Bible in 90 Days

²⁶ All of you are God's children because of your faith in Christ Jesus. ²⁷ And when you were baptized, it was as though you had put on Christ in the same way you put on new clothes. ²⁸ Faith in Christ Jesus is what makes each of you equal with each other, whether you are a Jew or a Greek, a slave or a free person, a man or a woman. ^29 (A) So if you belong to Christ, you are now part of Abraham's family,^[a] and you will be given what God has promised. 4 ¹ Children who are under age are no better off than slaves, even though everything their parents own will someday be theirs. ² This is because children are placed in the care of guardians and teachers until the time their parents have set. ³ This is how it was with us. We were like children ruled by the powers of this world.

⁴ But when the time was right, God sent his Son, and a woman gave birth to him. His Son obeyed the Law, ^5 (B) so he could set us free from the Law, and we could become God's children. ^6 (C) Now that we are his children, God has sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts. And his Spirit tells us that God is our Father. ⁷ You are no longer slaves. You are God's children, and you will be given what he has promised.

Paul's Concern for the Galatians

⁸ Before you knew God, you were slaves of gods that are not real. ⁹ But now you know God, or better still, God knows you. How can you turn back and become the slaves of those weak and pitiful powers?^{[b] 10} You even celebrate certain days, months, seasons, and years. ¹¹ I am afraid I have wasted my time working with you.

¹² My friends, I beg you to be like me, just as I once tried to be like you. Did you mistreat me ¹³ when I first preached to you? No you didn't, even though you knew I had come there because I was sick. ¹⁴ My illness must have caused you some trouble, but you didn't hate me or turn me away because of it. You welcomed me as though I were one of God's angels or even Christ Jesus himself. ¹⁵ Where is that good feeling now? I am sure if it had been possible, you would have taken out your own eyes and given them to me. ¹⁶ Am I now your enemy, just because I told you the truth?

¹⁷ Those people may be paying you a lot of attention, but it isn't for your good. They only want to keep you away from me, so you will pay them a lot of attention. ¹⁸ It is always good to give your attention to something worthwhile, even when I am not with you. ¹⁹ My children, I am in terrible pain until Christ may be seen living in you. ²⁰ I wish I were with you now. Then I would not have to talk this way. You really have me puzzled.

Hagar and Sarah

²¹ Some of you would like to be under the rule of the Law of Moses. But do you know what the Law says? ^22 (D) In the Scriptures we learn that Abraham had two sons. The mother of one of them was a slave, while the mother of the other one had always been free. ²³ The son of the slave woman was born in the usual way. But the son of the free woman was born because of God's promise.

²⁴ All of this has another meaning as well. Each of the two women stands for one of the agreements God made with his people. Hagar, the slave woman, stands for the agreement that was made at Mount Sinai. Everyone born into her family is a slave. ²⁵ Hagar also stands for Mount Sinai in Arabia^[c] and for the present city of Jerusalem. She^[d] and her children are slaves.

^26 (E) But our mother is the city of Jerusalem in heaven above, and she isn't a slave. ^27 (F) The Scriptures say about her,

²⁸ My friends, you were born because of this promise, just as Isaac was. ^29 (G) But the child who was born in the natural way made trouble for the child who was born because of the Spirit. The same thing is happening today. ^30 (H) The Scriptures say, “Get rid of the slave woman and her son! He won't be given anything. The son of the free woman will receive everything.” ³¹ My friends, we are children of the free woman and not of the slave.

Christ Gives Freedom

5 Christ has set us free! This means we are really free. Now hold on to your freedom and don't ever become slaves of the Law again.

² I, Paul, promise you that Christ won't do you any good if you get circumcised. ³ If you do, you must obey the whole Law. ⁴ And if you try to please God by obeying the Law, you have cut yourself off from Christ and his gift of undeserved grace. ⁵ But the Spirit makes us sure God will accept us because of our faith in Christ. ⁶ If you are a follower of Christ Jesus, it makes no difference whether you are circumcised or not. All that matters is your faith that makes you love others.

⁷ You were doing so well until someone made you turn from the truth. ⁸ And that person was certainly not sent by the one who chose you. ^9 (I) A little yeast can change a whole batch of dough, ¹⁰ but you belong to the Lord. This makes me certain you will do what I say, instead of what someone else tells you to do. Whoever is causing trouble for you will be punished.

¹¹ My friends, if I still preach that people need to be circumcised, why am I in so much trouble? The message about the cross would no longer be a problem, if I told people to be circumcised. ¹² I wish everyone who is upsetting you would not only get circumcised, but would cut off much more!

¹³ My friends, you were chosen to be free. So don't use your freedom as an excuse to do anything you want. Use it as an opportunity to serve each other with love. ^14 (J) All the Law says can be summed up in the command to love others as much as you love yourself. ¹⁵ But if you keep attacking each other like wild animals, you had better watch out or you will destroy yourselves.

God's Spirit and Our Own Desires

¹⁶ If you are guided by the Spirit, you won't obey your selfish desires. ^17 (K) The Spirit and your desires are enemies of each other. They are always fighting each other and keeping you from doing what you feel you should. ¹⁸ But if you obey the Spirit, the Law of Moses has no control over you.

¹⁹ People's desires make them give in to immoral ways, filthy thoughts, and shameful deeds. ²⁰ They worship idols, practice witchcraft, hate others, and are hard to get along with. People become jealous, angry, and selfish. They not only argue and cause trouble, but they are ²¹ envious. They get drunk, carry on at wild parties, and do other evil things as well. I told you before, and I am telling you again: No one who does these things will share in the blessings of God's kingdom.

²² God's Spirit makes us loving, happy, peaceful, patient, kind, good, faithful, ²³ gentle, and self-controlled. There is no law against behaving in any of these ways. ²⁴ And because we belong to Christ Jesus, we have killed our selfish feelings and desires. ²⁵ God's Spirit has given us life, and so we should follow the Spirit. ²⁶ But don't be conceited or make others jealous by claiming to be better than they are.

Help Each Other

6 My friends, you are spiritual. So if someone is trapped in sin, you should gently lead that person back to the right path. But watch out, and don't be tempted yourself. ² You obey the law of Christ when you offer each other a helping hand.

³ If you think you are better than others, when you really aren't, you are wrong. ⁴ Do your own work well, and then you will have something to be proud of. But don't compare yourself with others. ⁵ We each must carry our own load.

⁶ Share every good thing you have with anyone who teaches you what God has said.

⁷ You cannot fool God, so don't make a fool of yourself! You will harvest what you plant. ⁸ If you follow your selfish desires, you will harvest destruction, but if you follow the Spirit, you will harvest eternal life. ⁹ Don't get tired of helping others. You will be rewarded when the time is right, if you don't give up. ¹⁰ We should help people whenever we can, especially if they are followers of the Lord.

Final Warnings

¹¹ You can see what big letters I make when I write with my own hand.

¹² Those people who are telling you to get circumcised are only trying to show how important they are. And they don't want to get into trouble for preaching about the cross of Christ. ¹³ They are circumcised, but they don't obey the Law of Moses. All they want is to brag about having you circumcised. ¹⁴ But I will never brag about anything except the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ. Because of his cross, the world is dead as far as I am concerned, and I am dead as far as the world is concerned.

¹⁵ It doesn't matter if you are circumcised or not. All that matters is that you are a new person.

¹⁶ If you follow this rule, you will belong to God's true people. God will treat you with undeserved kindness and will bless you with peace.

^17 (L) On my own body are scars that prove I belong to Christ Jesus. So I don't want anyone to bother me anymore.

¹⁸ My friends, I pray that the Lord Jesus Christ will be kind to you! Amen.

1 ^(M) From Paul, chosen by God to be an apostle of Christ Jesus.

To God's people who live in Ephesus and^[e] are faithful followers of Christ Jesus.

² I pray that God our Father and our Lord Jesus Christ will be kind to you and will bless you with peace!

Christ Brings Spiritual Blessings

³ Praise the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ for the spiritual blessings that Christ has brought us from heaven! ⁴ Before the world was created, God had Christ choose us to live with him and to be his holy and innocent and loving people. ⁵ God was kind^[f] and decided that Christ would choose us to be God's own adopted children. ⁶ God treated us with undeserved grace because of the Son he dearly loves, and so we should praise God.

^7-8 (N) Christ sacrificed his life's blood to set us free, which means our sins are now forgiven. Christ did this because of God's gift of undeserved grace to us. God has great wisdom and understanding, ⁹ and by what Christ has done, God has shown us his own mysterious ways. ¹⁰ Then when the time is right, God will do all he has planned, and Christ will bring together everything in heaven and on earth.

¹¹ God always does what he plans, and this is why he appointed Christ to choose us. ¹² He did this so we Jews would bring honor to him and be the first ones to have hope because of him. ¹³ Christ also brought you the truth, which is the good news about how you can be saved. You put your faith in Christ and were given the promised Holy Spirit to show you belong to God. ¹⁴ The Spirit also makes us sure we will be given what God has stored up for his people. Then we will be set free, and God will be honored and praised.

Paul's Prayer

¹⁵ I have heard about your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for all God's people. ¹⁶ So I never stop being grateful for you, as I mention you in my prayers. ¹⁷ I ask the glorious Father and God of our Lord Jesus Christ to give you his Spirit. The Spirit will make you wise and let you understand what it means to know God. ¹⁸ My prayer is that light will flood your hearts and you will understand the hope given to you when God chose you. Then you will discover the glorious blessings that will be yours together with all God's people.

¹⁹ I want you to know about the great and mighty power that God has for us followers. It is the same wonderful power he used ^20 (O) when he raised Christ from death and let him sit at his right side^[g] in heaven. ²¹ There Christ rules over all forces, authorities, powers, and rulers. He rules over all beings in this world and will rule in the future world as well. ^22 (P)(Q) God has put all things under the power of Christ, and for the good of the church he has made him the head of everything. ²³ The church is the body of Christ and is filled with Christ who completely fills everything.^[h]

From Death to Life

2 ^(R) In the past you were dead because you sinned and fought against God. ² You followed the ways of this world and obeyed the devil. He rules the world, and his spirit has power over everyone who doesn't obey God. ³ Once we were also ruled by the selfish desires of our bodies and minds. We had made God angry, and we were going to be punished like everyone else.

^4-5 But God was merciful! We were dead because of our sins, but God loved us so much he made us alive with Christ, and God's gift of undeserved grace is what saves you. ⁶ God raised us from death to life with Christ Jesus, and he has given us a place beside Christ in heaven. ⁷ God did this so in the future world he could show how truly good and kind he is to us because of what Christ Jesus has done. ⁸ You were saved by faith in God, who treats us much better than we deserve.^[i] This is God's gift to you, and not anything you have done on your own. ⁹ It isn't something you have earned, so there is nothing you can brag about. ¹⁰ God planned for us to do good things and to live as he has always wanted us to live. This is why he sent Christ to make us what we are.

United by Christ

¹¹ Don't forget that you are Gentiles. In fact, you used to be called “uncircumcised” by those who take pride in being circumcised. ¹² At that time you did not know about Christ. You were foreigners to the people of Israel, and you had no part in the promises God had made to them. You were living in this world without hope and without God, ¹³ and you were far from God. But Christ offered his life's blood as a sacrifice and brought you near God.

¹⁴ Christ has made peace between Jews and Gentiles, and he has united us by breaking down the wall of hatred that separated us. Christ gave his own body ^15 (S) to destroy the Law of Moses with all its rules and commands. He even brought Jews and Gentiles together as though we were only one person, when he united us in peace. ^16 (T) On the cross Christ did away with our hatred for each other. He also made peace^[j] between us and God by uniting Jews and Gentiles in one body. ^17 (U) Christ came and preached peace to you Gentiles, who were far from God, and peace to us Jews, who were near God. ¹⁸ And because of Christ, all of us can come to the Father by the same Spirit.

¹⁹ You Gentiles are no longer strangers and foreigners. You are citizens with everyone else who belongs to the family of God. ²⁰ You are like a building with the apostles and prophets as the foundation and with Christ as the most important stone. ²¹ Christ is the one who holds the building together and makes it grow into a holy temple for the Lord. ²² And you are part of that building Christ has built as a place for God's own Spirit to live.

Paul's Mission to the Gentiles

3 Christ Jesus made me his prisoner, so I could help you Gentiles. ² You have surely heard about God's gift of undeserved grace in choosing me to help you. ³ In fact, this letter tells you a little about how God has shown me his mysterious ways. ^4 (V) As you read the letter, you will also find out how well I really do understand the mystery about Christ. ⁵ No one knew about this mystery until God's Spirit told it to his holy apostles and prophets. ⁶ And the mystery is this: Because of Christ Jesus, the good news has given the Gentiles a share in the promises God gave to the Jews. God has also let the Gentiles be part of the same body.

⁷ God treated me with kindness. His power worked in me, and it became my job to spread the good news. ⁸ I am the least important of all God's people. But God was kind and chose me to tell the Gentiles that because of Christ there are blessings that cannot be measured. ^9 (W) God, who created everything, wanted me to help everyone understand the mysterious plan that had always been hidden in his mind. ¹⁰ Then God would use the church to show the powers and authorities in the spiritual world that he has many different kinds of wisdom.

¹¹ God did this according to his eternal plan. And he was able to do what he had planned because of all Christ Jesus our Lord had done. ¹² Christ now gives us courage and confidence, so we can come to God by faith. ¹³ This is why you should not be discouraged when I suffer for you. After all, it will bring honor to you.

Christ's Love for Us

¹⁴ I kneel in prayer to the Father. ¹⁵ All beings in heaven and on earth receive their life from him.^{[k] 16} God is wonderful and glorious. I pray that his Spirit will make you become strong followers ¹⁷ and that Christ will live in your hearts because of your faith. Stand firm and be deeply rooted in his love. ^18 (X) I pray that you and all God's people will understand what is called wide or long or high or deep.^{[l] 19} I want you to know all about Christ's love, although it is too wonderful to be measured. Then your lives will be filled with all that God is.

^20-21 I pray that Christ Jesus and the church will forever bring praise to God. His power at work in us can do far more than we dare ask or imagine. Amen.

Unity with Christ

4 As a prisoner of the Lord, I beg you to live in a way that is worthy of the people God has chosen to be his own. ^2 (Y) Always be humble and gentle. Patiently put up with each other and love each other. ³ Try your best to let God's Spirit keep your hearts united. Do this by living at peace. ⁴ All of you are part of the same body. There is only one Spirit of God, just as you were given one hope when you were chosen to be God's people. ⁵ We have only one Lord, one faith, and one baptism. ⁶ There is one God who is the Father of all people. Not only is God above all others, but he works by using all of us, and he lives in all of us.

⁷ Christ has generously divided out his gifts to us. ^8 (Z) As the Scriptures say,

⁹ When it says, “he went up,” it means that Christ had been deep in the earth. ¹⁰ This also means that the one who went deep into the earth is the same one who went into the highest heaven, so he would fill the whole universe.

¹¹ Christ chose some of us to be apostles, prophets, missionaries, pastors, and teachers, ¹² so his people would learn to serve and his body would grow strong. ¹³ This will continue until we are united by our faith and by our understanding of the Son of God. Then we will be mature, just as Christ is, and we will be completely like him.^[m]

¹⁴ We must stop acting like children. We must not let deceitful people trick us by their false teachings, which are like winds that toss us around from place to place. ¹⁵ Love should always make us tell the truth. Then we will grow in every way and be more like Christ, the head ^16 (AA) of the body. Christ holds it together and makes all of its parts work perfectly, as it grows and becomes strong because of love.

The Old Life and the New Life

¹⁷ As a follower of the Lord, I order you to stop living like stupid, godless people. ¹⁸ Their minds are in the dark, and they are stubborn and ignorant and have missed out on the life that comes from God. They no longer have any feelings about what is right, ¹⁹ and they are so greedy they do all kinds of indecent things.

^20-21 But this isn't what you were taught about Jesus Christ. He is the truth, and you heard about him and learned about him. ^22 (AB) You were told that your foolish desires will destroy you and that you must give up your old way of life with all its bad habits. ²³ Let the Spirit change your way of thinking ^24 (AC) and make you into a new person. You were created to be like God, and so you must please him and be truly holy.

Rules for the New Life

^25 (AD) We are part of the same body. Stop lying and start telling each other the truth. ^26 (AE) Don't get so angry that you sin. Don't go to bed angry ²⁷ and don't give the devil a chance.

²⁸ If you are a thief, quit stealing. Be honest and work hard, so you will have something to give to people in need.

²⁹ Stop all your dirty talk. Say the right thing at the right time and help others by what you say.

³⁰ Don't make God's Spirit sad. The Spirit makes you sure that someday you will be free from your sins.

³¹ Stop being bitter and angry and mad at others. Don't yell at one another or curse each other or ever be rude. ^32 (AF) Instead, be kind and merciful, and forgive others, just as God forgave you because of Christ.

5 Do as God does. After all, you are his dear children. ^2 (AG) Let love be your guide. Christ loved us^[n] and offered his life for us as a sacrifice that pleases God.

³ You are God's people, so don't let it be said that any of you are immoral or indecent or greedy. ⁴ Don't use dirty or foolish or filthy words. Instead, say how thankful you are. ⁵ Being greedy, indecent, or immoral is just another way of worshiping idols. You can be sure people who behave in this way will never be part of the kingdom that belongs to Christ and to God.

Living as People of Light

⁶ Don't let anyone trick you with foolish talk. God punishes everyone who disobeys him and says^[o] foolish things. ⁷ So don't have anything to do with anyone like that.

⁸ You used to be like people living in the dark, but now you are people of the light because you belong to the Lord. So act like people of the light ⁹ and make your light shine. Be good and honest and truthful, ¹⁰ as you try to please the Lord. ¹¹ Don't take part in doing those worthless things that are done in the dark. Instead, show how wrong they are. ¹² It is disgusting even to talk about what is done in the dark. ¹³ But the light will show what these things are really like. ¹⁴ Light shows up everything,^[p] just as the Scriptures say,

¹⁵ Act like people with good sense and not like fools. ^16 (AH) These are evil times, so make every minute count. ¹⁷ Don't be stupid. Instead, find out what the Lord wants you to do. ¹⁸ Don't destroy yourself by getting drunk, but let the Spirit fill your life. ^19 (AI) When you meet together, sing psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs, as you praise the Lord with all your heart. ²⁰ Always use the name of our Lord Jesus Christ to thank God the Father for everything.

Wives and Husbands

²¹ Honor Christ and put others first. ^22 (AJ) A wife should put her husband first, as she does the Lord. ²³ A husband is the head of his wife, as Christ is the head and the Savior of the church, which is his own body. ²⁴ Wives should always put their husbands first, as the church puts Christ first.

^25 (AK) A husband should love his wife as much as Christ loved the church and gave his life for it. ²⁶ He made the church holy by the power of his word, and he made it pure by washing it with water. ²⁷ Christ did this, so he would have a glorious and holy church, without faults or spots or wrinkles or any other flaws.

²⁸ In the same way, a husband should love his wife as much as he loves himself. A husband who loves his wife shows he loves himself. ²⁹ None of us hate our own bodies. We provide for them and take good care of them, just as Christ does for the church, ³⁰ because we are each part of his body. ^31 (AL) As the Scriptures say, “A man leaves his father and mother to get married, and he becomes like one person with his wife.” ³² This is a great mystery, but I understand it to mean Christ and his church. ³³ So each husband should love his wife as much as he loves himself, and each wife should respect her husband.

Children and Parents

6 ^(AM) Children, you belong to the Lord, and you do the right thing when you obey your parents. The first commandment with a promise says, ^2 (AN) “Obey your father and your mother, ³ and you will have a long and happy life.”

^4 (AO) Parents, don't be hard on your children. Raise them properly. Teach them and instruct them about the Lord.

Slaves and Masters

^5 (AP) Slaves, you must obey your earthly masters. Show them great respect and be as loyal to them as you are to Christ. ⁶ Try to please them at all times, and not just when you think they are watching. You are slaves of Christ, so with your whole heart you must do what God wants you to do. ⁷ Gladly serve your masters, as though they were the Lord himself, and not simply people. ⁸ You know that you will be rewarded for any good things you do, whether you are slaves or free.

^9 (AQ) Slave owners, you must treat your slaves with this same respect. Don't threaten them. They have the same Master in heaven that you do, and he doesn't have favorites.

The Fight against Evil

¹⁰ Finally, let the mighty strength of the Lord make you strong. ^11 (AR) Put on all the armor that God gives, so you can defend yourself against the devil's tricks. ¹² We are not fighting against humans. We are fighting against forces and authorities and against rulers of darkness and powers in the spiritual world. ¹³ So put on all the armor that God gives. Then when that evil day^[q] comes, you will be able to defend yourself. And when the battle is over, you will still be standing firm.

^14 (AS)(AT) Be ready! Let the truth be like a belt around your waist, and let God's justice protect you like armor. ^15 (AU) Your desire to tell the good news about peace should be like shoes on your feet. ¹⁶ Let your faith be like a shield, and you will be able to stop all the flaming arrows of the evil one. ^17 (AV) Let God's saving power be like a helmet, and for a sword use God's message that comes from the Spirit.

¹⁸ Never stop praying, especially for others. Always pray by the power of the Spirit. Stay alert and keep praying for God's people. ¹⁹ Pray that I will be given the message to speak and that I may fearlessly explain the mystery about the good news. ²⁰ I was sent to do this work, and this is the reason I am in jail. So pray that I will be brave and will speak as I should.

Final Greetings

^21-22 (AW) I want you to know how I am getting along and what I am doing. This is why I am sending Tychicus to you. He is a dear friend, as well as a faithful servant of the Lord. He will tell you how I am doing, and he will cheer you up.

²³ I pray that God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ will give peace, love, and faith to every follower! ²⁴ May God be kind to everyone who keeps on loving our Lord Jesus Christ.

1 ^(AX) From Paul and Timothy, servants of Christ Jesus.

To all God's people who belong to Christ Jesus at Philippi and to all your bishops and deacons.

² I pray that God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ will be kind to you and will bless you with peace!

Paul's Prayer for the Church in Philippi

³ Every time I think of you, I thank my God. ⁴ And whenever I mention you in my prayers, it makes me happy. ⁵ This is because you have taken part with me in spreading the good news from the first day you heard about it. ⁶ God is the one who began this good work in you, and I am certain that he won't stop before it is complete on the day that Christ Jesus returns.

⁷ You have a special place in my heart. So it is only natural for me to feel the way I do. All of you have helped in the work God has given me, as I defend the good news and tell about it here in jail. ⁸ God himself knows how much I want to see you. He knows I care for you in the same way Christ Jesus does.

⁹ I pray that your love will keep on growing and you will fully know and understand ¹⁰ how to make the right choices. Then you will still be pure and innocent when Christ returns. And until that day, ¹¹ Jesus Christ will keep you busy doing good deeds that bring glory and praise to God.

What Life Means to Paul

¹² My dear friends, I want you to know that what has happened to me has helped to spread the good news. ^13 (AY) The Roman guards and all the others know I am here in jail because I serve Christ. ¹⁴ Now most of the Lord's followers have become brave and are fearlessly telling the message.^[r]

¹⁵ Some are preaching about Christ because they are jealous and envious of us. Others are preaching because they want to help. ¹⁶ They love Christ and know I am here to defend the good news about him. ¹⁷ But the ones who are jealous of us are not sincere. They just want to cause trouble for me while I am in jail. ¹⁸ But that doesn't matter. All that matters is that people are telling about Christ, whether they are sincere or not. This is what makes me glad.

I will keep on being glad, ¹⁹ because I know that your prayers and the help that comes from the Spirit of Christ Jesus will keep me safe. ²⁰ I honestly expect and hope I will never do anything to be ashamed of. Whether I live or die, I always want to be as brave as I am now and bring honor to Christ.

²¹ If I live, it will be for Christ, and if I die, I will gain even more. ²² I don't know what to choose. I could keep on living and doing something useful. ²³ It is a hard choice to make. I want to die and be with Christ, because this would be much better. ^24-25 But I know that all of you still need me. This is why I am sure I will stay on to help you grow and be happy in your faith. ²⁶ Then, when I visit you again, you will have good reason to take great pride in Christ Jesus because of me.^[s]

²⁷ Above all else, you must live in a way that brings honor to the good news about Christ. Then, whether I visit you or not, I will hear that all of you think alike. I will know that you are working together and are struggling side by side to get others to believe the good news.

²⁸ Be brave when you face your enemies. Your courage will show them that they are going to be destroyed, and it will show you that you will be saved. God will make all of this happen, ²⁹ and he has blessed you. Not only do you have faith in Christ, but you suffer for him. ^30 (AZ) You saw me suffer, and you still hear about my troubles. Now you must suffer in the same way.

True Humility

2 Christ encourages you, and his love comforts you. God's Spirit unites you, and you are concerned for others. ² Now make me completely happy! Live in harmony by showing love for each other. Be united in what you think, as if you were only one person. ³ Don't be jealous or proud, but be humble and consider others more important than yourselves. ⁴ Care about them as much as you care about yourselves ⁵ and think the same way that Christ Jesus thought:^[t]

Lights in the World

¹² My dear friends, you always obeyed when I was with you. Now that I am away, you should obey even more. So work with fear and trembling to discover what it really means to be saved. ¹³ God is working in you to make you willing and able to obey him.

¹⁴ Do everything without grumbling or arguing. ^15 (BB) Then you will be the pure and innocent children of God. You live among people who are crooked and evil, but you must not do anything they can say is wrong. Try to shine as lights among the people of this world, ¹⁶ as you hold firmly to^[w] the message that gives life. Then on the day when Christ returns, I can take pride in you. I can also know that my work and efforts were not useless.

¹⁷ Your faith in the Lord and your service are like a sacrifice offered to him. And my own blood may have to be poured out with the sacrifice.^[x] If this happens, I will be glad and rejoice with you. ¹⁸ In the same way, you should be glad and rejoice with me.

Timothy and Epaphroditus

¹⁹ I want to be encouraged by news about you. So I hope the Lord Jesus will soon let me send Timothy to you. ²⁰ I don't have anyone else who cares about you as much as he does. ²¹ The others think only about what interests them and not about what concerns Christ Jesus. ²² But you know what kind of person Timothy is. He has worked with me like a son in spreading the good news. ²³ I hope to send him to you, as soon as I find out what is going to happen to me. ²⁴ And I feel sure the Lord will also let me come soon.

²⁵ I think I ought to send my dear friend Epaphroditus back to you. He is a follower and a worker and a soldier of the Lord, just as I am. You sent him to look after me, ²⁶ but now he is eager to see you. He is worried, because you heard he was sick. ²⁷ In fact, he was very sick and almost died. But God was kind to him, and also to me, and he kept me from being burdened down with sorrow.

²⁸ Now I am more eager than ever to send Epaphroditus back again. You will be glad to see him, and I won't have to worry any longer. ²⁹ Be sure to give him a cheerful welcome, just as people who serve the Lord deserve. ³⁰ He almost died working for Christ, and he risked his own life to do for me what you could not.

Being Acceptable to God

3 Finally, my dear friends, be glad that you belong to the Lord. It doesn't bother me to write the same things to you that I have written before. In fact, it is for your own good.

² Watch out for those people who behave like dogs! They are evil and want to do more than just circumcise you. ³ But we are the ones who are truly circumcised, because we worship by the power of God's Spirit^[y] and take pride in Christ Jesus. We don't brag about what we have done, ⁴ although I could. Others may brag about themselves, but I have more reason to brag than anyone else. ^5 (BC) I was circumcised when I was eight days old,^[z] and I am from the nation of Israel and the tribe of Benjamin. I am a true Hebrew. As a Pharisee, I strictly obeyed the Law of Moses. ^6 (BD) And I was so eager I even made trouble for the church. I did everything the Law demands in order to please God.

⁷ But Christ has shown me that what I once thought was valuable is worthless. ⁸ Nothing is as wonderful as knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. I have given up everything else and count it all as garbage. All I want is Christ ⁹ and to know that I belong to him. I could not make myself acceptable to God by obeying the Law of Moses. God accepted me simply because of my faith in Christ. ¹⁰ All I want is to know Christ and the power that raised him to life. I want to suffer and die as he did, ¹¹ so that somehow I also may be raised to life.

Running toward the Goal

¹² I have not yet reached my goal, and I am not perfect. But Christ has taken hold of me. So I keep on running and struggling to take hold of the prize. ¹³ My friends, I don't feel I have already arrived. But I forget what is behind, and I struggle for what is ahead. ¹⁴ I run toward the goal, so I can win the prize of being called to heaven. This is the prize God offers because of what Christ Jesus has done. ¹⁵ All of us who are mature should think in this same way. And if any of you think differently, God will make it clear to you. ¹⁶ But we must keep going in the direction that we are now headed.

^17 (BE) My friends, I want you to follow my example and learn from others who closely follow the example we set for you. ¹⁸ I often warned you that many people are living as enemies of the cross of Christ. And now with tears in my eyes, I warn you again ¹⁹ that they are headed for hell! They worship their stomachs and brag about the disgusting things they do. All they can think about are the things of this world.

²⁰ But we are citizens of heaven and are eagerly waiting for our Savior to come from there. Our Lord Jesus Christ ^21 (BF) has power over everything, and he will make these poor bodies of ours like his own glorious body.

4 Dear friends, I love you and long to see you. Please keep on being faithful to the Lord. You are my pride and joy.

Paul Encourages the Lord's Followers

² Euodia and Syntyche, you belong to the Lord, so I beg you to stop arguing with each other. ³ And, my true partner,^[aa] I ask you to help them. These women have worked together with me and with Clement and with the others in spreading the good news. Their names are now written in the book of life.^[ab]

⁴ Always be glad because of the Lord! I will say it again: Be glad. ⁵ Always be gentle with others. The Lord will soon be here. ⁶ Don't worry about anything, but pray about everything. With thankful hearts offer up your prayers and requests to God. ⁷ Then, because you belong to Christ Jesus, God will bless you with peace that no one can completely understand. And this peace will control the way you think and feel.

⁸ Finally, my friends, keep your minds on whatever is true, pure, right, holy, friendly, and proper. Don't ever stop thinking about what is truly worthwhile and worthy of praise. ⁹ You know the teachings I gave you, and you know what you heard me say and saw me do. So follow my example. And God, who gives peace, will be with you.

Paul Gives Thanks for the Gifts He Was Given

¹⁰ The Lord has made me very grateful that at last you have thought about me once again. Actually, you were thinking about me all along, but you didn't have any chance to show it. ¹¹ I am not complaining about having too little. I have learned to be satisfied with^[ac] whatever I have. ¹² I know what it is to be poor or to have plenty, and I have lived under all kinds of conditions. I know what it means to be full or to be hungry, to have too much or too little. ¹³ Christ gives me the strength to face anything.

¹⁴ It was good of you to help me when I was having such a hard time. ^15 (BG) My friends at Philippi, you remember what it was like when I started preaching the good news in Macedonia.^[ad] After I left there, you were the only church that became my partner by giving blessings and by receiving them in return. ^16 (BH) Even when I was in Thessalonica, you helped me more than once. ¹⁷ I am not trying to get something from you, but I want you to receive the blessings that come from giving.

^18 (BI) I have been paid back everything, and with interest. I am completely satisfied with the gifts you sent with Epaphroditus. They are like a sweet-smelling offering or like the right kind of sacrifice that pleases God. ¹⁹ I pray that God will take care of all your needs with the wonderful blessings that come from Christ Jesus! ²⁰ May God our Father be praised forever and ever. Amen.

Final Greetings

²¹ Give my greetings to all who are God's people because of Christ Jesus.

The Lord's followers here with me send you their greetings.

²² All of God's people send their greetings, especially those in the service of the Emperor.

²³ I pray that our Lord Jesus Christ will be kind to you and will bless your life!

1 From Paul, chosen by God to be an apostle of Christ Jesus, and from Timothy, who is also a follower.

² To God's people who live in Colossae and are faithful followers of Christ.

I pray that God our Father will be kind to you and will bless you with peace!

A Prayer of Thanks

³ Each time we pray for you, we thank God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. ⁴ We have heard of your faith in Christ and of your love for all God's people, ⁵ because what you hope for is kept safe for you in heaven. You first heard about this hope when you believed the true message, which is the good news.

⁶ The good news is spreading all over the world with great success. It has spread in this same way among you, ever since the first day you learned the truth about God's wonderful kindness ^7 (BJ) from our good friend Epaphras. He works together with us for Christ and is a faithful worker for you.^{[ae] 8} He is also the one who told us about the love that God's Spirit has given you.

The Person and Work of Christ

⁹ We have not stopped praying for you since the first day we heard about you. In fact, we always pray that God will show you everything he wants you to do and that you may have all the wisdom and understanding his Spirit gives. ¹⁰ Then you will live a life that honors the Lord, and you will always please him by doing good deeds. You will come to know God even better. ¹¹ His glorious power will make you patient and strong enough to endure anything, and you will be truly happy.

¹² I pray that you will be grateful to God for letting you^[af] have part in what he has promised his people in the kingdom of light. ¹³ God rescued us from the dark power of Satan and brought us into the kingdom of his dear Son, ^14 (BK) who forgives our sins and sets us free.

²¹ You used to be far from God. Your thoughts made you his enemies, and you did evil things. ²² But his Son became a human and died. So God made peace with you, and now he lets you stand in his presence as people who are holy and faultless and innocent. ²³ But you must stay deeply rooted and firm in your faith. You must not give up the hope you received when you heard the good news. It was preached to everyone on earth, and I myself have become a servant of this message.

Paul's Service to the Church

²⁴ I am glad I can suffer for you. I am pleased also that in my own body I can continue^[ag] the suffering of Christ for his body, the church. ²⁵ God's plan was to make me a servant of his church and to send me to preach his complete message to you. ²⁶ For ages and ages this message was kept secret from everyone, but now it has been explained to God's people. ²⁷ God did this because he wanted you Gentiles to understand his wonderful and glorious mystery. And the mystery is that Christ lives in you, and he is your hope of sharing in God's glory.

²⁸ We announce the message about Christ, and we use all our wisdom to warn and teach everyone, so all of Christ's followers will grow and become mature. ²⁹ This is why I work so hard and use the mighty power he gives me.

2 I want you to know what a struggle I am going through for you, for God's people at Laodicea, and for all of those followers who have never met me. ² I do it to encourage them. Then as their hearts are joined together in love, they will be wonderfully blessed with complete understanding. And they will truly know Christ. Not only is he the key to God's mystery, ³ but all wisdom and knowledge are hidden away in him. ⁴ I tell you these things to keep you from being fooled by fancy talk. ⁵ Even though I am not with you, I keep thinking about you. I am glad to know that you are living as you should and your faith in Christ is strong.

Christ Brings Real Life

⁶ You have accepted Christ Jesus as your Lord. Now keep on following him. ⁷ Plant your roots in Christ and let him be the foundation for your life. Be strong in your faith, just as you were taught. And be grateful.

⁸ Don't let anyone fool you by using senseless arguments. These arguments may sound wise, but they are only human teachings. They come from the powers of this world^[ah] and not from Christ.

⁹ God lives fully in Christ. ¹⁰ And you are fully grown because you belong to Christ, who is over every power and authority. ¹¹ Christ has also taken away your selfish desires, just as circumcision removes flesh from the body. ^12 (BO) And when you were baptized, it was the same as being buried with Christ. Then you were raised to life because you had faith in the power of God, who raised Christ from death. ^13 (BP) You were dead, because you were sinful and were not God's people. But God let Christ make you^[ai] alive, when he forgave all our sins.

^14 (BQ) God wiped out the charges that were against us for disobeying the Law of Moses. He took them away and nailed them to the cross. ¹⁵ There Christ defeated all powers and forces. He let the whole world see them being led away as prisoners when he celebrated his victory.

^16 (BR) Don't let anyone tell you what you must eat or drink. Don't let them say you must celebrate the New Moon festival, the Sabbath, or any other festival. ¹⁷ These things are only a shadow of what was to come. But Christ is real!

¹⁸ Don't be cheated by people who make a show of acting humble and who worship angels.^[aj] They brag about seeing visions. But it is all nonsense, because their minds are filled with selfish desires. ^19 (BS) They are no longer part of Christ, who is the head of the whole body. Christ gives the body its strength, and he uses its joints and muscles to hold it together, as it grows by the power of God.

Christ Brings New Life

²⁰ You died with Christ. Now the forces of the universe^[ak] don't have any power over you. Why do you live as if you had to obey such rules as, ²¹ “Don't handle this. Don't taste that. Don't touch this.”? ²² After these things are used, they are no longer good for anything. So why be bothered with the rules that humans have made up? ²³ Obeying these rules may seem to be the smart thing to do. They appear to make you love God more and to be very humble and to have control over your body. But they don't really have any power over our desires.

3 ^(BT) You have been raised to life with Christ. Now set your heart on what is in heaven, where Christ rules at God's right side.^{[al] 2} Think about what is up there, not about what is here on earth. ³ You died, which means that your life is hidden with Christ, who sits beside God. ⁴ Christ gives meaning to your^[am] life, and when he appears, you will also appear with him in glory.

⁵ Don't be controlled by your body. Kill every desire for the wrong kind of sex. Don't be immoral or indecent or have evil thoughts. Don't be greedy, which is the same as worshiping idols. ⁶ God is angry with people who disobey him by doing^[an] these things. ⁷ And this is exactly what you did, when you lived among people who behaved in this way. ⁸ But now you must stop doing such things. You must quit being angry, hateful, and evil. You must no longer say insulting or cruel things about others. ^9 (BU) And stop lying to each other. You have given up your old way of life with its habits.

^10 (BV) Each of you is now a new person. You are becoming more and more like your Creator, and you will understand him better. ¹¹ It doesn't matter if you are a Greek or a Jew, or if you are circumcised or not. You may even be a barbarian or a Scythian,^[ao] and you may be a slave or a free person. Yet Christ is all that matters, and he lives in all of us.

^12 (BW) God loves you and has chosen you as his own special people. So be gentle, kind, humble, meek, and patient. ^13 (BX) Put up with each other, and forgive anyone who does you wrong, just as Christ has forgiven you. ¹⁴ Love is more important than anything else. It is what ties everything completely together.

¹⁵ Each one of you is part of the body of Christ, and you were chosen to live together in peace. So let the peace that comes from Christ control your thoughts. And be grateful. ^16 (BY) Let the message about Christ completely fill your lives, while you use all your wisdom to teach and instruct each other. With thankful hearts, sing psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs to God. ¹⁷ Whatever you say or do should be done in the name of the Lord Jesus, as you give thanks to God the Father because of him.

Some Rules for Christian Living

^18 (BZ) A wife must put her husband first. This is her duty as a follower of the Lord.

^19 (CA) A husband must love his wife and not abuse her.

^20 (CB) Children must always obey their parents. This pleases the Lord.

^21 (CC) Parents, don't be hard on your children. If you are, they might give up.

^22 (CD) Slaves, you must always obey your earthly masters. Try to please them at all times, and not just when you think they are watching. Honor the Lord and serve your masters with your whole heart. ²³ Do your work willingly, as though you were serving the Lord himself, and not just your earthly master. ²⁴ In fact, the Lord Christ is the one you are really serving, and you know he will reward you. ^25 (CE) But Christ has no favorites! He will punish evil people, just as they deserve.

4 ^(CF) Slave owners, be fair and honest with your slaves. Don't forget that you have a Master in heaven.

² Never give up praying. And when you pray, keep alert and be thankful. ³ Be sure to pray that God will make a way for us to spread his message and explain the mystery about Christ, even though I am in jail for doing this. ⁴ Please pray that I will make the message as clear as possible.

^5 (CG) When you are with unbelievers, always make good use of the time. ^6 (CH) Be pleasant and hold their interest when you speak the message. Choose your words carefully and be ready to give answers to anyone who asks questions.

Final Greetings

^7 (CI)(CJ) Tychicus is the dear friend, who faithfully works and serves the Lord with us, and he will give you the news about me. ⁸ I am sending him to cheer you up by telling you how we are getting along. ^9 (CK) Onesimus, the dear and faithful follower from your own group, is coming with him. The two of them will tell you everything that has happened here.

^10 (CL) Aristarchus is in jail with me. He sends greetings to you, and so does Mark, the cousin of Barnabas. You have already been told to welcome Mark, if he visits you. ¹¹ Jesus, who is known as Justus, sends his greetings. These three men are the only Jewish followers who have worked with me for the kingdom of God. They have given me much comfort.

^12 (CM) Your own Epaphras, who serves Christ Jesus, sends his greetings. He always prays hard that you may fully know what the Lord wants you to do and that you may do it completely. ¹³ I have seen how much trouble he has gone through for you and for the followers in Laodicea and Hierapolis.

^14 (CN) Our dear doctor Luke sends you his greetings, and so does Demas.

¹⁵ Give my greetings to the followers at Laodicea, especially to Nympha and the church that meets in her home.

¹⁶ After this letter has been read to your people, be sure to have it read in the church at Laodicea. And you should read the letter that I have sent to them.^[ap]

^17 (CO) Remind Archippus to do the work that the Lord has given him to do.

¹⁸ I am signing this letter myself: PAUL.

Don't forget that I am in jail.

I pray that God will be kind to you.