 Chapter 1 of the Book of Philippians. For more information or to volunteer, please visit LibriVox.org. Recording by Aaron Holtstrand. The Book of Philippians from the Darby Bible. Translated by John Nelson Darby. Chapter 1 Paul and Timothyus, bondsmen of Jesus Christ, to all the saints in Christ Jesus, who are in Philippi, with the overseers and ministers, grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. I thank my God for my whole remembrance of you, constantly in my every supplication, making the supplication for you all with joy. Because of your fellowship with the Gospel, from the first day until now, having confidence of this very thing, that he who has begun in you a good work will complete it unto Jesus Christ's day. As it is righteous for me to think this, as to you all because ye have me in your hearts and that both in my bonds and in the defense and confirmation of the glad tidings, ye are all participators in my grace. For God is my witness how I long after you all in the bowels of Christ Jesus. And this I pray that your love may abound yet more and more in full knowledge and all intelligence, that ye may judge of and approve the things that are more excellent in order that ye may be pure and without offense for Christ's day, being complete as regards the fruit of righteousness, which is by Jesus Christ, to God's glory and praise. But I would have you know, brethren, that the circumstances in which I am have turned out rather to the furtherance of the glad tidings, so that my bonds have become manifest as being in Christ in all the Praetorium and to all others, and that the most of the brethren trusting in the Lord through my bonds dare more abundantly to speak the word fearlessly. Some indeed also for envy and strife, but some also for good will preach the Christ. These indeed out of love, knowing that I am set for the defense of the glad tidings. But those out of contention announce the Christ not purely supposing to arouse tribulation for my bonds. What is it then? At any rate, in every way, whether in pretext or in truth, Christ is announced. And in this I rejoice, ye also I will rejoice. For I know that this shall turn out for me to salvation through your supplication and the supply of the Spirit of Jesus Christ according to my earnest expectation and hope, that in nothing I shall be ashamed, but in all boldness, as always, now also Christ shall be magnified in my body, whether by life or by death. For for me to live is Christ, and to die gain. But if to live in flesh is my lot, this is for me worth the while, and what I shall choose I cannot tell, but I am pressed by both, having the desire for departure and being with Christ. For it is very much better, but remaining in the flesh is more necessary for your sakes. And having confidence of this, I know that I shall remain and abide along with you all. For your progress and joy and faith, that your boasting may abound in Christ Jesus, through me by my presence again with you, only conduct yourselves worthily of the glad tidings of the Christ. In order that whether coming and seen you, or absent, I may hear of what concerns you, that ye stand firm in one Spirit, with one soul, laboring together in the same conflict with the faith of the glad tidings, and not frightened in anything by the opposers, which is to them a demonstration of destruction, but of your salvation, and that from God. Because to you has been given, as regards Christ, not only the believing on him, but the suffering for him also, having the same conflict which ye have seen in me, and now hear of in me. CHAPTER 2 If then there be any comfort in Christ, if any consolation of love, if any fellowship of the Spirit, if any bowels and compassions fulfill my joy, that ye may think the same thing, having the same love, joined in soul, thinking one thing. Let nothing be in the Spirit of strife or vain glory, but in lowliness of mind, each esteeming the other as more excellent than themselves, regarding not each his own qualities, but each those of others also. For let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ, Jesus, who, subsisting in the form of God, did not esteem it an object of rapine to be on an equality with God, but emptied himself taking a bondsman form, taking his place in the likeness of men, and having been found in figure as a man, humbled himself, becoming obedient even unto death, and that the death of the cross. Wherefore also God highly exalted him, and granted him a name that which is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of heavenly and earthly and infernal beings, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord to God, the Father's glory. So that, my beloved, even as ye have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much rather in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you both the willing and the working according to his good pleasure. Do all things without murmurings and reasonings, that ye may be harmless and simple, irreproachable children of God in the midst of a crooked and perverted generation, among whom ye appear as lights in the world, holding forth the word of life, so as to be a boast for me in Christ's day that I have not run in vain nor labored in vain. But if also I am poured out as a labation on the sacrifice and ministration of your faith, I rejoice and rejoice in common with you all. In like manner do ye also rejoice and rejoice with me. But I hope, in the Lord Jesus, to send Timothyus to you shortly, that I also may be refreshed, knowing how ye get on. For I have no one like-minded who will care with genuine feeling how ye get on, for all seek their own things, not the things of Jesus Christ. But ye know the proof of him that, as a child, a father, he has served with me in the work of glad tidings. Him therefore I hope to send immediately, as soon as I shall see how it goes with me. But I trust in the Lord, that I myself also shall soon come. But I have thought it necessary to send to you a path for Didis, my brother and fellow workman and fellow soldier, but your messenger and minister to my need, since he had a longing desire after you all, and was distressed because ye had heard that he was sick. Here he was also sick, close to death. But God had mercy on him, and not indeed on him alone, but also on me, that I might not have sorrow upon sorrow. I have sent him, therefore, the more diligently that seen him ye might again rejoice, and that I might be the less sorrowful. Leave him, therefore, in the Lord with all joy, and hold such an honour. Because for the sake of the work he drew near even to death, venturing his life that he might fill up what lacked in your ministration toward me. CHAPTER III For the rest, my brethren, rejoice in the Lord, to write the same things to you, to me is not irksome, and for you safe. See to dogs, see to evil workmen, see to the concision. For we are the circumcision, who worship by the spirit of God, and boast in Christ Jesus, and do not trust in flesh. Though I have my trust even in flesh, if any other think to trust in flesh, I rather, as to circumcision, I received it the eighth day of the race of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, Hebrew of Hebrews, as to the law of Pharisee, as to zeal, persecuting the assembly, as to righteousness which is in the law found blameless, but what things were to me gain these I counted on account of Christ, loss. But surely I count also all things to be lost on account of the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus, my Lord, on account of whom I have suffered the loss of all, and count them to be filth, that I may gain Christ, and that I may be found in him not having my righteousness, which would be on the principle of law, but that which is by faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God, through faith, to know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being conformed to his death, if any way I arrive at the resurrection from among the dead. Not that I have already obtained the prize, or am already perfected, but I pursue, if also I may get possession of it, seen that also I have been taken possession of, by Christ Jesus. Brethren, I do not count to have got possession, myself, but one thing, forgetting the things behind, and stretching out to the things before. I pursue, looking toward the goal, for the prize of the calling on high of God in Christ Jesus. As many therefore as are perfect, let us be thus minded, and if ye are any otherwise minded, this also God shall reveal to you. But where too we have attained, let us walk in the same steps. Be imitators altogether of me, brethren, and fix your eyes on those walking thus, as you have us, for a model. For many walk of whom I have told you often, and now tell you even weeping, that they are the enemies of the cross of Christ, whose end is destruction, whose God is the belly, and their glory in their shame, whom mind earthly things. For our commonwealth has its existence in the heavens, from which also we await the Lord Jesus Christ as Saviour, who shall transform our body of humiliation into conformity to his body of glory, according to the working of the power which he has even to subdue all things to himself. CHAPTER 4 So that, my brethren, beloved and longed for, my joy in crown, thus stand fast in the Lord, beloved. I exhort Yureya, and exhort Sintyke, to be of the same mind in the Lord. Ye, I ask thee also, true Yoke fellow, assist them, who have contended along with me in the glad tidings, with Clement also, and my other fellow laborers, whose names are in the Book of Life. Rejoice in the Lord always again. I will say, rejoice. Let your gentleness be known of all men. The Lord is near. Be careful about nothing, but in everything, by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving. Let your requests be made known to God, and the peace of God which surpasses every understanding shall guard your hearts and your thoughts by Christ Jesus. For the rest, brethren, whatsoever things are true. Whatsoever things are noble, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are amiable, whatsoever things are of good report. If there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things. What ye have both learned, and received, and heard, and seen in me, these things do, and the God of peace shall be with you. But I rejoiced in the Lord greatly, that now, however, at length ye have revived your thinking of me. Though surely ye did also think of me, but lacked opportunity. Not that I speak as regards privation, for as to me I have learned in those circumstances in which I am to be satisfied in myself. I know both how to be abased, and I know how to abound. In everything, and in all things, I am initiated both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer privation. I have strength for all things in him that gives me power. But ye have done well in taking part in my affliction. And know also ye, O Philippians, that in the beginning of the Gospel, when I came out of Macedonia, no assembly communicated anything to me in the way of giving and receiving, save ye alone. For also in Cesslanica, once and even twice, ye sent to me for my need. Not that I seek gift, but I seek fruit abounding to your account. But I have all things in full supply and abound. I am full, having received of Ephroditus, the things sent from you, an odor of sweet savor, an acceptable sacrifice, agreeable to God. But my God shall abundantly supply all your need according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus. But to our God and Father be glory to the ages of ages, amen. Salute every saint in Christ Jesus. The brethren who are with me salute you. All the saints salute you, and especially those of the household of Caesar. The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit, amen. End of Chapter 4 Recording by Aaron Haltstrand End of The Book of Philippians, from the Darby Bible, translated by John Nelson Darby