3Whatever happens, my dear brothers and sisters, rejoice in the Lord. I never get tired of telling you these things, and I do it to safeguard your faith.G3063G3450G80G5463G1722G2962G1125G846G5213G1698G3303G3756G3636G1161G5213G8042Watch out for those dogs, those people who do evil, those mutilators who say you must be circumcised to be saved.G991G2965G991G2556G2040G991G26993For we who worship by the Spirit of God are the ones who are truly circumcised. We rely on what Christ Jesus has done for us. We put no confidence in human effort,G1063G2249G2070G4061G3588G3000G2316G4151G2532G2744G1722G5547G2424G2532G3982G3756G3982G1722G45614though I could have confidence in my own effort if anyone could. Indeed, if others have reason for confidence in their own efforts, I have even more!G2539G1473G2192G2532G2192G4006G1722G4561G1536G243G1380G3982G1722G4561G1473G31235I was circumcised when I was eight days old. I am a pure-blooded citizen of Israel and a member of the tribe of Benjamin—a real Hebrew if there ever was one! I was a member of the Pharisees, who demand the strictest obedience to the Jewish law.G4061G3637G1537G1085G2474G5443G958G1445G1537G1445G2596G3551G53306I was so zealous that I harshly persecuted the church. And as for righteousness, I obeyed the law without fault.G2596G2205G1377G1577G2596G1343G3588G1722G3551G1096G2737I once thought these things were valuable, but now I consider them worthless because of what Christ has done.G235G3748G2258G2771G3427G5023G2233G2209G1223G55478Yes, everything else is worthless when compared with the infinite value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have discarded everything else, counting it all as garbage, so that I could gain ChristG235G3304G2532G2233G3956G2209G1511G1223G5242G1108G5547G2424G3450G2962G1223G3739G2210G3956G2532G2233G1511G4657G2443G2770G55479and become one with him. I no longer count on my own righteousness through obeying the law; rather, I become righteous through faith in Christ. For God's way of making us right with himself depends on faith.G2532G2147G1722G846G3361G2192G1699G1343G3588G1537G3551G235G3588G1223G4102G5547G1343G3588G1537G2316G1909G410210I want to know Christ and experience the mighty power that raised him from the dead. I want to suffer with him, sharing in his death,G1097G846G2532G1411G846G386G2532G2842G846G3804G4833G846G228811so that one way or another I will experience the resurrection from the dead!G1513G2658G1519G1815G3498
Pressing toward the Goal
12I don't mean to say that I have already achieved these things or that I have already reached perfection. But I press on to possess that perfection for which Christ Jesus first possessed me.G3756G3754G2235G2983G2228G2235G5048G1161G1377G1499G2638G1909G3739G2532G2638G5259G5547G242413No, dear brothers and sisters, I have not achieved it, but I focus on this one thing: Forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead,G80G1473G3049G3756G1683G2638G1161G1520G1950G3303G3694G1161G1901G171514I press on to reach the end of the race and receive the heavenly prize for which God, through Christ Jesus, is calling us.G1377G2596G4649G1909G1017G507G2821G2316G1722G5547G242415Let all who are spiritually mature agree on these things. If you disagree on some point, I believe God will make it plain to you.G5426G3767G3745G5046G5426G5124G5426G2532G1536G5426G2088G5426G2316G601G2532G5124G521316But we must hold on to the progress we have already made.G4133G1519G3739G5348G4748G846G2583G5426G84617Dear brothers and sisters, pattern your lives after mine, and learn from those who follow our example.G80G1096G4831G3450G2532G4648G4043G3779G2531G2192G2248G517918For I have told you often before, and I say it again with tears in my eyes, that there are many whose conduct shows they are really enemies of the cross of Christ.G1063G4183G4043G3739G3004G5213G4178G1161G3568G3004G2532G2799G2190G4716G554719They are headed for destruction. Their god is their appetite, they brag about shameful things, and they think only about this life here on earth.G3739G5056G684G3739G2316G2836G2532G1391G1722G846G152G3588G5426G191920But we are citizens of heaven, where the Lord Jesus Christ lives. And we are eagerly waiting for him to return as our Savior.G1063G2257G4175G5225G1722G3772G1537G3739G2532G553G4990G2962G2424G554721He will take our weak mortal bodies and change them into glorious bodies like his own, using the same power with which he will bring everything under his control.G3739G3345G2257G5014G4983G1519G846G1096G4832G846G1391G4983G2596G1753G846G1410G2532G5293G3956G1438
Philippians 4
4Therefore, my dear brothers and sisters, stay true to the Lord. I love you and long to see you, dear friends, for you are my joy and the crown I receive for my work.G5620G3450G80G27G2532G1973G3450G5479G2532G4735G3779G4739G1722G2962G27
Words of Encouragement
2Now I appeal to Euodia and Syntyche. Please, because you belong to the Lord, settle your disagreement.G3870G2136G2532G3870G4941G5426G846G5426G1722G29623And I ask you, my true partner, to help these two women, for they worked hard with me in telling others the Good News. They worked along with Clement and the rest of my co-workers, whose names are written in the Book of Life.G2532G2065G4571G2532G1103G4805G4815G846G3748G4866G3427G1722G2098G3326G2815G2532G2532G3062G3450G4904G3739G3686G1722G976G22224Always be full of joy in the Lord. I say it again—rejoice!G5463G1722G2962G3842G3825G2046G54635Let everyone see that you are considerate in all you do. Remember, the Lord is coming soon.G1097G5216G1933G1097G3956G444G2962G14516Don't worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done.G3309G3367G235G1722G3956G4335G2532G1162G3326G2169G1107G5216G155G1107G4314G23167Then you will experience God's peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.G2532G1515G2316G3588G5242G3956G3563G5432G5216G2588G2532G5216G3540G1722G5547G24248And now, dear brothers and sisters, one final thing. Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise.G3063G80G3745G2076G227G3745G4586G3745G1342G3745G53G3745G4375G3745G2163G1536G703G2532G1536G1868G3049G50239Keep putting into practice all you learned and received from me—everything you heard from me and saw me doing. Then the God of peace will be with you.G5023G3739G3129G2532G3129G2532G3880G2532G191G2532G1492G1722G1698G4238G2532G2316G1515G2071G3326G5216
Paul’s Thanks for Their Gifts
10How I praise the Lord that you are concerned about me again. I know you have always been concerned for me, but you didn't have the chance to help me.G1161G5463G1722G2962G3171G3754G2235G4218G5426G330G5228G1700G330G1909G3739G5426G2532G5426G1161G17011Not that I was ever in need, for I have learned how to be content with whatever I have.G3756G3004G3754G2596G5304G1063G1473G3129G1722G3739G1510G1511G84212I know how to live on almost nothing or with everything. I have learned the secret of living in every situation, whether it is with a full stomach or empty, with plenty or little.G1161G1492G5013G2532G1492G4052G1722G3956G2532G1722G3956G3453G2532G5526G2532G3983G2532G4052G2532G530213For I can do everything through Christ, who gives me strength.G2480G3956G1722G5547G3588G1743G316514Even so, you have done well to share with me in my present difficulty.G4133G2573G4160G4790G3450G234715As you know, you Philippians were the only ones who gave me financial help when I first brought you the Good News and then traveled on from Macedonia. No other church did this.G1161G5210G5374G1492G2532G3754G1722G746G2098G3753G1831G575G3109G3762G1577G2841G3427G1519G3056G1394G2532G3028G1508G5210G344116Even when I was in Thessalonica you sent help more than once.G3754G2532G1722G2332G3992G2532G530G2532G1364G1519G3427G553217I don't say this because I want a gift from you. Rather, I want you to receive a reward for your kindness.G3756G3754G1934G1390G235G1934G2590G4121G1519G5216G305618At the moment I have all I need—and more! I am generously supplied with the gifts you sent me with Epaphroditus. They are a sweet-smelling sacrifice that is acceptable and pleasing to God.G1161G568G3956G2532G4052G4137G1209G3844G1891G3844G5216G3744G2175G2378G1184G2101G231619And this same God who takes care of me will supply all your needs from his glorious riches, which have been given to us in Christ Jesus.G1161G3450G2316G4137G3956G5216G5532G2596G846G4149G1722G1391G1722G5547G242420Now all glory to God our Father forever and ever! Amen.G1161G2316G2532G2257G3962G1391G1519G165G165G281
Paul’s Final Greetings
21Give my greetings to each of God's holy people—all who belong to Christ Jesus. The brothers who are with me send you their greetings.G782G3956G40G1722G5547G2424G80G4862G1698G782G520922And all the rest of God's people send you greetings, too, especially those in Caesar's household.G3956G40G782G5209G1161G3122G1537G2541G361423May the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit.G5485G2257G2962G2424G5547G3326G5216G3956G281
Psalms 12
12[For the choir director: A psalm of David, to be accompanied by an eight-stringed instrument.] Help, O LORD, for the godly are fast disappearing! The faithful have vanished from the earth!H5329H8067H4210H1732H3467H3068H2623H1584H539H6461H1121H1202Neighbors lie to each other, speaking with flattering lips and deceitful hearts.H1696H7723H376H7453H2513H8193H3820H3820H16963May the LORD cut off their flattering lips and silence their boastful tongues.H3068H3772H2513H8193H3956H1696H14194They say, "We will lie to our hearts' content. Our lips are our own—who can stop us?"H559H3956H1396H8193H1135The LORD replies, "I have seen violence done to the helpless, and I have heard the groans of the poor. Now I will rise up to rescue them, as they have longed for me to do."H7701H6041H603H34H6965H559H3068H7896H3468H63156The LORD's promises are pure, like silver refined in a furnace, purified seven times over.H565H3068H2889H565H3701H6884H5948H776H2212H76597Therefore, LORD, we know you will protect the oppressed, preserving them forever from this lying generation,H8104H3068H5341H2098H1755H57698even though the wicked strut about, and evil is praised throughout the land.H7563H1980H5439H2149H1121H120H7311
Dublin, OH
, rejoice in the Lord. I never get tired of telling you these things, and I do it to safeguard your faith.G3063
