A "Grain Of Wheat" Ministries publication

Translated by David W. Dyer

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The Letter of Paul to the Philippians

PHILIPPIANS CHAPTER 1

1:1Paul and Timothy, servants of the Anointed One, Jesus, to all those set apart for God in the Anointed One, Jesus, who are at Philippi, along with the watchmen and servants: 1:2Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus the Anointed One.

1:3I thank my God every time I remember you. 1:4In every prayer of mine for all of you, I always pray with joy 1:5because of your partnership in spreading the good news message from the beginning until now.

1:6I am confident of this very thing: that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the “day” of Jesus the Anointed One. 1:7It is appropriate for me to think about you all this way because you are near to my heart. This is because you are all partakers with me of grace, both in my captivity and in the defense of, and in the establishing of, the good news message.

1:8For God is my witness, how much I long for you all with the tender mercies of the Anointed One, Jesus. 1:9And I pray that your love would abound increasingly, being tempered with all understanding and insight 1:10so that you would be discerning about the different situations which come along.

In this way you will be pure and blameless in the day of the Anointed One 1:11having your lives filled with all the qualities {fruits} of righteousness which come through Jesus the Anointed One, to the glory and praise of God.

1:12Now I want you to know, brethren, that the things which happened to me, instead of being bad, have worked out for the progress of the good news 1:13so that it became evident throughout the whole palace guard and to everyone else that my chains are because of the Anointed One.

1:14And the majority of the brethren in the Lord, becoming confident by seeing how I endure my captivity, are more abundantly bold to speak the word of God fearlessly. 1:15It is true that some proclaim the Anointed One because of envy, striving to appear superior, but others do so with a good heart. 1:16The one group proclaims the Anointed One from selfish ambition, not sincerely, imagining that they are making my chains more unbearable by proclaiming openly while I am unable to do so.

1:17The other ones do it out of love, knowing that I am appointed by God for the defense of the good news. 1:18What is the result? That in every way, whether with wrong motives or in truth, the Anointed One is proclaimed, and in this I rejoice, yes, and will continue to rejoice.

1:19For I know that this will work to further my salvation through your prayers and the supply of the Spirit of Jesus the Anointed One.

1:20Accordingly, it is my sincere expectation and hope that I will not disgrace myself in any way. Instead, I trust that with all boldness as always, so now also, the Anointed One will be magnified in my body, whether by life or by death. 1:21For me to live is the Anointed One and to die is gain.

1:22But if I live on in the physical body – if this will bring fruit from my work – then I don’t know what to choose. 1:23So I am torn between the two, having the desire to depart and be with the Anointed One, for it is far better. 1:24Yet to remain here in this body is more necessary for your sake. 1:25And having this confidence, I know that I will remain, yes, and stay with you all for your progress and joy in the faith.

1:26In this way your rejoicing together with me will abound in the Anointed One, Jesus, when I am present with you again. 1:27Only let the way you live be worthy of the message of the good news of the Anointed One so that whether I come and see you or am absent, I may hear of your condition, that you stand firm in one spirit with one soul co-laboring in the faith of the good news.

1:28Don’t be frightened in any way by those opposing you. To them your lack of fear is a sign of future destruction, but to you it is proof of your salvation which comes from God. 1:29It has been graciously granted to you on behalf of the Anointed One not only to believe into him but also to suffer for his sake. 1:30This is the same battle which you saw that I have and now you hear that I am still having.

PHILIPPIANS CHAPTER 2

2:1Therefore, if there is any comfort in the Anointed One, if any consolation of love, if any fellowship of spirit, if any tender mercies and compassion, 2:2make my joy complete by being of the same opinion, having the same love, being in unity, having the same understanding.

2:3Don’t do anything through rivalry or through selfish ambition, but having humility, each one should consider the other better than himself. 2:4Each one of you should not look out for his own interests only, but each of you should also look out for the interests of others.

2:5You should have the mindset which the Anointed One, Jesus had 2:6who, existing in the form of God, did not consider equality with God something to be retained. 2:7Instead, he emptied himself, taking on the form of a servant, even being made into the likeness of men. 2:8Then, being found in human form, he humbled himself even further and became obedient even to death, yes, the humiliating, painful death of the cross.

2:9For this reason also God has highly exalted him and has given him the name which is above every name 2:10so that at the name of Jesus every knee would bow – of heavenly beings, of earthly beings and beings under the earth – 2:11and so that every tongue would confess that Jesus the Anointed One is the Supreme Authority, to the glory of God the Father.

2:12So then my beloved, even as you have always obeyed the Lord, not only when I was present, but now much more in my absence, be working out your own salvation with reverent fear and trembling. 2:13For it is God who works in you, both to desire and to accomplish what pleases him.

2:14Do everything without complaining or arguing 2:15so that you may be without defect or mixture, children of God without faults in the middle of the corrupt and depraved generation of this world, among whom you shine like heavenly stars.

2:16Display through your living the results of the word of God’s life so that I will have something to boast about in the day of the Anointed One, showing that I did not run in vain nor labored without results. 2:17Yes, and if it happens that my life is poured out as a sacrifice in the service of your faith, I am glad and rejoice with you all. 2:18In the same way, you too should be glad and rejoice with me.

2:19But I hope in the Lord Jesus to send Timothy to you soon so that I also may be cheered up when I learn about your condition. 2:20For I have no one else who thinks just as I do who will genuinely care for your welfare. 2:21For everyone else just seeks some personal benefit, not caring about what is important to Jesus the Anointed One.

2:22But you have seen his character, that as a child works with his father, this is the way that he served with me in the good news. 2:23Therefore, I hope to send him right away as soon as I see what is going to happen with me. 2:24But I trust in the Lord that I myself will come soon also.

2:25I thought it was necessary to send Epaphroditus to you – my brother, fellow worker, and fellow soldier who is your messenger whom you sent to take care of my needs – 2:26since he was longing after you all and was distressed because you heard that he was sick.

2:27In fact, he was very sick and almost died but God had mercy on him, and not only on him, but also on me so that I wouldn’t have sorrow on top of sorrow. 2:28Therefore, I have sent him with more urgency so that when you see him again you can rejoice and so I too could be free from sorrow. 2:29Receive him, therefore, in the Lord with great joy and respect him 2:30because he came near to death for the work of the Anointed One, risking his life to serve me in a way which you were unable to do personally.

PHILIPPIANS CHAPTER 3

3:1Finally, my brethren, rejoice in the Lord. To write the same things to you again is not tiresome for me, but it is a safety precaution for you. 3:2Beware of the dogs, beware of the destructive teachers, beware of the “religious cutters.”* 3:3For we are the circumcision who worship in the Spirit of God and glory in the Anointed One, Jesus, and have no confidence in the natural man 3:4even though I might have motives for having confidence in the natural man.

*Here Paul is talking about Jews who insisted on the circumcision of the Gentiles, using extremely derogatory words to describe them. This verse could also be applied to anyone who insists on the need for external, religious practices in order to be right with God.

If anyone else thinks that he has reason to have confidence in the natural man, I have even more. 3:5I was circumcised on the eighth day, born from the stock of Israel from the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of Hebrews; with respect to the law: a Pharisee; 3:6concerning zeal: persecuting the gatherings of the called-out ones; concerning righteousness which comes from following the law: blameless.

3:7However, whatever things were advantageous to me naturally speaking, these I consider detrimental because of the Anointed One. 3:8Yes, I really consider all such things to be detrimental because of the excellency of the knowledge of the Anointed One, Jesus my Lord, for whom I experienced the loss of all things and consider them to be as garbage to be thrown out so that I may gain the Anointed One.

3:9I want to be found in him not having a righteousness of my own which comes from keeping the law but one which is through the faith of the Anointed One, i.e. God’s own righteousness which is ours through faith. 3:10I want to know him and the power of his resurrection – which comes through participating in his sufferings and becoming integrated into his death – 3:11so that in this way I may be experiencing the resurrection from the dead.

3:12Not that I have already fully obtained it or have already been perfected but I press on so that I may take possession of that for which the Anointed One, Jesus also took possession of me.

3:13Brethren, I do not consider that I have yet taken full possession of it. But this one thing I do: forgetting the things which are behind and stretching forward to the things which are in front, 3:14I press on toward the goal to gain the prize to which God calls us from above in the Anointed One, Jesus.

3:15Therefore, let those of us who are mature see things in this way. But if you think differently about anything, God will reveal this to you also. 3:16Nevertheless, let us continue to walk by the understanding which we have already received. 3:17Brethren, be co-imitators of the Anointed One together with me.

Notice and observe those who walk according to our example. 3:18For many are conducting their lives – about whom I often spoke to you before and now speak about with weeping – as those who oppose the operation of the cross of the Anointed One in their lives. 3:19Their destiny is destruction. Their god is their carnal desires and what they imagine is their “glory” is really their shame. Their thinking is merely earthly.

3:20But our citizenship has its source in the heavens, from where we also wait for the Savior, the Lord Jesus the Anointed One. 3:21He will remake our lowly, physical body into a new body which is like his glorious one by the power with which he is able to subject all things to himself.

PHILIPPIANS CHAPTER 4

4:1Therefore, my brethren whom I love and for whom I long, who are my joy and crown: stand firmly in the Lord, my beloved!

4:2I urge Euodia and I urge Syntyche to get along in the Lord. 4:3Yes, I beg you also – who truly share my work and burden – help these women, for they labored with me in the good news message along with Clement also and with the rest of my fellow-workers whose names are in the book of God’s life.

4:4Rejoice in the Lord always, again I will say, “rejoice!” 4:5Let your godly behavior be known to all men. The Lord is always present here with us. 4:6Don’t be anxious about anything but in everything through prayer and asking with thankfulness let your requests be made known to God. 4:7And the peace of God which surpasses all understanding will keep watch over your hearts and your thoughts in the Anointed One, Jesus.

4:8Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are honorable, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are agreeable, whatever things are admirable, if there is any virtue and if there is anything worthy of praise, meditate on these things. 4:9The things which you have learned, received, heard, and seen in me, practice these things and the God of peace will be with you.

4:10But I rejoice in the Lord greatly that now, after some time has passed, you have remembered me again by sending a gift. Certainly, you always did remember me, but you lacked opportunity to demonstrate it.

4:11Not that I speak because of need, for I have learned in whatever circumstances I am in to be content. 4:12I know what it is to be in need and I know how to act when there is plenty. Through everything and in all situations I have learned the secret: how to both be filled and to be hungry, both to have plenty and to be without. 4:13I am strengthened in everything in him who empowers me – the Anointed One.

4:14However, you did a good thing by helping with my affliction. 4:15And you yourselves also know, you Philippians, that in the beginning of the good news ministry when I left Macedonia, no gathering of called-out ones participated with me in the area of giving and receiving except you.

4:16Even when I was in Thessalonica you sent gifts several times to help with my needs. 4:17Not that I am looking for gifts, but I want you to have fruit that will be credited to your account.

4:18But I have more than enough of everything. I am satisfied, having received from Epaphroditus the things that you sent, which is a sacrifice with a sweet smelling aroma, acceptable and very pleasing to God. 4:19And my God will supply every need of yours according to his riches in glory in the Anointed One, Jesus.

4:20Now to our God and Father is the glory for ever and ever. Amen. 4:21Greet all those set apart for God who are in the Anointed One, Jesus. The brethren who are with me send greetings to you. 4:22All those here who are set apart for God send greetings to you, especially those that belong to Caesar’s household.

4:23May the grace of the Lord Jesus, the Anointed One be with your spirit.

Words in this translation found in italics are words which are implied by the Greek text but do not represent actual words in the Greek text. This practice is common in almost all modern translations. Occasionally, this translator has added words to the translation which represent his own ideas and opinions which, although they are based on his own biblical understanding, are not part of the actual Greek text. Such words are enclosed in brackets, like this [ ]. The reader should understand these words as being the opinion of the translator. In contrast to this, the words in these braces { } indicate legitimate, alternative translations or explanations. Words within parentheses () are part of the original Greek text. Such parentheses are often used in other New Testament translations also.

Words in this translation found in italics are words which are implied by the Greek text but do not represent actual words in the Greek text. This practice is common in almost all modern translations. Occasionally, this translator has added words to the translation which represent his own ideas and opinions which, although they are based on his own biblical understanding, are not part of the actual Greek text. Such words are enclosed in brackets, like this [ ]. The reader should understand these words as being the opinion of the translator. In contrast to this, the words in these braces { } indicate legitimate, alternative translations or explanations. Words within parentheses () are part of the original Greek text. Such parentheses are often used in other New Testament translations also. 

End of The Letter of Paul to the Philippians

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