no one so like myself who will be genuinely concerned for your welfare. 21 All of them are seeking their own interests, not those of Jesus Christ.* 22 But Timothy’sj worth you know, how like a son with a father he has served with me in the work of the gospel.* 23 I hope therefore to send him as soon as I see how things go with me, 24 and I trust in the Lord that I will also come soon.

25 Still, I think it necessary to send to you Epaphroditus—my brother and coworker and fellow soldier, your messengerk and minister to my need,* 26 for he has been longing forl all of you and has been distressed because you heard that he was ill. 27 He was indeed so ill that he nearly died. But God had mercy on him, and not only on him but on me also, so that I would not have one sorrow after another. 28 I am the more eager to send him, therefore, in order that you may rejoice at seeing him again and that I may be less anxious. 29 Welcome him, then, in the Lord with all joy, and honor such people,* 30 because he came close to death for the work of Christ,m risking his life to make up for those services that you could not give me.

3 Finally, my brothers and sisters, rejoice in the Lord.

Breaking with the Past

To write the same things to you is not troublesome to me, and for you it is a source of steadfastness.

2 Beware of the dogs, beware of the evil workers, beware of those who mutilate the flesh!n,* 3 For it is we who are the circumcision, who worship in the Spirit of Godo and boast in Christ Jesus and have no confidence in the flesh*—4 even though I, too, have reason for confidence in the flesh.

If anyone else has reason to be confident in the flesh, I have more: 5 circumcised on the eighth day, a member of the people of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew born of Hebrews; as to the law, a Pharisee;* 6 as to zeal, a persecutor of the church; as to righteousness under the law, blameless.

7 Yet whatever gains I had, these I have come to regard as loss because of Christ.* 8 More than that, I regard everything as loss because of the surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things, and I regard them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ* 9 and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law but one that comes through faith in Christ,p the righteousness from God based on faith.* 10 I want to know Christq and the power of his resurrection and the sharing of his sufferings by becoming like him in his death, 11 if somehow I may attain the resurrection from the dead.*

Pressing toward the Goal

12 Not that I have already obtained this or have already reached the goal,r but I press on to lay hold of that for which Christs has laid hold of me.* 13 Brothers and sisters, I do not consider that I have laid holdt of it, but one thing I have laid hold of: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead,* 14 I press on toward the goal, toward the prize of the heavenlyu call of God in Christ Jesus.* 15 Let those of us, then, who are maturev think this way, and if you think differently about anything, this, too, God will reveal to you.* 16 Only let us hold fast to what we have attained.*

17 Brothers and sisters, join in imitating me, and observe those who live according to the example you have in us.* 18 For many live as enemies of the cross of Christ; I have often told you of them, and now I tell you even with tears.* 19 Their end is destruction, their god is the belly, and their glory is in their shame; their minds are set on earthly things.* 20 But our citizenshipw is in heaven, and it is from there that we are expecting a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ. 21 He will transform the body of our humiliationx that it may be conformed to the body of his glory,y by the power that also enables him to make all things subject to himself.*

4 Therefore, my brothers and sisters, whom I love and long for, my joy and crown, stand firm in the Lord in this way, my beloved.

Exhortations

2 I urge Euodia and I urge Syntyche to be of the same mind in the Lord. 3 Yes, and I ask you also, my loyal companion,z help these women, for they have struggled beside me in the work of the gospel, together with Clement and the rest of my coworkers, whose names are in the book of life.*

4 Rejoicea in the Lord always; again I will say, Rejoice.b,* 5 Let your gentleness be known to everyone. The Lord is near.* 6 Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.* 7 And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.*

8 Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is pleasing, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence and if there is anything worthy of praise, think aboutc these things. 9 As for the things that you have learned and received and heard and noticed in me, do them, and the God of peace will be with you.*

Acknowledgment of the Philippians’ Gift

10 I rejoiced in the Lord greatly that now at last you have revived your concern for me; indeed, you were concerned for me but had no opportunity to show it.e,* 11 Not that I am referring to being in need, for I have learned to be content with whatever I have.* 12 I know what it is to have little, and I know what it is to have plenty. In any and all circumstances I have learned the secret of being well-fed and of going hungry, of having plenty and of being in need.* 13 I can do all things through him who strengthens me.* 14 In any case, it was kind of you to share my distress.

15 You Philippians indeed know that in the early days of the gospel, when I left Macedonia, no church shared with me in the matter of giving and receiving except you alone.* 16 For even when I was in Thessalonica, you sent me help for my needs more than once. 17 Not that I seek the gift, but I seek the profitf that accumulates to your account.* 18 I have been paid in full and have more than enough; I am fully satisfied, now that I have received from Epaphroditus the gifts you sent, a fragrant offering, a sacrifice acceptable and pleasing to God.* 19 And my God will fully satisfy every need of yours according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus.* 20 To our God and Father be glory forever and ever. Amen.*

Final Greetings and Benediction

21 Greet every saint in Christ Jesus. The brothers and sisters who are with me greet you. 22 All the saints greet you, especially those of the emperor’s household.

23 The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit.g

The Letter of Paul to the

Colossians

Salutation

1 Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, and Timothy our brother,

2 To the saints and faithful brothers and sisters in Christ in Colossae:

Grace to you and peace from God our Father.a

Paul Thanks God for the Colossians

3 In our prayers for you we always thank God, theb Father of our Lord Jesus Christ,* 4 for we have heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and of the love that you have for all the saints,* 5 because of the hope laid up for you in heaven. You have heard of this hope before in the word of the truth, the gospel* 6 that has come to you. Just as it is bearing fruit and growing in the whole world, so it has been bearing fruit among yourselves from the day you heard it and truly comprehended the grace of God.* 7 This you learned from Epaphras, our beloved fellow servant. He is a faithful minister of Christ on ourc behalf,* 8 and he has made known to us your love in the Spirit.

9 For this reason, since the day we heard it, we have not ceased praying for you and asking that you may be filled with the knowledge of God’sd will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding,* 10 so that you may walk worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing to him, as you bear fruit in every good work and as you grow in the knowledge of God.* 11 May you be made strong with all the strength that comes from his glorious power, so that you may have all endurance and patience, joyfully* 12 giving thanks to the Father,e who has enabledf youg to share in the inheritance of the saints in the light. 13 He has rescued us from the power of darkness and transferred us into the kingdom of his beloved Son,* 14 in whom we have redemption,h the forgiveness of sins.

The Supremacy of Christ

15 He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation,* 16 for ini him all things in heaven and on earth were created, things visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or powers—all things have been created through him and for him. 17 He himself is before all things, and inj him all things hold together. 18 He is the head of the body, the church; he is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, so that he might come to have first place in everything.* 19 For in him all the fullness of Godk was pleased to dwell, 20 and through him God was pleased to reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, by making peace through the blood of his cross.*

21 And you who were once estranged and hostile in mind, doing evil deeds, 22 he has now reconciledl in his fleshly bodym through death, so as to present you holy and blameless and irreproachable before him,* 23 provided that you continue securely established and steadfast in the faith, without shifting from the hope promised by the gospel that you heard, which has been proclaimed to every creaturen under heaven. I, Paul, became a minister of this gospel.*

Paul’s Interest in the Colossians

24 I am now rejoicing in my sufferings for your sake, and in my flesh I am completing what is lacking in Christ’s afflictions for the sake of his body, that is, the church. 25 I became its minister according to God’s commission that was given to me for you, to make the word of God fully known,* 26 the mystery that has been hidden throughout the ages and generations but has now been revealed to his saints.* 27 To them God chose to make known how great among the gentiles are the riches of the glory of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.* 28 It is he whom we proclaim, warning everyone and teaching everyone in all wisdom, so that we may present everyone mature in Christ.o,* 29 For this I toil and strive with all the energy that he powerfully inspires within me.*