Heavenly Bodies (II Corinthians 5:1-10) New Living and Good News Translations

NEW LIVING TRANSLATION

1    For we know that when this earthly tent we live in is taken down (that is, when we die and leave this earthly body), we will have a house in heaven, an eternal body made for us by God himself and not by human hands. 

2    We grow weary in our present bodies, and we long to put on our heavenly bodies like new clothing.

3    For we will put on heavenly bodies; we will not be spirits without bodies.

4    While we live in these earthly bodies, we groan and sigh, but it’s not that we want to die and get rid of these bodies that clothe us. Rather, we want to put on our new bodies so that these dying bodies will be swallowed up by life. 

5    God himself has prepared us for this, and as a guarantee he has given us his Holy Spirit.

6    So we are always confident, even though we know that as long as we live in these bodies we are not at home with the Lord. 

7    For we live by believing and not by seeing. 

8    Yes, we are fully confident, and we would rather be away from these earthly bodies, for then we will be at home with the Lord. 

9    So whether we are here in this body or away from this body, our goal is to please him. 

10  For we must all stand before Christ to be judged. We will each receive whatever we deserve for the good or evil we have done in this earthly body.

GOOD NEWS TRANSLATION

1    For we know that when this tent we live in—our body here on earth—is torn down, God will have a house in heaven for us to live in, a home he himself has made, which will last forever. 

2    And now we sigh, so great is our desire that our home which comes from heaven should be put on over us; 

3    by being clothed with it we shall not be without a body. 

4    While we live in this earthly tent, we groan with a feeling of oppression; it is not that we want to get rid of our earthly body, but that we want to have the heavenly one put on over us, so that what is mortal will be transformed by life. 

5    God is the one who has prepared us for this change, and he gave us his Spirit as the guarantee of all that he has in store for us.

6    So we are always full of courage. We know that as long as we are at home in the body we are away from the Lord's home. 

7    For our life is a matter of faith, not of sight. 

8    We are full of courage and would much prefer to leave our home in the body and be at home with the Lord. 

9    More than anything else, however, we want to please him, whether in our home here or there. 

10  For all of us must appear before Christ, to be judged by him. We will each receive what we deserve, according to everything we have done, good or bad, in our bodily life.

Spiritual Treasure In Clay Pots (II Corinthians 4) New Living and Good News Translations

NEW LIVING TRANSLATION

1    Therefore, since God in his mercy has given us this new way, we never give up. 

2    We reject all shameful deeds and underhanded methods. We don’t try to trick anyone or distort the word of God. We tell the truth before God, and all who are honest know this.

3    If the Good News we preach is hidden behind a veil, it is hidden only from people who are perishing. 

4    Satan, who is the god of this world, has blinded the minds of those who don’t believe. They are unable to see the glorious light of the Good News. They don’t understand this message about the glory of Christ, who is the exact likeness of God.

5    You see, we don’t go around preaching about ourselves. We preach that Jesus Christ is Lord, and we ourselves are your servants for Jesus’ sake. 

6    For God, who said, “Let there be light in the darkness,” has made this light shine in our hearts so we could know the glory of God that is seen in the face of Jesus Christ.

7    We now have this light shining in our hearts, but we ourselves are like fragile clay jars containing this great treasure. This makes it clear that our great power is from God, not from ourselves.

8    We are pressed on every side by troubles, but we are not crushed. We are perplexed, but not driven to despair. 

9    We are hunted down, but never abandoned by God. We get knocked down, but we are not destroyed. 

10  Through suffering, our bodies continue to share in the death of Jesus so that the life of Jesus may also be seen in our bodies.

11  Yes, we live under constant danger of death because we serve Jesus, so that the life of Jesus will be evident in our dying bodies. 

12  So we live in the face of death, but this has resulted in eternal life for you.

13  But we continue to preach because we have the same kind of faith the psalmist had when he said, “I believed in God, so I spoke.”

14  We know that God, who raised the Lord Jesus, will also raise us with Jesus and present us to himself together with you. 

15  All of this is for your benefit. And as God’s grace reaches more and more people, there will be great thanksgiving, and God will receive more and more glory.

16  That is why we never give up. Though our bodies are dying, our spirits are being renewed every day.

17  For our present troubles are small and won’t last very long. Yet they produce for us a glory that vastly outweighs them and will last forever! 

18  So we don’t look at the troubles we can see now; rather, we fix our gaze on things that cannot be seen. For the things we see now will soon be gone, but the things we cannot see will last forever.

GOOD NEWS TRANSLATION

1    God in his mercy has given us this work to do, and so we do not become discouraged. 

2    We put aside all secret and shameful deeds; we do not act with deceit, nor do we falsify the word of God. In the full light of truth we live in God's sight and try to commend ourselves to everyone's good conscience. 

3    For if the gospel we preach is hidden, it is hidden only from those who are being lost. 

4    They do not believe, because their minds have been kept in the dark by the evil god of this world. He keeps them from seeing the light shining on them, the light that comes from the Good News about the glory of Christ, who is the exact likeness of God. 

5    For it is not ourselves that we preach; we preach Jesus Christ as Lord, and ourselves as your servants for Jesus' sake. 

6    The God who said, “Out of darkness the light shall shine!” is the same God who made his light shine in our hearts, to bring us the knowledge of God's glory shining in the face of Christ.

7    Yet we who have this spiritual treasure are like common clay pots, in order to show that the supreme power belongs to God, not to us. 

8    We are often troubled, but not crushed; sometimes in doubt, but never in despair; 

9    there are many enemies, but we are never without a friend; and though badly hurt at times, we are not destroyed. 

10  At all times we carry in our mortal bodies the death of Jesus, so that his life also may be seen in our bodies. 

11  Throughout our lives we are always in danger of death for Jesus' sake, in order that his life may be seen in this mortal body of ours. 

12  This means that death is at work in us, but life is at work in you.

13  The scripture says, “I spoke because I believed.” In the same spirit of faith we also speak because we believe. 

14  We know that God, who raised the Lord Jesus to life, will also raise us up with Jesus and take us, together with you, into his presence. 

15  All this is for your sake; and as God's grace reaches more and more people, they will offer to the glory of God more prayers of thanksgiving. 

16  For this reason we never become discouraged. Even though our physical being is gradually decaying, yet our spiritual being is renewed day after day. 

17  And this small and temporary trouble we suffer will bring us a tremendous and eternal glory, much greater than the trouble. 

18  For we fix our attention, not on things that are seen, but on things that are unseen. What can be seen lasts only for a time, but what cannot be seen lasts forever.

The Glory Of The New Covenant (II Corinthians 3:1-18) New Living and Good News Translations

NEW LIVING TRANSLATION

1    Are we beginning to praise ourselves again? Are we like others, who need to bring you letters of recommendation, or who ask you to write such letters on their behalf? Surely not! 

2    The only letter of recommendation we need is you yourselves. Your lives are a letter written in our hearts; everyone can read it and recognize our good work among you. 

3    Clearly, you are a letter from Christ showing the result of our ministry among you. This “letter” is written not with pen and ink, but with the Spirit of the living God. It is carved not on tablets of stone, but on human hearts.

4    We are confident of all this because of our great trust in God through Christ. 

5    It is not that we think we are qualified to do anything on our own. Our qualification comes from God. 

6    He has enabled us to be ministers of his new covenant. This is a covenant not of written laws, but of the Spirit. The old written covenant ends in death; but under the new covenant, the Spirit gives life.  

7    The old way, with laws etched in stone, led to death, though it began with such glory that the people of Israel could not bear to look at Moses’ face. For his face shone with the glory of God, even though the brightness was already fading away. 

8    Shouldn’t we expect far greater glory under the new way, now that the Holy Spirit is giving life? 

9    If the old way, which brings condemnation, was glorious, how much more glorious is the new way, which makes us right with God! 

10  In fact, that first glory was not glorious at all compared with the overwhelming glory of the new way. 

11  So if the old way, which has been replaced, was glorious, how much more glorious is the new, which remains forever!

12  Since this new way gives us such confidence, we can be very bold. 

13  We are not like Moses, who put a veil over his face so the people of Israel would not see the glory, even though it was destined to fade away. 

14  But the people’s minds were hardened, and to this day whenever the old covenant is being read, the same veil covers their minds so they cannot understand the truth. And this veil can be removed only by believing in Christ. 

15  Yes, even today when they read Moses’ writings, their hearts are covered with that veil, and they do not understand.

16  But whenever someone turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away. 

17  For the Lord is the Spirit, and wherever the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. 

18  So all of us who have had that veil removed can see and reflect the glory of the Lord. And the Lord—who is the Spirit—makes us more and more like him as we are changed into his glorious image.

GOOD NEWS TRANSLATION

1    Does this sound as if we were again boasting about ourselves? Could it be that, like some other people, we need letters of recommendation to you or from you? 

2    You yourselves are the letter we have, written on our hearts for everyone to know and read. 

3    It is clear that Christ himself wrote this letter and sent it by us. It is written, not with ink but with the Spirit of the living God, and not on stone tablets but on human hearts.

4    We say this because we have confidence in God through Christ. 

5    There is nothing in us that allows us to claim that we are capable of doing this work. The capacity we have comes from God; 

6     it is he who made us capable of serving the new covenant, which consists not of a written law but of the Spirit. The written law brings death, but the Spirit gives life.

7    The Law was carved in letters on stone tablets, and God's glory appeared when it was given. Even though the brightness on Moses' face was fading, it was so strong that the people of Israel could not keep their eyes fixed on him. If the Law, which brings death when it is in force, came with such glory, 

8    how much greater is the glory that belongs to the activity of the Spirit! 

9    The system which brings condemnation was glorious; how much more glorious is the activity which brings salvation! 

10  We may say that because of the far brighter glory now the glory that was so bright in the past is gone.

11  For if there was glory in that which lasted for a while, how much more glory is there in that which lasts forever!

12  Because we have this hope, we are very bold. 

13  We are not like Moses, who had to put a veil over his face so that the people of Israel would not see the brightness fade and disappear. 

14  Their minds, indeed, were closed; and to this very day their minds are covered with the same veil as they read the books of the old covenant. The veil is removed only when a person is joined to Christ. 

15  Even today, whenever they read the Law of Moses, the veil still covers their minds. 

16  But it can be removed, as the scripture says about Moses: “His veil was removed when he turned to the Lord.”

17  Now, “the Lord” in this passage is the Spirit; and where the Spirit of the Lord is present, there is freedom. 

18  All of us, then, reflect the glory of the Lord with uncovered faces; and that same glory, coming from the Lord, who is the Spirit, transforms us into his likeness in an ever greater degree of glory.

Victory Through Christ (II Corinthians 2:14-17) New Living, Good News and New King James Translations

NEW LIVING TRANSLATION
14  But thank God! He has made us his captives and continues to lead us along in Christ’s triumphal procession. Now he uses us to spread the knowledge of Christ everywhere, like a sweet perfume.
15  Our lives are a Christ-like fragrance rising up to God. But this fragrance is perceived differently by those who are being saved and by those who are perishing.
16  To those who are perishing, we are a dreadful smell of death and doom. But to those who are being saved, we are a life-giving perfume. And who is adequate for such a task as this?
17  You see, we are not like the many hucksters who preach for personal profit. We preach the word of God with sincerity and with Christ’s authority, knowing that God is watching us.

GOOD NEWS TRANSLATION
14  But thanks be to God! For in union with Christ we are always led by God as prisoners in Christ's victory procession. God uses us to make the knowledge about Christ spread everywhere like a sweet fragrance.
15  For we are like a sweet-smelling incense offered by Christ to God, which spreads among those who are being saved and those who are being lost. 
16  For those who are being lost, it is a deadly stench that kills; but for those who are being saved, it is a fragrance that brings life. Who, then, is capable for such a task? 
17  We are not like so many others, who handle God's message as if it were cheap merchandise; but because God has sent us, we speak with sincerity in his presence, as servants of Christ.

NEW KING JAMES TRANSLATION
14  Now thanks be to God who always leads us in triumph in Christ, and through us diffuses the fragrance of His knowledge in every place. 
15  For we are to God the fragrance of Christ among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing. 
16  To the one we are the aroma of death leading to death, and to the other the aroma of life leading to life. And who is sufficient for these things? 
17  For we are not, as so many, peddling the word of God; but as of sincerity, but as from God, we speak in the sight of God in Christ.

God Offers Comfort To All (II Corinthians 1:3-7) New Living, Good News and New King James Translations

NEW LIVING TRANSLATION

3  All praise to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. God is our merciful Father and the source of all comfort. 

4  He comforts us in all our troubles so that we can comfort others. When they are troubled, we will be able to give them the same comfort God has given us. 

5  For the more we suffer for Christ, the more God will shower us with his comfort through Christ. 

6  Even when we are weighed down with troubles, it is for your comfort and salvation! For when we ourselves are comforted, we will certainly comfort you. Then you can patiently endure the same things we suffer. 

7  We are confident that as you share in our sufferings, you will also share in the comfort God gives us.

GOOD NEWS TRANSLATION

3  Let us give thanks to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the merciful Father, the God from whom all help comes! 

4  He helps us in all our troubles, so that we are able to help others who have all kinds of troubles, using the same help that we ourselves have received from God. 

5  Just as we have a share in Christ's many sufferings, so also through Christ we share in God's great help.

6  If we suffer, it is for your help and salvation; if we are helped, then you too are helped and given the strength to endure with patience the same sufferings that we also endure. 

7  So our hope in you is never shaken; we know that just as you share in our sufferings, you also share in the help we receive.

NEW KING JAMES TRANSLATION

3  Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort,

4  who comforts us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort those who are in any trouble, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God. 

5  For as the sufferings of Christ abound in us, so our consolation also abounds through Christ. 

6  Now if we are afflicted, it is for your consolation and salvation, which is effective for enduring the same sufferings which we also suffer. Or if we are comforted, it is for your consolation and salvation. 

7  And our hope for you is steadfast, because we know that as you are partakers of the sufferings, so also you will partake of the consolation.

The Old Life And The New Life (Colossians 3:5-17) New Living and Good News Translations

NEW LIVING TRANSLATION
5    So put to death the sinful, earthly things lurking within you. Have nothing to do with sexual immorality, impurity, lust, and evil desires. Don’t be greedy, for a greedy person is an idolater, worshiping the things of this world.
6    Because of these sins, the anger of God is coming.
7    You used to do these things when your life was still part of this world.
8    But now is the time to get rid of anger, rage, malicious behavior, slander, and dirty language.
9    Don’t lie to each other, for you have stripped off your old sinful nature and all its wicked deeds.
10  Put on your new nature, and be renewed as you learn to know your Creator and become like him.
11  In this new life, it doesn’t matter if you are a Jew or a Gentile, circumcised or uncircumcised, barbaric, uncivilized, slave, or free. Christ is all that matters, and he lives in all of us.
12  Since God chose you to be the holy people he loves, you must clothe yourselves with tenderhearted mercy, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience.
13  Make allowance for each other’s faults, and forgive anyone who offends you. Remember, the Lord forgave you, so you must forgive others.
14  Above all, clothe yourselves with love, which binds us all together in perfect harmony.
15  And let the peace that comes from Christ rule in your hearts. For as members of one body you are called to live in peace. And always be thankful.
16  Let the message about Christ, in all its richness, fill your lives. Teach and counsel each other with all the wisdom he gives. Sing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs to God with thankful hearts.
17  And whatever you do or say, do it as a representative of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks through him to God the Father.

GOOD NEWS TRANSLATION
5    You must put to death, then, the earthly desires at work in you, such as sexual immorality, indecency, lust, evil passions, and greed (for greed is a form of idolatry).
6    Because of such things God's anger will come upon those who do not obey him.
7    At one time you yourselves used to live according to such desires, when your life was dominated by them.
8    But now you must get rid of all these things: anger, passion, and hateful feelings. No insults or obscene talk must ever come from your lips. 
9    Do not lie to one another, for you have put off the old self with its habits 
10  and have put on the new self. This is the new being which God, its Creator, is constantly renewing in his own image, in order to bring you to a full knowledge of himself. 
11  As a result, there is no longer any distinction between Gentiles and Jews, circumcised and uncircumcised, barbarians, savages, slaves, and free, but Christ is all, Christ is in all.
12  You are the people of God; he loved you and chose you for his own. So then, you must clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience. 
13  Be tolerant with one another and forgive one another whenever any of you has a complaint against someone else. You must forgive one another just as the Lord has forgiven you. 
14  And to all these qualities add love, which binds all things together in perfect unity. 
15  The peace that Christ gives is to guide you in the decisions you make; for it is to this peace that God has called you together in the one body. And be thankful. 
16  Christ's message in all its richness must live in your hearts. Teach and instruct one another with all wisdom. Sing psalms, hymns, and sacred songs; sing to God with thanksgiving in your hearts. 
17  Everything you do or say, then, should be done in the name of the Lord Jesus, as you give thanks through him to God the Father.  

Living The New Life (Colossians 3:1-4) New Living and Good News Translations

NEW LIVING TRANSLATION
1  Since you have been raised to new life with Christ, set your sights on the realities of heaven, where Christ sits in the place of honor at God’s right hand.
2  Think about the things of heaven, not the things of earth.
3  For you died to this life, and your real life is hidden with Christ in God.
4  And when Christ, who is your life, is revealed to the whole world, you will share in all his glory.

GOOD NEWS TRANSLATION
1  You have been raised to life with Christ, so set your hearts on the things that are in heaven, where Christ sits on his throne at the right side of God. 
2  Keep your minds fixed on things there, not on things here on earth. 
3  For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. 
4  Your real life is Christ and when he appears, then you too will appear with him and share his glory!

Dying And Living With Christ (Colossians 2:20-23) New Living and Good News Translations

NEW LIVING TRANSLATION
20  You have died with Christ, and he has set you free from the spiritual powers of this world. So why do you keep on following the rules of the world, such as,
21  “Don’t handle! Don’t taste! Don’t touch!”?
22  Such rules are mere human teachings about things that deteriorate as we use them.
23  These rules may seem wise because they require strong devotion, pious self-denial, and severe bodily discipline. But they provide no help in conquering a person’s evil desires.

GOOD NEWS TRANSLATION
20  You have died with Christ and are set free from the ruling spirits of the universe. Why, then, do you live as though you belonged to this world? Why do you obey such rules as 
21  “Don't handle this,” “Don't taste that,” “Don't touch the other”? 
22  All these refer to things which become useless once they are used; they are only human rules and teachings. 
23  Of course such rules appear to be based on wisdom in their forced worship of angels, and false humility, and severe treatment of the body; but they have no real value in controlling physical passions.

Fullness Of Life In Christ (Colossians 2:11-19) New Living and Good News Translations

NEW LIVING TRANSLATION
11  When you came to Christ, you were “circumcised,” but not by a physical procedure. Christ performed a spiritual circumcision—the cutting away of your sinful nature.
12  For you were buried with Christ when you were baptized. And with him you were raised to new life because you trusted the mighty power of God, who raised Christ from the dead.
13  You were dead because of your sins and because your sinful nature was not yet cut away. Then God made you alive with Christ, for he forgave all our sins.
14  He canceled the record of the charges against us and took it away by nailing it to the cross.
15  In this way, he disarmed the spiritual rulers and authorities. He shamed them publicly by his victory over them on the cross.
16  So don’t let anyone condemn you for what you eat or drink, or for not celebrating certain holy days or new moon ceremonies or Sabbaths.
17  For these rules are only shadows of the reality yet to come. And Christ himself is that reality.
18  Don’t let anyone condemn you by insisting on pious self-denial or the worship of angels, saying they have had visions about these things. Their sinful minds have made them proud,
19  and they are not connected to Christ, the head of the body. For he holds the whole body together with its joints and ligaments, and it grows as God nourishes it.

GOOD NEWS TRANSLATION
11  In union with Christ you were circumcised, not with the circumcision that is made by human beings, but with the circumcision made by Christ, which consists of being freed from the power of this sinful self. 
12  For when you were baptized, you were buried with Christ, and in baptism you were also raised with Christ through your faith in the active power of God, who raised him from death. 
13  You were at one time spiritually dead because of your sins and because you were Gentiles without the Law. But God has now brought you to life with Christ. God forgave us all our sins; 
14  he canceled the unfavorable record of our debts with its binding rules and did away with it completely by nailing it to the cross. 
15  And on that cross Christ freed himself from the power of the spiritual rulers and authorities; he made a public spectacle of them by leading them as captives in his victory procession.
16  So let no one make rules about what you eat or drink or about holy days or the New Moon Festival or the Sabbath. 
17  All such things are only a shadow of things in the future; the reality is Christ. 
18  Do not allow yourselves to be condemned by anyone who claims to be superior because of special visions and who insists on false humility and the worship of angels. For no reason at all, such people are all puffed up by their human way of thinking 
19  and have stopped holding on to Christ, who is the head of the body. Under Christ's control the whole body is nourished and held together by its joints and ligaments, and it grows as God wants it to grow.

Be Full Of joy In The Lord (Philippians 4:4-9) New Living and Good News Translations

NEW LIVING TRANSLATION
4  Always be full of joy in the Lord. I say it again—rejoice!
5  Let everyone see that you are considerate in all you do. Remember, the Lord is coming soon.
6  Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done.
7  Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.
8  And now, dear brothers and sisters, one final thing. Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise.
9  Keep putting into practice all you learned and received from me—everything you heard from me and saw me doing. Then the God of peace will be with you.

GOOD NEWS TRANSLATION
4  May you always be joyful in your union with the Lord. I say it again: rejoice!
5  Show a gentle attitude toward everyone. The Lord is coming soon. 
6  Don't worry about anything, but in all your prayers ask God for what you need, always asking him with a thankful heart. 
7  And God's peace, which is far beyond human understanding, will keep your hearts and minds safe in union with Christ Jesus.
8  In conclusion, my friends, fill your minds with those things that are good and that deserve praise: things that are true, noble, right, pure, lovely, and honorable. 
9  Put into practice what you learned and received from me, both from my words and from my actions. And the God who gives us peace will be with you.

The True Righteousness (Philippians 3:2-11) New Living and Good News Translations

NEW LIVING TRANSLATION
2    Watch out for those dogs, those people who do evil, those mutilators who say you must be circumcised to be saved.
3    For we who worship by the Spirit of God are the ones who are truly circumcised. We rely on what Christ Jesus has done for us. We put no confidence in human effort,
4    though I could have confidence in my own effort if anyone could. Indeed, if others have reason for confidence in their own efforts, I have even more!
5    I was circumcised when I was eight days old. I am a pure-blooded citizen of Israel and a member of the tribe of Benjamin—a real Hebrew if there ever was one! I was a member of the Pharisees, who demand the strictest obedience to the Jewish law.
6    I was so zealous that I harshly persecuted the church. And as for righteousness, I obeyed the law without fault.
7    I once thought these things were valuable, but now I consider them worthless because of what Christ has done.
8    Yes, everything else is worthless when compared with the infinite value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have discarded everything else, counting it all as garbage, so that I could gain Christ
9    and become one with him. I no longer count on my own righteousness through obeying the law; rather, I become righteous through faith in Christ. For God’s way of making us right with himself depends on faith.
10  I want to know Christ and experience the mighty power that raised him from the dead. I want to suffer with him, sharing in his death,
11  so that one way or another I will experience the resurrection from the dead!

GOOD NEWS TRANSLATION
2    Watch out for those who do evil things, those dogs, those who insist on cutting the body. 
3    It is we, not they, who have received the true circumcision, for we worship God by means of his Spirit and rejoice in our life in union with Christ Jesus. We do not put any trust in external ceremonies. 
4    I could, of course, put my trust in such things. If any of you think you can trust in external ceremonies, I have even more reason to feel that way. 
5    I was circumcised when I was a week old. I am an Israelite by birth, of the tribe of Benjamin, a pure-blooded Hebrew. As far as keeping the Jewish Law is concerned, I was a Pharisee, 
6    and I was so zealous that I persecuted the church. As far as a person can be righteous by obeying the commands of the Law, I was without fault. 
7    But all those things that I might count as profit I now reckon as loss for Christ's sake. 
8    Not only those things; I reckon everything as complete loss for the sake of what is so much more valuable, the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have thrown everything away; I consider it all as mere garbage, so that I may gain Christ 
9    and be completely united with him. I no longer have a righteousness of my own, the kind that is gained by obeying the Law. I now have the righteousness that is given through faith in Christ, the righteousness that comes from God and is based on faith. 
10  All I want is to know Christ and to experience the power of his resurrection, to share in his sufferings and become like him in his death, 
11  in the hope that I myself will be raised from death to life.

Shine Brightly For Christ (Philippians 2:12-18) New Living and Good News Translations

NEW LIVING TRANSLATION

12  Dear friends, you always followed my instructions when I was with you. And now that I am away, it is even more important. Work hard to show the results of your salvation, obeying God with deep reverence and fear. 

13  For God is working in you, giving you the desire and the power to do what pleases him.

14  Do everything without complaining and arguing, 

15  so that no one can criticize you. Live clean, innocent lives as children of God, shining like bright lights in a world full of crooked and perverse people. 

16  Hold firmly to the word of life; then, on the day of Christ’s return, I will be proud that I did not run the race in vain and that my work was not useless. 

17  But I will rejoice even if I lose my life, pouring it out like a liquid offering to God, just like your faithful service is an offering to God. And I want all of you to share that joy. 

18  Yes, you should rejoice, and I will share your joy.

GOOD NEWS TRANSLATION

12  So then, dear friends, as you always obeyed me when I was with you, it is even more important that you obey me now while I am away from you. Keep on working with fear and trembling to complete your salvation, 
13  because God is always at work in you to make you willing and able to obey his own purpose.
14  Do everything without complaining or arguing, 
15  so that you may be innocent and pure as God's perfect children, who live in a world of corrupt and sinful people. You must shine among them like stars lighting up the sky, 
16  as you offer them the message of life. If you do so, I shall have reason to be proud of you on the Day of Christ, because it will show that all my effort and work have not been wasted.
17  Perhaps my life's blood is to be poured out like an offering on the sacrifice that your faith offers to God. If that is so, I am glad and share my joy with you all. 
18  In the same way, you too must be glad and share your joy with me.

Have The Attitude Of Christ (Philippians 2:1-11) New Living and Good News Translations

NEW LIVING TRANSLATION

1    Is there any encouragement from belonging to Christ? Any comfort from his love? Any fellowship together in the Spirit? Are your hearts tender and compassionate? 

2    Then make me truly happy by agreeing wholeheartedly with each other, loving one another, and working together with one mind and purpose.

3    Don’t be selfish; don’t try to impress others. Be humble, thinking of others as better than yourselves. 

4    Don’t look out only for your own interests, but take an interest in others, too.

5    You must have the same attitude that Christ Jesus had.

6    Though he was God, he did not think of equality with God as something to cling to.

7    Instead, he gave up his divine privileges; he took the humble position of a slave and was born as a human being. When he appeared in human form,

8    he humbled himself in obedience to God and died a criminal’s death on a cross.

9    Therefore, God elevated him to the place of highest honor and gave him the name above all other names,

10  that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth,

11  and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

GOOD NEWS TRANSLATION

 1    Your life in Christ makes you strong, and his love comforts you. You have fellowship with the Spirit, and you have kindness and compassion for one another. 

2    I urge you, then, to make me completely happy by having the same thoughts, sharing the same love, and being one in soul and mind. 

3    Don't do anything from selfish ambition or from a cheap desire to boast, but be humble toward one another, always considering others better than yourselves. 

4    And look out for one another's interests, not just for your own. 

5    The attitude you should have is the one that Christ Jesus had:

6    He always had the nature of God, but he did not think that by force he should try to remain equal with God.

7    Instead of this, of his own free will he gave up all he had, and took the nature of a servant.  He became like a human being and appeared in human likeness.

8    He was humble and walked the path of obedience all the way to death—his death on the cross.

9    For this reason God raised him to the highest place above and gave him the name that is greater than any other name.

10  And so, in honor of the name of Jesus all beings in heaven, on earth, and in the world below will fall on their knees,

11  and all will openly proclaim that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.  

A Prayer Of Thanksgiving ( Psalms 30) New Living and Good News Translations

NEW LIVING TRANSLATION

1    I will exalt you, Lord, for you rescued me.  You refused to let my enemies triumph over me.

2    O Lord my God, I cried to you for help, and you restored my health.

3    You brought me up from the grave, O Lord.  You kept me from falling into the pit of death.

4    Sing to the Lord, all you godly ones!  Praise his holy name.

5    For his anger lasts only a moment, but his favor lasts a lifetime!  Weeping may last through the night, but joy comes with the morning.

6    When I was prosperous, I said, “Nothing can stop me now!”

7    Your favor, O Lord, made me as secure as a mountain.  Then you turned away from me, and I was shattered.

8    I cried out to you, O Lord.  I begged the Lord for mercy, saying,

9    “What will you gain if I die, if I sink into the grave?  Can my dust praise you?  Can it tell of your faithfulness?

10  Hear me, Lord, and have mercy on me.  Help me, O Lord.”

11  You have turned my mourning into joyful dancing.  You have taken away my clothes of mourning and clothed me with joy,

12  that I might sing praises to you and not be silent.  O Lord my God, I will give you thanks forever!

GOOD NEWS TRANSLATION

1    I praise you, Lord, because you have saved me and kept my enemies from gloating over me.

2    I cried to you for help, O Lord my God, and you healed me;

3    you kept me from the grave.  I was on my way to the depths below, but you restored my life.

4    Sing praise to the Lord, all his faithful people!  Remember what the Holy One has done, and give him thanks!

5    His anger lasts only a moment, his goodness for a lifetime.  Tears may flow in the night, but joy comes in the morning.

6    I felt secure and said to myself, “I will never be defeated.”

7    You were good to me, Lord; you protected me like a mountain fortress.  But then you hid yourself from me, and I was afraid.

8    I called to you, Lord; I begged for your help:

9    “What will you gain from my death?  What profit from my going to the grave?  Are dead people able to praise you?  Can they proclaim your unfailing goodness?

10  Hear me, Lord, and be merciful!  Help me, Lord!”

11  You have changed my sadness into a joyful dance; you have taken away my sorrow and surrounded me with joy.

12  So I will not be silent; I will sing praise to you.  Lord, you are my God; I will give you thanks forever.

A Song Of Praise (Psalms 95:1-7) New Living and Good News Translations

NEW LIVING TRANSLATION

1  Come, let us praise the Lord! 
    Let us sing for joy to God, who protects us!
2  Let us come before him with thanksgiving
    and sing joyful songs of praise.
3  For the Lord is a mighty God,
    a mighty king over all the gods.
4  He rules over the whole earth,
    from the deepest caves to the highest hills.
5  He rules over the sea, which he made;
    the land also, which he himself formed.

6  Come, let us bow down and worship him;
    let us kneel before the Lord, our Maker!
7  He is our God;
    we are the people he cares for,
    the flock for which he provides.

Listen today to what he says:

GOOD NEWS TRANSLATION

1  Oh come, let us sing to the Lord!
Let us shout joyfully to the Rock of our salvation.
2  Let us come before His presence with thanksgiving;
Let us shout joyfully to Him with psalms.
3  For the Lord is the great God,
And the great King above all gods.
4  In His hand are the deep places of the earth;
The heights of the hills are His also.
5  The sea is His, for He made it;
And His hands formed the dry land.

6  Oh come, let us worship and bow down;
Let us kneel before the Lord our Maker.
7  For He is our God,
And we are the people of His pasture,
And the sheep of His hand.

Today, if you will hear His voice:

Bless Is The Person Who Puts His Trust In The Lord (Jeremiah 17:5-12) New Living and Good News Translations

NEW LIVING TRANSLATION
5    The Lord says, “I will condemn those who turn away from me and put their trust in human beings,

    in the strength of mortals.

6    He is like a bush in the desert, which grows in the dry wasteland, on salty ground where nothing else grows.  Nothing good ever happens to him. 

7    “But I will bless the person who puts his trust in me. 

8    He is like a tree growing near a stream and sending out roots to the water.  It is not afraid when hot weather comes, because its leaves stay green; it has no worries when there is no rain; it keeps on bearing fruit.

9    “Who can understand the human heart?  There is nothing else so deceitful; it is too sick to be healed.

10  I, the Lord, search the minds and test the hearts of people.  I treat each of them according to the way they live, according to what they do.”

11  The person who gets money dishonestly is like a bird that hatches eggs it didn't lay.  In the prime of life he will lose his riches, and in the end he is nothing but a fool.

12  Our Temple is like a glorious throne, standing on a high mountain from the beginning.

GOOD NEWS TRANSLATION

5   Thus says the Lord:  “Cursed is the man who trusts in man And makes flesh his strength, Whose heart departs from the Lord.

6    For he shall be like a shrub in the desert, And shall not see when good comes, But shall inhabit the arched places in the wilderness, In a salt land which is not inhabited.

7    “Blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord, And whose hope is the Lord.  

8    For he shall be like a tree planted by the waters, Which spreads out its roots by the river, And will not fear when heat comes; But its leaf will be green, And will not be anxious in the year of drought, Nor will cease from yielding fruit.

9    “The heart is deceitful above all things, And desperately wicked; Who can know it?

10  I, the Lord, search the heart, I test the mind, Even to give every man according to his ways, According to the fruit of his doings.

11  “As a partridge that broods but does not hatch, So is he who gets riches, but not by right; It will leave him in the midst of his days, And at his end he will be a fool.”

12  A glorious high throne from the beginning Is the place of our sanctuary.

Avoid Divisive Persons (Romans 16:17-20) New Living and Good News Translations

NEW LIVING TRANSLATION
17  I urge you, my friends: watch out for those who cause divisions and upset people's faith and go against the teaching which you have received. Keep away from them! 
18  For those who do such things are not serving Christ our Lord, but their own appetites. By their fine words and flattering speech they deceive innocent people. 
19  Everyone has heard of your loyalty to the gospel, and for this reason I am happy about you. I want you to be wise about what is good, but innocent in what is evil. 
20  And God, our source of peace, will soon crush Satan under your feet.
The grace of our Lord Jesus be with you.

GOOD NEWS TRANSLATION
17  Now I urge you, brethren, note those who cause divisions and offenses, contrary to the doctrine which you learned, and avoid them. 
18  For those who are such do not serve our Lord Jesus Christ, but their own belly, and by smooth words and flattering speech deceive the hearts of the simple. 
19  For your obedience has become known to all. Therefore I am glad on your behalf; but I want you to be wise in what is good, and simple concerning evil. 
20  And the God of peace will crush Satan under your feet shortly.
The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you. Amen.

Bearing Others’ Burdens (Romans 15:1-6) New Living and Good News Translations

NEW LIVING TRANSLATION
1  We who are strong in the faith ought to help the weak to carry their burdens. We should not please ourselves. 
2  Instead, we should all please other believers for their own good, in order to build them up in the faith.
3  For Christ did not please himself. Instead, as the scripture says, “The insults which are hurled at you have fallen on me.” 
4  Everything written in the Scriptures was written to teach us, in order that we might have hope through the patience and encouragement which the Scriptures give us. 
5  And may God, the source of patience and encouragement, enable you to have the same point of view among yourselves by following the example of Christ Jesus, 
6  so that all of you together may praise with one voice the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.  

GOOD NEWS TRANSLATION
1  We then who are strong ought to bear with the scruples of the weak, and not to please ourselves. 
2  Let each of us please his neighbor for his good, leading to edification. 
3  For even Christ did not please Himself; but as it is written, “The reproaches of those who reproached You fell on Me.”
4  For whatever things were written before were written for our learning, that we through the patience and comfort of the Scriptures might have hope. 
5  Now may the God of patience and comfort grant you to be like-minded toward one another, according to Christ Jesus, 
6  that you may with one mind and one mouth glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Do Not Make Your Brother Fall (Romans 14:13-23) New Living and Good News Translations

NEW LIVING TRANSLATION
13  So then, let us stop judging one another. Instead, you should decide never to do anything that would make others stumble or fall into sin.  
14  My union with the Lord Jesus makes me certain that no food is of itself ritually unclean; but if you believe that some food is unclean, then it becomes unclean for you. 
15  If you hurt others because of something you eat, then you are no longer acting from love. Do not let the food that you eat ruin the person for whom Christ died! 
16  Do not let what you regard as good get a bad name. 
17  For God's Kingdom is not a matter of eating and drinking, but of the righteousness, peace, and joy which the Holy Spirit gives. 
18  And when you serve Christ in this way, you please God and are approved by others.
19  So then, we must always aim at those things that bring peace and that help strengthen one another. 
20  Do not, because of food, destroy what God has done. All foods may be eaten, but it is wrong to eat anything that will cause someone else to fall into sin. 
21  The right thing to do is to keep from eating meat, drinking wine, or doing anything else that will make other believers fall. 
22  Keep what you believe about this matter, then, between yourself and God. Happy are those who do not feel guilty when they do something they judge is right! 
23  But if they have doubts about what they eat, God condemns them when they eat it, because their action is not based on faith. And anything that is not based on faith is sin.

GOOD NEWS TRANSLATION
13  Therefore let us not judge one another anymore, but rather resolve this, not to put a stumbling block or a cause to fall in our brother’s way.
14  I know and am convinced by the Lord Jesus that there is nothing unclean of itself; but to him who considers anything to be unclean, to him it is unclean. 
15  Yet if your brother is grieved because of your food, you are no longer walking in love. Do not destroy with your food the one for whom Christ died. 
16  Therefore do not let your good be spoken of as evil; 
17  for the kingdom of God is not eating and drinking, but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit. 
18  For he who serves Christ in these things is acceptable to God and approved by men.
19  Therefore let us pursue the things which make for peace and the things by which one may edify another.
20  Do not destroy the work of God for the sake of food. All things indeed are pure, but it is evil for the man who eats with offense.
21  It is good neither to eat meat nor drink wine nor do anything by which your brother stumbles or is offended or is made weak. 
22  Do you have faith? Have it to yourself before God. Happy is he who does not condemn himself in what he approves. 
23  But he who doubts is condemned if he eats, because he does not eat from faith; for whatever is not from faith is sin.

Do Not Judge Others (Romans 14:1-12) New Living and Good News Translations

NEW LIVING TRANSLATION

1    Welcome those who are weak in faith, but do not argue with them about their personal opinions. 

2    Some people's faith allows them to eat anything, but the person who is weak in the faith eats only vegetables. 

3    The person who will eat anything is not to despise the one who doesn't; while the one who eats only vegetables is not to pass judgment on the one who will eat anything; for God has accepted that person.

4    Who are you to judge the servants of someone else? It is their own Master who will decide whether they succeed or fail. And they will succeed, because the Lord is able to make them succeed.

5    Some people think that a certain day is more important than other days, while others think that all days are the same. We each should firmly make up our own minds. 

6    Those who think highly of a certain day do so in honor of the Lord; those who will eat anything do so in honor of the Lord, because they give thanks to God for the food. Those who refuse to eat certain things do so in honor of the Lord, and they give thanks to God. 

7    We do not live for ourselves only, and we do not die for ourselves only. 

8    If we live, it is for the Lord that we live, and if we die, it is for the Lord that we die. So whether we live or die, we belong to the Lord. 

9    For Christ died and rose to life in order to be the Lord of the living and of the dead. 

10  You then, who eat only vegetables—why do you pass judgment on others? And you who eat anything—why do you despise other believers? All of us will stand before God to be judged by him. 

11  For the scripture says,  “As surely as I am the living God, says the Lord, everyone will kneel before me, and everyone will confess that I am God.”

12  Every one of us, then, will have to give an account to God.

GOOD NEWS TRANSLATION

1    Receive one who is weak in the faith, but not to disputes over doubtful things. 

2    For one believes he may eat all things, but he who is weak eats only vegetables. 

3    Let not him who eats despise him who does not eat, and let not him who does not eat judge him who eats; for God has received him. 

4    Who are you to judge another’s servant? To his own master he stands or falls. Indeed, he will be made to stand, for God is able to make him stand.

5    One person esteems one day above another; another esteems every day alike. Let each be fully convinced in his own mind. 

6    He who observes the day, observes it to the Lord; and he who does not observe the day, to the Lord he does not observe it. He who eats, eats to the Lord, for he gives God thanks; and he who does not eat, to the Lord he does not eat, and gives God thanks. 

7    For none of us lives to himself, and no one dies to himself. 

8    For if we live, we live to the Lord; and if we die, we die to the Lord. Therefore, whether we live or die, we are the Lord’s. 

9    For to this end Christ died and rose and lived again, that He might be Lord of both the dead and the living. 

10  But why do you judge your brother? Or why do you show contempt for your brother? For we shall all stand before the judgment seat of Christ 

11  For it is written:  “As I live, says the Lord, Every knee shall bow to Me, And every tongue shall confess to God.”

12  So then each of us shall give account of himself to God.