The Bible (Old and New Testaments)

If by any means I may attain to the resurrection which is from the dead.

Not as though I had already attained, or were already perfect: but I follow after, if I may by any means apprehend, wherein I am also apprehended by Christ Jesus.

Brethren, I do not count myself to have apprehended. But one thing I do: Forgetting the things that are behind and stretching forth myself to those that are before,

I press towards the mark, to the prize of the supernal vocation of God in Christ Jesus.

Let us therefore, as many as are perfect, be thus minded: and if in any thing you be otherwise minded, this also God will reveal to you,

Nevertheless, whereunto we are come, that we be of the same mind, let us also continue in the same rule.

Be ye followers of me, brethren: and observe them who walk so as you have our model.

For many walk, of whom I have told you often (and now tell you weeping) that they are enemies of the cross of Christ:

Whose end is destruction: whose God is their belly: and whose glory is in their shame: who mind earthly things.

But our conversation is in heaven: from whence also we look for the Saviour, our Lord Jesus Christ,

Who will reform the body of our lowness, made like to the body of his glory, according to the operation whereby also he is able to subdue all things unto himself.

Therefore my dearly beloved brethren and most desired, my joy and my crown: so stand fast in the Lord, my dearly beloved.

I beg of Evodia and I beseech Syntyche to be of one mind in the Lord.

And I entreat thee also, my sincere companion, help those women who have laboured with me in the gospel, with Clement and the rest of my fellow labourers, whose names are in the book of life.

Rejoice in the Lord always: again, I say, rejoice.

Let your modesty be known to all men. The Lord is nigh.

Be nothing solicitous: but in every thing, by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your petitions be made known to God.

And the peace of God, which surpasseth all understanding, keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.

For the rest, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever modest, whatsoever just, whatsoever holy, whatsoever lovely, whatsoever of good fame, if there be any virtue, if any praise of discipline: think on these things.

The things which you have both learned and received and heard and seen in me, these do ye: and the God of peace shall be with you.

Now I rejoice in the Lord exceedingly that now at length your thought for me hath flourished again, as you did also think; but you were busied.

I speak not as it were for want. For I have learned, in whatsoever state I am, to be content therewith.

I know both how to be brought low, and I know how to abound (every where and in all things I am instructed): both to be full and to be hungry: both to abound and to suffer need.

I can do all things in him who strengtheneth me.

Nevertheless, you have done well in communicating to my tribulation.

And you also know, O Philippians, that in the beginning of the gospel, when I departed from Macedonia, no church communicated with me as concerning giving and receiving, but you only.

For unto Thessalonica also you sent once and again for my use.

Not that I seek the gift: but I seek the fruit that may abound to your account.

But I have all and abound: I am filled, having received from Epaphroditus the things you sent, an odour of sweetness, an acceptable sacrifice, pleasing to God.

And may my God supply all your want, according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus.

Now to God and our Father be glory, world without end. Amen.

Salute ye every saint in Christ Jesus.

The brethren who are with me salute you. All the saints salute you: especially they that are of Caesar's household.

The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit. Amen.

Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ, by the will of God, and Timothy, a brother:

To the saints and faithful brethren in Christ Jesus who are at Colossa.

Grace be to you and peace, from God our Father and from the Lord Jesus Christ. We give thanks to God and the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, praying always for you.

Hearing your faith in Christ Jesus and the love which you have towards all the saints.

For the hope that is laid up for you in heaven, which you have heard in the word of the truth of the gospel,

Which is come unto you, as also it is in the whole world and bringeth forth fruit and groweth, even as it doth in you, since the day you heard and knew the grace of God in truth.

As you learned of Epaphras, our most beloved fellow servant, who is for you a faithful minister of Christ Jesus;

Who also hath manifested your love in the spirit.

Therefore we also, from the day that we heard it, cease not to pray for you and to beg that you may be filled with the knowledge of his will, in all wisdom and spiritual understanding:

That you may walk worthy of God, in all things pleasing; being fruitful in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God:

Strengthened with all might according to the power of his glory, in all patience and longsuffering with joy,

Giving thanks to God the Father, who hath made us worthy to be partakers of the lot of the saints in light:

Who hath delivered us from the power of darkness and hath translated us into the kingdom of the Son of his love,

In whom we have redemption through his blood, the remission of sins:

Who is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of every creature:

For in him were all things created in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones, or dominations, or principalities, or powers. All things were created by him and in him.

And he is before all: and by him all things consist.

And he is the head of the body, the church: who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in all things he may hold the primacy:

Because in him, it hath well pleased the Father that all fulness should dwell:

And through him to reconcile all things unto himself, making peace through the blood of his cross, both as to the things that are on earth and the things that are in heaven.

And you, whereas you were some time alienated and enemies in mind in evil works:

Yet now he hath reconciled in the body of his flesh through death, to present you holy and unspotted and blameless before him:

If so ye continue in the faith, grounded and settled, and immoveable from the hope of the gospel which you have heard, which is preached in all the creation that is under heaven: whereof I Paul am made a minister.

Who now rejoice in my sufferings for you and fill up those things that are wanting of the sufferings of Christ, in my flesh, for his body, which is the church:

Whereof I am made a minister according to the dispensation of God, which is given me towards you, that I may fulfil the word of God:

The mystery which hath been hidden from ages and generations, but now is manifested to his saints,

To whom God would make known the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles, which is Christ, in you the hope of glory.

Whom we preach, admonishing every man and teaching every man in all wisdom, that we may present every man perfect in Christ Jesus.

Wherein also I labour, striving according to his working which he worketh in me in power.

For I would have you know what manner of care I have for you and for them that are at Laodicea and whosoever have not seen my face in the flesh:

That their hearts may be comforted, being instructed in charity and unto all riches of fulness of understanding, unto the knowledge of the mystery of God the Father and of Christ Jesus:

In whom are hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.

Now this I say, that no man may deceive you by loftiness of words.

For though I be absent in body, yet in spirit I am with you, rejoicing, and beholding your order and the steadfastness of your faith which is in Christ.

As therefore you have received Jesus Christ the Lord, walk ye in him:

Rooted and built up in him and confirmed in the faith, as also you have learned: abounding in him in thanksgiving.

Beware lest any man cheat you by philosophy and vain deceit: according to the tradition of men according to the elements of the world and not according to Christ.

For in him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead corporeally.

And you are filled in him, who is the head of all principality and power.

In whom also you are circumcised with circumcision not made by hand in despoiling of the body of the flesh: but in the circumcision of Christ.

Buried with him in baptism: in whom also you are risen again by the faith of the operation of God who hath raised him up from the dead.

And you, when you were dead in your sins and the uncircumcision of your flesh, he hath quickened together with him, forgiving you all offences:

Blotting out the handwriting of the decree that was against us, which was contrary to us. And he hath taken the same out of the way, fastening it to the cross.

And despoiling the principalities and powers, he hath exposed them confidently in open shew, triumphing over them in himself.

Let no man therefore judge you in meat or in drink or in respect of a festival day or of the new moon or of the sabbaths,

Which are a shadow of things to come: but the body is of Christ.

Let no man seduce you, willing in humility and religion of angels, walking in the things which he hath not seen, in vain puffed up by the sense of his flesh:

And not holding the head, from which the whole body, by joints and bands, being supplied with nourishment and compacted, groweth into the increase of God.

If then you be dead with Christ from the elements of this world, why do you yet decree as though living in the world?

Touch not: taste not: handle not.

Which all are unto destruction by the very use, according to the precepts and doctrines of men.

Which things have indeed a shew of wisdom in superstition and humility, and not sparing the body; not in any honour to the filling of the flesh.

Therefore if you be risen with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is sitting at the right hand of God.

Mind the things that are above, not the things that are upon the earth.

For you are dead: and your life is hid with Christ in God.

When Christ shall appear, who is your life, then you also shall appear with him in glory.

Mortify therefore your members which are upon the earth: fornication, uncleanness, lust, evil concupiscence and covetousness, which is the service of idols.

For which things the wrath of God cometh upon the children of unbelief.

In which you also walked some time, when you lived in them.

But now put you also all away: anger, indignation, malice, blasphemy, filthy speech out of your mouth.

Lie not one to another: stripping yourselves of the old man with his deeds,

And putting on the new, him who is renewed unto knowledge, according to the image of him that created him.

Where there is neither Gentile nor Jew, circumcision nor uncircumcision, Barbarian nor Scythian, bond nor free. But Christ is all and in all.

Put ye on therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, the bowels of mercy, benignity, humility, modesty, patience:

Bearing with one another and forgiving one another, if any have a complaint against another. Even as the Lord hath forgiven you, so do you also.

But above all these things have charity, which is the bond of perfection.