Hovv S. Paul vvas called by a vision into Macedonia, vve reade Act. 16. and hovv he came to Philippi being the first citie thereof, and of his preaching, miracles, and suffering there. And againe Act. 19. Paul purposed in the Spirit, vvhen he had passed through Macedonia and Achaia, to goe to Hierusalem, saying: After I haue been there, I must see Rome also. Vvhich purpose he executed Act. 20. taking his leaue at Ephesus. And being aftervvard come into Achaia, he had counsel to returne through Macedonia, and so at length from Philippi he began his nauigation tovvard Hierusalem, and from Hierusalem being caried prisoner to Rome (Act. 28.) he vvrote from thence this Epistle to the Philippians: or rather in his second apprehension, about 10 yeres after the first.

In it he confirmeth them (as he did ^note the Ephesians also about the same time) against the tentati&obar; that they might haue in hearing that he vvere executed. therfore he first saith: And I vvil haue you knovv brethren, that the things about me, are come to the more furtherance of the Gospel: so that my bandes vvere made manifest in Christ in al the Court &c. ^note Secondly he signifieth that his desire is, to be dissolued and to be vvith Christ. but yet (lest they should be discomforted) that he hopeth to come againe to them. Vvhereof notvvith standing, that he hath yet no certaintie, he signifieth in saying: I hope to send Timothee vnto you, immediatly as I shal see the things that concerne me. ^note Thirdly therefore he prepareth them against the vvorst, saying: I hope to come againe to you: but and if I be immolated, vpon the sacrifice and seruice of your faith, I reioyce and congratulate vvith you al, and the self same thing do you also reioyce and congratulate vvith me.

Moreouer he partly vvarneth them (as he had done before) of those Iudaical False-apostles vvho preached circumcision & Moyses lavv to the Christian Gentils: partly he exhorteth them to suffer persecution, to liue vvel, and specially to humble them selues one to an other, rather then by any pride to breake the peace & vnitie of the Church.

THE EPISTLE OF PAVL TO THE PHILIPPIANS. Chap. I. Hauing signified that he vseth to thanke God for their vertue, 9 and also to pray for their encrease: 12 he certifieth them (for their confirmati&obar; & comfort) vvhat good was come through his trouble at Rome, 24 & that he doubteth not (though he rather desire martyrdom) but to come againe vnto them, 27 exhorting them to liue as they ought to do, 28 and namely not to shrinke for persecution.

1   Pavl and Timothee the seruants of Iesvs Christ: to al the sainctes in Christ Iesvs that are at Philippi, vvith the09Q1232 Bishops and Deacons.

2   Grace to you and peace from God our father, and our Lord Iesvs Christ.

3   I giue thankes to my God in al memorie of you

4   (alvvaies in al my praiers for al you, vvith ioy making petition)

5   for your communicating in the Gospel of Christ from the first day vntil novv. ^note

6   trusting this same thing, that he which hath beg&obar;ne in you a good worke, vvil perfit it vnto the day of Christ Iesvs.

7   as it is reason for me, this to thinke for al you, for that I haue you in hart, & in my bandes, and in the defense, and the confirmation of the Gospel, al you to be partakers of my ioy.

8   For God is my vvitnes, hovv I couet you al in the bowels of Iesvs Christ.

9   And this I pray, that your charitie may more and more abound in knovvledge and in al vnderstanding:

10   that you may approue the better things, that you may be sincere and vvithout offence vnto the day of Christ,

11   replenished vvith the fruite of iustice by Iesvs Christ, vnto the glorie and praise of God. &cross4;

12   And I vvil haue you knovv brethren, that the things about me are come to the more furtherance of the Gospel:

13   so that my bandes vvere made manifest in Christ in al the court, and in al the rest,

14   that many of our brethren in our Lord, hauing confidence in my bandes, vvere bold more aboundantly vvithout feare to speake the vvord of God.

15   Some in deede euen for enuie and contention: but some also for good vvil preache Christ.

16   Some of charitie: knovving that I am set vnto the defense of the Gospel.

17   And some of contention preache Christ not sincerely: supposing that they raise affliction to my bandes.

18   But vvhat? So that by al meanes, vvhether by occasion, or by truth, Christ be preached: in this also I reioyce, yea & vvil reioyce.

19   For I knovv that this shal fall out to me vnto saluati&obar; by your praier and the subministration of the Spirit of Iesvs Christ,

20   according to my expectation & hope, because in nothing shal I be confounded, but in al confidence as alvvaies, novv also shal Christ be magnified in my body, vvhether it be by life, or by death.

21   For vnto me, to liue is Christ: and to die is gaine.

22   And if to liue in the flesh, this vnto me be the fruit of the vvorke, and vvhat I shal choose I knovv not.

23   And I am straitened of the tvvo: hauing desire to be dissolued & to be vvith Christ, a thing much more better,

24   but to abide in the flesh, ^note necessarie for you. And trusting this, I know that I shal abide and continue vvith you al, vnto your furtherance and ioy of the faith:

25   that your gratulation may abound in Christ Iesvs in me, by my comming againe to you.

26   Only ^note conuerse ye vvorthie of the Gospel of Christ: that vvhether vvhen I come and see you, or els be absent, I may heare of you that you stand in one Spirit, of one minde labouring together to the faith of the Gospel.

27   And in nothing be ye terrified of the aduersaries, vvhich to them is ^note cause of perdition: but to you of saluation, & this of God:

28   for to you ^note it is giuen for Christ, not only that you beleeue in him, but also that you suffer for him,

29   hauing the same combat like as you haue seen in me, and novv ^note haue heard of me.

^note Chap. II. He exhorteth them most instantly to keepe the vnitie of the Church, and to humble them selues for that purpose one to an other, 3 by the example of the maruelous humilitie of Christ, 9 specially seing hovv maruelously he is novv exalted for it. 12 Item to obedience, feare, and perseuerance. 17 Insinuating (lest it should aftervvardes trouble them) that he may be martyred at this time. 19 Timothee he hopeth to send, vvhom he highly commendeth: 25 as also Epaphroditus, vvhom he presently sendeth.

1   If therfore there be any consolation in Christ, if any solace of charitie, if any societie of spirit, if any bovvels of commiseration:

2   fulfil my ioy, that you be of one meaning, hauing the same charitie, of one minde, agreing in one.

3   nothing by contenti&obar;, neither by vaine glorie: but in humilitie, ^note eche co&ubar;ting other better then them selues:

4    ^noteeuery one not c&obar;sidering the things that are their owne, but those that are other mens. ^note

5   For this thinke in your selues, vvhich also in Christ Iesvs,

6   vvho vvhen he vvas in the forme of God, thought it no robberie, him self to be equal to God,

7   but he exinanited him self, taking the forme of a seruant, made into the similitude of men, and in shape found as man. ^note

8   He ^note humbled him self, made obedi&ebar;t vnto death: euen the death of the crosse.

9   09Q1233For the vvhich thing God also hath exalted him, and hath giuen him a name which is aboue al names:

10   that ^note in the09Q1234 name of Iesvs euery knee bovve of the celestials, terrestrials, and infernals:

11   and euery tongue c&obar;fesse that our Lord Iesvs Christ is in the glorie of God the Father. &cross4;

12   Therfore my deerest, (as you haue alvvaies obeied) not as in the presence of me only, but much more novv in my absence,09Q1235 vvith feare and trembling vvorke your saluation.

13   For it is God that09Q1236 vvorketh in you both to vvil and to accomplish, according to his good vvil.

14   And doe ye al things vvithout murmurings and staggerings:

15   that you may be vvithout blame, and the simple children of God,

vvithout reprehension in the middes of a crooked and peruerse generation, among vvhom you shine as lightes in the vvorld:

16   conteining the vvord of life ^note to my glorie in the daie of Christ, because I haue not runne in vaine, nor in vaine laboured.

17   But and if I be ^note immolated, vpon the 09Q1237 sacrifice and seruice of your faith, I reioyce and congratulate vvith you al.

18   And the self same thing doe you also reioyce, and congratulate vvith me.

19   And I hope in our Lord Iesvs, to send Timothee vnto you quickly, that I also may be of good comfort, when I knovv the things pertaining to you.

20   For I haue no m&abar; so of one minde that vvith sincere affection is careful for you.

21   For ^note al seeke the things that are their ovvne: not the things that are Iesvs Christs.

22   And knovv ye an experiment of him, that as a sonne the father, so hath he serued vvith me in the Gospel.

23   This man therfore I hope to send vnto you, immediatly as I shal see the things that concerne me.

24   And I trust in our Lord that my self also shal come to you quickly.

25   But I haue thought it necessarie to send to you Epaphroditus my brother and coadiutor and fellovv souldiar, but your Apostle, and minister of my necessitie.

26   Because in deede he had a desire tovvard you al: and vvas pensife, for that you had heard that he vvas sicke.

27   For in deede he vvas sicke euen to death: but God had mercie on him: and not only on him, but on me also, lest I should haue sorovv vpon sorovv.

28   Therfore I sent him the more spedily: that seeing him, you may reioyce againe, and I may be vvithout sorovv.

29   Receiue him therfore vvith al ioy in our Lord: and such intreate vvith honour.

30   because for the vvorke of Christ, he came to the point of death: yelding his life, that he might fulfil that vvhich on your part vvanted tovvard my seruice. ^note

^{note note note note} Chap. III. He vvarneth them of the False-apostles, 4 shevving that him self had much more to bragge of in Iudaisme then they: but that he maketh price of nothing but only of Christ, and of Christian iustice, and of suffering vvith him (12 vvherein yet he acknovvledgeth his imperfection) 17 exhorting them to beare Christes Crosse vvith him, and not to imitate those bellygods.

1   From hence forth my brethren, reioyce in our Lord. To vvrite the same things vnto you, to me surely it is not tedious, and to you it is necessarie.

2   See the dogges, see the euil vvorkers, see the ^note concisi&obar;.

3   For vve are the ^note circumcision, vvhich in spirit serue God: and vve glorie in Christ Iesvs, and not hauing confidence in the flesh,

4   albeit I also haue confidence in the flesh.

5   If any other man seeme to haue confidence in the flesh, I more, circumcised the eight day, of the stocke of Israël, of the tribe of Beniamin, ^note an Hebrevv of Hebrevves: ^note according to the Lavv, a Pharisee:

6   according to emulation, persecuting the Church of God: according to the iustice that is in the Lavv, conuersing vvithout blame.

7   But

the things that vvere gaines to me, those haue I esteemed for Christ, detriments. ^note

8   Yea but I esteeme al things to be detriment for the passing knovvledge of Iesvs Christ my Lord: for vvhom I haue made al things as detriment, and do esteeme them as dung, that I may gaine Christ:

9   and may be found in him not hauing09Q1238 my iustice vvhich is of the Lavv, but that vvhich is of the faith of Christ, vvhich is of God iustice in faith:

10   to knovv him, and the vertue of his resurrection, and the societie of his passions, configured to his death,

11    ^noteif by any meanes I may come to the resurrection vvhich is from the dead.

12   09Q1239Not that novv I haue receiued, or novv am perfect: but I pursue, if I may comprehend vvherein I am also comprehended of Christ Iesvs. &cross4;

13   Brethren, I do not account that I haue comprehended. Yet one thing: forgetting the things that are behinde, but stretching forth my self to those that are before,

14   I pursue to the marke, ^note to the price of the supernal vocation of God in Christ Iesvs.

15   Let vs therfore as many as are perfect, be thus minded: and if you be any09Q1240 othervvise minded, this also God ^note hath reuealed to you.

16   Neuerthelesse vvhere vnto we are come, that vve be of the same minde, let vs continue in the same rule.

17    ^noteBe folovvers ^note of me brethren: & obserue them that vvalke so as you haue our forme.

18   For ^note many vvalke vvhom often I told you of (and novv vveeping also I tel you) the enemies of the crosse of Christ:

19   vvhose end is destruction: vvhose God, is the belly: and their glorie in their confusion, vvhich minde vvorldly things.

20   But our conuersation is in heauen? vvhence also vve expect the Sauiour, our Lord Iesvs Christ,

21   vvho vvil reforme the body of our humilitie, configured to the body of his glorie, according to the operation vvhereby also he is able to subdue al things to him self. ^note

^{note note} Chap. IIII. He exhorteth them to perseuérance, 2 and certaine by name to vnitie, 5 to modestie, 6 to peace vvithout solicitude or careful anxietie, 8 to al that good is, 9 to such things as they see in him self. 10 that reioyced in their contribution, not for his ovvne neede, but for their merite.

1   Therfore, my deerest brethren and most desired, my09Q1241 ioy and my crovvne: so stand in our Lord, my deerest.

2    ^noteEuchodia I desire & Syntyché I beseeche to be of one minde in our Lord.

3   Yea and I beseeche thee my09Q1242 sincere companion, helpe those vvomen that haue laboured vvith me in the Gospel vvith ^note Clement, and the rest my coadiutors, vvhose names are in the booke of life. &cross4;

4    ^noteReioyce in our Lord alvvaies: againe I say reioyce.

5   Let your modestie be knovven to al men. Our Lord is nigh.

6   Be nothing careful: but ^note in euery thing by praier & supplicati&obar; vvith th&abar;kesgiuing let your petitions be knovven vvith God.

7   And the peace of God vvhich passeth al vnderstanding, keepe your hartes and intelligences in Christ Iesvs. &cross4;

8   For the rest brethren, vvhat things so euer be true, vvhatsoeuer honest, whatsoeuer iust, vvhatsoeuer holy, whatsoeuer amiable, vvhatsoeuer of good fame, if there be any vertue, if any praise of discipline, these things thinke vpon.

9   Vvhich you haue both learned, and receiued, and heard, & seen in me: these things doe ye, and the God of peace shall be vvith you.

10   And I reioyced in our Lord excedingly; that once at the length you haue ^note reflorished to care for me, as you did also care: but you vvere occupied.

11   I speake not as it vvere for penurie. for I haue learned, to be c&obar;tent vvith the things that I haue.

12   I knovv both to be brought lovv, I knovv also to abound: (euery vvhere, and in al things I am instructed) both to be ful, & to be hungrie, both to abound, and to suffer penurie.

13   I can al things in him that strengtheneth me.

14   Neuerthelesse you haue done vvel, communicating to my tribulation.

15   And you also knovv ô Philippians, that in the beginning of the Gospel, vvhen I departed from Macedonia, no church communicated vnto me in the account of gift and ^note receite, but you only:

16   for vnto Thessalonica also, once and tvvise you sent to my vse.

17   Not that I seeke the gift, but I seeke the fruite abounding in your account.

18   But I haue al things, and abound: I vvas filled after I receiued of Epaphroditus the things that you sent, an odour of svveetenes, an09Q1243 acceptable host, pleasing God.

19   And my God supply

al your ^note lacke according to his riches in glorie, in Christ Iesvs.

20   And to God & our father be glorie vvorld vvithout end. Amen.

21   Salute ye euery saincte in Christ Iesvs. The brethren that are vvith me, salute you. Al the sainctes salute you: but especially they that are of Cæsars house.

22   The grace of our Lord Iesvs Christ be vvith your spirit. Amen. ^{note note note}

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