Read the New Testament in 24 Weeks

1 From Sha’ul and Timotiyos, servants of Rebbe, Melech HaMoshiach Yehoshua; To all the Kadoshim in Rebbe, Melech HaMoshiach Yehoshua who are in the city of Philippi with the supervising mashgichim ruchaniyim (spiritual overseers, zekenim, mivakkerim, supervisors) and the klei kodesh (ministers), the ministering messianic shammashim.

² Chen v’chesed Hashem and shalom Hashem from Elohim Avinu and Adoneinu Rebbe, Melech HaMoshiach Yehoshua.

³ Modeh Ani (I thank) my G-d upon every zikaron (remembrance) of you,

⁴ Always in every tefillah of mine on behalf of all of you, davening with simcha, making techinnah (supplication)

⁵ In view of your deveykus Hashem, your chavrusa partnership in the Besuras HaGeulah from day one until now.

⁶ Being convinced of this: that He who began a pe’ulah hatovah (good work 2:13) in you, will bring that mitzvoh to completion [TEHILLIM 138:8] by Yom Hashem, the Yom Adoneinu, Moshiach Yehoshua [1:10; 2:16].

⁷ It is in fact b’tzedek for me to have hitbonenut (profound contemplation) about you all because I hold you in my lev with hartzige (heartfelt) sincerity, both in regard to my sharsherot (prison chains) and in the apologetic hitstaddekut (defense) and vindicatory work for the Besuras HaGeulah, you being all deveykus (attachment to G-d) participators in the Chen v’Chesed Hashem given to me.

⁸ For der Oybershter is mine eidus (G-d is my witness) how I yearn for all of you with the ahavas Moshiach Yehoshua.

⁹ And my tefillah (prayer) is this, that your ahavah (love) [in Moshiach] may yet increase more and more in profound da’as and binah

¹⁰ To help you approve the feste (excellent) things of musar (moral discipline) that matter, that you may be sincere and without michshol (stumbling block) of blame [2:15] in the Yom HaMoshiach [1:6; 2:16],

¹¹ Having been filled with the p’ri Tzedek (fruit of righteousness) through Rebbe, Melech HaMoshiach Yehoshua to the kavod Hashem and His tiferet (splendor).

¹² I want you to have da’as, Achim b’Moshiach, that the things concerning me have fallen out to an even greater advancement (1:25) of the Besuras HaGeulah [2Ti 2:9].

¹³ So that my sharsherot (chains—1:7) have become a hisgalus (revelation) in Rebbe, Melech HaMoshiach! In all the imperial guard and the public at large!

¹⁴ And most of the Achim b’Adoneinu, having been strengthened in bitachon by my sharsherot (chains), are more readily willing to dare to fearlessly proclaim the Dvar Hashem.

¹⁵ Indeed some darshanim (preachers) preach their derashot (sermons) out of a ruach that is mekanne (jealous, envious) and one of madon (strife); but some have derashot proclaiming Rebbe, Melech HaMoshiach, and these darshanim have kavvanah tovah (good intention).

¹⁶ These latter proclaim Rebbe, Melech HaMoshiach out of a ruach of ahavah, having da’as that the purpose of my divinely destined appointment here is for the hitstaddekut (apologetic defense) of the Besuras HaGeulah.

¹⁷ But those other ones preach Rebbe, Melech HaMoshiach out of anochiyut (selfishness 2:3), not with a lev tahor (pure in heart) motive, lu yetzuuyar (assuming) by means of my sharsherot (1:13-14) to stir up tzoros.

¹⁸ Nu? Whether the maggidim are or are not perfect in their intent, the significant thing is that Rebbe, Melech HaMoshiach is preached! And in this I have simcha. And I will go right on having simcha!

¹⁹ For, I have da’as that through your tefillos for me and through the ezrah (aid) given by the Ruach Moshiach, this will turn out for my Yeshu’ah (rescue, salvation 1:28; 2:12) [Ro 8:28].

²⁰ It is my confident tikvah that in nothing I will be put to bushah (shame), but with all ometz lev (courage, boldness YEHOSHUA 1:7) as always, even now, Rebbe, Melech HaMoshiach will be magnified in my basar (1:13), whether through Chayyim (Life) or through Mavet (Death).

²¹ For to me to live is Moshiach [Ga 2:20] and to die is revach (gain, profit, hanaa).

²² But if it means I am to go on living in the basar, this for me is p’ri for Hashem in the work of avodas kodesh ministry. What will I choose? I do not have da’as.

²³ I am kleir (deliberating). I am pulled two drakhim (ways) by a happy dilemma, on the one tzad (side) having the desire to depart and be with Moshiach, for this is much better [2C 5:8].

²⁴ But on the other tzad (side) to remain in the basar is more necessary for your sake.

²⁵ And having been convinced of this fact, I have da’as that I blaib (remain, continue unchanged) and will continue with all of you, for your advancement (1:12) and simcha of the [Orthodox Jewish] Emunah [cf. 1:27; 1Ti 3:9; 4:1,6; 5:8; 6:10,21; Yd 3],

²⁶ With the ultimate aim that by coming to you again your glorying may abound in Rebbe, Melech HaMoshiach Yehoshua.

²⁷ Only one thing: conduct in practice your torat haEzrakhut (citizenship, see 3:20) worthily of the Besuras HaGeulah of Rebbe, Melech HaMoshiach. Then, whether I come and see you or am absent, I may hear concerning you that you are standing like a ma’oz (fortress, bastion) in one ruach, with one neshamah, contending for the Emunah (Yd 3; Pp 4:3) of the Besuras HaGeulah.

²⁸ And, I might add, not having pachad (fear, terror) in reaction to anything as far as the mitnaggedim (the ones opposing) are concerned, which is a proof to them of their churban (destruction), but of your Yeshu’ah (salvation 1:19; 2:12], and this from Hashem.

²⁹ For to you it was given on behalf of Rebbe, Melech HaMoshiach, not only to have emunah in him but also on behalf of him to be laden with the burden of Messianic yissurim (sufferings 3:10),

³⁰ With you having the same struggle, which you saw in me [Ac 16:22] and now hear to be in me [1:13].

2 If, therefore, there is any idud (encouragement) in Moshiach, if any nechamah (comfort) of ahavah (love), if any deveykus (attachment to G-d) in the Messianic chavrusashaft (association) of the Ruach Hakodesh, if any warmth of affection and rachamanut (compassion, mercy),

² Then make my simcha (joy) shleimah (complete) by having the same lev, the same ahavah, being an agudah association with one neshamah, thinking the same machshavot (thoughts),

³ Doing nothing according to anochiyut (selfishness 1:17) nor according to empty ga’avah (conceit, haughtiness, arrogance), but in anavah (humility), fergin (graciously grant) each other esteem above yourselves [Ro 12:10].

⁴ Let each of you talmidim look after not only your own interests, but also the best interests of others [2:21; 1C 10:24,33].

⁵ Let this mind be in you which was also in Rebbe, Melech HaMoshiach Yehoshua,

⁶ Who, though existing in the demut of the mode of being of Elohim [His etzem or essential nature, Yn 1:1-2; 17:5], nevertheless Moshiach did not regard being equal with G-d as a thing to be seized [BERESHIS 3:5],

⁷ But poured out and emptied himself [2C 8:9], taking the demut of the mode of being of an eved [YESHAYAH 52:13- 53:12 [T.N. see the AVDI TZADDIK TZEMACH DOVID MOSHIACH YIRMEYAH 23:5; ZECHARIAH 3:8], and was born in the likeness of Bnei Adam [Yn 1:14; Ro 8:3; MJ 2:14-17], and having been found in appearance as an Adam,

⁸ Rebbe, Melech HaMoshiach humbled himself and took the path of shiflut (lowliness), unto mishma’at (obedience 2:12) [cf. BERESHIS 3:17] even unto death [Yn 10:17; MJ 5:8; 12:2], and that, a death on HaEtz [the Tree, DEVARIM 21:23; 27:26; Ga 3:13; Pp 3:18].

⁹ Therefore, also Hashem exalted [YESHAYAH 52:13; 53:12; DANIEL 9:26; 7:14; Ac 2:33; MJ 1:3] Rebbe, Melech HaMoshiach, and gave to him haShem [Ep 1:21; MJ 1:4] above every name,

¹⁰ That at haShem of Yehoshua, KOL BERECH (every knee YESHAYAH 45:23) will bow, of beings b’Shomayim and ba’Aretz and mitachat laAretz (in the world below),

¹¹ And KOL LASHON (every tongue YESHAYAH 45:23) shall make hoda’ah (confession) with an Ani Ma’amin that is an open and public admission that Rebbe, Melech HaMoshiach Yehoshua (Yeshua) is Adoneinu, to the kavod of Elohim Avinu.

¹² Therefore, Chaverim, just as you have always had mishma’at (obedience 2:8) concerning me, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own Yeshu’ah (Salvation) [1:19,28] B’YIR’AH ("with fear") and BIRA’DAH "with trembling" [TEHILLIM 2:11].

¹³ For Hashem is the one working in you, both to will and to work according to His chafetz (good pleasure of His will). [EZRA 1:5]

¹⁴ Do all things without murmurings and madon,

¹⁵ That you may be innocent and without michshol of blame [1:10], bnei haElohim TAMIM U’MUM ("unblemished and unspotted" Ex 12:5; Lv 22:20; Isa 53:7-9) in the midst of a DOR IKKESH UFETALTOL ("warped and crooked generation Dt 32:5), among whom you shine as the ZOHAR (Dan 12:3) in the Olam Hazeh,

¹⁶ Holding fast the Dvar HaChayyim. This is so that I will have reason for glorying on the Yom HaMoshiach [1:6,10], that I neither ran nor labored L’TOHU (in vain) [YESHAYAH 49:4; 65:23].

¹⁷ And, indeed, if my neshamah is to be poured out as a nesekh (libation wine) offering upon the korban (sacrifice) of the avodas kodesh (kohen’s service, ministry) of your emunah, I have simcha, rejoicing together with you all [cf. Ro 15:16; 2Ti 4:6].

¹⁸ And in the same way also you have simcha, rejoicing together with me [l:4,18;1:25;2:2,17].

¹⁹ I have tikvah b’Adoneinu Yehoshua to send Timotiyos to you soon, that I also may be cheered up in the da’as of the things concerning you.

²⁰ For I have no one likeminded who will emesdik (genuinely) care for your spiritual welfare.

²¹ All of them are seeking their own interests [2:4], not those of Rebbe, Melech HaMoshiach Yehoshua.

²² But of the proven mamashus (real worth) of Timotiyos you have da’as, because as a ben with his abba, Timotiyos served with me in the Besuras HaGeulah.

²³ Therefore, I have tikvah to send him, as soon as I see how things will go with me.

²⁴ But I have bitachon in Hashem that indeed I will come quickly.

²⁵ But I considered it necessary to send to you Epaphroditus, the Ach b’Moshiach and fellow po’el (worker) and fellow chaiyal (soldier) of mine, but your shliach and keli kodesh (minister) of my need [4:18].

²⁶ I am sending him to you, because he was yearning after you all and was under zeiyar (extremely great) stress, because you heard that he was ill.

²⁷ For indeed he was ill, coming near to death, but Hashem had mercy on him not on him only but also on me, lest I should have agmat nefesh upon agmat nefesh.

²⁸ Therefore, I am all the more eager to dispatch him to you, in order that when you have seen him again, you may have simcha and I may have less agmat nefesh.

²⁹ Therefore, receive him in Adoneinu with all simcha and hold esteem for such klei kodesh (ministers) [1C 16:16,8; 1Ti 5:17],

³⁰ Because he came near to death on account of the avodas kodesh of Moshiach, performing an act of Messianic mesirat nefesh (whole-hearted devotion to the cause of Moshiach, even at risk of life) having risked his life, that he might make up for the ministry to me that you could not give.