Ephesians 6

Children and Parents

1 t Children, you belong to the Lord, and you do the right thing when you obey your parents. The first commandment with a promise says,2 t2 “Obey your father and your mother,

3 and you will have a long and happy life.”
4 t Parents, don’t be hard on your children. Raise them properly. Teach them and instruct them about the Lord.

Slaves and Masters

5 t Slaves, you must obey your earthly masters. Show them great respect and be as loyal to them as you are to Christ.6 Try to please them at all times, and not just when you think they are watching. You are slaves of Christ, so with your whole heart you must do what God wants you to do.7 Gladly serve your masters, as though they were the Lord himself, and not simply people.

8 You know that you will be rewarded for any good things you do, whether you are slaves or free.
9 t Slave owners, you must treat your slaves with this same respect. Don’t threaten them. They have the same Master in heaven that you do, and he doesn’t have any favorites.

The Fight Against Evil

10 Finally, let the mighty strength of the Lord make you strong.11 Put on all the armor that God gives, so you can defend yourself against the devil’s tricks.12 We are not fighting against humans. We are fighting against forces and authorities and against rulers of darkness and powers in the spiritual world.

13 So put on all the armor that God gives. Then when that evil dayt comes, you will be able to defend yourself. And when the battle is over, you will still be standing firm.
14 t Be ready! Let the truth be like a belt around your waist, and let God’s justice protect you like armor.15 t15 Your desire to tell the good news about peace should be like shoes on your feet.16 Let your faith be like a shield, and you will be able to stop all the flaming arrows of the evil one.

17 t17 Let God’s saving power be like a helmet, and for a sword use God’s message that comes from the Spirit.
18 Never stop praying, especially for others. Always pray by the power of the Spirit. Stay alert and keep praying for God’s people.19 Pray that I will be given the message to speak and that I may fearlessly explain the mystery about the good news.20 I was sent to do this work, and that’s the reason I am in jail. So pray that I will be brave and will speak as I should.

Final Greetings

21-22 t21-22 I want you to know how I am getting along and what I am doing. That’s why I am sending Tychicus to you. He is a dear friend, as well as a faithful servant of the Lord. He will tell you how I am doing, and he will cheer you up.
23 I pray that God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ will give peace, love, and faith to every follower!24 May God be kind to everyone who keeps on loving our Lord Jesus Christ.

Philippians 1

1 From Paul and Timothy, servants of Christ Jesus. To all of God’s people who belong to Christ Jesus at Philippi and to all of your church officials and officers. t
2 I pray that God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ will be kind to you and will bless you with peace!

Paul’s Prayer for the Church in Philippi

3 Every time I think of you, I thank my God.4 And whenever I mention you in my prayers, it makes me happy.5 This is because you have taken part with me in spreading the good news from the first day you heard about it.

6 God is the one who began this good work in you, and I am certain that he won’t stop before it is complete on the day that Christ Jesus returns.
7 You have a special place in my heart. So it is only natural for me to feel the way I do. All of you have helped in the work that God has given me, as I defend the good news and tell about it here in jail.

8 God himself knows how much I want to see you. He knows that I care for you in the same way that Christ Jesus does.
9 I pray that your love will keep on growing and that you will fully know and understand10 how to make the right choices. Then you will still be pure and innocent when Christ returns. And until that day,11 Jesus Christ will keep you busy doing good deeds that bring glory and praise to God.

What Life Means to Paul

12 My dear friends, I want you to know that what has happened to me has helped to spread the good news.13 t13 The Roman guards and all the others know that I am here in jail because I serve Christ.

14 Now most of the Lord’s followers have become brave and are fearlessly telling the message. t
15 Some are preaching about Christ because they are jealous and envious of us. Others are preaching because they want to help.16 They love Christ and know that I am here to defend the good news about him.17 But the ones who are jealous of us are not sincere. They just want to cause trouble for me while I am in jail.18 But that doesn’t matter. All that matters is that people are telling about Christ, whether they are sincere or not. That is what makes me glad. I will keep on being glad,19 because I know that your prayers and the help that comes from the Spirit of Christ Jesus will keep me safe.

20 I honestly expect and hope that I will never do anything to be ashamed of. Whether I live or die, I always want to be as brave as I am now and bring honor to Christ.
21 If I live, it will be for Christ, and if I die, I will gain even more.22 I don’t know what to choose. I could keep on living and doing something useful.23 It is a hard choice to make. I want to die and be with Christ, because that would be much better.24-25 But I know that all of you still need me. That’s why I am sure I will stay on to help you grow and be happy in your faith.

26 Then, when I visit you again, you will have good reason to take great pride in Christ Jesus because of me. t

27 Above all else, you must live in a way that brings honor to the good news about Christ. Then, whether I visit you or not, I will hear that all of you think alike. I will know that you are working together and that you are struggling side by side to get others to believe the good news.
28 Be brave when you face your enemies. Your courage will show them that they are going to be destroyed, and it will show you that you will be saved. God will make all of this happen,29 and he has blessed you. Not only do you have faith in Christ, but you suffer for him.

30 t30 You saw me suffer, and you still hear about my troubles. Now you must suffer in the same way.

Philippians 2

True Humility

1 Christ encourages you, and his love comforts you. God’s Spirit unites you, and you are concerned for others.2 Now make me completely happy! Live in harmony by showing love for each other. Be united in what you think, as if you were only one person.3 Don’t be jealous or proud, but be humble and consider others more important than yourselves.4 Care about them as much as you care about yourselves

5 and think the same way that Christ Jesus thought: t

6 Christ was truly God. But he did not try to remain t equal with God.

7 He gave up everything t and became a slave,
when he became
like one of us.

8 Christ was humble. He obeyed God and even died
on a cross.

9 Then God gave Christ the highest place
and honored his name
above all others.

10 t10So at the name of Jesus everyone will bow down,
those in heaven, on earth,
and under the earth.

11 And to the glory of God the Father
everyone will openly agree,
“Jesus Christ is Lord!”

Lights in the World

12 My dear friends, you always obeyed when I was with you. Now that I am away, you should obey even more. So work with fear and trembling to discover what it really means to be saved.

13 God is working in you to make you willing and able to obey him.
14 Do everything without grumbling or arguing.15 t15 Then you will be the pure and innocent children of God. You live among people who are crooked and evil, but you must not do anything that they can say is wrong. Try to shine as lights among the people of this world,

16 as you hold firmly tot the message that gives life. Then on the day when Christ returns, I can take pride in you. I can also know that my work and efforts were not useless.
17 Your faith in the Lord and your service are like a sacrifice offered to him. And my own blood may have to be poured out with the sacrifice.t If this happens, I will be glad and rejoice with you.18 In the same way, you should be glad and rejoice with me.

Timothy and Epaphroditus

19 I want to be encouraged by news about you. So I hope the Lord Jesus will soon let me send Timothy to you.20 I don’t have anyone else who cares about you as much as he does.21 The others think only about what interests them and not about what concerns Christ Jesus.22 But you know what kind of person Timothy is. He has worked with me like a son in spreading the good news.23 I hope to send him to you, as soon as I find out what is going to happen to me.

24 And I feel sure that the Lord will also let me come soon.
25 I think I ought to send my dear friend Epaphroditus back to you. He is a follower and a worker and a soldier of the Lord, just as I am. You sent him to look after me,26 but now he is eager to see you. He is worried, because you heard he was sick.

27 In fact, he was very sick and almost died. But God was kind to him, and also to me, and he kept me from being burdened down with sorrow.
28 Now I am more eager than ever to send Epaphroditus back again. You will be glad to see him, and I won’t have to worry any longer.29 Be sure to give him a cheerful welcome, just as people who serve the Lord deserve.

30 He almost died working for Christ, and he risked his own life to do for me what you could not.