Book of Common Prayer

4 And so, my brothers, I love you and want very much to be with you. I am very happy about you. And you are like a prize I have won in a race. My dear people, keep on standing firm and strong in the Lord.

² I beg Euodia and Syntyche to agree to work together. I ask them to be of the same mind in the Lord.

³ I beg you, my real helper, to help these women. They worked hard with me in telling the good news. Clement and my other helpers worked hard with me too. Their names are in God's Book of Life.

⁴ Always be glad for what the Lord has done, I will say it again, be glad.

⁵ Let everyone know that you think kindly of others before yourselves. The Lord is near.

⁶ Do not worry about anything. Talk to God about everything. Thank him for what you have. Ask him for what you need.

⁷ Then God will give you peace, a peace which is too wonderful to understand. That peace will keep your hearts and minds safe as you trust in Christ Jesus.

⁸ Here, my brothers, are some things I want you to think about. Think about things that are true, honest, right, clean and pure, things that are lovely, and things that are good to talk about. If they are good, and if they bring praise to God, think about these things.

⁹ I taught you, and you learned things from me. You heard the things I said, and you saw the things I did. Do these same things yourselves. Then God who gives peace will be with you.

¹⁰ The Lord made me very happy to know that you were thinking about me again. Yes, I know you were thinking of me before, but you had no way to help me.

¹¹ I do not mean that I needed it. I have learned to be satisfied with what I have. I am happy with whatever happens to me.

¹² I know how to live when I am poor, and I know how to live when I am rich. No matter how things are, I have learned how to live: when I have plenty of food, or when I am hungry; when I have more things than I need, and when I do not have enough.

¹³ I can do all things because Christ gives me strength.

²⁷ `Now my heart is very sad. Shall I say, "Father, save me from this time of trouble"? No, I have come to this time just so that I might go through it.

²⁸ Father, do what will make your name great.' Then a voice from the sky said, `I have already done that and I will do it again.'

²⁹ Some people were standing near. When they heard the voice, they said, `It is thundering.' Other people said, `An angel talked to him.'

³⁰ Jesus answered them, `This voice did not come for my sake, but it came for your sake.

³¹ It is time now for the world to be judged. The ruler of this world will be put out.

³² And as for me, if they lift me up from the earth, I will draw all people to me.'

³³ He said this to show how he would die.

³⁴ The people answered him, `Our law book tells us that Christ will stay here for ever. Why do you say, "The Son of Man will be raised up from the earth"? Tell us who this Son of Man is.'

³⁵ Then Jesus said to them, `You have light for a short time longer. Walk while you have the light so that you will not need to walk in the dark. The person who walks in the dark cannot see where he is going.

³⁶ Believe in the light while you have the light, so that you may be a people who have the light in you.' When Jesus had said this, he left them. They did not know where he was.