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Written to the congregation in Philippi, Greece for the Apostle Paul (possibly by Timothy and possibly in Aramaic) sometime around 62-CE.

Chapter 1

¹ Paul and Timothy, slaves of the Anointed Jesus, to all the Holy Ones in the Anointed Jesus [who are] in Philippi, along with the overseers and servants;
² May you have kindness and peace from God our Father and from the Lord Jesus the Anointed.

³ I thank my God every time you’re mentioned, ⁴ and I’m constantly begging [God] on your behalf… begging with joy, ⁵ because of your partnership in [sharing] the good news from the first day until now.
⁶ I’m confident that the one who started this good work among you will continue to perfect it until the Day of Jesus the Anointed One.

⁷ It’s a righteous thing for me to think this way about all of you, and I keep you in my heart both when I'm in chains and when I'm defending and confirming the good news, for all of you are sharers in my loving care.
⁸ God is my witness as to how much I long for all of you with the same tender affection that the Anointed Jesus has.
⁹ And this is what I keep praying:
That your love will continue to grow more and more, along with your higher knowledge and understanding; ¹⁰ and that you will keep on proving the most excellent things, so that you might be found pure and blameless until the day of the Anointed One…
¹¹ Being filled with righteous fruit (through the Anointed Jesus) to God’s glory and praise.

¹² Now, I want you to know this, brothers:
I’m seeing results from the things that I’m doing for the advancement of the good news.
¹³ For my imprisonment because of the Anointed One has become public knowledge among the entire Praetorian Guard and everyone else [here].
¹⁴ Also, because of my chains, most of the brothers in the Lord are now more confident and they are showing more courage and fearlessness when teaching the word of God.

¹⁵ Unfortunately, it’s true that some are preaching the Anointed One out of envy and rivalry.
However, many others are doing it for good motives… ¹⁶ out of love, because they know that [the reason why] I’m lying here is to defend the good news.

¹⁷ Yet, none of the rest are doing it for good reasons; for they’re preaching the Anointed One by arguing, and they think that this will create more problems for me while I’m in prison.
¹⁸ Why?
It doesn’t make any difference, for whether they’re just pretending or they’re being sincere, the Anointed One is being made known, and I rejoice over this. In fact, I’ll keep on rejoicing, ¹⁹ because I know that through your earnest prayers and a [generous] supply of the spirit of Jesus the Anointed One, I will be saved.
²⁰ I eagerly hope (and don’t expect to be disappointed) that I will soon be able to speak freely about the Anointed One as before, and even more so, whether my body is dead or alive.

²¹ To me, life is the Anointed One and my reward is death.
²² However, if I can keep on living in the flesh, I consider this to be the fruitage of my work.
Which do I prefer?
I won’t say, ²³ for I’m obsessed by the two.
What I really want is to be released [from this body] and to be with the Anointed One, since that is surely the best.
²⁴ However, for your sakes, it’s better for me to remain in the flesh.
²⁵ And because I’m confident of this, I know that I will survive and still be with all of you, so I can help you to grow in the joy of the faith…
²⁶ And then your reasons for pride in the Anointed Jesus will grow because of me, due to the fact that I’ll be coming to you again.

²⁷ Just behave in a way that’s worthy of the good news about the Anointed One, so that regardless of whether I’m coming to visit or I’m far away, I can hear [good] things about you…
Such as that you’re all standing firm with the same motivations, and that you’re serving the faith of the good news side-by-side as a single person, ²⁸ not being frightened by those who oppose you.
Such [fine conduct on your part] will prove all the others to be worthy of destruction, while you are worthy of salvation by God, ²⁹ since you’ve been given the privilege of not only putting faith in Him, but also of suffering for the sake of the Anointed One.
³⁰ Yes, you’ve had to struggle with the same things that you saw me having to [struggle with], and which you’re now hearing are happening to me again.

Chapter 2

¹ Therefore, if there is any encouragement in the Anointed One, any consoling love, any fellowship of the Spirit, any depth of heart or compassion ² – anything that would make my joy in you complete – [it would be to hear that]:
You all agree and share the same love,
You’ve become as one person that is thinking the same thoughts,
³ You aren’t doing anything out of spite or pride but humbly, believing all the others to be better than you,
⁴ And that you’re not just watching out for yourselves, but for the best interests of each other.

⁵ Yes, keep this attitude in you that the Anointed Jesus had.
⁶ For though he once existed in the same form as God, he didn’t consider trying to make himself equal to Him.
⁷ Rather, he emptied himself into the shape of a slave and became a human.
⁸ And when he found himself shaped as a human, he humbled himself and became obedient to death… yes, to death on a pole.
⁹ This is why God promoted him to a superior position and granted him a reputation that is far above every other name, ¹⁰ so that in the name of Jesus every knee in heaven, on earth, and under the ground should bend, ¹¹ and that every tongue should confess that Jesus the Anointed One is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

¹² So, my loved ones;
In the same way that you have always obeyed (not just when I’m there but also while I’m away), keep on working toward your own salvation in fear and trembling.
¹³ For it is indeed God that is working through you to accomplish His work and His will, as He pleases.

¹⁴ Therefore, do everything without complaining or arguing, ¹⁵ so that you can be found blameless and innocent children of God that are free from the accusations of this crooked and twisted generation, among whom you are shining as lights to the world!

¹⁶ Also, hang onto the life-giving words, so that I can boast in the Day of the Anointed One that I didn’t run without reason or labor in vain.
¹⁷ And then, even if I am being poured out as a drink offering sacrifice over the welfare of your faith, I can be thankful and rejoice with all of you…
¹⁸ As I want you to be glad and rejoice along with me!

¹⁹ I hope (in the Lord Jesus) to send Timothy to you soon, so I can be encouraged by hearing about how you’re getting along.
²⁰ For I have no one else here that shares this same spirit and that genuinely cares about your needs.
²¹ All the rest are just watching out for their own interests, not those of the Anointed Jesus.

²² So recognize how well [Timothy] has proven himself; for he has slaved with me as a child does with his father when it comes to promoting the good news.
²³ Yes, this is the man that I hope to send to you, just as soon as I see where I really stand in this situation that I’m in.
²⁴ However, I’m confident in the Lord that I'll soon be able to come and see you myself.

²⁵ I also considered it necessary to return EpaPhraditus (my brother, co-worker, and fellow soldier, but your envoy and social worker for my assistance) to you, ²⁶ because he’s been longing to see all of you, and he’s been concerned over the fact that you learned about his illness.
²⁷ Yes, he was indeed ill, almost to the point of death!
However, The God had mercy on him… and not just on him, but on me too, so I wouldn’t be grieved with sadness!

²⁸ Therefore, I’m sending him to you immediately, so that when you see him you can once again rejoice… and I can be less anxious too.
²⁹ Give him your customary welcome in the Lord with all joy… and remember his reputation!
³⁰ For he came very close to being killed while doing the Lord’s work, and he has exposed his life to great danger in order to make up for your not being here to provide for my welfare.

Chapter 3

¹ Finally, my brothers;
Keep on rejoicing in the Lord!

The fact that I’m writing these same things to you once again is no trouble for me, and it’s for your own safety.
² Just watch out for the dogs, for those that are doing wicked things, and for those that cut the flesh!
³ Indeed, we are the circumcision to those that are serving the Spirit of God and finding glory in the Anointed Jesus, but not to those that are putting their trust in the flesh.

⁴ Realize that I’m someone who has every reason for confidence in the flesh…
And if anyone else thinks he has a reason for confidence in the flesh, I have even more reasons!
⁵ [For I was] circumcised on the eighth day,
[I’m] of the race of IsraEl,
Of the tribe of BenJamin,
And a Hebrew from among Hebrews.
When it comes to the Law, a Pharisee;
⁶ When it comes to zeal, a persecutor of the called ones;
When it comes to righteousness by following the Law, one that has proven himself blameless!

⁷ Yet, the things that I [once] considered my assets are what I now consider my shortcomings because of the Anointed One.
⁸ For now I consider everything a loss compared to the superiority of the knowledge of the Anointed Jesus, my Lord.
And because of him, I’ve accepted the loss of everything and consider it all to be just so much garbage, so I can gain the Anointed One ⁹ and to be found in him.

But this isn’t because of my own righteousness due to following the Law; rather, it comes from my faith that he is the Anointed of God!
For my righteousness [is now based on my] faith ¹⁰ and my knowledge of him, and in the power of his resurrection.
Therefore, I've been willing to share in his sufferings and resign myself to a death like his, ¹¹ so that I can somehow be found worthy of an out-resurrection from the dead.

¹² [No, I’m not saying] that I’ve made it yet or that I’m already perfect, just that I’m chasing after it…
I’m trying to grab hold of that for which the Anointed Jesus grabbed hold of me!

¹³ Brothers, I don’t think of myself as having achieved it yet, but I am doing this one thing:
[I’m] forgetting the things in the past and stretching out to reach for the things that are ahead…
¹⁴ I’m running toward the goal, the prize of the higher calling from God, through the Anointed Jesus.
¹⁵ And may all of us that are mature start thinking this same way;
For if your thinking is inclined any other way, God will [soon] reveal this to you.

¹⁶ Nevertheless, we’ve gained all of this by following the rule:
We should walk together in the same mind.
¹⁷ So, become imitators of me, brothers, and consider those that are walking as you’ve been doing, to be the pattern for each of us.

¹⁸ Yet there are many that I used to talk to you about, whom I now mention with tears.
For because they’ve become enemies of the Anointed One’s impaling pole, ¹⁹ they'll end up by being destroyed, because their bellies have become their gods and the things they are proud of are the things that shame them, since all they think about is earthly things!

²⁰ But as for us;
We possess a citizenship in the heavens, from which we’re eagerly awaiting our Savior the Lord Jesus the Anointed, ²¹ who will transform our humiliated bodies and mold them into his own glorious body in the same way that he’s able to make all things subject to himself.

Chapter 4

¹ So my brothers who are loved and longed for (my joy and my victory garland);
Keep standing just as you are in the Lord, my loved ones!

² I encourage EuOdia and SynTyche to think the same way in the Lord.
³ And I’m asking [the rest of] you who have truly shared under my same yoke to stick by these women who have worked so hard side-by-side with me in the good news…
Along with Clement and the rest of my fellow workers whose names are [written] in the Scroll of Life.

⁴ Always rejoice in the Lord!
I’ll say it again:
Rejoice… ⁵ and let everyone know how reasonable you can be!

Since the Lord is close [to you], ⁶ don’t be anxious about anything! But through prayers and heart-felt petitions along with the giving of thanks, make your requests known to God…
⁷ And then the peace of God, which is beyond all understanding, will guard your hearts and your reasoning, through the Anointed Jesus.

⁸ Finally, brothers;
Keep on thinking about whatever things are true, serious, righteous, chaste, lovable, well spoken of, virtuous, and praiseworthy.
⁹ And if you continue to do the things that you learned, accepted, heard, and saw through me, the God of peace will be with you.

¹⁰ I’m so joyful in the Lord that you’ve finally started thinking about my needs once again.
It’s not that you’ve forgotten me, it’s just that you haven’t had much opportunity.
¹¹ I’m not saying this because I’m in need, for I’ve learned to be very self-sufficient… ¹² I know how to be poor and I know how to have plenty.
For in everything and in every way, I’ve learned the secrets of how to have enough to eat and how to go hungry, how to have plenty and how to do without.
¹³ Yes, I have the strength for everything by the One that gives me power.

¹⁴ However, you have acted well by sharing with me during my difficulties.
¹⁵ In fact, you Philippians may remember how, back in the early [days] of the good news (after I left Macedonia), not a single congregation was willing to share with me in the matter of giving and receiving, other than you.
¹⁶ For even [when I was] in Thessalonica, you sent something to help with my needs… not just once but twice!

¹⁷ It’s not that I’m begging for such gifts; I’m just looking for the fruitage of becoming a greater part of your conversations.
¹⁸ I’ve received everything that I need from you, which is more than enough!
I’ve been filled with the sweet-smelling odor of a sacrifice that is acceptable and very pleasing to God, now that I’ve received these things from you through EpaPhraditus.
¹⁹ So be assured that my God will in turn fully supply all of your needs from His great wealth, through the glory of the Anointed Jesus.

²⁰ Now, may our God and Father be glorified through ages of ages…
May it be so.

²¹ Give my greetings to all the Holy Ones in the Anointed Jesus. The brothers that are with me also send you their greetings.
²² Yes, all the Holy Ones – and especially those of the house of Caesar – send you their greetings.
²³ May the kindness of the Lord Jesus the Anointed One be with the spirit [that you are showing].

Note that this is the legacy version of the translation last updated in December 2020. You can also see the latest version.

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