2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

in Christ, if any soothing of love, if any partaking of spirit, if any bowels and mercies, fill ye my joy, that ye be of the same mind, having the same love, being of one soul, thinking of the one thing; doing nothing in strife or vain glory, but in lowliness of mind each esteeming the other better than himself; each looking not after his own good, but each also that of others. For let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus, who being in the form of God, thought not the being as God a thing to be seized, but made himself nothing, taking the form of a slave, being made in the likeness of men; and being found in condition as a man, he humbled himself, becoming obedient unto death, even the death of the cross. Wherefore also God hath set him on high, and given him a name that is above every name; so that in the name of Jesus 10 every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth, and that every 11 tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is the Lord, to the glory of God the Father. Wherefore, my beloved, 12 as ye have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling; for it is God that 13 worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure. Do all things without murmurings and disputings; 14 that ye may be blameless and harmless, children of God 15 without reproach in the midst of a crooked and misguided generation, among whom ye shine as luminaries in the world, holding forth the word of life; as a boast 16 for me in the day of Christ, that I have not run in vain, nor laboured in vain.

Yea, and if I be offered upon the sacrifice and service 17 of your faith, I joy and rejoice with you all; and for this 18 also do ye joy and rejoice with me. And I trust in the 19 Lord Jesus to send Timothy shortly to you, that I also may be of good heart, when I know about you. For I 20 have no man of like mind who will really care about you; for they all seek their own affairs, not those of Jesus 21 Christ. But of him ye know the proof, that as a son with 22 a father, he hath with me served in the Good Tidings. Him therefore I hope to send, as soon as ever I shall see 23 through my own affairs. But I trust in the Lord that u I also myself shall come shortly. And I thought it ne- 25

26

27

28

1

2

3

cessary to send to you Epaphroditus, my brother and fellow-labourer and fellow-soldier, but your messenger and helper of my wants; since he longed after you all, and was uneasy because ye had heard that he was sick. For indeed he was sick almost to death; but God pitied him; and not him only, but me also, lest I should have sorrow upon sorrow. I have sent him therefore the more readily, that when ye see him again, ye may rejoice, and I be less sorrowful. Receive him therefore in the Lord with all gladness; and hold such men in honour; because for the work of Christ he was nigh unto death, having endangered his life to supply the remainder of your services to me.

Lastly, my brethren, rejoice in the Lord. To write the same things to you is not irksome to me, and to you is safe.

Beware of the dogs, beware of the evil-doers, beware of the concision. For we are the circumcision, who serve God in spirit, boasting in Christ Jesus, and not trusting 4 in the flesh. Although I might have trust even in the flesh. If any other man thinketh to trust in the flesh, I 5 might more; circumcised on the eighth day, of the race of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew from Hebrews; 6 according to the law, a Pharisee; as for zeal, a persecutor

of the church; as for righteousness under the law, being 7 blameless. But what things were gain to me those I 8 counted loss for Christ. Yea doubtless, I count all things a loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord; for whom I have suffered the loss of all things. And I count them as filth, that I may win Christ, and may be found in him, not having as my righteousness that which is from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God by the faith; 10 that I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the partaking of his sufferings, being made conformable to his death, if I could but attain unto the resur12 rection of the dead. Not that I have already attained, or am already perfect; but I follow on, if that I may lay hold on that for which also I was laid hold on by Christ. 13 Brethren, I count not myself to have laid hold, but forgetting the things behind, and stretching after the things 14 before, I pursue one thing according to plan, for the prize

11

Y

of God's calling from above in Christ Jesus. Let us therefore, as many as be perfect, think of this; and if in any thing ye think otherwise, that also will God reveal

15

to you. However, whereunto we have attained, let us 16 walk therein. Be ye imitators of me, brethren, and mark 17 them that so walk as ye have us for a pattern. For many 18 walk, of whom I often told you, and now tell you even weeping, they are enemies of the cross of Christ; whose 19 end is destruction, whose God is their belly, and whose glory is in their shame, who mind earthly things. For 20 our citizenship is in heaven, from whence also we look for a saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ, who will change 21 our mean body into a likeness of his glorious body, according to the working whereby he is able even to put all things under himself. Therefore, my brethren, beloved and longed for, my joy and crown, thus stand fast in the Lord, beloved.

1

2

3

I beseech Evodia, and I beseech Syntyche, that they be of the same mind in the Lord. Nay, I entreat thee also, true yoke-fellow, help those women, in that they strove for me in the Good Tidings, both with Clement, and with my other fellow-labourers, whose names are in the book of life. Rejoice in the Lord always; again I say, rejoice. Let your mildness be known to all men. The Lord is at 5 hand; be over careful about nothing; but in every thing 6 by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, 7 which passeth all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. Lastly, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report, if there be any virtue, if there be any praise, think on these things; and what ye have learned and received, and heard, and seen in me, those things do ye; and the God of peace will be with you.

And I rejoiced in the Lord greatly, that now at last ye 10 have renewed your care for me; wherein also ye were careful, but lacked opportunity. Not that I speak in 11 respect of want; for I have learned, in whatever state I am, to be content. And I know what it is to be brought 12 low, and I know what it is to abound. Every where and

13

in all things I have been taught both to be well fed and to be hungry, both to abound and to be in want. I am strong in all things through Him that strength14 eneth me. Notwithstanding, ye did well in con15 tributing to me in my trouble. And ye also know, O Philippians, that in the beginning of the Good Tidings, when I departed from Macedonia, no church. had fellowship with me in the matter of giving and re16 ceiving, but ye only. For even in Thessalonica ye sent once and a second time unto my necessity. Not because I desire the gift, but I desire fruit that may abound to vour account. For I have all and overflow; I am full, having received from Epaphroditus the things from you, an odour of sweet smell, a sacrifice acceptable, well 19 pleasing to God. And my God will supply all your need, according to his riches in glory, in Christ Jesus. -And to our God and Father be glory for ages of ages,

17

18

20

21

22

23

1

2

amen.

Greet every saint in Christ Jesus. The brethren who are with me greet you; all the saints, and chiefly those of Cæsar's household, greet you. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all, amen.

The Epistle of PAUL to the COLOSSIANS.

PAUL, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God, and Timothy our brother, to the holy and faithful brethren in Christ at Colossæ; grace be to you and peace from God our Father.

3 We give thanks to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus 4 Christ, always praying for you; having heard of your 5 faith in Christ Jesus, and love towards all the saints, for

the hope that is laid up for you in heaven, whereof ye heard before in the word of the truth of the Good Tidings, 6 which are come upon you as upon all the world, and bear fruit and increase, as among you, since the day that ye 7 heard and knew the grace of God in truth; as also ye

learned from Epaphras, our beloved fellow-servant, who 8 is for you a faithful minister of Christ, who also hath 9 declared unto us your love in the spirit. For this we also, since the day we heard it, do not cease praying for you, and desiring that ye may be filled with the knowledge 10 of His will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding; to

walk worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing, bearing fruit in every good work, and increasing in the knowledge of God; being strengthened with all strength, according to 11 the power of his glory, unto all patience and long-suffering with joy; giving thanks unto the Father who hath made 12 us meet for the share of the inheritance of the saints in light.

And He hath delivered us from the power of darkness, 13 and hath removed us into the kingdom of the Son of his love; by means of whom we have the redemption, the for- 14 giveness of sins; who is an image of the unseen God, the 15 firstborn of all creation; for by means of him were created 16 all things, those in heaven and those on earth, the seen and the unseen, whether thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers; all were created through him and for him; and he is before all, and by means of him all 17 are held together; and he is the head of the body, of the 18 church; he is the beginning, firstborn from the dead, that among all he may be chief; for He was well pleased that 19 in him all fulness should dwell; and having made peace 20 through the blood of his cross, through him to reconcile all things to Himself;-through him, whether things on earth, or things in heaven. And you, who were once 21 aliens and enemies in mind by wicked works, yet now hath he reconciled in the body of his flesh through death, 22 to present you holy and unblameable and unreproveable in his sight; if indeed ye continue grounded and settled 23 in the faith, and not moved away from the hope of the Good Tidings which ye have heard, which were preached to every creature under heaven; whereof I Paul was made a minister.

Now I rejoice in my sufferings for you, and I fill up 24 what was wanting of Christ's troubles in my flesh for his body, which is the church; of which I was made a 25 minister, according to God's stewardship which was given to me for you, to fulfil the word of God, the mystery 26 which was hidden from ages and from generations, but is now made manifest to his saints, to whom God wished to 27 make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles; the which is Christ in you, the hope of glory, whom we preach, warning every man and teaching every man in all wisdom, so that we may present every man perfect in Christ; whereunto I also

23

29