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THE EPISTLE OF PAUL THE APOSTLE

TO THE PHILIPPIANS

P

CHAPTER I

nesse to God,

for the fruits

JAUL and Timotheus the servants of Iesus Christ, to all the Saints in Christ Iesus, which are at Philippi, with the Bishops and Deacons : Grace be unto you, and peace, from God our Father, and from the Lord Iesus Christ. I He testifieth thanke my God upon every remembrance of his thankefulyou, alwayes in every prayer of mine for you and his love all making request, with ioy for your felowship toward them, in the Gospel from the first day untill now; of their faith being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a and fellowship, good work in you, will performe it until the day of Iesus Christ: in his sufferings, even as it is meete for mee to thinke this of you all, because I have you in my heart, in as much as both in my bonds, and in the defence and confirmation of the Gospel, ye all are partakers of my grace. For God is my record, how greatly I long after you all, in the bowels of Iesus Christ. And this I pray, that your love may dayly praying abound yet more and more in knowledge, and in all iudgment. to him for That ye may approve things that are excellent, that ye may be in grace: sincere, and without offence till the day of Christ. Being filled with the fruites of righteousnesse, which are by Iesus Christ unto the glory and praise of God. But I would yee should understand Hee sheweth brethren, that the things which happened unto mee, have fallen what good the out rather unto the furtherance of the Gospel. So that my bonds had received by in Christ, are manifest in all the palace, and in all other places. his troubles at And many of the brethren in the Lord, waxing confident, by my Rome, bonds, are much more bold to speake the word without feare. Some in deed preach Christ, even of envie and strife, and some also of good will. The one preach Christ of contention, not syncerely, supposing to adde affliction to my bonds: but the other of love, knowing that I am set for the defence of the Gospel. What then? Notwithstanding every way, whether in pretence,

their increase

faith of Christ

CHAPTER

I

and how ready he is to glorifie

Christ either by his life or death,

or in trueth: Christ is preached, and I therein doe reioyce, yea, and will reioyce. For I know that this shall turne to my salvation through your prayer, and the supplie of the spirit of Iesus Christ, according to my earnest expectation, and my hope, that in nothing I shalbe ashamed: but that with all boldnes, as alwayes, so now also Christ shal be magnified in my body, whether it be by life or by death. For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gaine. But if I live in the flesh, this is the fruit of my labour: yet what I shal chuse, I wote not. For I am in a strait betwixt two, having a desire to depart, and to bee with Christ, which is farre better. Nevertheles, to abide in the flesh, is more needfull for you. And having this confidence, I know that I shall abide and continue with you all, for your furtherance and ioy of faith, that your reioycing may bee more abundant in Iesus Christ for me, by my exhorting them comming to you againe. Onely let your conversation bee as it to unitie, becommeth the Gospel of Christ, that whether I come and see you, or else be absent, I may heare of your affaires, that yee stand fast in one spirit, with one minde, striving together for the faith and to fortitude of the Gospel, and in nothing terrified by your adversaries, which in persecution. is to them an evident token of perdition: but to you of salvation, and that of God. For unto you it is given in the behalfe of Christ, not onely to beleeve on him, but also to suffer for his sake, having the same conflict which ye saw in me, and now heare to be in me.

CHAPTER II

He exhorteth
them to unitie,
and to all
humblenesse
of minde, by
the example
of Christs
humilitie and
exaltation:

IF

F there bee therefore any consolation in Christ, if any comfort of love, if any fellowship of the Spirit, if any bowels, and mercies; fulfill ye my ioy, that yee be like minded, having the same love, being of one accord, of one minde. Let nothing bee done through strife, or vaine glory, but in lowlinesse of minde let each esteeme other better then themselves. Looke not every man on his owne things, but every man also on the things of others. Let this minde bee in you, which was also in Christ Iesus who being in the forme of God, thought it not robbery to bee equall with God: but made himselfe of no reputation, and tooke upon him the forme of a servant, and was made in the likenesse of men. And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himselfe, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the Crosse. Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a Name which is above every name: that at the Name of Iesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth: and that every tongue should

CHAPTER

II

to them, whom

confesse, that Iesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. Wherefore, my beloved, as yee have alwayes obeyed, not as in my presence onely, but now much more in my absence; worke out To a carefull your owne salvation with feare, and trembling. For it is God proceeding in which worketh in you, both to will, and to doe, of his good salvation, that the way of pleasure. Doe all things without murmurings, and disputings: they bee as that yee may bee blamelesse and harmelesse, the sonnes of God, lights to the wicked world, without rebuke, in the middes of a crooked and perverse nation, among whom ye shine as lights in the world: holding foorth the and comforts word of life, that I may reioyce in the day of Christ, that I have to him their Apostle, who not runne in vaine, neither laboured in vaine. Yea, and if I bee is now ready offered upon the sacrifice and service of your faith, I ioy, and to bee offered reioyce with you all. For the same cause also doe ye ioy, and up to God. reioyce with me. But I trust in the Lord Iesus, to send Timo- He hopeth to theus shortly unto you, that I also may bee of good comfort, when send Timothie I know your state. For I have no man like minded, who will hee greatly naturally care for your state. For all seeke their owne, not the commendeth, things which are Iesus Christs. But ye know the proofe of him, That as a sonne with the father, hee hath served with me, in the Gospel. Him therefore I hope to send presently, so soone as I shall see how it wil goe with me. But I trust in the Lord, that I also my selfe shall come shortly. Yet I supposed it necessary, to as Epaphroditus send to you Epaphroditus my brother and companion in labour, also, whom he and fellow souldiour, but your messenger, and hee that ministred eth to them. to my wants. For hee longed after you all, and was full of heavinesse, because that yee had heard that he had bene sicke. For indeed he was sicke nigh unto death, but God had mercy on him : and not on him onely, but on mee also, lest I should have sorow upon sorow. I sent him therefore the more carefully, that when ye see him againe, ye may reioyce, and that I may bee the lesse sorrowfull. Receive him therfore in the Lord with all gladnesse, and hold such in reputation: because for the worke of Christ he was nigh unto death, not regarding his life, to supply your lacke of service toward me.

presently send

CHAPTER III

F

of the false

INALLY, my brethren, reioyce in the Lorde. To write the Hee warneth same things to you, to me indeed is not grievous: but for them to beware you it is safe. Beware of dogs, beware of evill workers: teachers of the beware of the concision. For we are the circumcision, which Circumcision, worship God in the spirit, and reioyce in Christ Iesus, and have no confidence in the flesh. Though I might also have confidence 6: QQ

305

CHAPTER

III

shewing that himself hath greater cause then they, to trust in the

righteousnesse

of the Law:

which notwithstanding hee counteth as doung and

losse, to gaine Christ and his righteousnesse,

in the flesh. If any other man thinketh that hee hath whereof hee might trust in the flesh, I more: circumcised the eight day, of the stocke of Israel, of the tribe of Beniamin, an Hebrew of the Hebrewes, as touching the Law, a Pharise: concerning zeale, persecuting the Church: touching the righteousnesse which is in the Law, blamelesse. But what things were gaine to me, those I counted losse for Christ. Yea doubtlesse, and I count all things but losse, for the excellencie of the knowledge of Christ Iesus my Lord for whom I have suffered the losse of all things, and doe count them but doung, that I may win Christ, and be found in him, not having mine owne righteousnesse, which is of the Law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousnesse which is of God by faith: that I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death, if by any meanes I might attaine therein acknow- unto the resurrection of the dead. Not as though I had already ledging his owne attained, either were already perfect: but I follow after, if that I imperfection. may apprehend that for which also I am apprehended of Christ Iesus. Brethren, I count not my selfe to have apprehended: but this one thing I doe, forgetting those things which are behinde, and reaching forth unto those things which are before, I presse toward the marke, for the price of the high calling of God in Christ Iesus. Let us therefore, as many as bee perfect, bee thus minded: and if in any thing ye be otherwise minded, God shal reveale even this unto you. Neverthelesse, whereto wee have alreadie attained, let us walke by the same rule, let us minde the same thing. Brethren, be followers together of me, and marke them which walke so, as ye have us for an ensample. (For many walke, of whome I have told you often, and now tell you even weeping, that they are the enemies of the crosse of Christ: whose end is destruction, whose God is their belly, and whose glorie is in their shame, who minde earthly things.) For our conversation is in heaven, from whence also we looke for the Saviour, the Lord Iesus Christ: who shall change our vile bodie, that it may bee fashioned like unto his glorious body, according to the working whereby he is able even to subdue all things unto himselfe.

Hee exhorteth

them to be thus minded,

and to imitate him,

and to decline the waies of carnall Christians.

From particular admonitions

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CHAPTER IIII

THEREFORE, my brethren, dearely beloved and longed for, my ioy and crowne, so stand fast in the Lord, my dearely beloved. I beseech Euodias, and beseech Syntiche, that they be of the same mind in the Lord. And I entreat thee also,

all men.

I

exhortations,

their liberalitie

true yoke-fellow, helpe those women which laboured with me in CHAPTER the Gospel, with Clement also, and with other my fellow labourers, IIII whose names are in the booke of life. Reioyce in the Lord alway: hee proceedeth and againe I say, Reioyce. Let your moderation be knowen unto to generall The Lord is at hand. Bee carefull for nothing but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thankesgiving, let your request be made knowen unto God. And the peace of God which passeth all understanding, shall keepe your hearts and minds through Christ Iesus. Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are iust, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report: if there bee any vertue, and if there bee any praise, thinke on these things: those things which ye have both learned and received, and heard, and seene in mee, doe: and the God of peace shall be with you. But I reioyced shewing how in the Lorde greatly, that now at the last your care of me hath hee reioyced at flourished againe, wherein yee were also carefull, but ye lacked towards him opportunitie. Not that I speake in respect of want: for I have lying in prison, learned in whatsoever state I am, therewith to bee content. not so much for the supply of know both how to bee abased, and I knowe how to abound: his owne wants, everie where, and in all things I am instructed, both to bee full, as for the grace and to bee hungrie, both to abound, and to suffer need. I can do all things through Christ, which strengtheneth me. Notwithstanding, yee have well done, that ye did communicate with my affliction. Now ye Philippians know also, that in the beginning of the Gospel, when I departed from Macedonia, no Church communicated with mee, as concerning giving and receiving, but ye onely. For even in Thessalonica, ye sent once, and againe unto my necessitie. Not because I desire a gift: but I desire fruit that may abound to your account. But I have all, and abound. I am full, having received of Epaphroditus the things which were sent from you, an odour of a sweet smell, a sacrifice acceptable, well pleasing to God. But my God shall supply all your need, And so he conaccording to his riches in glory, by Christ Iesus. Now unto God cludeth with and our Father be glory for ever and ever. Amen. Salute every salutations. Saint in Christ Iesus: the brethren which are with me, greet you. All the Saints salute you, chiefly they that are of Cesars houshold. The grace of our Lord Iesus Christ be with you all. Amen.

It was written to the Philippians from Rome, by Epaphroditus.

of God in them.

prayer and

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