speak the word of God without fear.

15 Some, indeed, preach Christ through envy and contention; but, some also through good will:

16 these do it through love, knowing that I am set for the defence of the gospel;

17 but, those who do it through contention, preach Christ insincerely, thinking to add affliction to my bonds.

18 What then? That in every way, either in pretence, or in truth, Christ is preached; and in this I rejoice, yea, and will rejoice:

19 for I know, that this will turn to my salvation, through your prayer and the supply of the Spirit of Jesus Christ;

20 according to my earnest expectation and hope, that I shall be shamed in nothing; but that, as always, so now also Christ shall be magnified, with all boldness, in my body, whether by my life, or by my death.

21 For to me, to live is good; but, to die is gain:

22 yet, if to live in the flesh is profitable to me, truly, I know not which to choose;

23 for I am held betwixt the two, having a desire to depart and to be with Christ, which is far better;

24 but, to remain in the flesh is more needful for you:

25 and being persuaded of this, I know that I shall remain and continue with you all, for your advancement and joy in the faith;

26 that your rejoicing for me in Jesus Christ may be rendered more abundant, by my coming to you again.

27 Only, let your conduct be worthy of the gospel of Christ : that, whether I come and see you, or am absent, I may hear of you, that ye stand fast in one spirit, striving together, with one mind, for the faith of the gospel,

28 and terrified in nothing by the adversaries which is an evidence of perdition to them, but of your salvation, and that from God:

29 for, to you is granted, on behalf of Christ, not only to believe in him, but also to suffer for his sake;

30 having the same conflict which ye saw in me, and now hear to be in me.

CHAPTER II.

F, therefore, there be in you any consolation in Christ, if any comfort of love, if any fellowship of the Spirit, if any tenderness and mercies,

2 fulfil ye my joy, by being of the same mind; having the same love, united in soul, thinking one and the same thing.

Heb. ii. 16.

Acts, v. 43.

7 but stripped himself of it, and took the form of his servant, being made in the likeness of men :

8 and, having been found in fashion as a man, he abased himself, and became obedient to death, and that, the death of the cross:

9 wherefore also, God hath exalted him above all; and hath given him the name which is above every name,

10 that, in the name of Jesus every knee should bend, of things in heaven, and on earth, and below the earth;

11 and, that every tongue should confess, that Jesus is Christ the Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

12 Wherefore, my beloved, as ye have always obeyed me, not only in my presence, but now much more in my ab

sence, work out your salvation 2 Pet. i. 10. with fear and trembling;

13 for it is God that worketh in you, both to will and to do, according to his good pleasure.

14 Do all things without murmurings and disputings; 15 that ye may be blameless and harmless, children of God, without rebuke, in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, among Matt. xvii. 17. whom ye shine as lights in Matt. v. 17. the world:

16 holding fast the word of life; that I may rejoice, in the day of Christ, that I have neither run in vain, nor laboured in vain:

Acts, ii. 40,

17 yea, and if I be offered 2 Cor. xii. 20. up for the sacrifice and service of your faith, I joy, and rejoice with you all:

18 and, for the same cause, ye also joy, and rejoice with me.

19 But I trust in the Lord Jesus, that I shall shortly send to you Timothy, that I also may be of good comfort, when I know your state;

20 for I have no one likeminded, who will so sincerely concern himself in your state: 21 for all seek their own ends, not those of Jesus Christ.

22 But ye know the proof of him, that, as a son with a father, he hath served with me in the gospel:

23 him, therefore, I hope to

send, so soon as I can perceive how I am circumstanced;

24 and I trust in the Lord, that I myself also shall shortly go to you.

25 But I thought it necessary to send back to you Epaphroditus, (my brother, and fellowlabourer, and fellow-soldier, but your messenger, and minister to my wants,)

26 for he was longing after you all; and was in heaviness, because ye heard that he had been ill:

27 and, indeed, he was ill almost to death, but God had mercy on him; and not on him only, but on me also, lest I should have sorrow upon

sorrow.

28 I, therefore, sent him the more speedily, that, in seeing him again, ye might rejoice, and I be the less sorrowful:

29 receive him therefore in the Lord, with all joy, and hold such in honour;

30 because he was near to death for the work of Christ, endangering his life, to supply what was wanting in your service toward me.

CHAPTER III.

FINALLY, my brethren, rejoice in the Lord: to write the same things to you, is not grievous to me, but is safe for you:

:

4 though I might have confidence even in the flesh if any one thinketh that he may confide in the flesh, I more; 5 circumcised the eighth day, of the stock of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, an Hebrew of Hebrews; as to the law, a Pharisee;

6 as to zeal, persecuting the church; as to the justification which is by the law, blameless.

7 But, those things that were a gain to me, I accounted a loss for the sake of Christ :

8 yea, truly, and I account all things loss, for the sake of the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things;

9 and account them but refuse, so that I gain Christ; and be found in him, not having for my justification that which is from the law; but that which is through the faith of Christ, the justification which is from God by

faith;

10 that, being made conformable to his death, I may know him, and the power of his re

surrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings;

Heb. xi. 14-16. and xii. 22.

John, v. 23; resurrection of the dead:

xi. 25, 6. Rev. xx. 5.

12 for, I not only have not yet attained to it, or have already finished my course; but I still pursue it, if so be I may apprehend that for which also I have been apprehended by Christ.

13 Brethren, I account not myself to have yet apprehended; but, one thing I do: forgetting the things that are behind, and reaching forward to those that are before,

14 I hasten to the goal, for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.

15 Let all of us, therefore, who would be perfect, be so minded; and, if in any thing ye be otherwise minded, God will reveal to you this also:

16 nevertheless, as far as we have attained, let us so continue to walk.

17 Brethren, be imitators of me, and look to those who so walk as ye have us for an example;

18 for, many walk who (as I have told you often, and now tell you even weeping,) are the enemies of the cross of Christ: 19 whose end is destruction, whose God is their belly, and whose glory is in their shame; whose minds are set on earthly things:

21 who will change this body of our humiliation, and will make it conformable to the body of his glory; according to the operation by which he is able even to subject all things to himself.

CHAPTER IV.

WHEREFORE, my be

loved and longed-for brethren, my joy and crown, so stand fast in the Lord, my beloved.

2 I beseech Euodia, and I beseech Syntyche, to be of the same mind in the Lord:

3 yea, and I entreat thee, my true colleague, be assistant to those sisters that toiled with me in the gospel, and with Clemens also, and my other fellowlabourers, whose names are written in the book of life. 4 Rejoice in the Lord always: again I say, Rejoice:

5 let your moderation be known to all men.

6 The Lord is at hand; be anxious for nothing, but in every thing, by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God:

7 and the peace of God, which surpasseth all understanding,

will guard your hearts and minds, through Christ Jesus. 8 Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever are proper, whatever are just, whatever are pure, whatever are lovely, whatever are reputable; if there is any virtue, and if there is any praise, think on these things;

9 and those things which ye have learned, and received, and heard, and seen in me, do: and the God of peace will be with you.

10 And I rejoiced greatly in the Lord, that ye lately displayed your concern for me; which indeed was in your mind, but ye had not opportunity :

11 not that I speak with respect to want; for I have learned, in whatever state I am, to be content:

12 I know, both how to be abased, and I know how to abound every where and in all things I am instructed, both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer want:

13 I can do all things through him who strengtheneth me:

14 nevertheless, ye did well in communicating with my affliction.

15 And, ye yourselves also know, Philippians, that in the beginning of the gospel, when I went from Macedonia, no church communicated with me, in the matter of giving and receiving, but ye only: 16 for, even when I was in Thessalonica, ye sent than once to my necessity: 17 not that I desire the gift, but I desire the fruit that shall abound to your account.

more

18 Though I am without all things, yet I abound; I am full, now that I have received from Epaphroditus the things Col. i. 7. which he brought from you; a sweet-smelling odour, a sacrifice acceptable and wellpleasing to God:

19 and my God will fully supply all your need, according to his riches in glory, by Christ Jesus.

20 Now, to our God and Father be glory for ever. Amen!

21 Salute every saint in Christ Jesus: the brethren that are with me salute you :

22 all the saints salute you, but especially those of the household of Cesar.

23 The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with you all!