Philippians 3

To Know Him Personally

1 And that's about it, friends. Be glad in God! I don't mind repeating what I have written in earlier letters, and I hope you don't mind hearing it again. Better safe than sorry-so here goes.

2 Steer clear of the barking dogs, those religious busybodies, all bark and no bite. All they're interested in is appearances-knife-happy circumcisers, I call them.3 The real believers are the ones the Spirit of God leads to work away at this ministry, filling the air with Christ's praise as we do it. We couldn't carry this off by our own efforts, and we know it -4 even though we can list what many might think are impressive credentials. You know my pedigree:5 a legitimate birth, circumcised on the eighth day; an Israelite from the elite tribe of Benjamin; a strict and devout adherent to God's law;6 a fiery defender of the purity of my religion, even to the point of persecuting Christians; a meticulous observer of everything set down in God's law Book.

7 The very credentials these people are waving around as something special, I'm tearing up and throwing out with the trash-along with everything else I used to take credit for. And why? Because of Christ.8 Yes, all the things I once thought were so important are gone from my life. Compared to the high privilege of knowing Christ Jesus as my Master, firsthand, everything I once thought I had going for me is insignificant-dog dung. I've dumped it all in the trash so that I could embrace Christ9 and be embraced by him. I didn't want some petty, inferior brand of righteousness that comes from keeping a list of rules when I could get the robust kind that comes from trusting Christ-God's righteousness.

10 I gave up all that inferior stuff so I could know Christ personally, experience his resurrection power, be a partner in his suffering, and go all the way with him to death itself.11 If there was any way to get in on the resurrection from the dead, I wanted to do it.

Focused on the Goal

12 I'm not saying that I have this all together, that I have it made. But I am well on my way, reaching out for Christ, who has so wondrously reached out for me.13 Friends, don't get me wrong: By no means do I count myself an expert in all of this, but I've got my eye on the goal, where God is beckoning us onward-to Jesus.14 I'm off and running, and I'm not turning back.

15 So let's keep focused on that goal, those of us who want everything God has for us. If any of you have something else in mind, something less than total commitment, God will clear your blurred vision-you'll see it yet!16 Now that we're on the right track, let's stay on it.

17 Stick with me, friends. Keep track of those you see running this same course, headed for this same goal.18 There are many out there taking other paths, choosing other goals, and trying to get you to go along with them. I've warned you of them many times; sadly, I'm having to do it again. All they want is easy street. They hate Christ's Cross.19 But easy street is a dead-end street. Those who live there make their bellies their gods; belches are their praise; all they can think of is their appetites.

20 But there's far more to life for us. We're citizens of high heaven! We're waiting the arrival of the Savior, the Master, Jesus Christ,21 who will transform our earthy bodies into glorious bodies like his own. He'll make us beautiful and whole with the same powerful skill by which he is putting everything as it should be, under and around him.

Philippians 4

1 My dear, dear friends! I love you so much. I do want the very best for you. You make me feel such joy, fill me with such pride. Don't waver. Stay on track, steady in God.

Pray About Everything

2 I urge Euodia and Syntyche to iron out their differences and make up. God doesn't want his children holding grudges.

3 And, oh, yes, Syzygus, since you're right there to help them work things out, do your best with them. These women worked for the Message hand in hand with Clement and me, and with the other veterans-worked as hard as any of us. Remember, their names are also in the book of life.

4 Celebrate God all day, every day. I mean, revel in him!5 Make it as clear as you can to all you meet that you're on their side, working with them and not against them. Help them see that the Master is about to arrive. He could show up any minute!

6 Don't fret or worry. Instead of worrying, pray. Let petitions and praises shape your worries into prayers, letting God know your concerns.7 Before you know it, a sense of God's wholeness, everything coming together for good, will come and settle you down. It's wonderful what happens when Christ displaces worry at the center of your life.

8 Summing it all up, friends, I'd say you'll do best by filling your minds and meditating on things true, noble, reputable, authentic, compelling, gracious-the best, not the worst; the beautiful, not the ugly; things to praise, not things to curse.9 Put into practice what you learned from me, what you heard and saw and realized. Do that, and God, who makes everything work together, will work you into his most excellent harmonies.

Content Whatever the Circumstances

10 I'm glad in God, far happier than you would ever guess-happy that you're again showing such strong concern for me. Not that you ever quit praying and thinking about me. You just had no chance to show it.11 Actually, I don't have a sense of needing anything personally. I've learned by now to be quite content whatever my circumstances.12 I'm just as happy with little as with much, with much as with little. I've found the recipe for being happy whether full or hungry, hands full or hands empty.13 Whatever I have, wherever I am, I can make it through anything in the One who makes me who I am.14 I don't mean that your help didn't mean a lot to me-it did. It was a beautiful thing that you came alongside me in my troubles.

15 You Philippians well know, and you can be sure I'll never forget it, that when I first left Macedonia province, venturing out with the Message, not one church helped out in the give-and-take of this work except you. You were the only one.16 Even while I was in Thessalonica, you helped out-and not only once, but twice.17 Not that I'm looking for handouts, but I do want you to experience the blessing that issues from generosity.

18 And now I have it all-and keep getting more! The gifts you sent with Epaphroditus were more than enough, like a sweet-smelling sacrifice roasting on the altar, filling the air with fragrance, pleasing God no end.19 You can be sure that God will take care of everything you need, his generosity exceeding even yours in the glory that pours from Jesus.20 Our God and Father abounds in glory that just pours out into eternity. Yes.

21 Give our regards to every Christian you meet. Our friends here say hello.22 All the Christians here, especially the believers who work in the palace of Caesar, want to be remembered to you.

23 Receive and experience the amazing grace of the Master, Jesus Christ, deep, deep within yourselves.

Colossians 1

1 I, Paul, have been sent on special assignment by Christ as part of God's master plan. Together with my friend Timothy,2 I greet the Christians and stalwart followers of Christ who live in Colosse. May everything good from God our Father be yours!

Working in His Orchard

3 Our prayers for you are always spilling over into thanksgivings. We can't quit thanking God our Father and Jesus our Messiah for you!4 We keep getting reports on your steady faith in Christ, our Jesus, and the love you continuously extend to all Christians.

5 The lines of purpose in your lives never grow slack, tightly tied as they are to your future in heaven, kept taut by hope.6 It's the same all over the world. The Message bears fruit and gets larger and stronger, just as it has in you. From the very first day you heard and recognized the truth of what God is doing, you've been hungry for more.7 It's as vigorous in you now as when you learned it from our friend and close associate Epaphras. He is one reliable worker for Christ! I could always depend on him.8 He's the one who told us how thoroughly love had been worked into your lives by the Spirit.

9 Be assured that from the first day we heard of you, we haven't stopped praying for you, asking God to give you wise minds and spirits attuned to his will, and so acquire a thorough understanding of the ways in which God works.10 We pray that you'll live well for the Master, making him proud of you as you work hard in his orchard. As you learn more and more how God works, you will learn how to do your work.11 We pray that you'll have the strength to stick it out over the long haul-not the grim strength of gritting your teeth but the glory-strength God gives. It is strength that endures the unendurable and spills over into joy,12 thanking the Father who makes us strong enough to take part in everything bright and beautiful that he has for us.

13 God rescued us from dead-end alleys and dark dungeons. He's set us up in the kingdom of the Son he loves so much,14 the Son who got us out of the pit we were in, got rid of the sins we were doomed to keep repeating.

Christ Holds It All Together

15 We look at this Son and see the God who cannot be seen. We look at this Son and see God's original purpose in everything created.16 For everything, absolutely everything, above and below, visible and invisible, rank after rank after rank of angels-everything got started in him and finds its purpose in him.17 He was there before any of it came into existence and holds it all together right up to this moment.

18 And when it comes to the church, he organizes and holds it together, like a head does a body.19 So spacious is he, so roomy, that everything of God finds its proper place in him without crowding.20 Not only that, but all the broken and dislocated pieces of the universe-people and things, animals and atoms-get properly fixed and fit together in vibrant harmonies, all because of his death, his blood that poured down from the Cross.

21 You yourselves are a case study of what he does. At one time you all had your backs turned to God, thinking rebellious thoughts of him, giving him trouble every chance you got.22 But now, by giving himself completely at the Cross, actually dying for you, Christ brought you over to God's side and put your lives together, whole and holy in his presence.23 You don't walk away from a gift like that! You stay grounded and steady in that bond of trust, constantly tuned in to the Message, careful not to be distracted or diverted. There is no other Message-just this one. Every creature under heaven gets this same Message. I, Paul, am a messenger of this Message.

24 I want you to know how glad I am that it's me sitting here in this jail and not you. There's a lot of suffering to be entered into in this world-the kind of suffering Christ takes on. I welcome the chance to take my share in the church's part of that suffering.25 When I became a servant in this church, I experienced this suffering as a sheer gift, God's way of helping me serve you, laying out the whole truth.

26 This mystery has been kept in the dark for a long time, but now it's out in the open.27 God wanted everyone, not just Jews, to know this rich and glorious secret inside and out, regardless of their background, regardless of their religious standing. The mystery in a nutshell is just this: Christ is in you, therefore you can look forward to sharing in God's glory. It's that simple. That is the substance of our Message.28 We preach Christ, warning people not to add to the Message. We teach in a spirit of profound common sense so that we can bring each person to maturity. To be mature is to be basic. Christ! No more, no less.29 That's what I'm working so hard at day after day, year after year, doing my best with the energy God so generously gives me.