Read the New Testament in 24 Weeks

Christ is more important than anything

3 My Christian friends, there are a few more things that I want to say. You belong to the Lord, so be happy! It is no trouble for me to write the same things to you again. And it will help to keep you safe.

² Be very careful! Some people are teaching bad things. They say that you must cut your bodies. They are like dangerous dogs. Do not believe them! ³ But we are truly God's people. And it is not because someone has circumcised us. It is God's own Spirit that leads us to worship God. We thank God because of what Christ Jesus has done for us. We know that it is not human ideas that can save us.^[a]

⁴ For myself, I could have trusted those human ideas. Perhaps somebody may think that they could trust in those things to save them. Then I would have an even better reason to trust in them. ⁵ I belong to Israel's people, to Benjamin's tribe. I am a true Jew. They circumcised me when I was eight days old. I was a Pharisee, and I obeyed the Jewish rules very carefully. ⁶ I tried very much to please God. So I caused a lot of trouble and pain for the Christians. I obeyed the rules of God's Law, and nobody could say that I did anything wrong.

⁷ All those ideas seemed very important to me then. But now they are worth nothing to me, because I trust in Christ. ⁸ Yes, now that I know Christ Jesus as my Lord, that is the most valuable thing. Nothing else is important at all. I have thrown everything else away, so that I can serve Christ. All those other things are like dirt to me. I think about them like that, so that I can have Christ. ⁹ I want to be united with him. Because I believe in Christ, God accepts me as right with him. I know that I cannot become right in any other way, even if I obey all of God's Law. When I trust in Christ, God accepts me as right because of my faith.

¹⁰ Yes, I want to know Christ better and better. I want to know the power which God showed when Christ rose from death. I want to have the same kind of troubles that he did. I want to obey God like he did in his death. ¹¹ Then I hope that I also will become alive again after death.

Christians do not belong to this world

¹² I am not saying that I have already reached that place in my life. I have not yet completely become the person that God wants me to be. But I am trying very hard to reach that place. That was Christ's purpose when he first made me his own. ¹³ My Christian friends, I do not think that I have reached that place yet. But this is what I do: I do not think about past things that have already happened. Instead, I try hard to reach the things that are in front of me. ¹⁴ I am like a runner who wants to reach the end of the race. I run straight towards that place, so that I can win God's gift. Because I belong to Christ Jesus, God has called me to live with him in heaven. That is God's gift to me at the end of the race.

¹⁵ All of us should agree to live like that, if we properly understand God's message. If you think differently about these things, God will show you clearly what is right. ¹⁶ But we should continue to live in the way that we already know is right.

¹⁷ My Christian friends, you should try to live in the way that I do. Carefully watch other people who live like that. We have shown you what is right. ¹⁸ Many people live in a way that shows they do not agree with God's message. I have told you about these people many times before. And now I am crying when I tell you about them. I am very sad, because they speak against Christ's death on the cross. ¹⁹ In the end, God will destroy them. Their stomach is what they worship. They are proud of things that should make them ashamed. Their thoughts are full of things that belong to this world. ²⁰ But as for us, the home where we belong is in heaven. We are waiting for the Lord Jesus Christ to come from there. He is the one who will come from heaven and save us. ²¹ He will change these weak bodies that we have now on this earth. He will make them become strong and beautiful, like his own body that he has in heaven. Christ will use his great power to do this. That is the power that he uses to rule over everything.

How Christians should live

4 My dear Christian friends, I love you very much. I want very much to see you again. You make me very happy. You show that my work among you had good results. Please continue to live in a way that pleases the Lord. This is what I have taught you to do.

² I say this to Euodia and to Syntyche: ‘You belong to the Lord, so please agree with each other. Stop arguing.’ ³ I ask you too, my true friend, please help these two women to agree together.^[b] They have worked with me to tell people the good news. They have worked very hard to help me. They worked together with Clement, and with the other people who helped me in the work. All those workers' names are written in God's book of life.^[c]

⁴ Always be happy because you belong to the Lord. I will say that again, ‘Be happy!’ ⁵ Be kind and patient in a way that everyone can see. Remember that the Lord is near. ⁶ Do not worry about anything. Instead, pray to God about everything. Ask him to help you with the things that you need. And thank him for his help. ⁷ If you do that, God will give you peace in your minds. That peace is so great that nobody can completely understand it. You will not worry or be afraid, because you belong to Christ Jesus.

⁸ Now my friends, I want to say this to you. Fill your minds with thoughts about good things. Think about things that are true, clean, right and lovely. Always think about things which people know are very good. ⁹ Remember what I have taught you. Remember the message that you heard from me. Remember what you saw when I lived among you. You also must do those same things. God is the one who gives us peace in our minds. He will be with you.

Paul thanks the believers at Philippi

¹⁰ I am very happy that you want to help me again. I praise the Lord for that. I know that you wanted to help me before. But you have not had a chance to do anything until now. ¹¹ When I say that, it is not because I need anything. I have learned to be happy, whatever things may happen to me. ¹² I know what it is like to need things. I also know what it is like to have more than enough. I have learned this secret. I know how to be happy whatever happens. I can be happy when I have enough food to eat, and also when I am hungry. I can be happy when I have plenty of things, and also when I have nothing. ¹³ I can do all these things because Christ makes me strong.

¹⁴ But certainly, you have been very kind to me. You have helped me now, when I am in trouble. ¹⁵ Also, you Christians in Philippi know that you already helped me earlier. That was the time when I started to tell people God's good news. When I left Macedonia, you were the only group of Christians who helped me. We were able to help one another, and no other group of Christians did that for me.^{[d] 16} Even when I was at Thessalonica, you helped me. More than once, you sent gifts to me because I needed things.^[e]

¹⁷ It is not your gifts themselves that I want. But I want you to do good things so that God will bless you in return. ¹⁸ Epaphroditus has brought the gifts that you sent to me. I have received those gifts, so that I no longer need anything. You have sent me more than enough. Your gifts are like a sacrifice with a nice smell that you have offered to God. God accepts that kind of sacrifice. It makes him very happy. ¹⁹ My Lord God in heaven has plenty of good and valuable things. Because you belong to Christ Jesus, God will give to you everything that you need.

²⁰ Our Father God is very great! It is right that everyone should praise him always and for ever! Amen. This is true.

Paul finishes his letter

²¹ Say ‘hello’ on my behalf to all of God's people there who belong to Christ Jesus. The believers who are here with me say ‘hello’ to you. ²² All God's people here say ‘hello’ to you. The Christians who live in the king's house say a special ‘hello’ to you.

²³ We pray that the Lord Jesus Christ will continue to be kind to you, so that your spirits are strong.