Bible in 90 Days

²⁶ So in Christ Jesus you are all children of God by believing in Christ. ²⁷ This is because all of you who were baptized into Christ have put on Christ. You have put him on as if he were your clothes. ²⁸ There is no Jew or Gentile. There is no slave or free person. There is no male or female. That’s because you are all one in Christ Jesus. ²⁹ You who belong to Christ are Abraham’s seed. So you will receive what God has promised.

4 Here is what I have been saying. As long as your own children are young, they are no different from slaves in your house. They are no different, even though they will own all the property. ² People are in charge of the property. And other people are in charge of the children. The children remain under their care until they become adults. At that time their fathers give them the property. ³ It is the same with us. When we were children, we were slaves to the basic spiritual powers of the world. ⁴ But then the chosen time came. God sent his Son. A woman gave birth to him. He was born under the authority of the law. ⁵ He came to set free those who were under the authority of the law. He wanted us to be adopted as children with all the rights children have. ⁶ Because you are his children, God sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts. He is the Holy Spirit. By his power we call God Abba. Abba means Father. ⁷ So you aren’t a slave any longer. You are God’s child. Because you are his child, God gives you the rights of those who are his children.

Paul’s Concern for the Believers in Galatia

⁸ At one time you didn’t know God. You were slaves to gods that are really not gods at all. ⁹ But now you know God. Even better, God knows you. So why are you turning back to those weak and worthless powers? Do you want to be slaves to them all over again? ¹⁰ You are observing special days and months and seasons and years! ¹¹ I am afraid for you. I am afraid that somehow I have wasted my efforts on you.

¹² I make my appeal to you, brothers and sisters. I’m asking you to become like me. After all, I became like you. You didn’t do anything wrong to me. ¹³ Remember when I first preached the good news to you? Remember I did that because I was sick. ¹⁴ And my sickness was hard on you. But you weren’t mean to me. You didn’t make fun of me. Instead, you welcomed me as if I were an angel of God. You welcomed me as if I were Christ Jesus himself. ¹⁵ So why aren’t you treating me the same way now? Suppose you could have torn out your own eyes and given them to me. Then you would have done it. I am a witness to this. ¹⁶ Have I become your enemy now by telling you the truth?

¹⁷ Those people are trying hard to win you over. But it is not for your good. They want to take you away from us. They want you to commit yourselves to them. ¹⁸ It is fine to be committed to something, if the purpose is good. And you shouldn’t be committed only when I am with you. You should always be committed. ¹⁹ My dear children, I am in pain for you like I was when we first met. I have pain like a woman giving birth. And my pain will continue until Christ makes you like himself. ²⁰ I wish I could be with you now. I wish I could change my tone of voice. As it is, I don’t understand you.

Hagar and Sarah

²¹ You who want to be under the authority of the law, tell me something. Don’t you know what the law says? ²² It is written that Abraham had two sons. The slave woman gave birth to one of them. The free woman gave birth to the other one. ²³ Abraham’s son by the slave woman was born in the usual way. But his son by the free woman was born because of God’s promise.

²⁴ These things are examples. The two women stand for two covenants. One covenant comes from Mount Sinai. It gives birth to children who are going to be slaves. It is Hagar. ²⁵ Hagar stands for Mount Sinai in Arabia. She stands for the present city of Jerusalem. That’s because she and her children are slaves. ²⁶ But the Jerusalem that is above is free. She is our mother. ²⁷ It is written,

²⁸ Brothers and sisters, you are children because of God’s promise just as Isaac was. ²⁹ At that time, the son born in the usual way tried to hurt the other son. The other son was born by the power of the Holy Spirit. It is the same now. ³⁰ But what does Scripture say? “Get rid of the slave woman. Get rid of her son. The slave woman’s son will never have a share of the family’s property. He’ll never share it with the free woman’s son.” (Genesis 21:10) ³¹ Brothers and sisters, we are not the slave woman’s children. We are the free woman’s children.

Christ Sets Us Free

5 Christ has set us free to enjoy our freedom. So remain strong in the faith. Don’t let the chains of slavery hold you again.

² Here is what I, Paul, say to you. Don’t let yourselves be circumcised. If you do, Christ won’t be of any value to you. ³ I say it again. Every man who lets himself be circumcised must obey the whole law. ⁴ Some of you are trying to be made right with God by obeying the law. You have been separated from Christ. You have fallen away from God’s grace. ⁵ But we long to be made completely holy because of our faith in Christ. Through the Holy Spirit we wait for this in hope. ⁶ Circumcision and uncircumcision aren’t worth anything to those who believe in Christ Jesus. The only thing that really counts is faith that shows itself through love.

⁷ You were running a good race. Who has kept you from obeying the truth? ⁸ The God who chooses you does not keep you from obeying the truth. ⁹ You should know that “just a little yeast works its way through the whole batch of dough.” ¹⁰ The Lord makes me certain that you will see the truth of this. The one who has gotten you all mixed up will have to pay the price. This will happen no matter who has done it. ¹¹ Brothers and sisters, I no longer preach that people must be circumcised. If I did, why am I still being opposed? If I preached that, then the cross wouldn’t upset anyone. ¹² So then, what about troublemakers who try to get others to be circumcised? I wish they would go the whole way! I wish they would cut off everything that marks them as men!

Living by the Holy Spirit’s Power

¹³ My brothers and sisters, you were chosen to be free. But don’t use your freedom as an excuse to live under the power of sin. Instead, serve one another in love. ¹⁴ The whole law is fulfilled by obeying this one command. “Love your neighbor as you love yourself.” (Leviticus 19:18) ¹⁵ If you say or do things that harm one another, watch out! You could end up destroying one another.

¹⁶ So I say, live by the Holy Spirit’s power. Then you will not do what your desires controlled by sin want you to do. ¹⁷ The desires controlled by sin do not want what the Spirit delights in. And the Spirit does not want what the desires controlled by sin delight in. The two are at war with each other. That’s why you are not supposed to do whatever you want. ¹⁸ But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the authority of the law.

¹⁹ The result of sin’s control in our lives is clear. It includes sexual sins, impure acts and wild living. ²⁰ It includes worshiping statues of gods and worshiping evil powers. It also includes hatred and fighting, jealousy and fits of anger. Sinful desire is interested only in getting ahead. It stirs up trouble. It separates people into their own little groups. ²¹ It wants what others have. It gets drunk and takes part in wild parties. It does many things of that kind. I warn you now as I did before. People who live like this will not receive God’s kingdom.

²² But the fruit the Holy Spirit produces is love, joy and peace. It is being patient, kind and good. It is being faithful ²³ and gentle and having control of oneself. There is no law against things of that kind. ²⁴ Those who belong to Christ Jesus have nailed their sinful desires to his cross. They don’t want these things anymore. ²⁵ Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit. ²⁶ Let us not become proud. Let us not make each other angry. Let us not want what belongs to others.

Do Good to Everyone

6 Brothers and sisters, what if someone is caught in a sin? Then you who live by the Spirit should correct that person. Do it in a gentle way. But be careful. You could be tempted too. ² Carry one another’s heavy loads. If you do, you will fulfill the law of Christ. ³ If anyone thinks they are somebody when they are nobody, they are fooling themselves. ⁴ Each person should test their own actions. Then they can take pride in themselves. They won’t be comparing themselves to someone else. ⁵ Each person should carry their own load. ⁶ But those who are taught the word should share all good things with their teacher.

⁷ Don’t be fooled. You can’t outsmart God. A man gathers a crop from what he plants. ⁸ Some people plant to please their desires controlled by sin. From these desires they will harvest death. Others plant to please the Holy Spirit. From the Spirit they will harvest eternal life. ⁹ Let us not become tired of doing good. At the right time we will gather a crop if we don’t give up. ¹⁰ So when we can do good to everyone, let us do it. Let’s try even harder to do good to the family of believers.

Not Circumcision but the New Creation

¹¹ Look at the big letters I’m using as I write to you with my own hand!

¹² Some people are worried about how things look on the outside. They are trying to force you to be circumcised. They do it for only one reason. They don’t want to suffer by being connected with the cross of Christ. ¹³ Even those who are circumcised don’t obey the law. But they want you to be circumcised. Then they can brag about what has been done to your body. ¹⁴ I never want to brag about anything except the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ. Through that cross the ways of the world have been crucified as far as I am concerned. And I have been crucified as far as the ways of the world are concerned. ¹⁵ Circumcision and uncircumcision don’t mean anything. What really counts is that the new creation has come. ¹⁶ May peace and mercy be given to all who follow this rule. May peace and mercy be given to the Israel that belongs to God.

¹⁷ From now on, let no one cause trouble for me. My body has marks that show I belong to Jesus.

¹⁸ Brothers and sisters, may the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit. Amen.

1 I, Paul, am writing this letter. I am an apostle of Christ Jesus just as God planned.

I am sending this letter to you, God’s holy people in Ephesus. Because you belong to Christ Jesus, you are faithful.

² May God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ give you grace and peace.

Praise God for His Spiritual Blessings in Christ

³ Give praise to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. He has blessed us with every spiritual blessing. Those blessings come from the heavenly world. They belong to us because we belong to Christ. ⁴ God chose us to belong to Christ before the world was created. He chose us to be holy and without blame in his eyes. He loved us. ⁵ So he decided long ago to adopt us. He adopted us as his children with all the rights children have. He did it because of what Jesus Christ has done. It pleased God to do it. ⁶ All those things bring praise to his glorious grace. God freely gave us his grace because of the One he loves. ⁷ We have been set free because of what Christ has done. Because he bled and died our sins have been forgiven. We have been set free because God’s grace is so rich. ⁸ He poured his grace on us. By giving us great wisdom and understanding, ⁹ he showed us the mystery of his plan. It was in keeping with what he wanted to do. It was what he had planned through Christ. ¹⁰ It will all come about when history has been completed. God will then bring together all things in heaven and on earth under Christ.

¹¹ We were also chosen to belong to him. God decided to choose us long ago in keeping with his plan. He works out everything to fit his plan and purpose. ¹² We were the first to put our hope in Christ. We were chosen to bring praise to his glory. ¹³ You also became believers in Christ. That happened when you heard the message of truth. It was the good news about how you could be saved. When you believed, he stamped you with an official mark. That official mark is the Holy Spirit that he promised. ¹⁴ The Spirit marks us as God’s own. We can now be sure that someday we will receive all that God has promised. That will happen after God sets all his people completely free. All these things will bring praise to his glory.

Paul Prays and Gives Thanks

¹⁵ I have heard about your faith in the Lord Jesus. I have also heard about your love for all God’s people. That is why ¹⁶ I have not stopped thanking God for you. I always remember you in my prayers. ¹⁷ I pray to the God of our Lord Jesus Christ. God is the glorious Father. I keep asking him to give you the wisdom and understanding that come from the Holy Spirit. I want you to know God better. ¹⁸ I pray that you may understand more clearly. Then you will know the hope God has chosen you to receive. You will know that what God will give his holy people is rich and glorious. ¹⁹ And you will know God’s great power. It can’t be compared with anything else. His power works for us who believe. It is the same mighty strength ²⁰ God showed. He showed this when he raised Christ from the dead. God seated him at his right hand in his heavenly kingdom. ²¹ There Christ sits far above all who rule and have authority. He also sits far above all powers and kings. He is above every name that is appealed to in this world and in the world to come. ²² God placed all things under Christ’s rule. He appointed him to be ruler over everything for the church. ²³ The church is Christ’s body and is filled by Christ. He fills everything in every way.

God Has Given Us New Life Through Christ

2 You were living in your sins and lawless ways. But in fact you were dead. ² You used to live as sinners when you followed the ways of this world. You served the one who rules over the spiritual forces of evil. He is the spirit who is now at work in those who don’t obey God. ³ At one time we all lived among them. Our desires were controlled by sin. We tried to satisfy what they wanted us to do. We followed our desires and thoughts. God was angry with us like he was with everyone else. That’s because of the kind of people we all were. ⁴ But God loves us deeply. He is full of mercy. ⁵ So he gave us new life because of what Christ has done. He gave us life even when we were dead in sin. God’s grace has saved you. ⁶ God raised us up with Christ. He has seated us with him in his heavenly kingdom. That’s because we belong to Christ Jesus. ⁷ He has done it to show the riches of his grace for all time to come. His grace can’t be compared with anything else. He has shown it by being kind to us. He was kind to us because of what Christ Jesus has done. ⁸ God’s grace has saved you because of your faith in Christ. Your salvation doesn’t come from anything you do. It is God’s gift. ⁹ It is not based on anything you have done. No one can brag about earning it. ¹⁰ We are God’s creation. He created us to belong to Christ Jesus. Now we can do good works. Long ago God prepared these works for us to do.

God’s New Family of Jews and Gentiles

¹¹ You who are not Jews by birth, here is what I want you to remember. You are called “uncircumcised” by those who call themselves “circumcised.” But they have only been circumcised in their bodies by human hands. ¹² Before you believed in Christ, you were separated from him. You were not considered to be citizens of Israel. You were not included in what the covenants promised. You were without hope and without God in the world. ¹³ At one time you were far away from God. But now you belong to Christ Jesus. He spilled his blood for you. This has brought you near to God.

¹⁴ Christ himself is our peace. He has made Jews and Gentiles into one group of people. He has destroyed the hatred that was like a wall between us. ¹⁵ Through his body on the cross, Christ set aside the law with all its commands and rules. He planned to create one new people out of Jews and Gentiles. He wanted to make peace between them. ¹⁶ He planned to bring both Jews and Gentiles back to God as one body. He planned to do this through the cross. On that cross, Christ put to death their hatred toward one another. ¹⁷ He came and preached peace to you who were far away. He also preached peace to those who were near. ¹⁸ Through Christ we both come to the Father by the power of one Holy Spirit.

¹⁹ So you are no longer outsiders and strangers. You are citizens together with God’s people. You are also members of God’s family. ²⁰ You are a building that is built on the apostles and prophets. They are the foundation. Christ Jesus himself is the most important stone in the building. ²¹ The whole building is held together by him. It rises to become a holy temple because it belongs to the Lord. ²² And because you belong to him, you too are being built together. You are being made into a house where God lives through his Spirit.

God’s Wonderful Plan for the Gentiles

3 I, Paul, am a prisoner because of Christ Jesus. I am in prison because of my work among you who are Gentiles.

² I am sure you have heard that God appointed me to share his grace with you. ³ I’m talking about the mystery God showed me. I have already written a little about it. ⁴ By reading about this mystery, you will be able to understand what I know. You will know about the mystery of Christ. ⁵ The mystery was not made known to people of other times. But now the Holy Spirit has made this mystery known to God’s holy apostles and prophets. ⁶ Here is the mystery. Because of the good news, God’s promises are for Gentiles as well as for Jews. Both groups are parts of one body. They share in the promise. It belongs to them because they belong to Christ Jesus.

⁷ I now serve the good news because God gave me his grace. His power is at work in me. ⁸ I am by far the least important of all the Lord’s holy people. But he gave me the grace to preach to the Gentiles about the unlimited riches that Christ gives. ⁹ God told me to make clear to everyone how the mystery came about. In times past it was kept hidden in the mind of God, who created all things. ¹⁰ He wanted the rulers and authorities in the heavenly world to come to know his great wisdom. The church would make it known to them. ¹¹ That was God’s plan from the beginning. He has fulfilled his plan through Christ Jesus our Lord. ¹² Through him and through faith in him we can approach God. We can come to him freely. We can come without fear. ¹³ So here is what I’m asking you to do. Don’t lose hope because I am suffering for you. It will lead to the time when God will give you his glory.

Paul Prays for the Ephesians

¹⁴ I bow in prayer to the Father because of my work among you. ¹⁵ From the Father every family in heaven and on earth gets its name. ¹⁶ I pray that he will use his glorious riches to make you strong. May his Holy Spirit give you his power deep down inside you. ¹⁷ Then Christ will live in your hearts because you believe in him. And I pray that your love will have deep roots. I pray that it will have a strong foundation. ¹⁸ May you have power together with all the Lord’s holy people to understand Christ’s love. May you know how wide and long and high and deep it is. ¹⁹ And may you know his love, even though it can’t be known completely. Then you will be filled with everything God has for you.

²⁰ God is able to do far more than we could ever ask for or imagine. He does everything by his power that is working in us. ²¹ Give him glory in the church and in Christ Jesus. Give him glory through all time and for ever and ever. Amen.

Growing Up Together in the Body of Christ

4 I am a prisoner because of the Lord. So I am asking you to live a life worthy of what God chose you for. ² Don’t be proud at all. Be completely gentle. Be patient. Put up with one another in love. ³ The Holy Spirit makes you one in every way. So try your best to remain as one. Let peace keep you together. ⁴ There is one body and one Spirit. You were appointed to one hope when you were chosen. ⁵ There is one Lord, one faith and one baptism. ⁶ There is one God and Father of all. He is over everything. He is through everything. He is in everything.

⁷ But each one of us has received a gift of grace. These gifts are given to us by Christ. ⁸ That is why Scripture says,

⁹ What does “he went up” mean? It can only mean that he also came down to the lower, earthly places. ¹⁰ The one who came down is the same one who went up. He went up higher than all the heavens. He did it in order to fill all creation. ¹¹ So Christ himself gave the gift of the apostles to the church. He gave the prophets and those who preach the good news. And he also gave the pastors and teachers as a gift to the church. ¹² He gave all these people so that they might prepare God’s people to serve. Then the body of Christ will be built up. ¹³ That will continue until we all become one in the faith. We will also become one in the knowledge of God’s Son. Then we will be grown up in the faith. We will receive everything that Christ has for us.

¹⁴ We will no longer be babies in the faith. We won’t be like ships tossed around by the waves. We won’t be blown here and there by every new teaching. We won’t be blown around by cleverness and tricks. Certain people use them to hide their evil plans. ¹⁵ Instead, we will speak the truth in love. So we will grow up in every way to become the body of Christ. Christ is the head of the body. ¹⁶ He makes the whole body grow and build itself up in love. Under the control of Christ, each part of the body does its work. It supports the other parts. In that way, the body is joined and held together.

Teachings for Living as Christians

¹⁷ Here is what I’m telling you. I am speaking for the Lord as I warn you. You must no longer live as the Gentiles do. Their thoughts don’t have any purpose. ¹⁸ They can’t understand the truth. They are separated from the life of God. That’s because they don’t know him. And they don’t know him because their hearts are stubborn. ¹⁹ They have lost all feeling for what is right. So they have given themselves over to all kinds of evil pleasures. They take part in every kind of unclean act. And they are full of greed.

²⁰ But that is not the way of life in Christ that you learned about. ²¹ You heard about Christ and were taught about life in him. What you learned was the truth about Jesus. ²² You were taught not to live the way you used to. You must get rid of your old way of life. That’s because it has been made impure by the desire for things that lead you astray. ²³ You were taught to be made new in your thinking. ²⁴ You were taught to start living a new life. It is created to be truly good and holy, just as God is.

²⁵ So each of you must get rid of your lying. Speak the truth to your neighbor. We are all parts of one body. ²⁶ Scripture says, “When you are angry, do not sin.” (Psalm 4:4) Do not let the sun go down while you are still angry. ²⁷ Don’t give the devil a chance. ²⁸ Anyone who has been stealing must never steal again. Instead, they must work. They must do something useful with their own hands. Then they will have something to give to people in need.

²⁹ Don’t let any evil talk come out of your mouths. Say only what will help to build others up and meet their needs. Then what you say will help those who listen. ³⁰ Do not make God’s Holy Spirit mourn. The Holy Spirit is the proof that you belong to God. And the Spirit is the proof that God will set you completely free. ³¹ Get rid of all hard feelings, anger and rage. Stop all fighting and lying. Don’t have anything to do with any kind of hatred. ³² Be kind and tender to one another. Forgive one another, just as God forgave you because of what Christ has done. 5 ¹ You are the children that God dearly loves. So follow his example. ² Lead a life of love, just as Christ did. He loved us. He gave himself up for us. He was a sweet-smelling offering and sacrifice to God.

³ There should not be even a hint of sexual sin among you. Don’t do anything impure. And do not always want more and more. These are not the things God’s holy people should do. ⁴ There must not be any bad language or foolish talk or dirty jokes. They are out of place. Instead, you should give thanks. ⁵ Here is what you can be sure of. Those who give themselves over to sexual sins are lost. So are people whose lives are impure. The same is true of those who always want more and more. People who do these things might as well worship statues of gods. No one who does them will receive a share in the kingdom of Christ and of God. ⁶ Don’t let anyone fool you with worthless words. People who say things like that aren’t obeying God. He is angry with them. ⁷ So don’t go along with people like that.

⁸ At one time you were in the dark. But now you are in the light because of what the Lord has done. Live like children of the light. ⁹ The light produces what is completely good, right and true. ¹⁰ Find out what pleases the Lord. ¹¹ Have nothing to do with the acts of darkness. They don’t produce anything good. Show what they are really like. ¹² It is shameful even to talk about what people who don’t obey do in secret. ¹³ But everything the light shines on can be seen. And everything that the light shines on becomes a light. ¹⁴ That is why it is said,

¹⁵ So be very careful how you live. Do not live like people who aren’t wise. Live like people who are wise. ¹⁶ Make the most of every opportunity. The days are evil. ¹⁷ So don’t be foolish. Instead, understand what the Lord wants. ¹⁸ Don’t fill yourself up with wine. Getting drunk will lead to wild living. Instead, be filled with the Holy Spirit. ¹⁹ Speak to one another with psalms, hymns and songs from the Spirit. Sing and make music from your heart to the Lord. ²⁰ Always give thanks to God the Father for everything. Give thanks to him in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Teachings for Christian Families

²¹ Follow the lead of one another because of your respect for Christ.

²² Wives, follow the lead of your own husbands as you follow the Lord. ²³ The husband is the head of the wife, just as Christ is the head of the church. The church is Christ’s body. He is its Savior. ²⁴ The church follows the lead of Christ. In the same way, wives should follow the lead of their husbands in everything.

²⁵ Husbands, love your wives. Love them just as Christ loved the church. He gave himself up for her. ²⁶ He did it to make her holy. He made her clean by washing her with water and the word. ²⁷ He did it to bring her to himself as a brightly shining church. He wants a church that has no stain or wrinkle or any other flaw. He wants a church that is holy and without blame. ²⁸ In the same way, husbands should love their wives. They should love them as they love their own bodies. Any man who loves his wife loves himself. ²⁹ After all, no one ever hated their own body. Instead, they feed and care for their body. And this is what Christ does for the church. ³⁰ We are parts of his body. ³¹ Scripture says, “That’s why a man will leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife. The two will become one.” (Genesis 2:24) ³² That is a deep mystery. But I’m talking about Christ and the church. ³³ A husband also must love his wife. He must love her just as he loves himself. And a wife must respect her husband.

6 Children, obey your parents as believers in the Lord. Obey them because it’s the right thing to do. ² Scripture says, “Honor your father and mother.” That is the first commandment that has a promise. ³ “Then things will go well with you. You will live a long time on the earth.” (Deuteronomy 5:16)

⁴ Fathers, don’t make your children angry. Instead, instruct them and teach them the ways of the Lord as you raise them.

⁵ Slaves, obey your masters here on earth. Respect them and honor them with a heart that is true. Obey them just as you would obey Christ. ⁶ Don’t obey them only to please them when they are watching. Do it because you are slaves of Christ. Be sure your heart does what God wants. ⁷ Serve your masters with all your heart. Work as serving the Lord and not as serving people. ⁸ You know that the Lord will give each person a reward. He will give it to them in keeping with the good they do. It doesn’t matter whether they are a slave or not.

⁹ Masters, treat your slaves in the same way. When you warn them, don’t be too hard on them. You know that the God who is their Master and yours is in heaven. And he treats everyone the same.

God’s Armor for Believers

¹⁰ Finally, let the Lord make you strong. Depend on his mighty power. ¹¹ Put on all of God’s armor. Then you can remain strong against the devil’s evil plans. ¹² Our fight is not against human beings. It is against the rulers, the authorities and the powers of this dark world. It is against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly world. ¹³ So put on all of God’s armor. Evil days will come. But you will be able to stand up to anything. And after you have done everything you can, you will still be standing. ¹⁴ So remain strong in the faith. Put the belt of truth around your waist. Put the armor of godliness on your chest. ¹⁵ Wear on your feet what will prepare you to tell the good news of peace. ¹⁶ Also, pick up the shield of faith. With it you can put out all the flaming arrows of the evil one. ¹⁷ Put on the helmet of salvation. And take the sword of the Holy Spirit. The sword is God’s word.

¹⁸ At all times, pray by the power of the Spirit. Pray all kinds of prayers. Be watchful, so that you can pray. Always keep on praying for all the Lord’s people. ¹⁹ Pray also for me. Pray that whenever I speak, the right words will be given to me. Then I can be bold as I tell the mystery of the good news. ²⁰ Because of the good news, I am being held by chains as the Lord’s messenger. So pray that I will be bold as I preach the good news. That’s what I should do.

Final Greetings

²¹ Tychicus is a dear brother. He is faithful in serving the Lord. He will tell you everything about me. Then you will know how I am and what I am doing. ²² That’s why I am sending him to you. I want you to know how we are. And I want him to encourage you.

²³ May God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ give peace to the brothers and sisters. May they also give the believers love and faith.

²⁴ May grace be given to everyone who loves our Lord Jesus Christ with a love that will never die.

1 We, Paul and Timothy, are writing this letter. We serve Christ Jesus.

We are sending this letter to you, all God’s holy people in Philippi. You belong to Christ Jesus. We are also sending this letter to your leaders and deacons.

² May God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ give you grace and peace.

Paul Prays and Gives Thanks

³ I thank my God every time I remember you. ⁴ In all my prayers for all of you, I always pray with joy. ⁵ I am happy because you have joined me in spreading the good news. You have done so from the first day until now. ⁶ God began a good work in you. And I am sure that he will carry it on until it is completed. That will be on the day Christ Jesus returns.

⁷ It is right for me to feel this way about all of you. I love you with all my heart. I may be held by chains, or I may be standing up for the truth of the good news. Either way, all of you share in God’s grace together with me. ⁸ God is my witness that I long for all of you. I love you with the love that Christ Jesus gives.

⁹ I pray that your love will grow more and more. And let it be based on knowledge and understanding. ¹⁰ Then you will be able to know what is best. Then you will be pure and without blame for the day that Christ returns. ¹¹ You will be filled with the fruit of right living produced by Jesus Christ. All these things bring glory and praise to God.

Paul Spreads the Good News While in Prison

¹² Brothers and sisters, here is what I want you to know. What has happened to me has actually helped to spread the good news. ¹³ One thing has become clear. I am being held by chains because I am a witness for Christ. All the palace guards and everyone else know it. ¹⁴ And because I am a prisoner, most of the believers have become bolder in the Lord. They now dare even more to preach the good news without fear.

¹⁵ It’s true that some preach about Christ because they are jealous. But others preach about Christ to help me in my work. ¹⁶ The last group acts out of love. They know I have been put here to be a witness for the good news. ¹⁷ But the others preach about Christ only to get ahead. They preach Christ for the wrong reasons. They think they can stir up trouble for me while I am being held by chains. ¹⁸ But what does it matter? Here is the important thing. Whether for right or wrong reasons, Christ is being preached about. That makes me very glad.

And I will continue to be glad. ¹⁹ I know that you are praying for me. I also know that God will give me the Spirit of Jesus Christ to help me. So no matter what happens, I’m sure I will still be set free. ²⁰ I completely expect and hope that I won’t be ashamed in any way. I’m sure I will be brave enough. Now as always Christ will receive glory because of what happens to me. He will receive glory whether I live or die. ²¹ For me, life finds all its meaning in Christ. Death also has its benefits. ²² Suppose I go on living in my body. Then I will be able to carry on my work. It will bear a lot of fruit. But what should I choose? I don’t know! ²³ I can’t decide between the two. I long to leave this world and be with Christ. That is better by far. ²⁴ But it is more important for you that I stay alive. ²⁵ I’m sure of this. So I know I will remain with you. And I will continue with all of you to help you grow in your faith. I will also continue to help you be joyful in what you have been taught. ²⁶ I’m sure I will be with you again. Then you will be able to boast in Christ Jesus even more because of me.

Living to Honor the Good News

²⁷ No matter what happens, live in a way that brings honor to the good news about Christ. Then I will know that you remain strong together in the one Spirit. I will know this if I come and see you or only hear about you. I will know that you work together as one person. I will know that you work to spread the teachings about the good news. ²⁸ So don’t be afraid in any way of those who oppose you. This will show them that they will be destroyed and that you will be saved. That’s what God will do. ²⁹ Here is what he has given you to do for Christ. You must not only believe in him. You must also suffer for him. ³⁰ You are going through the same struggle you saw me go through. As you have heard, I am still struggling.

Being Humble Like Christ

2 So does belonging to Christ help you in any way? Does his love comfort you at all? Do you share anything in common because of the Holy Spirit? Has Christ ever been gentle and loving toward you? ² If any of these things has happened to you, then agree with one another. Have the same love. Be one in spirit and in the way you think and act. By doing this, you will make my joy complete. ³ Don’t do anything only to get ahead. Don’t do it because you are proud. Instead, be humble. Value others more than yourselves. ⁴ None of you should look out just for your own good. Each of you should also look out for the good of others.

⁵ As you deal with one another, you should think and act as Jesus did.

Live Without Complaining

¹² My dear friends, you have always obeyed God. You obeyed while I was with you. And you have obeyed even more while I am not with you. So continue to work out your own salvation. Do it with fear and trembling. ¹³ God is working in you. He wants your plans and your acts to fulfill his good purpose.

¹⁴ Do everything without complaining or arguing. ¹⁵ Then you will be pure and without blame. You will be children of God without fault among sinful and evil people. Then you will shine among them like stars in the sky. ¹⁶ You will shine as you hold on tight to the word of life. Then I will be able to boast about you on the day Christ returns. I can be happy that I didn’t run or work for nothing. ¹⁷ But my life might even be poured out like a drink offering on your sacrifices. I’m talking about the way you serve because you believe. Even so, I am glad. I am joyful with all of you. ¹⁸ So you too should be glad and joyful with me.

Timothy and Epaphroditus

¹⁹ I hope to send Timothy to you soon if the Lord Jesus allows it. Then I will be encouraged when I receive news about you. ²⁰ I have no one else like Timothy. He will truly care about how you are doing. ²¹ All the others are looking out for their own interests. They are not looking out for the interests of Jesus Christ. ²² But you know that Timothy has proved himself. He has served with me like a son with his father in spreading the good news. ²³ So I hope to send him as soon as I see how things go with me. ²⁴ And I’m sure I myself will come soon if the Lord allows it.

²⁵ But I think it’s necessary to send Epaphroditus back to you. He is my brother in the Lord. He is a worker and a soldier of Christ together with me. He is also your messenger. You sent him to take care of my needs. ²⁶ He longs for all of you. He is troubled because you heard he was sick. ²⁷ He was very sick. In fact, he almost died. But God had mercy on him. He also had mercy on me. God spared me sadness after sadness. ²⁸ So I want even more to send him to you. Then when you see him again, you will be glad. And I won’t worry so much. ²⁹ So then, welcome him as a brother in the Lord with great joy. Honor people like him. ³⁰ He almost died for the work of Christ. He put his life in danger to make up for the help you yourselves couldn’t give me.

Do Not Trust in Who You Are or What You Can Do

3 Further, my brothers and sisters, be joyful because you belong to the Lord! It is no trouble for me to write about some important matters to you again. If you know about them, you will have a safe path to follow. ² Watch out for those dogs. They are people who do evil things. When they circumcise, it is nothing more than a useless cutting of the body. ³ But we have been truly circumcised. We serve God by the power of his Spirit. We boast about what Christ Jesus has done. We don’t put our trust in who we are or what we can do. ⁴ I have many reasons to trust in who I am and what I have done. Someone else may think they have reasons to trust in these things. But I have even more.

⁵ I was circumcised on the eighth day. I am part of the people of Israel. I am from the tribe of Benjamin. I am a pure Hebrew. As far as the law is concerned, I am a Pharisee. ⁶ As far as being committed is concerned, I opposed and attacked the church. As far as keeping the law is concerned, I kept it perfectly.

⁷ I thought things like that were really something great. But now I consider them to be nothing because of Christ. ⁸ Even more, I consider everything to be nothing compared to knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. To know him is worth much more than anything else. Because of him I have lost everything. But I consider all of it to be garbage so I can know Christ better. ⁹ I want to be joined to him. Being right with God does not come from my obeying the law. It comes because I believe in Christ. It comes from God because of faith. ¹⁰ I want to know Christ better. Yes, I want to know the power that raised him from the dead. I want to join him in his sufferings. I want to become like him by sharing in his death. ¹¹ Then by God’s grace I will rise from the dead.

¹² I have not yet received all these things. I have not yet reached my goal. Christ Jesus took hold of me so that I could reach that goal. So I keep pushing myself forward to reach it. ¹³ Brothers and sisters, I don’t consider that I have taken hold of it yet. But here is the one thing I do. I forget what is behind me. I push hard toward what is ahead of me. ¹⁴ I push myself forward toward the goal to win the prize. God has appointed me to win it. The heavenly prize is Christ Jesus himself.

Following Paul’s Example

¹⁵ So all of us who are grown up in the faith should see things this way. Maybe you think differently about something. But God will make it clear to you. ¹⁶ Only let us live up to what we have already reached.

¹⁷ Brothers and sisters, join together in following my example. You have us as a model. So pay close attention to those who live as we do. ¹⁸ I have told you these things many times before. Now I tell you again with tears in my eyes. Many people live like enemies of the cross of Christ. ¹⁹ The only thing they have coming to them is death. Their stomach is their god. They brag about what they should be ashamed of. They think only about earthly things. ²⁰ But we are citizens of heaven. And we can hardly wait for a Savior from there. He is the Lord Jesus Christ. ²¹ He has the power to bring everything under his control. By his power he will change our earthly bodies. They will become like his glorious body.

Remain Strong in the Lord

4 My brothers and sisters, in this way remain strong in the Lord. I love you and long for you. Dear friends, you are my joy and my crown.

² Here is what I’m asking Euodia and Syntyche to do. I’m asking them to work together in the Lord. That’s because they both belong to the Lord. ³ My true companion, here is what I ask you to do. Help these women, because they have served at my side. They have worked with me to spread the good news. So have Clement and the rest of those who have worked together with me. Their names are all written in the book of life.

Final Commands

⁴ Always be joyful because you belong to the Lord. I will say it again. Be joyful! ⁵ Let everyone know how gentle you are. The Lord is coming soon. ⁶ Don’t worry about anything. No matter what happens, tell God about everything. Ask and pray, and give thanks to him. ⁷ Then God’s peace will watch over your hearts and your minds. He will do this because you belong to Christ Jesus. God’s peace can never be completely understood.

⁸ Finally, my brothers and sisters, always think about what is true. Think about what is noble, right and pure. Think about what is lovely and worthy of respect. If anything is excellent or worthy of praise, think about those kinds of things. ⁹ Do what you have learned or received or heard from me. Follow my example. The God who gives peace will be with you.

Paul Gives Thanks for the Philippians’ Gifts

¹⁰ At last you are concerned about me again. That makes me very happy. We belong to the Lord. I know that you were concerned. But you had no chance to show it. ¹¹ I’m not saying this because I need anything. I have learned to be content no matter what happens to me. ¹² I know what it’s like not to have what I need. I also know what it’s like to have more than I need. I have learned the secret of being content no matter what happens. I am content whether I am well fed or hungry. I am content whether I have more than enough or not enough. ¹³ I can do all this by the power of Christ. He gives me strength.

¹⁴ But it was good of you to share in my troubles. ¹⁵ And you believers at Philippi know what happened when I left Macedonia. Not one church helped me in the matter of giving and receiving. You were the only one that did. That was in the early days when you first heard the good news. ¹⁶ Even when I was in Thessalonica, you sent me help when I needed it. And you did it more than once. ¹⁷ It is not that I want your gifts. What I really want is what is best for you. ¹⁸ I have received my full pay and have more than enough. I have everything I need. That’s because Epaphroditus brought me the gifts you sent. They are a sweet-smelling offering. They are a gift that God accepts. He is pleased with it. ¹⁹ My God will meet all your needs. He will meet them in keeping with his wonderful riches. These riches come to you because you belong to Christ Jesus.

²⁰ Give glory to our God and Father for ever and ever. Amen.

Final Greetings

²¹ Greet all God’s people. They belong to Christ Jesus.

The brothers and sisters who are with me send greetings.

²² All God’s people here send you greetings. Most of all, those who live in the palace of Caesar send you greetings.

²³ May the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit. Amen.

1 I, Paul, am writing this letter. I am an apostle of Christ Jesus just as God planned. Our brother Timothy joins me in writing.

² We are sending this letter to you, our brothers and sisters in Colossae. You belong to Christ. You are holy and faithful.

May God our Father give you grace and peace.

Paul Prays and Gives Thanks

³ We always thank God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, when we pray for you. ⁴ We thank him because we have heard about your faith in Christ Jesus. We have also heard that you love all God’s people. ⁵ Your faith and love are based on the hope you have. What you hope for is stored up for you in heaven. You have already heard about it. You were told about it when the true message was given to you. I’m talking about the good news ⁶ that has come to you. In the same way, the good news is bearing fruit. It is bearing fruit and growing all over the world. It has been doing that among you since the day you heard it. That is when you really understood God’s grace. ⁷ You learned the good news from Epaphras. He is dear to us. He serves Christ together with us. He faithfully works for Christ and for us among you. ⁸ He also told us about your love that comes from the Holy Spirit.

⁹ That’s why we have not stopped praying for you. We have been praying for you since the day we heard about you. We keep asking God to fill you with the knowledge of what he wants. We pray he will give you the wisdom and understanding that the Spirit gives. ¹⁰ Then you will be able to lead a life that is worthy of the Lord. We pray that you will please him in every way. So we want you to bear fruit in every good thing you do. We pray that you will grow to know God better. ¹¹ We want you to be very strong, in keeping with his glorious power. We want you to be patient. We pray that you will never give up. ¹² We want you to give thanks with joy to the Father. He has made you fit to have what he will give to all his holy people. You will all receive a share in the kingdom of light. ¹³ He has saved us from the kingdom of darkness. He has brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves. ¹⁴ Because of what the Son has done, we have been set free. Because of him, all our sins have been forgiven.

The Son of God Is Better Than Everything Else

¹⁵ The Son is the exact likeness of God, who can’t be seen. The Son is first, and he is over all creation. ¹⁶ All things were created in him. He created everything in heaven and on earth. He created everything that can be seen and everything that can’t be seen. He created kings, powers, rulers and authorities. All things have been created by him and for him. ¹⁷ Before anything was created, he was already there. He holds everything together. ¹⁸ And he is the head of the body, which is the church. He is the beginning. He is the first to be raised from the dead. That happened so that he would be far above everything. ¹⁹ God was pleased to have his whole nature living in Christ. ²⁰ God was pleased to bring all things back to himself. That’s because of what Christ has done. These things include everything on earth and in heaven. God made peace through Christ’s blood, by his death on the cross.

²¹ At one time you were separated from God. You were enemies in your minds because of your evil ways. ²² But because Christ died, God has brought you back to himself. Christ’s death has made you holy in God’s sight. So now you don’t have any flaw. You are free from blame. ²³ But you must keep your faith steady and firm. You must not move away from the hope the good news holds out to you. This is the good news that you heard. It has been preached to every creature under heaven. I, Paul, now serve the good news.

Paul’s Work for the Church

²⁴ I am happy because of what I am suffering for you. My suffering joins with and continues the sufferings of Christ. I suffer for his body, which is the church. ²⁵ I serve the church. God appointed me to bring the complete word of God to you. ²⁶ That word contains the mystery that has been hidden for many ages. But now it has been made known to the Lord’s people. ²⁷ God has chosen to make known to them the glorious riches of that mystery. He has made it known among the Gentiles. And here is what it is. Christ is in you. He is your hope of glory.

²⁸ Christ is the one we preach about. With all the wisdom we have, we warn and teach everyone. When we bring them to God, we want them to be like Christ. We want them to be grown up as people who belong to Christ. ²⁹ That’s what I’m working for. I work hard with all the strength of Christ. His strength works powerfully in me.

2 I want you to know how hard I am working for you. I’m concerned for those who are in Laodicea. I’m also concerned for everyone who has not met me in person. ² My goal is that their hearts may be encouraged and strengthened. I want them to be joined together in love. Then their understanding will be rich and complete. They will know the mystery of God. That mystery is Christ. ³ All the treasures of wisdom and knowledge are hidden in him. ⁴ But I don’t want anyone to fool you with words that only sound good. ⁵ So even though I am away from you in body, I am with you in spirit. And I am glad to see that you are controlling yourselves. I am happy that your faith in Christ is so strong.

Having All Things in Christ

⁶ You received Christ Jesus as Lord. So keep on living your lives in him. ⁷ Have your roots in him. Build yourselves up in him. Grow strong in what you believe, just as you were taught. Be more thankful than ever before.

⁸ Make sure no one controls you. They will try to control you by using false reasoning that has no meaning. Their ideas depend on human teachings. They also depend on the basic spiritual powers of this world. They don’t depend on Christ.

⁹ God’s whole nature is living in Christ in human form. ¹⁰ Because you belong to Christ, you have been made complete. He is the ruler over every power and authority. ¹¹ When you received Christ, your circumcision was not done by human hands. Instead, your circumcision was done by Christ. He put away the person you used to be. At that time, sin’s power ruled over you. ¹² When you were baptized, you were buried together with Christ. And you were raised to life together with him when you were baptized. You were raised to life by believing in God’s work. God himself raised Jesus from the dead.

¹³ At one time you were dead in your sins. Your desires controlled by sin were not circumcised. But God gave you new life together with Christ. He forgave us all our sins. ¹⁴ He wiped out what the law said that we owed. The law stood against us. It judged us. But he has taken it away and nailed it to the cross. ¹⁵ He took away the weapons of the powers and authorities. He made a public show of them. He won the battle over them by dying on the cross.

Freedom From Human Rules

¹⁶ So don’t let anyone judge you because of what you eat or drink. Don’t let anyone judge you about holy days. I’m talking about special feasts and New Moons and Sabbath days. ¹⁷ They are only a shadow of the things to come. But what is real is found in Christ. ¹⁸ Some people enjoy pretending they aren’t proud. They worship angels. But don’t let people like that judge you. These people tell you every little thing about what they have seen. They are proud of their useless ideas. That’s because their minds are not guided by the Holy Spirit. ¹⁹ They aren’t connected anymore to the head, who is Christ. But the whole body grows from the head. The muscles and tendons hold the body together. And God causes it to grow.

²⁰ Some people still follow the basic spiritual powers of the world. But you died with Christ as far as these powers are concerned. So why do you act as if you still belong to the world? Here are the rules you follow. ²¹ “Do not handle! Do not taste! Do not touch!” ²² Rules like these are about things that will pass away soon. They are based on merely human rules and teachings. ²³ It is true that these rules seem wise. Because of them, people give themselves over to their own kind of worship. They pretend they are humble. They treat their bodies very badly. But rules like these don’t help. They don’t stop people from chasing after sinful pleasures.

Teachings About Holy Living

3 You have been raised up with Christ. So think about things that are in heaven. That is where Christ is. He is sitting at God’s right hand. ² Think about things that are in heaven. Don’t think about things that are only on earth. ³ You died. Now your life is hidden with Christ in God. ⁴ Christ is your life. When he appears again, you also will appear with him in heaven’s glory.

⁵ So put to death anything that comes from sinful desires. Get rid of sexual sins and impure acts. Don’t let your feelings get out of control. Remove from your life all evil desires. Stop always wanting more and more. You might as well be worshiping statues of gods. ⁶ God’s anger is going to come because of these things. ⁷ That’s the way you lived at one time in your life. ⁸ But now here are the kinds of things you must also get rid of. You must get rid of anger, rage, hate and lies. Let no dirty words come out of your mouths. ⁹ Don’t lie to one another. You have gotten rid of your old way of life and its habits. ¹⁰ You have started living a new life. Your knowledge of how that life should have the Creator’s likeness is being made new. ¹¹ Here there is no Gentile or Jew. There is no difference between those who are circumcised and those who are not. There is no rude outsider, or even a Scythian. There is no slave or free person. But Christ is everything. And he is in everything.

¹² You are God’s chosen people. You are holy and dearly loved. So put on tender mercy and kindness as if they were your clothes. Don’t be proud. Be gentle and patient. ¹³ Put up with one another. Forgive one another if you are holding something against someone. Forgive, just as the Lord forgave you. ¹⁴ And over all these good things put on love. Love holds them all together perfectly as if they were one.

¹⁵ Let the peace that Christ gives rule in your hearts. As parts of one body, you were appointed to live in peace. And be thankful. ¹⁶ Let the message about Christ live among you like a rich treasure. Teach and correct one another wisely. Teach one another by singing psalms and hymns and songs from the Spirit. Sing to God with thanks in your hearts. ¹⁷ Do everything you say or do in the name of the Lord Jesus. Always give thanks to God the Father through Christ.

Teachings About Christian Families

¹⁸ Wives, follow the lead of your husbands. That’s what the Lord wants you to do.

¹⁹ Husbands, love your wives. Don’t be mean to them.

²⁰ Children, obey your parents in everything. That pleases the Lord.

²¹ Fathers, don’t make your children bitter. If you do, they will lose hope.

²² Slaves, obey your earthly masters in everything. Don’t do it just to please them when they are watching you. Obey them with an honest heart. Do it out of respect for the Lord. ²³ Work at everything you do with all your heart. Work as if you were working for the Lord, not for human masters. ²⁴ Work because you know that you will finally receive as a reward what the Lord wants you to have. You are slaves of the Lord Christ. ²⁵ Anyone who does wrong will be paid back for what they do. God treats everyone the same.

4 Masters, give your slaves what is right and fair. Do it because you know that you also have a Master in heaven.

More Teachings

² Give a lot of time and effort to prayer. Always be watchful and thankful. ³ Pray for us too. Pray that God will give us an opportunity to preach our message. Then we can preach the mystery of Christ. Because I preached it, I am being held by chains. ⁴ Pray that I will preach it clearly, as I should. ⁵ Be wise in the way you act toward outsiders. Make the most of every opportunity. ⁶ Let the words you speak always be full of grace. Learn how to make your words what people want to hear. Then you will know how to answer everyone.

Final Greetings

⁷ Tychicus will tell you all the news about me. He is a dear brother. He is a faithful worker. He serves the Lord together with us. ⁸ I am sending him to you for one reason. I want you to know what is happening here. I want him to encourage you and make your hearts strong. ⁹ He is coming with Onesimus, our faithful and dear brother. He is one of you. They will tell you everything that is happening here.

¹⁰ Aristarchus is in prison with me. He sends you his greetings. So does Mark, the cousin of Barnabas. You have been given directions about him. If he comes to you, welcome him.

¹¹ Jesus, who is called Justus, also sends greetings. They are the only Jews who have worked together with me for God’s kingdom. They have been a comfort to me.

¹² Epaphras sends greetings. He is one of you. He serves Christ Jesus. He is always praying hard for you. He prays that you will hold on tightly to all that God has in mind for us. He prays that you will keep growing in your knowledge of what God wants. He also prays that you will be completely sure about it. ¹³ I am happy to tell you that he is working very hard for you. He is also working hard for everyone in Laodicea and Hierapolis.

¹⁴ Our dear friend Luke, the doctor, sends greetings. So does Demas.

¹⁵ Give my greetings to the brothers and sisters in Laodicea. Also give my greetings to Nympha and the church that meets in her house.

¹⁶ After this letter has been read to you, send it on. Be sure that it is also read to the church in Laodicea. And be sure that you read the letter from Laodicea.

¹⁷ Tell Archippus, “Be sure that you complete the work the Lord gave you to do.”

¹⁸ I, Paul, am writing this greeting with my own hand. Remember that I am being held by chains. May grace be with you.