2So if there is any encouragement in Christ, any comfort from love, any participation in the Spirit, any affection and sympathy,2complete my joy by being of the same mind, having the same love, being in full accord and of one mind.3Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves.4Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others.5Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus,[a]6who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped,[b]7but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant,[c]being born in the likeness of men.8And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.9Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name,10so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth,11and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

16Now while Paul was waiting for them at Athens, his spirit wasprovoked within him as he saw that the city wasfull of idols.17Sohe reasoned in the synagogue with the Jews and the devout persons, and in the marketplace every day with those who happened to be there.18Some of the Epicurean and Stoic philosophers also conversed with him. And some said,What does this babbler wish to say? Others said, He seems to be a preacher of foreign divinitiesbecausehe was preachingJesus and the resurrection.19And they took him and brought him tothe Areopagus, saying, May we know what thisnew teaching is that you are presenting?20For you bring somestrange things to our ears. We wish to know therefore what these things mean.21Now all the Athenians and the foreigners who lived there would spend their time in nothing except telling or hearing something new.

22So Paul, standing in the midst of the Areopagus, said: Men of Athens, I perceive that in every way you are very religious.23For as I passed along and observed the objects of your worship, I found also an altar with this inscription:To the unknown god.What therefore you worshipas unknown, this I proclaim to you.24The God who made the world and everything in it, beingLord of heaven and earth,does not live in temples made by man,[c]25nor is he served by human hands,as though he needed anything, since he himselfgives to all mankindlife and breath and everything.26Andhe made from one man every nation of mankind to liveon all the face of the earth,having determined allotted periods andthe boundaries of their dwelling place,27that they should seek God,and perhaps feel their way toward him and find him.Yet he is actually not far from each one of us,28for

In him we live and move and have our being;[d]

as even some ofyour own poets have said,

For we are indeed his offspring.[e]

29Being then God's offspring,we ought not to think that the divine being is like gold or silver or stone, an image formed by the art and imagination of man.30The times of ignoranceGod overlooked, butnow hecommands all people everywhere to repent,31because he has fixeda day on whichhe will judge the worldin righteousness by a man whom he has appointed; andof this he has given assurance to allby raising him from the dead.

32Now when they heard ofthe resurrection of the dead,some mocked. But others said,We will hear you again about this.33So Paul went out from their midst.34But some men joined him and believed, among whom also were Dionysiusthe Areopagite and a woman named Damaris and others with them.

27Onlylet your manner of life beworthy[a]of the gospel of Christ, so that whether I come and see you or am absent, I may hear of youthat you are standing firm in one spirit, withone mindstriving side by side for the faith of the gospel,28and not frightened in anything by your opponents. This isa clear sign to them of their destruction, butof your salvation, and that from God.29Forit has been granted to you that for the sake of Christ you should not only believe in him but alsosuffer for his sake,30engaged in the sameconflict thatyou saw I had and now hear that I still have.

18What then? Only that in every way, whether in pretense or in truth, Christ is proclaimed, and in that I rejoice.

To Live Is Christ

Yes, and I will rejoice,19for I know thatthrough your prayers andthe help ofthe Spirit of Jesus Christ this will turn out for my deliverance,20as it is my eager expectation and hopethat I will not be at all ashamed, but that with fullcourage now as always Christwill be honored in my body,whether by life or by death.21For to meto live is Christ, and to die is gain.22If I am to live in the flesh, that means fruitful labor for me. Yet which I shall choose I cannot tell.23I am hard pressed between the two. My desire isto depart andbe with Christ, for that is far better.24But to remain in the flesh is more necessary on your account.25Convinced of this,I know that I will remain and continue with you all, for yourprogress andjoy in the faith,26so that in meyou may have ample cause to glory in Christ Jesus, because of my coming to you again.

12I want you to know, brothers,[a]that what has happened to me has reallyserved to advance the gospel,13so that it has become known throughout the whole imperial guard[b]andto all the rest thatmy imprisonment is for Christ.14And most of the brothers, having become confident in the Lord by my imprisonment, are much more boldto speak the word[c]without fear.

15Some indeed preach Christ from envy and rivalry, but others from good will.16The latter do it out of love,knowing that I am put here forthe defense of the gospel.17The former proclaim Christout of selfish ambition, not sincerely but thinking to afflict me in my imprisonment.18What then? Only that in every way, whether in pretense or in truth, Christ is proclaimed, and in that I rejoice.

3I thank my Godin all my remembrance of you,4always in every prayer of mine for you all making my prayer with joy,5because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now.6And I am sure of this, that he who begana good work in youwill bring it to completion atthe day of Jesus Christ.7It is right for me to feel this way about you all, because I hold youin my heart, for you are allpartakers with me of grace,[a]bothin my imprisonment and inthe defense and confirmation of the gospel.8ForGod is my witness,how I yearn for you all with the affection of Christ Jesus.9And it is my prayer thatyour love may abound more and more,with knowledge and all discernment,10so that you may approve what is excellent,and so be pure and blamelessfor the day of Christ,11filledwith the fruit of righteousness that comesthrough Jesus Christ,to the glory and praise of God.

1Paul and Timothy, servants[a]of Christ Jesus,

To all thesaints in Christ Jesus who are at Philippi, with theoverseers[b]anddeacons:[c]

2Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

3I thank my Godin all my remembrance of you,4always in every prayer of mine for you all making my prayer with joy,5because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now.

22TheLordspoke to Moses, saying,23Speak to Aaron and his sons, saying, Thusyou shall bless the people of Israel: you shall say to them,

24TheLordbless you andkeep you;25theLordmake his face to shine upon you and be gracious to you;26theLordlift up his countenance[a]upon you and give you peace.

27So shall they put my name upon the people of Israel, and I will bless them.

14Since therefore the children share in flesh and blood, he himself likewisepartook of the same things, thatthrough death he mightdestroythe one who has the power of death, that is, the devil,15and deliver all those whothrough fear of death were subject to lifelong slavery.16For surely it is not angels that he helps, but hehelps the offspring of Abraham.17Therefore he hadto be made like his brothers in every respect,so that he might become a merciful and faithful high priestin the service of God, to make propitiation for the sins of the people.18For because he himself has sufferedwhen tempted, he is able to help those who are being tempted.

26In the sixth month the angelGabriel was sent from God to a city of Galilee namedNazareth,27to a virgin betrothed[a]to a man whose name was Joseph,of the house of David. And the virgin's name was Mary.28And he came to her and said, Greetings,O favored one,the Lord is with you![b]29Butshe was greatly troubled at the saying, and tried to discern what sort of greeting this might be.30And the angel said to her, Do not be afraid, Mary, foryou have found favor with God.31And behold,you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, andyou shall call his name Jesus.32He will be great and will be called the Son ofthe Most High. And the Lord Godwill give to him the throne ofhis father David,33and he will reign over the house of Jacobforever, and of his kingdom there will be no end.

34And Mary said to the angel, How will this be, since I am a virgin?[c]

35And the angel answered her,The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power ofthe Most High will overshadow you; therefore the child to be born[d]will be calledholythe Son of God.36And behold, your relative Elizabeth in her old age has also conceived a son, and this is the sixth month with herwho was called barren.37Fornothing will be impossible with God.38And Mary said, Behold, I am the servant[e]of the Lord; let it be to me according to your word. Andthe angel departed from her.