Philippians

1   Paulus and Timotheos, slaves of Yeshua the Anointed.

    To all the holy in Anointed Yeshua in Philippi, together with watchmen and servants.

    Grace and peace to you=, from God our father and from the lord Yeshua the Anointed.

    I give thanks to my god in all my remembrance of you=, at all times, in every petition of mine on behalf of all of you=. Making the petition with joy — because of your= partnershipa in the good news, from the first day until now. I have confidence in this, that the one who began a good work among you= will keep performing it until the day of Anointed Yeshua. Accordingly, it’s righteous for me to think like this about you= all — because all of you= have me in your= heart, both in my bonds, and also in the defence and confirmation of the good news, you’re= joint sharers with me in grace.

    For God is my witness that I long for all of you= with the heartb of Yeshua the Anointed. And I’m praying this — that your= love may overabound still more and more in knowledge and all perception. So that you’ll= be able to discern the things of consequence, so that you= may be sincere and inoffensive to others, until the day of the Anointed. Having been filled with the fruits of righteousness through Yeshua the Anointed, to bring glory and praise to God.

    And I intend you= to perceive brothers, that my circumstances have actually come to be for the progress of the good news. In fact, my bonds have become visible in the Anointed throughout the whole of the governor’s residence, and to everyone else. And the majority of the brothers in the lord have gained confidence because of my bonds, and are increasingly daring, and they speak the message fearlessly.

    Some indeed proclaim the Anointed out of envy and strife, but there are some who do it from delight. The former indeed declare the Anointed out of their own self interest, not purely — assuming that this will bring duress on me in my bonds. But the latter from love, knowing that I’m lying here for the defence of the good news.

    But what then? For whatever reason, whether by some pretence, or whether it’s by the truth, the Anointed is proclaimed — and I rejoice in this, and I will rejoice. For I know that this will result in salvation for me, through your= petition, and through the supply of the spirit of Yeshua the Anointed.

    According to my earnest and expectant hope, I won’t be put to shame in any way, but in all boldness, as always and also now, the Anointed will be magnified in my body — whether through life, or whether through death. For to me — to be living is the Anointed, but to have died is gain. But if for me to live in the flesh will be a fruitful work, then which will I choosec? I don’t know, for I’m torn betweend the two — having the desire to depart and to be united with the Anointed, for that’s far better, but it’s more necessary for you= that I remain in the flesh.

    So, having confidence of this, I know that I’ll remain, and continue to live with all of you= for the sake of your= progress and joy of the faith, so your= boasting may overabound in Anointed Yeshua, in me — through my presence again with you=.

    Only, be citizens in a way worthy of the good news of the Anointed, so that whether coming to see you=, or whether absent from you=, I’ll hear that you= stand firm in one spirit, one life, striving together for the faith of the good news, and not frightened by anything from any of those who are opposing you=. Indeed, to them this is a display of destruction, but to you= of salvation — and that from God. For it’s been granted to you= on behalf of the Anointed, not only to trust in him, but also to suffer on his behalf — having the same struggle which you’ve= seen in me, and you= now hear of in me.

a) partnership in Greek has the idea of sharing everything in common

b) “heart” here is literally “innards”. Greeks considered your inner feelings to be located in your innards, while in modern English we consider them to be in your heart.

c) this word has the idea of choosing or picking something (like fruit for example) for yourself

d) “torn between” is literally “constrained”

2   So if there’s any consolation in the Anointed, if there’s any comfort of love, if there’s any partnershipa of spirit, if there’s any heartb and compassion, then fill me with joy by thinking the same way, having the same love, being of one mind and intention. Don’t do anything out of self interest or vanity, but in humility consider one another to be more important than yourselves. Each of you= — don’t just look out for yourself, but also for each other.

    For let this way of thinking be among you= that was also in Anointed Yeshua — who, being inherently in the form of God, didn’t think of equality with God as a treasure to be stolen, but emptied himself, taking the form of a slave, coming in the likeness of mankind. And when he’d been found in figure as a person, he humbled himself, becoming obedient to death, even death on a stakec.

    Therefore God also highly exalted him, and granted him the name that’s above every name — so that at the name of Yeshua every knee should bow, of heavenly [beings], and of earthly [beings], and of underworldly [beings]. And every tongue should profess that Yeshua the Anointed is lord, to the glory of God the father.

    So that my beloved, just as you’ve= always obeyed, not only in my presence but now much more in my absence, produce the salvation of yourselves with fear and trembling. For God is the one who works among you= — so that you= want to, and do, work on behalf of his delight.

    Do everything without murmuring and arguing so that you= may become blameless and pure children of God. Blameless in the midst of a twisted and perverted generation — in which you= shine like lights in the world, holding out the message of life, for my boast on the day of the Anointed — that I didn’t run for nothing, nor did I labour for nothing. But if I’m also being poured out as an offering, and as a ministry of your= faith, then I rejoice — and I rejoice with all of you=. And you= the same, rejoice, and rejoice with me.

    Also, I expect in the lord Yeshua to send Timotheos to you= very soon, so that I may also be of good cheer, perceiving things concerning you=. For I have nobody of equal spirit who’ll be genuinely anxious for things concerning you=. For everyone seeks their own things, not the things of Anointed Yeshua. And you= perceive his verification in that like a father with a child, he slaved with me for the good news. Indeed then, I expect to send him straightaway, after I see through the things concerning me. And I have confidence in the lord, that I myself will also be coming quickly.

    But I think it necessary to send Epaphroditus to you=, my brother, my fellow worker, and my fellow soldier, and your= ambassador and your= minister to my needs. Since in fact he was longing for all of you=, and heavy hearted because you= heard that he was ill. For he was in fact ill, and very nearly dead, but God had mercy on him, and not only to him but also on me, so that I shouldn’t have sadness upon sadness. So, more earnestly then I send him, so that when you’ve= seen him again you= may rejoice, and I’ll also be without pain.

    Accept him then, in the lord with all joy, and hold those such as him in honour. Because on account of the work of the Anointed he came close to death, disregarding his life, so that he could fill up what was lacking from your= ministry to me.

a) partnership in Greek has the idea of sharing everything in common

b) “heart” here is literally “innards”. Greeks considered your inner feelings to be located in your innards, while in modern English we consider them to be in your heart.

c) the Greek word used here means a vertical stake or pole. Sometimes but not usually it could include a crossbar of some kind.

3   Finally my brothers, rejoice in the lord. It’s indeed not troublesome to me to write the same things to you=, to keep you= from falling. Watch out for those dogs. Watch out for those evil doers. Watch out for the mutilation. For we’re the circumcision, those who serve by the spirit of God, and boasting in Anointed Yeshua, and who have no confidence in the flesh.

    Even though I myself do have confidence in the flesh, if anyone else presumes to have confidence in the flesh, I have more. Circumcised on the eighth day, of the family of Yisrael, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of Hebrews, and according to the law — a Pharisee, according to zeal — persecuting the assembly, according to righteousness — blameless in the law. But. Whatever was a gain to me, these things I’ve assumed to be a loss, because of the Anointed.

    Indeed then, I’m also assuming all things to be a loss because of the superiority of the knowledge of Anointed Yeshua my lord, through whom I lost all things, and I assume them to be dung, so that I should gain the Anointed, and so I may be found in him, not having my righteousness by the law, but through the faith of the Anointed — a righteousness from God by faith.

    To perceive him, and the power of his resurrection, and the partnershipa of his sufferings, being conformed to his death, if somehow I might attain the resurrection of the dead. (Not that I’ve already obtained it, or I’ve already been made perfect). But I pursue it, in case I may also be able to seize hold of that for which I was seized hold of by Anointed Yeshua.

    Brothers, I myself don’t account to have seized it, but one thing — forgetting those things which are indeed behind me, and reaching out to the things in front, I pursue the goal — for the prize of the upward calling of God in Anointed Yeshua.

    So whoever is mature should think this way. And God will also make it clear to you= if you= think differently on anything. Except let’s go beyond being in line with a standardb, thinking the same way. Be fellow imitators of me brothers! And take note of those who walk in this way, according to the model you= have from us.

    For, as I’ve told you= many times before, and now, weeping, I say again: many walk as enemies of the stakec of the Anointed. Their end is destruction, their god is their belly, and their glory is in their shame. Their thinking is on earthly things.

    For our citizenship belongs in the heavens, and we’re anticipating a saviour from there, the lord Yeshua the Anointed, who’ll transform our body of humiliation, so that it becomes conformed to his body of glory, according to the working of his power, by which he also subjects all things to himself.

a) partnership in Greek has the idea of sharing everything in common

b) “standard” is literally “a measuring rod”

c) the Greek word used here means a vertical stake or pole. Sometimes but not usually it could include a crossbar of some kind.

4   So then my brothers, beloved and longed for, my joy and victory wreath, in this way stand firm in the lord, beloved. I urge you- Euodia and I urge you- Syntyche, both of you= should think the same way in the lord. Yes, I also ask you-, my genuine yoke partner, help these two who have strived with me in the good news, also with Clement and the rest of my fellow workers, whose names are in the scroll of life.

    Rejoice in the lord at all times! I’ll declare again — Rejoice! Let your= fairness be perceived by all people. The lord is near. Don’t be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thankfulness, let your= requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your= hearts and your= thoughts in Anointed Yeshua.

    Finally brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is auspicious, if there’s anything of virtue, if there’s anything of praise — account these things. Whatever you= also learned, and accepted, and heard, and saw in me — practise these. And the god of peace will be with you=.

    And I rejoiced greatly in the lord that you’ve= already revived your= concern for me — you= were concerned, but you= lacked opportunity. I’m not saying this because of a deficiency, for I’ve learned to be content with my circumstances. I know what it is to be humbled, and I know what it is to be overabounding. I’ve been initiated into every and in all, being well fed and being hungry, having an overabundance and having a need. I’m strong in all [circumstances] through the one who empowers me — the Anointed. (Except that it was good that you= participated in my duress).

    You= Philippians know, that in the early days of the good news, when I went out from Macedonia, not one assembly, except you= alone, shared in the account of giving and receiving. For more than once or twice in Thessaloncia you= sent what I needed. Not that I’m looking for a gift, but I’m looking for fruit, the abounding of your= account. But I have everything, and I’m overabounding — I’ve been filled to the brim, receiving what you= sent along with Epaphroditus — a fragrant odour, an acceptable and pleasing sacrifice to God. And my god will fulfil your= every need, according to his riches in glory in Anointed Yeshua.

    So, the glory is to God our father throughout the ages of ages.

    Amena.

    Greet all the holy in Anointed Yeshua. The brothers who are here with me, greet you=. All the holy here greet you=, especially those from the household of Caesar. The grace of the lord Yeshua the Anointed is with all of you=.

    Amena.

a) amen is a Hebrew word meaning “truly”