THE EPISTLE

OF THE

APOSTLE PAUL

TO THE

PHILIPPIANS.

I. PAUL and Timothy, servants of Jesus Christ, to all the saints in Christ Jesus—to them who are at Philippi, with over-

2 seers and deacons, favour be to you and peace from God our father, and the Lord Jesus Christ.

3 I thank my God at every mention of you, always, in ever)

4 prayer of mine for you all, making such supplication with joy

5 for your contribution for the glad tidings ; having from the

6 first day till now the same confidence, that he who hath begun a good work in you will continue completing it until the day ot

7 Jesus Christ; as it is just for me to be thus affected towards you all, because you have me in your heart; and in my bonds and in the defence and support of the glad tidings you all con-

8 tinue to be fellow sharers with me of this favour. For God b my witness how tenderly I love you all with the affection ol

9 Jesus Christ; and this I pray that your love may abound still more and more, in knowledge and all discernment, that you

10 may prove the things which differ—that you may be sincef

11 and inoffensive till the day of Christ, filled with fruits of righteousness, which are by means of Jesus Christ, for the glon and praise of God.

12 Now I wish you, brethren, to know that what hath hap pened to me hath rather conduced to the furtherance of the

13 gospel; so that in the whole imperial palace, and all other

14 places, my bonds are well known to be for Christ; and a greater number of the brethren in the Lord are emboldened by my bonds to venture to speak the word with more freedom and intrepi-

15 dity. Some indeed proclaim the Christ out of envy and con-

16 tention, but others do it out of good will—the former for the sake of strife proclaim the Christ not in a pure manner, thinking

17 to add affliction to my bonds ; but the latter for love, know-

18 ing that I am set for the defence of the gospel. What then? Still in every way, whether in pretence or in truth, Christ is

19 proclaimed. At this therefore I rejoice and will rejoice. For I know that this will issue in my deliverance, through your supplications and a supply of the spirit of Jesus Christ, accord-

20 ing to my earnest expectation and hope that I shall in no wise be ashamed ; but that in the most open manner, as always so now, Christ shall be magnified in my body, either by life or

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

22 whether the living in flesh is for me a fruit of labour, and what

23 I should chuse, I do not know. For I am strained between the two, having a desire to depart and to be with Christ which

24 is by far the best; but to abide in the flesh is more needful

25 on your account. And being confident of this, I know that I shall abide and continue some time with you all for your

26 furtherance and joy in the faith ; that by me your glorying in Christ Jesus may abound, by means of my being present with

27 you again. Only conduct yourselves in a manner becoming the glad tidings of the Christ, that whether I come and see you, or if absent I may hear this of you, that you are stedfast

28 in one spirit, and that without being in the least daunted by your opposers, you contend unanimously for the belief of the gospel, which is to them indeed a manifestation of destruction, but to you, of salvation.

29 Now with respect to this from God—because this hath been granted to you for Christ, not only to believe in him but

SO also to suffer for him—and you are engaged in the same conflict as that in which you saw me and now hear that I am en-

U. gaged, if therefore there be any consolation in Christ, if any comfort of love, if any participation of spirit, if any compassion and tender mercies, complete my joy.

2 In order that you may be like minded, exercising the same

3 love, having your souls knit together, your minds bent on the one thing—upon nothing out of a spirit of contention or vain glory, but in lowliness of mind esteeming one another better

4 than yourselves, look not every one to his own interests, but

5 every one of you to the interests also of others. For let this temper of mind be in you which was in Christ Jesus, who

6 being in the form of God did not think it robbery to be like

7 God, but he emptied himself—having taken the form of a

8 servant, being in the likeness of men, and found in fashion as

9 a man, he humbled himself and became obedient to death, even the death of a cross; wherefore God highly exalted him, and granted him a name which is above every name, that

10 in the name of Jesus every knee should bend, of tho^e in hea-

11 ven, and of those on earth, and of those beneath the earth; and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of God the father.

12 Therefore, as you, my beloved, have always been obedient, not only when I was present, but now much more when I am

13 absent, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling; for it is God who is working in you both the will and the power

14 to act. For this good pleasure do you all things without mur-

15 murings and surmises, that you may be blameless and sincere, spotless children of God in the midst of a crooked and perverse

16 generation, amongst whom shine ye forth as lights in the world, displaying the word of life, that I may have matter of

17 boasting for the day of Christ, that I did not run in vain, nor labour in vain, but can if I am even poured out as a libation on the sacrifice and service of your belief, rejoice and congratulate

18 with you all. For the same cause then rejoice ye also and congratulate with me.

19 Now I hope in the Lord Jesus to send Timothy very soon

20 to yon, that I may be refreshed by. knowing the state of your affairs. For I have none of a like disposition who will sin-

21 cerely interest himself in your concerns. For all are seeking

22 their own things, not the things of the Christ Jesus. But of him you know this proof, that as a son serveth a father, he

23 hath served with me for the gospel. Him therefore I hope to

24 send as soon as I see the issue of my affairs here. And I have

25 a confidence in the Lord that I myself shall come very soon.

26 But I have thought it necessary to send to you Epaphroditus my brother,- and fellow labourer^ and fellow soldier, and your missionary and agent to supply my want; as he hath been longing for you all, and is much distressed because you heard that he was sick. For he was indeed sick, nigh to death; but God had pity on him, and not on him only, but also on me,

1 that I might not have sorrow on sorrow. I have therefore sent him with the greater despatch, that upon seeing him again you

) may rejoice, and that I may be less sorrowful. Receive him then in the Lord with all joy and hold such in high esteem

3 because he was on the brink of death, for the work of the Christ, having exposed his life that he might supply the want of your religious service for me.

H. Finally, my brethren, rejoice in the Lord. To write to

2 you the same things is not troublesome to me; and to you it S is safe. Beware of the dogs; beware of the evil workers; beware of the concision; for we are the circumcision, who serve God in spirit, and glory in Christ Jesus, and have no confi-

4 dence in flesh. Though, with regard to my having a confidence even in flesh, if any other thinketh that he hath a confi-

5 dence in flesh, I have greater pretensions—circumcision performed on the eighth day; a descent from Israel; of the tribe

6 of Benjamin; a Hebrew of Hebrews; with respect to the law, a Pharisee; with respect to zeal, a persecutor of the congrega-

7 lion; with respect to righteousness which is by law, blameless;

8 yet what were gain to me these I have counted refuse* on account of the Christ—nay more, I do therefore indeed count all things but refuse, on account of the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have given up all

9 and account them but dregs, that I may gain Christ and be found in him, not having for my own righteousness, that which is of the law, but that which is by a belief in Christ—that which is of God—a righteousness for this belief.

That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, I have conformed myself to his death, that I may somehow arrive at the resurrection of the dead—not that I have already received, or am yet made perfect, but I continue the pursuit, that I may lay hold 011 that for which I have been laid hold on by the Christ Jesus.

13 Brethren, I do not reckon myself to have laid hold on it, but one thing [I do], forgetting the things which are be-

14 hind, and intent on the things before, I press forward to the mark, for the prize of the call of God from above by

15 Christ Jesus. Let as many of us therefore as are full grown, have our minds bent on this; and if any of you are otherwise

16 minded, when God shall reveal this to you, (over and above

17 the advance which we have made by walking by this rule,—by minding this itself) be ye, brethren, imitators of me, and keep

18 your eyes fixed on those who walk thus, as you have us for an example. For many walk of whom I have frequently told you, and now tell you with tears, that they are enemies of the

19 cross of Christ. Their end is destruction; their God is their belly; and their glory is their shame. Their minds are bent or.

20 earthly things. But we are citizens of heaven, from which

21 we earnestly expect a saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ, who will transform the body of this our humble state, that it may be made conformable to his glorious body, according to the

IV. energy of his power to subject all to himself. Wherefore, my brethren, my beloved, and much longed for! my joy and my crown! stand thus stedfast in the Lord, my beloved!

2 I beseech Euodia, and I beseech Syntiche, to be of one

3 mind in the Lord. And I intreat thee also, my faithful colleague, assist them; for they were fellow labourers of mine in the gospel, with Clement in particular, and the rest of mv fellow labourers whose names are in the book of life.

4 Rejoice in the Lord always. Again, I say, rejoice. Let

5 your meekness be known to all men. The Lord is at

6 hand: Be anxious about nothing; but on all occasions, b>

7 prayer and supplication with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which sur- passcth all understanding, will keep your hearts and your

8 minds safe in Christ Jesus. Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are venerable, whatsoever

9 things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are friendly, whatsoever things are reputable, if there be any

virtue, and if there be any praise, think of these things, and practise what you have learned, and received, and heard, and seen in me; and the God of peace be with you. 0 Now I was greatly rejoiced in the Lord that now at length you revived your care for me, for whom you indeed were

11 concerned, but had not an opportunity. Not that I speak with

12 regard to want; for I have learned, in whatever circumstances I am, to be contented. I know how to be brought low; and I know how to abound: in every respect, and in all things, I have been initiated into the mysteries of feeding plentifully,

13 and suffering hunger—of abounding, and being in want. I

14 can undergo all things through Christ who strengthened me. Notwithstanding this you did well in assisting me in my distress.

15 Now you, Philippians, yourselves know, that at the beginning of the glad tidings when I was departing from Macedonia, no congregation communicated with me in respect to giv-

16 ing and receiving, but you only—that when I was at Thessa-

17 lonica you sent once and again to supply my want. Not that I

18 desire a gift, but I wish for the fruit which aboundeth to your account. Now I have all things and abound. I am fully supplied, having received your presents by Epaphroditus, a fra-

9 grant odour, a sacrifice acceptable, well pleasing to God. And my God will supply all your wants, according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus.

10 Now to our God and father be the glory for the ages of the ages. Amen.

11 Salute every saint in Christ Jesu§. The brethren with me salute you.

& All the saints salute you, they especially who are of Caesar's household.

23 The favour of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. Amen.