d

Beware of the "dogs: " beware of the mischief-makers: beware of the mutilators. But we are the true circumcision, who worship with a spirit that is of God, and boast ourselves in Christ Jesus, and do not rely on the flesh; though I myself have ground of reliance on the flesh. If any other one thinketh that he hath ground of reliance on the flesh, I have still more: circumcised when eight days old, of the race of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a genuine Hebrew; as to the Law, a Pharisee; as to zeal, a persecutor of the Church; as to the righteousness that is from the Law, having lived without censure.

e

h

But on the other hand, whatever of these things were advantages' to me, the very same things have I come to regard as a disadvantage, on account of the Christ. Yea indeed, then, I even regard everything as a disadvantage, on account of the surpassing value of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Master, for whose sake I have given up all things, and regard them as refuse, that I may gain Christ, and be found in him, not having as my righteousness that which is from law, but that which is through faith in Christ: the righteousness which is from God upon the faith that belongeth to the knowing him and the power of his resurrection, and the sharing of his sufferings in being made like him in his death: if possibly I may attain to the resurrection from among the dead.

Not that I have already obtained the prize, or have already finished the race; but I am pressing on, if indeed I may lay hold on that for the sake of which I was laid hold of by Christ Jesus. Brethren, I do not consider myself as having yet laid hold on it; but one thing I think of, disregarding what is behind, and reaching forward toward what is before, I am pressing on toward the goal for the prize of God's heavenly invitation through Christ Jesus.

i

Whoever of us, then, are mature, let us be of this mind; but if in any respect ye have a different mind, God will make even this

clear to you: only, to whatever we have attained, according to this let us march onward. Brethren, become joint-imitators of me, and observe those who are so living as ye have us for a model. For there are many, of whom I have often spoken to you, and now tell you even weeping, that they are the enemies of the cross of the Christ; whose end is destruction, whose god is their appetite, and whose glorying is in their shame: whose mind is on earthly things. But our place of citizenship is now existing in the heavens; from which we are expecting a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, who will reconstruct the body of our abasement into conformity to the body of his glory, in accordance with the efficiency of his ability even to subject all things to himself. Wherefore, my brethren beloved and longed for, my joy and my crown, thus stand fast in the Lord, beloved.

I IMPLORE Euodia, and I implore Syntyche, to agree together in the Lord. Indeed I entreat thee also, genuine Syzygus, a help these women to do this; for they labored in the Good-tidings together with me, and with Clement, and with the rest of my fellow workers, whose names are in the Book of Life.

Rejoice in the Lord at all times. I will say it again, Rejoice. Let your propriety of conduct be perceived by all men. The Lord is at hand. Be anxious about nothing: on the contrary, in everything by your prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your desires be made known to God. And the peace of God, which exceedeth all understanding, will keep your hearts and your thoughts in Christ Jesus.

Lastly, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are dignified, whatever things are upright, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovable, whatever things are of good repute, whatever virtue and whatever praise there may be,- consider these things. What ye have learned and accepted and heard and seen. (iii. 16-iv. 9.)

* A play with words: Syzygus meaning yoke fellow.

Or, manliness.

b

Or, comprehension.

in me, these things practise; and the God of peace will be with you.

I rejoiced greatly in the Lord, that now at length ye have revived in your thought for my welfare; for which indeed ye were thoughtful, but had no convenient opportunity. I am not saying this in consequence of need; for I have learned, in whatever circumstances I am, to be contented. I have learned a how to be brought low, and I have learned how to have abundance: in everything and in all things I have been taught the secret both to be filled and to be hungry, both to have more than enough and to come short. In respect to all things I am strong through him who giveth me strength.

b

с

Nevertheless, ye acted nobly in sharing with me in my distress. But ye yourselves know, ye Philippians, that in the beginning of the proclamation of the Good-tidings, after I left Macedonia, no church had fellowship with me in the matter of giving and receiving, except yourselves only: for, indeed, while I was in Thessalonica, ye sent to me for my necessity both once and twice. Not that I am anxious for a gift: on the contrary, I am anxious for a harvest that may be abundant to your account. But I have enough, and more than enough: I am fully supplied, having received from Epaphroditus what came from you, a fragrant perfume, an acceptable offering, well-pleasing to God. And my God will fully supply every need of yours in accordance with his riches in glory in Christ Jesus. And to God even our Father be the glory unto the ages of the ages: Amen.

Salute every saint in Christ Jesus. The brethren who are with me salute you. All the saints salute you, especially those from the house of Cæsar.

May the loving-favor of the Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit.

NOTE. Written from Rome, probably about A.D. 62 or 63.

(iv. 10-23.)

Gr., come to know.

b Ibid.

e Gr., initiated into the mystery.

FIRST LETTER

ΤΟ

OF

PAUL

TIMOTHY

AUL, an apostle of Christ Jesus, according to the commission

PAUL

of God our Savior and Christ Jesus our hope, to Timothy my genuine child in the Faith: Joy, mercy, peace, from God

the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord.

EVEN as I urged thee, when on my way to Macedonia, to remain still at Ephesus, that thou mightst enjoin certain persons not to be teaching strange things, and not to give attention to myths and interminable genealogies, since they cause controversies rather than a godly building up, such as is through faith But the aim of this injunction is love out of a pure heart and a good conscience and unfeigned faith; which some having missed have turned themselves aside to empty wordiness, desiring to be teachers of the Law, though they understand neither what they are saying, nor the things about which they are very confident.

Now we know that the Law is good, if a man use it legitimately; for we know this, that law is not enacted for a righteous man, but for the lawless and the insubordinate, for the impious and the sinful, for the unholy and the irreligious, for strikers of fathers and strikers of mothers, for murderers, for the unchaste and the impure, for slave-dealers, for liars, for perjurers, and for whatever else is op

(i. 1-10.)