A   Paul and Timotheus the seruauntes of Iesu Christ. Vnto all the sayntes in Iesu Christ, which are at Philippos, with the Bi&esset;hoppes and ^note mynisters.

Grace be with you and peace from God oure father, and from the LORDE Iesus Christ.

^noteI thanke my God, as oft as I rem&ebar;bre you (which I allwayes do in all my prayers for you all, and praye with gladnesse) because of youre fellishippe which ye haue in the Gospell from the first daye vnto now, and am surely certified of this, þt; he which hath begonne that good ^note worke in you, shal go forth with it vntyll þe; daye of Iesus Christ: as it becommeth me to iudge of you all, because I haue you in my hert, as those that are partakers with me of grace in my bondes, in defendinge and stablyshinge of the Gospell.

B   For God is my ^note recorde, how I l&obar;ge after you all euen fr&obar; the very hert rote in Iesus Christ. ^noteAnd for the same I praye, þt; yo&highr; loue maye increace more ∧ more in all maner of knowlege and in all experience, þt; ye maye proue what is best, that ye maye be pure, ∧ soch as hurte no mans conscience, vnto the daye of Christ: fylled with the frutes of righteousnes, which come by Iesus Christ vnto the glorye and prayse of God.

I wolde ye vnderstode brethren, that my busynes is happened vnto the greater furtheraunce of the Gospell, so that my bondes in Christ are manifest thorow out all þe; iudgm&ebar;t hall, and in all other places: In so moch that many brethren in the LORDE, are boldened thorow my b&obar;des, and darre more largely speake the worde without feare. Some (no doute) preach Christ of enuye and stryfe, but some of good wil. The one parte preacheth Christ off stryfe and not purely, supposynge to adde more aduersite vnto my bondes. The other parte of loue, for they knowe that I lye here for the defence of the Gospell.

C   What then? So that Christ be preached all maner of wayes (whether it be done by occasion or of true meaninge) I reioyce therin, and wil reioyce. For I knowe that the same shal chaunce to my saluacion, ^note thorow youre prayer and mynistrynge of the sprete of Iesu Christ, as I loke for and hope, that in nothinge I shalbe ashamed: but þt; with all c&obar;fidence (as allwayes in tymes past, eu&ebar; so now) Christ shalbe magnified in my body whether it be thorow life or thorow death. For Christ is to me life, ∧ death is to me aua&ubar;tage. But in as moch as to lyue in þe; flesh is frutefull to me for the worke, I wote not what I shal chose, for both these thinges lye harde vpon me. ^noteI desyre to be lowsed, ∧ to be with Christ, which thinge were moch better (for me) but to abyde in the flesh is more nedefull for you.

D   And this am I sure of, that I shal abyde, and contynue with you all, for the furtheraunce and ioye of youre faith, that ye maye abundauntly reioyse in Christ Iesu thorow me, by my c&obar;mynge to you agayne. Onely let youre conuersacion be ^note as it becommeth the Gospell of Christ, that whether I come ∧ se you, or els be absent, I maye yet heare of you that ye c&obar;tynue in one sprete and one soule, labourynge (as we do) to mayntayne the faith of the Gospell, and in nothinge fearinge youre aduersaries, which is to them a token off perdicion, but vnto you of saluacion, and that of God. For vnto you it is geuen, not onely that ye shulde beleue on Christ, but also suffre for his sake, and to haue euen the same fighte, which ye haue sene in me, and now heare of me. The II. Chapter.

A   Yf there be amonge you eny consolacion in Christ, yf there be eny comforte of loue, yf there be eny fellishippe off the sprete, yf there be eny compassion and mercy, fulfyll my ioye, that ye drawe one waye, hauynge one loue, beynge of one accorde, and of one mynde: that there be nothinge done thorow stryfe and vayne glory, but that thorow mekenesse of mynde euery man esteme another better then himselfe: and let euery m&abar; loke not for his awne profet, but for the profet of other.

Let the same mynde be in you, that was in Christ Iesu: which beyinge in the shappe of God, thought it not robbery to be equall with God, but made him selfe of no reputacion, and toke vpon him the shappe of a seruaunt, ^note became like another man, and was founde in his apparell as a man: he humbled himselfe, and became obedient vnto the death, euen vnto the death of the crosse.

^noteTherfore hath God also exalted him, and geuen him a name, which is aboue all names, ^note that in the name of Iesus euery kne shulde bowe, both of thinges in heauen of thinges vp&obar; earth, and of thinges vnder the earth, and that all tunges shulde confesse, that Iesus Christ is the LORDE vnto the prayse of God the father.

B   Wherfore my dearly beloued, as ye haue allwayes obeyed (not onely in my presence, but now also moch more in my absence) euen so worke out youre awne saluacion with feare and tremblynge. ^noteFor it is God which worketh in you both the wyll and the deed, euen of his owne good wyll. Do all thinges without murmurynges and disputinges, that ye maye be fautles and pure, and the childr&ebar; of God ^note without rebuke, in the myddes of þe; croked and peruerse nacion, ^note amonge whom se that ye shyne as lightes in the worlde, holdinge fast the worde of life, vnto my reioysinge in the daye of Christ, that I haue not runne in vayne, nether laboured in vayne. ^noteYee and though I be offred vp vp&obar; the offerynge ∧ sacrifice of youre faith, I am glad, and reioyce with you all: be ye glad also, and reioyce ye with me.

I trust in the LORDE Iesus, to sende Timotheus shortly vnto you, that I also maye be of good comforte, whan I knowe what case ye stonde in. For I haue no man that is so like mynded to me, which with so pure affecci&obar; careth for you: for all other seke their awne, not that which is Iesus Christes. C   But ye knowe the profe of him: for as a childe vnto the father, so hath he mynistred vnto me in the Gospell. Him I hope to sende, as soone as I knowe how it wyll go with me. But I trust in the LORDE, that I also my selfe shal come shortly.

Neuertheles I thoughte it necessary to sende vnto you the brother Ephraditus, which is my companyon in laboure and felowe soudyer, and youre Apostell, and my mynister at my nede, for so moch as he longed after you all, and was full of heuynes, because ye had herde that he was sicke. And no doute he was sicke, and that nye vnto death: but God had mercy on him, and not on him onely, but on me also, lest I shulde haue had sorowe vpon sorowe.

I haue sent him therfore the more haistely, that ye mighte se him, and reioyce agayne, and that I also mighte haue the lesse sorowe. Receaue him therfore in the LORDE with all gladnes, ^note and make moch of soche: for because of the worke of Christ, he wente so farre, that he came nye vnto death, and regarded not his life, to fulfyll that seruyce which was lackynge on youre parte towarde me. The III. Chapter.

A   Morover my brethren, reioyce in the LORDE. Where as I wryte euer one thinge vnto you, it greueth me not, and maketh you the surer. Bewarre off dogges, bewarre of euell workers, bewarre off discension: ^note for we are the circumcision, euen we that serue God in the sprete, and reioyce in Christ Iesu,

and haue no confidence in the flesh, though I haue wherof I mighte reioyce in þe; flesh. Yf eny other m&abar; thynke that he hath wherof he mighte reioyce in the flesh, moch more I, which was circ&ubar;cysed on the eight daye, one of the people of Israel, of the trybe off Ben Iamin, an hebrue of the Hebrues: as concernynge the lawe ^note a Pharise: as concernynge feruentnes ^note I persecuted the c&obar;gregacion: and as touchinge the righteousnes which is in the lawe, I was vnrebukable.

^noteBut the thinges that were vauntage vnto me, haue I counted losse for Christes sake. Yee I thynke all thinges but losse, for that excellent ^note knowleges sake of Christ Iesu my LORDE: for whom I haue counted all thinge losse, and do iudge them but donge, that I mighte wynne Christ, ∧ be founde in him, not hauynge myne awne righteousnes which commeth of the lawe, B   but by the faith of Christ (namely) the righteousnes which commeth of God in faith, to knowe him and the vertue of his resurreccion, and the fellishippe of his passion, ^note that I maye be conformable vnto his death, yff by eny meanes I mighte attayne to the resurreccion from the deed. Not that I haue attayned vnto it all ready, or that I am allready perfecte: but I folowe, yf I maye comprehende that, wherin I am comprehended off Christ Iesu. Brethren, I counte not my selfe yet that I haue gotten it: but one thinge I saye: I forget that which is behynde, and stretch my selfe vnto that which is before, ∧ preace vnto þe; marck apoynted, to optayne the rewarde of the hye callynge of God in Christ Iesu.

C   Let vs therfore (as many as be parfecte) be thus wyse mynded: and yf ye be otherwyse mynded, I praye God open euen this vnto you. Neuertheles in that wher vnto we are come, let vs procede by one rule, that we maye be of one accorde. ^noteBrethren, be ye þe; folowers of me, and loke on th&ebar; which walke eu&ebar; so as ye haue vs for an ensample. For many walke (off whom I haue tolde you often, but now I tell you wepynge) eu&ebar; enemies of the crosse of Christ, whose ende is damnacion, ^note whose God is the bely, ∧ whose glory shalbe to their shame, which are earthly mynded. ^noteBut oure conuersacion is in heauen, from whence we loke for the Sauioure Iesu Christ þe; LORDE, ^note which shal cha&ubar;ge o&highr; vyle body, þt; it maye be like fashioned vnto his glorious body, acordinge to þe; workynge wherby he is able to subdue all thinges vnto himselfe. The IIII. Chapter.

A   Wherfore my brethr&ebar; dearly beloued ∧ longed for, my ioye ∧ my crowne contynue so in the LORDE ye beloued. I praye Euodias, ∧ beseke Syntiches, that they be of one mynde in the LORDE. Yee and I beseke the my faithfull yock felowe, helpe the wemen, which haue laboured with me in the Gospell, with Clement ∧ with my other helpers, ^note whose names are in the boke of life. Reioyce in the LORDE allwaye, ∧ agayne I saye, Reioyse. Let youre softnes be knowne vnto all men. The LORDE is euen at honde. Be not carefull, but in all thinges let yo&highr; peticions in prayer and supplicacion, with geuynge of thankes be knowne before God. And þe; ^note peace of God, which passeth all vnderst&obar;dinge, kepe youre hertes and myndes in Christ Iesu.

B   Furthermore brethren, whatsoeuer thinges are true, whatsoeuer thinges are honest, what soeuer thinges are iust, what so euer thinges are pure, what soeuer thinges pertayne to loue, whatsoeuer thinges are of honest reporte: yf there be eny vertuous thinge, yf there be eny laudable thinge, haue those same in yo&highr; mynde, which ye haue both lerned and receaued, and herde and sene in me: those thinges do, and the God of peace shalbe with you. I reioyse greatly in þe; LORDE, that now at the last ye are reuyued agayne to care for me, as ye cared for me afore, but ye lacked oportunyte. I speake not this because of necessite: for I haue lerned in what soeuer estate I am, ^note therwith to be cont&ebar;te I can be lowe, and I c&abar; be hye. Euery where and in all thinges I am mete, both to be full, and to be hongrie: to haue plentye, and to suffre nede. I can do all thinges thorow Christ, which str&ebar;gtheth me. Notwith stondinge ye haue done well, that ye bare parte with me in my tribulacion.

C   But ye of Philippos knowe, that in the begynngnge of the Gospell whan I departed fro Macedonia, no congregacion bare parte with me concernynge geuynge and receauynge, but ye onely. For vnto Tessalonica ye sent once and afterwarde agayne vnto my necessite. Not that I seke giftes, but I seke the frute, that it be ab&ubar;daunt in yo&highr; rekenynge. For I haue all, and haue plentye. I was euen fylled wh&abar; I receaued of Epaphroditus, that which came from you, an odoure of swetenes, ^note a sacrifice accepted ∧ pleasaunt vnto God. My God fulfyll all yo&highr; nede, acordinge to his riches in glory &ibar; Christ Iesu.

Vnto God and oure father be prayse for euer and euer Amen.

Salute all þe; sayntes in Christ Iesu. The brethr&ebar; that are with me, salute you. All the sayntes salute you, but specially they that are of the Emperours house. The grace of oure LORDE Iesu Christ be with you all, Amen. Wrytten from Rome by Epaphroditus.

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