Philippians 3

The Importance of Christ

1 My brothers and sisters, be full of joy in the Lord. It is no trouble for me to write the same things to you again, and it will help you to be more ready.2 Watch out for those who do evil, who are like dogs, who demand to cut 3 We are the ones who are truly circumcised. We worship God through his Spirit, and our pride is in Christ Jesus. We do not put trust in ourselves or anything we can do,4 although I might be able to put trust in myself. If anyone thinks he has a reason to trust in himself, he should know that I have greater reason for trusting in myself.5 I was circumcised eight days after my birth. I am from the people of Israel and the tribe of Benjamin. I am a Hebrew, and my parents were Hebrews. I had a strict view of the law, which is why I became a Pharisee.6 I was so enthusiastic I tried to hurt the church. No one could find fault with the way I obeyed the law of Moses.7 Those things were important to me, but now I think they are worth nothing because of Christ.8 Not only those things, but I think that all things are worth nothing compared with the greatness of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. Because of him, I have lost all those things, and now I know they are worthless trash. This allows me to have Christ9 and to belong to him. Now I am right with God, not because I followed the law, but because I believed in Christ. God uses my faith to make me right with him.10 I want to know Christ and the power that raised him from the dead. I want to share in his sufferings and become like him in his death.

11 Then I have hope that I myself will be raised from the dead.

Continuing Toward Our Goal

12 I do not mean that I am already as God wants me to be. I have not yet reached that goal, but I continue trying to reach it and to make it mine. Christ wants me to do that, which is the reason he made me his.13 Brothers and sisters, I know that I have not yet reached that goal, but there is one thing I always do. Forgetting the past and straining toward what is ahead,

14 I keep trying to reach the goal and get the prize for which God called me through Christ to the life above.
15 All of us who are spiritually mature should think this way, too. And if there are things you do not agree with, God will make them clear to you.

16 But we should continue following the truth we already have.
17 Brothers and sisters, all of you should try to follow my example and to copy those who live the way we showed you.18 Many people live like enemies of the cross of Christ. I have often told you about them, and it makes me cry to tell you about them now.19 In the end, they will be destroyed. They do whatever their bodies want, they are proud of their shameful acts, and they think only about earthly things.20 But our homeland is in heaven, and we are waiting for our Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, to come from heaven.21 By his power to rule all things, he will change our humble bodies and make them like his own glorious body.

Philippians 4

What the Christians Are to Do

1 My dear brothers and sisters, I love you and want to see you. You bring me joy and make me proud of you, so stand strong in the Lord as I have told you.
2 I ask Euodia and Syntyche to agree in the Lord.3 And I ask you, my faithful friend, to help these women. They served with me in telling the Good News, together with Clement and others who worked with me, whose names are written in the book of life. 

4 Be full of joy in the Lord always. I will say again, be full of joy.
5 Let everyone see that you are gentle and kind. The Lord is coming soon.6 Do not worry about anything, but pray and ask God for everything you need, always giving thanks.

7 And God’s peace, which is so great we cannot understand it, will keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.
8 Brothers and sisters, think about the things that are good and worthy of praise. Think about the things that are true and honorable and right and pure and beautiful and respected.

9 Do what you learned and received from me, what I told you, and what you saw me do. And the God who gives peace will be with you.

Paul Thanks the Christians

10 I am very happy in the Lord that you have shown your care for me again. You continued to care about me, but there was no way for you to show it.11 I am not telling you this because I need anything. I have learned to be satisfied with the things I have and with everything that happens.12 I know how to live when I am poor, and I know how to live when I have plenty. I have learned the secret of being happy at any time in everything that happens, when I have enough to eat and when I go hungry, when I have more than I need and when I do not have enough.

13 I can do all things through Christ, because he gives me strength.
14 But it was good that you helped me when I needed it.15 You Philippians remember when I first preached the Good News there. When I left Macedonia, you were the only church that gave me help.16 Several times you sent me things I needed when I was in Thessalonica.17 Really, it is not that I want to receive gifts from you, but I want you to have the good that comes from giving.18 And now I have everything, and more. I have all I need, because Epaphroditus brought your gift to me. It is like a sweet-smelling sacrifice offered to God, who accepts that sacrifice and is pleased with it.19 My God will use his wonderful riches in Christ Jesus to give you everything you need.

20 Glory to our God and Father forever and ever! Amen.
21 Greet each of God’s people in Christ Jesus. Those who are with me send greetings to you.

22 All of God’s people greet you, particularly those from the palace of Caesar.
23 The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with you all.

Colossians 1

1 From Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus. I am an apostle because that is what God wanted. Also from Timothy, our brother.

2 To the holy and faithful brothers and sisters in Christ that live in Colossae:
Grace and peace to you from God our Father. 3 In our prayers for you we always thank God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ,4 because we have heard about the faith you have in Christ Jesus and the love you have for all of God’s people.5 You have this faith and love because of your hope, and what you hope for is kept safe for you in heaven. You learned about this hope when you heard the message about the truth, the Good News6 that was told to you. Everywhere in the world that Good News is bringing blessings and is growing. This has happened with you, too, since you heard the Good News and understood the truth about the grace of God.7 You learned about God’s grace from Epaphras, whom we love. He works together with us and is a faithful servant of Christ for us. 

8 He also told us about the love you have from the Holy Spirit.
9 Because of this, since the day we heard about you, we have continued praying for you, asking God that you will know fully what he wants. We pray that you will also have great wisdom and understanding in spiritual things10 so that you will live the kind of life that honors and pleases the Lord in every way. You will produce fruit in every good work and grow in the knowledge of God.11 God will strengthen you with his own great power so that you will not give up when troubles come, but you will be patient.12 And you will joyfully give thanks to the Father who has made you 13 God has freed us from the power of darkness, and he brought us into the kingdom of his dear Son.14 The Son paid for our sins, 

The Importance of Christ

15 No one can see God, but Jesus Christ is exactly like him. He ranks higher than everything that has been made.16 Through his power all things were made—things in heaven and on earth, things seen and unseen, all powers, authorities, lords, and rulers. All things were made through Christ and for Christ.17 He was there before anything was made, and all things continue because of him.18 He is the head of the body, which is the church. Everything comes from him. He is the first one who was raised from the dead. So in all things Jesus has first place.19 God was pleased for all of himself to live in Christ.

20 And through Christ, God has brought all things back to himself again—things on earth and things in heaven. God made peace through the blood of Christ’s death on the cross.
21 At one time you were separated from God. You were his enemies in your minds, and the evil things you did were against God.22 But now God has made you his friends again. He did this through Christ’s death in the body so that he might bring you into God’s presence as people who are holy, with no wrong, and with nothing of which God can judge you guilty.

23 This will happen if you continue strong and sure in your faith. You must not be moved away from the hope brought to you by the Good News that you heard. That same Good News has been told to everyone in the world, and I, Paul, help in preaching that Good News.

Paul’s Work for the Church

24 I am happy in my sufferings for you. There are things that Christ must still suffer through his body, the church. I am accepting, in my body, my part of these things that must be suffered.25 I became a servant of the church because God gave me a special work to do that helps you, and that work is to tell fully the message of God.26 This message is the secret that was hidden from everyone since the beginning of time, but now it is made known to God’s holy people.27 God decided to let his people know this rich and glorious secret which he has for all people. This secret is Christ himself, who is in you. He is our only hope for glory.28 So we continue to preach Christ to each person, using all wisdom to warn and to teach everyone, in order to bring each one into God’s presence as a mature person in Christ.29 To do this, I work and struggle, using Christ’s great strength that works so powerfully in me.