16 And, ye masters, do the same the preparation of the gospel of things to your servants, forbearing peace; taking up, in addition to all, to threaten them; knowing that both the shield of faith, by which ye will they and you have a Master in be able to quench all the fiery darts heaven, and that there is no respect of the Evil One. of persons with him. 20 And receive the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God; praying with all prayer and entreaty at all times in the Spirit. And watching to this end with all perseverance and 17 Finally, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might. Put on the whole armor of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of evil; for our wrestling is not against flesh and blood, but entreaty for all the saints; and for against principalities, against powers, against the world-rulers of this darkness, against the spiritual hosts of evil in the heavenly regions. 18 Wherefore take up the whole armor of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day; and having done all, to stand. me, that utterance may be given me in the opening of my mouth, to make known with boldness the mys tery of the gospel, in behalf of which I am an ambassador in chains; that I may speak it boldly, as I ought to speak. 21 Peace be to the brethren, and 19 Stand therefore, having girded love with faith, from God the Father, your loins with truth, and having and from Jesus Christ the Master. put on the breast plate of righteous- Grace be with all those who love ness, and having shod your feet with Jesus Christ our Master in sincerity. LETTER TO THE PHILIPPIANS. SELECTION I. Tribulations endured for truth's sake always result both in the advancement of truth, and in the ennoblement of those who, in spite of tribulations, advocate or defend it. prayer of mine for you all, praying with joy because of your fellowship in the defence of the gospel from the first day until now. 3 I am confident of this very thing, that he who began in you a good PAUL and Timothy, servants of work, will perfect it, until the day of Christ Jesus, to all the saints Christ Jesus. And it is natural for in Christ Jesus who are at Philippi, me to think this of you, because I with the overseers and deacons : have you in my heart; both in my Grace to you and peace from God persecutions, and in the defence and our Father, and from Jesus Christ confirmation of the gospel, all of you the Master. are sharers of the favor bestowed on me. 2 I thank my God in all my remembrance of you, always in every 4 For God is my witness how much I long for you all in the tender shame, but with all boldness, as affections of Christ Jesus, praying always, so also now, will I magnify that your love may abound yet more Christ in my body, whether by life, and more in knowledge and in all or by death. discernment. And that ye may approve the things that are most excellent, in order that ye may be pure and without offence against the day of Christ, being filled with the fruit of righteousness which is through Jesus Christ, to the glory and praise of God. 9 Living, to me, means the service of Christ; and to die is gain. So long as I continue in the flesh, this, the service of Christ, is the object of all my labor; but as to my choice, I cannot say; for I am held in a strait by the two, having a desire to depart, and be with Christ, which is by far the better; nevertheless, to abide in the flesh is more needful for your sake. And being persuaded of this, 5 But I wish you to know, brethren, that my tribulations have resulted in the furtherance of the gospel; so that even my bonds have I know that I shall abide and continue become known in connection with with you all for your advancement Christ in the whole camp of the im- and joy in the faith, that your perial guards, and to all the rest. glorying of me, in the cause of Christ Jesus, may be more abundant. 10 Only conduct yourselves in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ, that whether I come to you, or whether I remain absent, I may hear of your affairs, and know that ye stand fast in one spirit, with one 6 Moreover, the great part of the brethren have been emboldened in the Lord by my bonds, and are much more courageous to proclaim the gospel without fear. I confess that some of them indeed proclaim Christ from envy and strife; but some also from good-will. They who are of soul striving together for the faith of love proclaim Christ, because they the gospel. know that I am set for the defence of the gospel; but they who are of a factious spirit proclaim him with no pure intent, thinking to add affliction to my bonds. 7 What then? Notwithstanding whether it be in pretence or whether it be in sincerity that Christ is proclaimed, therein do I rejoice, yea, and will rejoice. 8 And I know that through your supplications this will turn out to my salvation, and to the increase of the Spirit of Jesus Christ, according to my earnest expectation and hope; so that in nothing shall I be put to II And be in nothing terrified by your adversaries; for your tribulations, which to them are evident tokens of perdition, are to you tokens of salvation; and that from God; for to you it is given in behalf of Christ, not only to believe in him, but also in his behalf to suffer. 12 If then there is any exhortation in Christ, if any encouragement from love, if any partaking of the Spirit, if any tenderness and compassion, make my joy full, that ye be of the same mind, having the same love, with union of soul cherishing one mind; doing nothing in the spirit of faction, or in the spirit of 2 Do all things without murmurvainglory, but in humility esteeming ings, and doubts; that ye may be others as better than yourselves; blameless and pure, children of God, looking each of you not to his own without rebuke, in the midst of a interest alone, but also each to the interest of others. 13 Yea, let this same mind be in you which was in Christ Jesus; who, being created in the likeness of God, yet did not consider it a thing to be aspired to, to appear to be on an equality with God; but he made himself of no reputation, taking the position of a servant, and becoming like unto his fellow-men. 14 So, appearing simply as a man, he humbled himself to the duties which appertained to him, and was obedient unto death, even the death of the cross; on which account God also highly exalted him, and gave him a name which is above every name. 15 For, to the name of Jesus, every knee, both of those who are in heaven, and those on earth, and those under the earth, shall bow; and every tongue shall acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Master, to the glory of God the Father. SELECTION II. Salvation from transgression and its dire results, can only be secured by great and continued personal efforts. The righteousness of God, which was exhibited in Christ, is the righteousness which all must laboriously seek. crooked and perverse generation; among whom ye shine as luminaries in the world, holding forth the word of life. 3 But if I am even sacrificed, as an offering and a ministration for your faith, I rejoice, and rejoice with you all; for the same reason do ye also rejoice, and rejoice with me. 4 So, my brethren, rejoice in the Lord; to repeat the same things to you, to me is not burdensome, and for you it is safe. 5 Beware of the dogs, the evil workmen who preach the necessity of conformity to ordinances. We are the conformists, even we who wor ship by the Spirit of God, and glory in Christ Jesus, having no confidence in the ordinances of the flesh. 6 But if any man thinketh that he hath reason for boasting in the flesh, I more than all: circumcised the eighth day, of the race of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of the Hebrews; as to the law, a Pharisee; as to zeal, persecuting the church; as to the righteousness which is in the law, blameless. But all these things which once were gain to me, now for the sake of Christ I have counted but loss. 7 Nay more, I count all things So then, my beloved, as ye always to be loss for the excellency of obeyed, not as in my presence the knowledge of Christ Jesus my only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling; for it is God who worketh in you both to will and to do according to his good pleasure. Master; for whom I have already suffered the loss of all things, and count them as refuse, that I may gain Christ, and be found in him, not having the self-righteousness of the law, but that which comes through conformed to the body of his glory, faith in Christ, even the righteous- according to the working of the ness which is from God. 8 And that I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, while becoming like him in his death, if by any means I may attain to the resurrection of the dead. power with which he is able to subdue all things to himself. 14 Therefore, my brethren, beloved and longed for, my joy and crown, so stand fast in the Lord, beloved. Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say it, rejoice. Let your moderation be known to all men. The Lord is at hand. 9 For I have not yet attained, neither have I yet been made perfect; but I press on, if I may also 15 Be anxious about nothing, but lay hold of that for which I was in every thing by prayer and supplilaid hold of by Christ. Brethren, I cation with thanksgiving let your redo not reckon myself to have laid quests be made known to God; and hold of it; but one thing I do, for- the peace of God, which passeth getting the things that are behind, all understanding, will keep your and stretching forth to the things hearts and your minds in Christ that are before, I press toward the Jesus. mark for the prize of the heavenly calling of God in Christ Jesus. 10 Let us, therefore, as many as desire to be perfect, be of this mind; but if ye have a different mind in any thing, even this will God reveal to you; nevertheless, whereto we have reached, in that let us walk. II Brethren, be ye followers together of me, and mark those who walk not according to our example; for many walk, of whom I told you often, and now tell you even weeping, that they are enemies to the cross of Christ; whose end is destruction, whose God is their belly, whose glory is in their shame, and whose mind is on earthly things. 12 But the country of which we are citizens is heaven, whence also we follow the Saviour, Jesus Christ the Master. 13 He will transform the body of our humiliation so that it shall be 16 Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are honorable, whatever things are right, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things. 17 The things which ye learned, and received, and heard, and saw in me, these do; and the God of peace will be with you. 18 I have learned, in whatever state I am, therewith to be content. I know how to be abased, and I know also how to abound; in every thing and in all things I have been well taught, both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to be in want; I can do all things in him who strengtheneth me. 19 Now to God, our Father, be glory for ever. Amen. 20 The grace of Jesus Christ the Master be with your spirit. LETTER TO THE COLOSSIANS. SELECTION I. Every true philanthropist seeks, even as did Christ Jesus, by love, sympathy, and consecrated labors to reconcile or to unite all mankind to God. 4 Moreover, we give thanks to the Father, who enabled us to share with the saints in the inheritance of light, having rescued us from the empire of darkness, and transferred us into the kingdom of his beloved Son; through whom we have our redemption, and the forgiveness of our PAUL, an apostle of Christ Jesus and faithful brethren in Christ at 5 For he is an image of the in- visible God, the firstborn of all creation; in him were all things created, 2 We give thanks to God, the in the heavens and upon the earth, Father of Jesus Christ our Master, things visible and things invisible, praying always for you, since we whether thrones or dominions or knew of your faith in Christ Jesus, principalities or powers; all things and of the love which ye have to all the holy, on account of the hope which is laid up for you in the heavens. Of which hope ye heard before in the truth of the gospel, which has come to you, as it has come to all the world; and which is bearing fruit and growing, as it doth pre-eminence. also in you, from the day ye heard. it, and knew the grace of God in truth. And have been created through him, and 6 For God was pleased that in him all the fulness should dwell; and that by him who through the blood of his cross declared peace, by him, I say, God was pleased to reconcile all things to himself, whether things on earth, or those in the heavens. 3 On this account we also, from the day we heard of it, cease not to pray for you, and to ask that ye may be filled with the knowledge of his will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding; that ye may walk 7 And you, that were once alienworthily of the Lord so as to please ated, and enemies in your mind him in all things, bearing fruit in through wicked works, now hath he every good work, and increasing in in the body of his flesh through the knowledge of God; and that his death reconciled, that he might ye may be endued with all power present you holy and blameless and according to the might of his glory irreproachable in his sight. Thereto all patience and long-suffering fore continue ye in the faith, with joy. grounded and settled; and be not |