Philippians

¹ From: Paul and Timothy, workers enslaved to Christ Jesus

To: All the sacred with Christ Jesus who are in Philippi, along with the overseers and servers.

² Good fortune and peace to you from God our Father and Lord Jesus Christ.

³ I give thanks to my God every time I remember you. ⁴ With every request of mine on behalf of all of you, I always make the request with joy ⁵ because of your participation in community for the triumphant message from the first day until now. ⁶ I have been convinced of this very thing: that the one who began beneficial work with you will bring it toward completion until the day of Christ Jesus. ⁷ Just as it is justified for me to think this about all of you because of you having me in your heart, you are all my fellow participants through generosity both regarding my imprisonment and regarding the explanation and firm establishment of the triumphant message. ⁸ With God as my witness—I miss all of you with the deep feeling of Christ Jesus— ⁹ and I pray this: that your love still grows more and more with knowledge and every insight ¹⁰ for you to evaluate between different ways, so that you can be authentic, and not tripped up, for the day of Christ, ¹¹ having been made to live out the fruit, justness, which is through Jesus Christ for the high reputation and affirmation of God.

¹² I am resolved for you to understand, Family, that the things that have happened to me have actually shown themselves to be for the advancement of the triumphant message, ¹³ as far as my imprisonment in connection with Christ becoming apparent among the whole Praetorium and everyone else, ¹⁴ and most of the Family in the Lord having abundantly growing confidence because of my imprisonment not to be too afraid to speak the message without fear.

¹⁵ Some people are actually announcing Christ motivated by envy and contention, but also some because of positive intentions. ¹⁶ The latter ones do so from love, seeing that I am placed for the explanation of the triumphant message, ¹⁷ but the ones without sincerity who are announcing Christ motivated by provoking contention, they envision causing suffering with my imprisonment. ¹⁸ What does it matter? Only that either way, whether as a pretense or with sincerity, Christ is being announced, and I am happy about that ¹⁹ because I can see that, for me, the outcome of this will be liberation through your ongoing requests and the aid of the Life-breath of Jesus Christ. ²⁰ It is proportionate with my vigilant expectation and hope that I will not be ashamed under any circumstance but always have courage to speak, just as now and always Christ will be made more visible with my body, whether through life or through death. ²¹ To me, continuing to live is Christ and to die is profit. ²² But if I am living in my body, this is an opportunity for me to produce fruit through action, and I do not know which I prefer, ²³ so I am torn between the two: I have the desire to be released and to be with Christ, since it is much more to my advantage, ²⁴ but staying here with the body is indispensable for you. ²⁵ And since I am convinced of this, I have come to see that I will remain and stay close to all of you for your progress and joy in faithfulness, ²⁶ so what you have to be affirmed will grow abundantly in connection with Christ Jesus through me when I arrive again with you.

²⁷ Be citizens only in ways appropriate for Christ’s triumphant message, so that whether while I am coming and seeing you or while I am still absent, I may hear about you that you are standing with one Life-breath, one being—contending alongside each other with faithfulness to the triumphant message. ²⁸ Do not be intimidated by anything from the opponents, whoever they may be; their opposition signals destruction for them but liberation for you, and it is from God. ²⁹ This is because you have been generously appointed to represent Christ, not only to be faithful toward him but also to suffer for his sake, ³⁰ since you are experiencing the same conflict that you saw me experience and now hear about me.

¹ Therefore, if anything draws you closer together in connection with Christ, if any loving comforting, if any community sharing of life-breath, if any compassion that rises from the bottom of your hearts, ² complete my joy by sharing the same focus: having the same love, a shared being, and focusing your minds in one direction. ³ Do nothing motivated by contention or pursuit of an empty reputation, but rather humbly take each other into consideration, holding each other above yourselves, ⁴ not each person paying attention their own interests, but instead everyone to the others’ interests. ⁵ Maintain this focus among you, which is particularly connected with Christ Jesus,

⁶⁠who having been in the shape of God from the beginning,

did not give consideration to taking being equal with God by force.

⁷⁠but rather he emptied himself

Taking the shape of someone enslaved

Being made in the likeness of the people

And discovering everything it means to be human

⁸⁠He humbled himself,

Taking listening to instruction as far as death,

even death by a cross.

⁹⁠Because of that, God also elevated him

And generously gave him the name above every name

¹⁰⁠so that with the name of Jesus

Every knee would kneel—

At the top of the sky and on the land and under the ground—

¹¹⁠and every tongue would speak aloud,

“Lord Jesus Christ” toward the renown of Father God.

¹² So then, my loved ones, just as you always listened to instruction, not only when I was present but also even more now with my absence, respectfully and carefully putting to action your own liberation. ¹³ For God is the one who is working through you, both through your desire and actions, for the sake of goodwill. ¹⁴ Do everything without discord or dispute ¹⁵ so that you may be innocent and undiluted, innocent children of God born in the middle of a crooked and corrupt generation in which you shine as lights within the world system, ¹⁶ holding onto a message of life. This is an affirmation for me on the day of Christ, that I did not run for something empty or exhaust myself for something empty. ¹⁷ Instead, even if I am poured out as a drink offering over the sacrificial offering and performance of ritual service of your faithfulness, I am joyful, and I rejoice along with all of you. ¹⁸ Have the same joy as well, and rejoice along with me!

¹⁹ I hope by Lord Jesus to send Timothy to you soon so that I also may experience wellbeing when I learn all about you. ²⁰ I have no one equal in character with him, someone who is genuinely concerned for you. ²¹ Everyone else is pursuing their own concerns, not the concerns of Jesus Christ. ²² But you know how he has proved himself serving with me, like a son with his father, for the triumphant message. ²³ He is the one I truly hope to send whenever I have the chance to assess what is happening with me. ²⁴ I am convinced, by the Lord, that I will also come soon.

²⁵ For now, l have considered it necessary to send to you Epaphroditus, my brother and fellow worker and fellow campaigner, as well as the emissary and representative servant from you for my need, ²⁶ because of how much he missed all of you and was distressed because you heard that he was ill. ²⁷ He really was deathly ill, but God showed him compassion—and not only him but also me so that I might not have grief on top of grief. ²⁸ Therefore, I sent him urgently so that when you see him again you may rejoice, and I may be free from grief. ²⁹ Therefore, welcome him like the Lord with all joy and the honor you hold for people like him ³⁰ since he disregarded his own being almost to the point of death because of the work of Christ so that he could complete what was lacking in your service to me.

¹ Here is the rest of what I have to say, Family: Rejoice concerning the Lord! Writing these things to you is truly not an imposition for me, and it makes you secure.

² Watch out for the feral dogs; watch out for those who enact harm; watch out for the mutilators. ³ You see, we are the circumcision, the ones performing dutiful service for God’s Life-breath and taking pride in Christ Jesus and not being convinced about bodily qualification, ⁴ even though, I also used to rely on bodily qualification. If someone else seems to have reason to be confident of bodily qualification, I have even more reason. ⁵ I was circumcised at eight days old, was from the lineage of Israel, was of the tribe of Benjamin, was a Hebrew of Hebrews, and was a Pharisee adherent to Torah, ⁶ targeting the Assembly based on fanaticism, and was innocent based on living with justness as described in Torah. ⁷ However, whatever profits these were to me, I consider them loss because of Christ. ⁸ Not only that, but I also consider everything as loss compared to holding up the way of thinking of Christ Jesus my lord, for whose cause I have been cost all these things—I consider them shit—so that my profit can be Christ, ⁹ and I might be found with him, not having my own justness by Torah but by Christ’s faithfulness. The justness from God is based on faithfulness, ¹⁰ knowing him and the power of his reawakening and participating in his sufferings, taking the same shape with his death, ¹¹ so somehow, I can arrive at the reawakening from the dead.

¹² Not that I already attained it or have already been brought to the finish, but I am pursuing specifically to claim that for which I was also claimed by Christ Jesus. ¹³ Family, I am not crediting myself with having claimed it; however, I have attained one thing: forgetting what is behind me but reaching for the things ahead. ¹⁴ With this goal in view, I am pursuing the prize of the upward calling of God through Christ Jesus. ¹⁵ Therefore, whoever is finished, this is how we would think. And if you think something else, God will reveal it to you too. ¹⁶ Nevertheless, may we proceed in line with the progress we have already made.

¹⁷ Imitate me in this, Family, and watch out for those who are walking that path, since you have us as a model. ¹⁸ You see, I have often spoken of them with you, but now I am telling you with grief that many walk that path, and they are hostile to the cross of Christ. ¹⁹ Their aim is destruction, their god is the belly, and they honor what is to their shame; their thinking is about earthly things. ²⁰ Our duties as citizens originate in the heavens, from where we are also expectantly awaiting a liberator, Lord Jesus Christ, ²¹ who will change the nature of our humble Body to be conformed to the shape of his renowned Body proportionately to how effective he is in arranging everything under his direction.

¹ So then, my Family whom I love and miss, my crown and joy, stand this way concerning the Lord, my loved ones.

² I call aside Euodia and I call aside Syntyche to the same way of thinking as Christ. ³ Yes, I also ask you, genuine partner, to support them, who have strived along with me and Clement and the rest of my fellow workers for the triumphant message.

⁴ Rejoice with the Lord always; again I say, rejoice! ⁵ Let your considerateness be experienced by all people. The Lord is near!

⁶ Do not be stressed about anything; instead, make your requests about everything known to God with prayer and asking with gratitude. ⁷ And God’s peace that exceeds every mind will protect and guide your motivations and thoughts according to the standard of Christ Jesus.

⁸ Finally, Family, whatever is true, whatever is admirable, whatever is just, whatever is sacred, whatever is pleasant, whatever is spoken well of—if anything is a source of life and if anything is an affirmation—take these things into account. ⁹ And what you learned and received and heard and saw from me, practice these things, and the God of peace will be with you.

¹⁰ I have been overjoyed with the Lord because the thoughtfulness you used to show for me has now sprouted again (and you were thinking about it but did not have an opportunity). ¹¹ I am not saying this because I am in need, for I have learned to be content with however things are. ¹² I have seen both humble circumstances and more than enough. With regard to any and all things, I have been taught the secret, both when satisfied and hungry and both having more than enough and being in need. ¹³ I have the strength for all things through the one who empowers me. ¹⁴ Nevertheless, you did beautifully when you participated along with me while I was being oppressed.

¹⁵ You Philippians have seen for yourselves when I was beginning to spread the triumphant message, when I departed from Macedonia, not one assembly participated with me in giving and receiving except only you ¹⁶ since specifically in Thessalonica—and more than once—you sent something for my need. ¹⁷ Not that I am requesting the gift, but rather I am requesting the produce to yield a surplus to your account. ¹⁸ I have received all I need, and I have more than enough. I have been filled, being handed by Epaphroditus the things from you, a fragrant offering, an acceptable sacrifice pleasing to God. ¹⁹ My God will fulfill your every need proportionately to God's renowned wealth in connection with Christ Jesus. ²⁰ May our God and Father be celebrated for the ages of the ages, amen.

²¹ Greet all those who are sacred like Christ Jesus. The members of the Family who are with me greet you. ²² All those who are sacred greet you, but especially the ones from Caesar’s household. ²³ May the generosity of Lord Jesus Christ be with your life-breath.