Dying And Living With Christ/Living The New Life (Colossians 2:20-23 & 3:1-4) New Living & Good News Translations

NEW LIVING TRANSLATION
COLOSSIANS 2:20-23
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.
COLOSSIANS 3:1-4
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
COLOSSIANS 2:20-23
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.
COLOSSIANS 3:1-4
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!

Freedom From Rules And New Life In Christ (Colossians 2:6-19) New Living & Good News Translations

NEW LIVING TRANSLATION

6    And now, just as you accepted Christ Jesus as your Lord, you must continue to follow him. 

7    Let your roots grow down into him, and let your lives be built on him. Then your faith will grow strong in the truth you were taught, and you will overflow with thankfulness.

8    Don’t let anyone capture you with empty philosophies and high-sounding nonsense that come from human thinking and from the spiritual powers of this world, rather than from Christ. 

9    For in Christ lives all the fullness of God in a human body. 

10  So you also are complete through your union with Christ, who is the head over every ruler and authority.

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

6    Since you have accepted Christ Jesus as Lord, live in union with him. 
7    Keep your roots deep in him, build your lives on him, and become stronger in your faith, as you were taught. And be filled with thanksgiving.
8    See to it, then, that no one enslaves you by means of the worthless deceit of human wisdom, which comes from the teachings handed down by human beings and from the ruling spirits of the universe, and not from Christ. 
9    For the full content of divine nature lives in Christ, in his humanity, 
10  and you have been given full life in union with him. He is supreme over every spiritual ruler and authority.
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.

Christ Lives In You (Colossians 1:27-29 & 2:1-5) New Living and Good News Translations

NEW LIVING TRANSLATION
COLOSSIANS 1:27-29

27  For God wanted them to know that the riches and glory of Christ are for you Gentiles, too. And this is the secret: Christ lives in you. This gives you assurance of sharing his glory.

28  So we tell others about Christ, warning everyone and teaching everyone with all the wisdom God has given us. We want to present them to God, perfect in their relationship to Christ. 

29  That’s why I work and struggle so hard, depending on Christ’s mighty power that works within me.

COLOSSIANS 2:1-5

1  I want you to know how much I have agonized for you and for the church at Laodicea, and for many other believers who have never met me personally. 

2  I want them to be encouraged and knit together by strong ties of love. I want them to have complete confidence that they understand God’s mysterious plan, which is Christ himself. 

3  In him lie hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.

4  I am telling you this so no one will deceive you with well-crafted arguments. 

5  For though I am far away from you, my heart is with you. And I rejoice that you are living as you should and that your faith in Christ is strong.

GOOD NEWS TRANSLATION

COLOSSIANS 1:27-29

27  God's plan is to make known his secret to his people, this rich and glorious secret which he has for all peoples. And the secret is that Christ is in you, which means that you will share in the glory of God. 

28  So we preach Christ to everyone. With all possible wisdom we warn and teach them in order to bring each one into God's presence as a mature individual in union with Christ. 

29  To get this done I toil and struggle, using the mighty strength which Christ supplies and which is at work in me.

COLOSSIANS 2:1-5

1  Let me tell you how hard I have worked for you and for the people in Laodicea and for all others who do not know me personally. 

2  I do this in order that they may be filled with courage and may be drawn together in love, and so have the full wealth of assurance which true understanding brings. In this way they will know God's secret, which is Christ himself.

3  He is the key that opens all the hidden treasures of God's wisdom and knowledge.

4  I tell you, then, do not let anyone deceive you with false arguments, no matter how good they seem to be.

5  For even though I am absent in body, yet I am with you in spirit, and I am glad as I see the resolute firmness with which you stand together in your faith in Christ.

Christ Is Supreme (Colossians 1:15-23) New Living & Good News Translations

NEW LIVING TRANSLATION

15  Christ is the visible image of the invisible God.  He existed before anything was created and is supreme over all creation,

16  for through him God created everything in the heavenly realms and on earth.  He made the things we can see and the things we can’t see—such as thrones, kingdoms, rulers, and authorities in the unseen world. Everything was created through him and for him.

17  He existed before anything else, and he holds all creation together.

18  Christ is also the head of the church, which is his body.  He is the beginning, supreme over all who rise from the dead.  So he is first in everything.

19  For God in all his fullness was pleased to live in Christ,

20  and through him God reconciled everything to himself.  He made peace with everything in heaven and on earth by means of Christ’s blood on the cross.

21  This includes you who were once far away from God. You were his enemies, separated from him by your evil thoughts and actions. 

22  Yet now he has reconciled you to himself through the death of Christ in his physical body. As a result, he has brought you into his own presence, and you are holy and blameless as you stand before him without a single fault.

23  But you must continue to believe this truth and stand firmly in it. Don’t drift away from the assurance you received when you heard the Good News. The Good News has been preached all over the world, and I, Paul, have been appointed as God’s servant to proclaim it.

GOOD NEWS TRANSLATION

15  Christ is the visible likeness of the invisible God. He is the first-born Son, superior to all created things.
16  For through him God created everything in heaven and on earth, the seen and the unseen things, including spiritual powers, lords, rulers, and authorities. God created the whole universe through him and for him.
17  Christ existed before all things, and in union with him all things have their proper place. 
18  He is the head of his body, the church; he is the source of the body's life. He is the first-born Son, who was raised from death, in order that he alone might have the first place in all things. 
19  For it was by God's own decision that the Son has in himself the full nature of God. 
20  Through the Son, then, God decided to bring the whole universe back to himself. God made peace through his Son's blood on the cross and so brought back to himself all things, both on earth and in heaven.
21  At one time you were far away from God and were his enemies because of the evil things you did and thought. 
22  But now, by means of the physical death of his Son, God has made you his friends, in order to bring you, holy, pure, and faultless, into his presence. 
23  You must, of course, continue faithful on a firm and sure foundation, and must not allow yourselves to be shaken from the hope you gained when you heard the gospel. It is of this gospel that I, Paul, became a servant—this gospel which has been preached to everybody in the world.

Prayer Of Thanksgiving (Colossians 1:3-14) New Living & Good News Translations

NEW LIVING TRANSLATION

3    We always pray for you, and we give thanks to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. 

4    For we have heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and your love for all of God’s people, 

5    which come from your confident hope of what God has reserved for you in heaven. You have had this expectation ever since you first heard the truth of the Good News.

6    This same Good News that came to you is going out all over the world. It is bearing fruit everywhere by changing lives, just as it changed your lives from the day you first heard and understood the truth about God’s wonderful grace.

7    You learned about the Good News from Epaphras, our beloved co-worker. He is Christ’s faithful servant, and he is helping us on your behalf.

8    He has told us about the love for others that the Holy Spirit has given you.

9    So we have not stopped praying for you since we first heard about you. We ask God to give you complete knowledge of his will and to give you spiritual wisdom and understanding. 

10  Then the way you live will always honor and please the Lord, and your lives will produce every kind of good fruit. All the while, you will grow as you learn to know God better and better.

11  We also pray that you will be strengthened with all his glorious power so you will have all the endurance and patience you need. May you be filled with joy,

12  always thanking the Father. He has enabled you to share in the inheritance that belongs to his people, who live in the light. 

13  For he has rescued us from the kingdom of darkness and transferred us into the Kingdom of his dear Son, 

14  who purchased our freedom and forgave our sins.

GOOD NEWS TRANSLATION

3    We always give thanks to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, when we pray for you. 
4    For we have heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and of your love for all God's people. 
5    When the true message, the Good News, first came to you, you heard about the hope it offers. So your faith and love are based on what you hope for, which is kept safe for you in heaven. 
6    The gospel keeps bringing blessings and is spreading throughout the world, just as it has among you ever since the day you first heard about the grace of God and came to know it as it really is. 
7    You learned of God's grace from Epaphras, our dear fellow servant, who is Christ's faithful worker on our behalf. 
8    He has told us of the love that the Spirit has given you.
9    For this reason we have always prayed for you, ever since we heard about you. We ask God to fill you with the knowledge of his will, with all the wisdom and understanding that his Spirit gives. 
10  Then you will be able to live as the Lord wants and will always do what pleases him. Your lives will produce all kinds of good deeds, and you will grow in your knowledge of God. 
11-12  May you be made strong with all the strength which comes from his glorious power, so that you may be able to endure everything with patience. And with joy give thanks to the Father, who has made you fit to have your share of what God has reserved for his people in the kingdom of light. 
13    He rescued us from the power of darkness and brought us safe into the kingdom of his dear Son, 
14    by whom we are set free, that is, our sins are forgiven.

Thanks For The Gift (Philippians 4:12-20) New Living & Good News Translations

NEW LIVING TRANSLATION

12  I know how to live on almost nothing or with everything. I have learned the secret of living in every situation, whether it is with a full stomach or empty, with plenty or little. 

13  For I can do everything through Christ, who gives me strength. 

14  Even so, you have done well to share with me in my present difficulty.

15  As you know, you Philippians were the only ones who gave me financial help when I first brought you the Good News and then traveled on from Macedonia. No other church did this. 

16  Even when I was in Thessalonica you sent help more than once. 

17  I don’t say this because I want a gift from you. Rather, I want you to receive a reward for your kindness

18  At the moment I have all I need—and more! I am generously supplied with the gifts you sent me with Epaphroditus. They are a sweet-smelling sacrifice that is acceptable and pleasing to God. 

19  And this same God who takes care of me will supply all your needs from his glorious riches, which have been given to us in Christ Jesus.

20  Now all glory to God our Father forever and ever! Amen.

GOOD NEWS TRANSLATION

12  I know what it is to be in need and what it is to have more than enough. I have learned this secret, so that anywhere, at any time, I am content, whether I am full or hungry, whether I have too much or too little. 
13  I have the strength to face all conditions by the power that Christ gives me.
14  But it was very good of you to help me in my troubles. 
15  You Philippians know very well that when I left Macedonia in the early days of preaching the Good News, you were the only church to help me; you were the only ones who shared my profits and losses.
16  More than once when I needed help in Thessalonica, you sent it to me. 
17  It is not that I just want to receive gifts; rather, I want to see profit added to your account. 
18  Here, then, is my receipt for everything you have given me—and it has been more than enough! I have all I need now that Epaphroditus has brought me all your gifts. They are like a sweet-smelling offering to God, a sacrifice which is acceptable and pleasing to him. 
19  And with all his abundant wealth through Christ Jesus, my God will supply all your needs. 
20  To our God and Father be the glory forever and ever! Amen.

Words Of Encouragement (Philippians 4:2-9) New Living and Good News Translations

NEW LIVING TRANSLATION

2  Now I appeal to Euodia and Syntyche. Please, because you belong to the Lord, settle your Disagreement.  

3  And I ask you, my true partner, to help these two women, for they worked hard with me in telling others the Good News. They worked along with Clement and the rest of my co-workers, whose names are written in the Book of Life.

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
2  Euodia and Syntyche, please, I beg you, try to agree as sisters in the Lord. 
3  And you too, my faithful partner, I want you to help these women; for they have worked hard with me to spread the gospel, together with Clement and all my other fellow workers, whose names are in God's book of the living.
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.

Pressing Toward The Goal (Philippians 3:12-21) New Living & Good News Translations

NEW LIVING TRANSLATION

12  I don’t mean to say that I have already achieved these things or that I have already reached perfection. But I press on to possess that perfection for which Christ Jesus first possessed me. 

13  No, dear brothers and sisters, I have not achieved it,^] but I focus on this one thing: Forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead, 

14  I press on to reach the end of the race and receive the heavenly prize for which God, through Christ Jesus, is calling us.

15  Let all who are spiritually mature agree on these things. If you disagree on some point, I believe God will make it plain to you. 

16  But we must hold on to the progress we have already made.

17  Dear brothers and sisters, pattern your lives after mine, and learn from those who follow our example.

18  For I have told you often before, and I say it again with tears in my eyes, that there are many whose conduct shows they are really enemies of the cross of Christ. 

19  They are headed for destruction. Their god is their appetite, they brag about shameful things, and they think only about this life here on earth. 

20  But we are citizens of heaven, where the Lord Jesus Christ lives. And we are eagerly waiting for him to return as our Savior. 

21  He will take our weak mortal bodies and change them into glorious bodies like his own, using the same power with which he will bring everything under his control.

GOOD NEWS TRANSLATION

12  I do not claim that I have already succeeded or have already become perfect. I keep striving to win the prize for which Christ Jesus has already won me to himself. 
13  Of course, my friends, I really do not think that I have already won it; the one thing I do, however, is to forget what is behind me and do my best to reach what is ahead. 
14  So I run straight toward the goal in order to win the prize, which is God's call through Christ Jesus to the life above.
15  All of us who are spiritually mature should have this same attitude. But if some of you have a different attitude, God will make this clear to you. 
16  However that may be, let us go forward according to the same rules we have followed until now.
17  Keep on imitating me, my friends. Pay attention to those who follow the right example that we have set for you. 
18  I have told you this many times before, and now I repeat it with tears: there are many whose lives make them enemies of Christ's death on the cross. 
19  They are going to end up in hell, because their god is their bodily desires. They are proud of what they should be ashamed of, and they think only of things that belong to this world. 
20  We, however, are citizens of heaven, and we eagerly wait for our Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, to come from heaven. 
21  He will change our weak mortal bodies and make them like his own glorious body, using that power by which he is able to bring all things under his rule.

The Priceless Value Of Knowing Christ (Philippians 3:1-11) New Living and Good News Translations

NEW LIVING TRANSLATION

1    Whatever happens, my dear brothers and sisters, rejoice in the Lord. I never get tired of telling you these things, and I do it to safeguard your faith.

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

1    In conclusion, my friends, be joyful in your union with the Lord. I don't mind repeating what I have written before, and you will be safer if I do so. 

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 & 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 & 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.

To Live Is Christ (Philippians 1:12-30) New Living & Good News Translations

NEW LIVING TRANSLATION

12  And I want you to know, my dear brothers and sisters, that everything that has happened to me here has helped to spread the Good News. 

13  For everyone here, including the whole palace guard, knows that I am in chains because of Christ.

14  And because of my imprisonment, most of the believers here have gained confidence and boldly speak God’s message without fear.

15  It’s true that some are preaching out of jealousy and rivalry. But others preach about Christ with pure motives. 

16  They preach because they love me, for they know I have been appointed to defend the Good News. 

17  Those others do not have pure motives as they preach about Christ. They preach with selfish ambition, not sincerely, intending to make my chains more painful to me. 

18  But that doesn’t matter. Whether their motives are false or genuine, the message about Christ is being preached either way, so I rejoice. And I will continue to rejoice. 

19  For I know that as you pray for me and the Spirit of Jesus Christ helps me, this will lead to my deliverance.

20  For I fully expect and hope that I will never be ashamed, but that I will continue to be bold for Christ, as I have been in the past. And I trust that my life will bring honor to Christ, whether I live or die. 

21  For to me, living means living for Christ, and dying is even better. 

22  But if I live, I can do more fruitful work for Christ. So I really don’t know which is better. 

23  I’m torn between two desires: I long to go and be with Christ, which would be far better for me. 

24  But for your sakes, it is better that I continue to live.

25  Knowing this, I am convinced that I will remain alive so I can continue to help all of you grow and experience the joy of your faith. 

26  And when I come to you again, you will have even more reason to take pride in Christ Jesus because of what he is doing through me.

27  Above all, you must live as citizens of heaven, conducting yourselves in a manner worthy of the Good News about Christ. Then, whether I come and see you again or only hear about you, I will know that you are standing together with one spirit and one purpose, fighting together for the faith, which is the Good News. 

28  Don’t be intimidated in any way by your enemies. This will be a sign to them that they are going to be destroyed, but that you are going to be saved, even by God himself. 

29  For you have been given not only the privilege of trusting in Christ but also the privilege of suffering for him. 

30  We are in this struggle together. You have seen my struggle in the past, and you know that I am still in the midst of it.

GOOD NEWS TRANSLATION
12  I want you to know, my friends, that the things that have happened to me have really helped the progress of the gospel.
13  As a result, the whole palace guard and all the others here know that I am in prison because I am a servant of Christ. 
14  And my being in prison has given most of the believers more confidence in the Lord, so that they grow bolder all the time to preach the message fearlessly.
15  Of course some of them preach Christ because they are jealous and quarrelsome, but others from genuine good will. 
16  These do so from love, because they know that God has given me the work of defending the gospel.
17  The others do not proclaim Christ sincerely, but from a spirit of selfish ambition; they think that they will make more trouble for me while I am in prison.
18  It does not matter! I am happy about it—just so Christ is preached in every way possible, whether from wrong or right motives. And I will continue to be happy, 
19  because I know that by means of your prayers and the help which comes from the Spirit of Jesus Christ I shall be set free. 
20  My deep desire and hope is that I shall never fail in my duty, but that at all times, and especially right now, I shall be full of courage, so that with my whole being I shall bring honor to Christ, whether I live or die.
21  For what is life? To me, it is Christ. Death, then, will bring more. 
22  But if by continuing to live I can do more worthwhile work, then I am not sure which I should choose.
23  I am pulled in two directions. I want very much to leave this life and be with Christ, which is a far better thing; 
24  but for your sake it is much more important that I remain alive. 
25  I am sure of this, and so I know that I will stay. I will stay on with you all, to add to your progress and joy in the faith, 
26  so that when I am with you again, you will have even more reason to be proud of me in your life in union with Christ Jesus.
27  Now, the important thing is that your way of life should be as the gospel of Christ requires, so that, whether or not I am able to go and see you, I will hear that you are standing firm with one common purpose and that with only one desire you are fighting together for the faith of the gospel. 
28  Don't be afraid of your enemies; always be courageous, and this will prove to them that they will lose and that you will win, because it is God who gives you the victory. 
29  For you have been given the privilege of serving Christ, not only by believing in him, but also by suffering for him. 
30  Now you can take part with me in the battle. It is the same battle you saw me fighting in the past, and as you hear, the one I am fighting still.

The Whole Armor Of God (Ephesians 6:10-20) New Living & Good News Translations

NEW LIVING TRANSLATION

10  A final word: Be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. 

11  Put on all of God’s armor so that you will be able to stand firm against all strategies of the devil. 

12  For we are not fighting against flesh-and-blood enemies, but against evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against mighty powers in this dark world, and against evil spirits in the heavenly places.

13  Therefore, put on every piece of God’s armor so you will be able to resist the enemy in the time of evil. Then after the battle you will still be standing firm. 

14  Stand your ground, putting on the belt of truth and the body armor of God’s righteousness. 

15  For shoes, put on the peace that comes from the Good News so that you will be fully prepared.

16  In addition to all of these, hold up the shield of faith to stop the fiery arrows of the devil.

17  Put on salvation as your helmet, and take the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.

18  Pray in the Spirit at all times and on every occasion. Stay alert and be persistent in your prayers for all believers everywhere.

19  And pray for me, too. Ask God to give me the right words so I can boldly explain God’s mysterious plan that the Good News is for Jews and Gentiles alike.

20  I am in chains now, still preaching this message as God’s ambassador. So pray that I will keep on speaking boldly for him, as I should.

GOOD NEWS TRANSLATION
10  Finally, build up your strength in union with the Lord and by means of his mighty power. 
11  Put on all the armor that God gives you, so that you will be able to stand up against the Devil's evil tricks.
12  For we are not fighting against human beings but against the wicked spiritual forces in the heavenly world, the rulers, authorities, and cosmic powers of this dark age. 
13  So put on God's armor now! Then when the evil day comes, you will be able to resist the enemy's attacks; and after fighting to the end, you will still hold your ground.
14  So stand ready, with truth as a belt tight around your waist, with righteousness as your breastplate,
15  and as your shoes the readiness to announce the Good News of peace. 
16  At all times carry faith as a shield; for with it you will be able to put out all the burning arrows shot by the Evil One. 
17  And accept salvation as a helmet, and the word of God as the sword which the Spirit gives you. 
18  Do all this in prayer, asking for God's help. Pray on every occasion, as the Spirit leads. For this reason keep alert and never give up; pray always for all God's people. 
19  And pray also for me, that God will give me a message when I am ready to speak, so that I may speak boldly and make known the gospel's secret. 
20  For the sake of this gospel I am an ambassador, though now I am in prison. Pray that I may be bold in speaking about the gospel as I should.

Spirit-Guided Relationships: Wives and Husbands (Ephesians 5:21-33) New Living & Good News Translations

NEW LIVING TRANSLATION

21  And further, submit to one another out of reverence for Christ.

22  For wives, this means submit to your husbands as to the Lord. 

23  For a husband is the head of his wife as Christ is the head of the church. He is the Savior of his body, the church. 

24  As the church submits to Christ, so you wives should submit to your husbands in everything.

25  For husbands, this means love your wives, just as Christ loved the church. He gave up his life for her 

26  to make her holy and clean, washed by the cleansing of God’s word.

27  He did this to present her to himself as a glorious church without a spot or wrinkle or any other blemish. Instead, she will be holy and without fault. 

28  In the same way, husbands ought to love their wives as they love their own bodies. For a man who loves his wife actually shows love for himself. 

29  No one hates his own body but feeds and cares for it, just as Christ cares for the church. 

30  And we are members of his body.

31  As the Scriptures say, “A man leaves his father and mother and is joined to his wife, and the two are united into one.”

32  This is a great mystery, but it is an illustration of the way Christ and the church are one. 

33  So again I say, each man must love his wife as he loves himself, and the wife must respect her husband.

GOOD NEWS TRANSLATION

21  Submit yourselves to one another because of your reverence for Christ.
22  Wives, submit yourselves to your husbands as to the Lord. 
23  For a husband has authority over his wife just as Christ has authority over the church; and Christ is himself the Savior of the church, his body. 
24  And so wives must submit themselves completely to their husbands just as the church submits itself to Christ.
25  Husbands, love your wives just as Christ loved the church and gave his life for it. 
26  He did this to dedicate the church to God by his word, after making it clean by washing it in water, 
27  in order to present the church to himself in all its beauty—pure and faultless, without spot or wrinkle or any other imperfection. 
28  Men ought to love their wives just as they love their own bodies. A man who loves his wife loves himself.
29  (None of us ever hate our own bodies. Instead, we feed them, and take care of them, just as Christ does the church; 
30  for we are members of his body.) 
31  As the scripture says, “For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and unite with his wife, and the two will become one.” 
32  There is a deep secret truth revealed in this scripture, which I understand as applying to Christ and the church. 
33  But it also applies to you: every husband must love his wife as himself, and every wife must respect her husband.

Living In The Light (Ephesians 5:1-20) New Living & Good News Translations

NEW LIVING TRANSLATION

 1    Imitate God, therefore, in everything you do, because you are his dear children. 

2    Live a life filled with love, following the example of Christ. He loved us and offered himself as a sacrifice for us, a pleasing aroma to God.

3    Let there be no sexual immorality, impurity, or greed among you. Such sins have no place among God’s people. 

4    Obscene stories, foolish talk, and coarse jokes—these are not for you. Instead, let there be thankfulness to God. 

5    You can be sure that no immoral, impure, or greedy person will inherit the Kingdom of Christ and of God. For a greedy person is an idolater, worshiping the things of this world.

6    Don’t be fooled by those who try to excuse these sins, for the anger of God will fall on all who disobey him. 

7    Don’t participate in the things these people do. 

8    For once you were full of darkness, but now you have light from the Lord. So live as people of light!

9    For this light within you produces only what is good and right and true.

10  Carefully determine what pleases the Lord. 

11  Take no part in the worthless deeds of evil and darkness; instead, expose them. 

12  It is shameful even to talk about the things that ungodly people do in secret. 

13  But their evil intentions will be exposed when the light shines on them, 

14  for the light makes everything visible. This is why it is said,  “Awake, O sleeper, rise up from the dead,     and Christ will give you light.”

15  So be careful how you live. Don’t live like fools, but like those who are wise. 

16  Make the most of every opportunity in these evil days. 

17  Don’t act thoughtlessly, but understand what the Lord wants you to do.  

18  Don’t be drunk with wine, because that will ruin your life. Instead, be filled with the Holy Spirit, 

19  singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs among yourselves, and making music to the Lord in your hearts. 

20  And give thanks for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.

GOOD NEWS TRANSLATION

1    Since you are God's dear children, you must try to be like him. 

2    Your life must be controlled by love, just as Christ loved us and gave his life for us as a sweet-smelling offering and sacrifice that pleases God.

3    Since you are God's people, it is not right that any matters of sexual immorality or indecency or greed should even be mentioned among you. 

4    Nor is it fitting for you to use language which is obscene, profane, or vulgar. Rather you should give thanks to God. 

5    You may be sure that no one who is immoral, indecent, or greedy (for greed is a form of idolatry) will ever receive a share in the Kingdom of Christ and of God.

6    Do not let anyone deceive you with foolish words; it is because of these very things that God's anger will come upon those who do not obey him. 

7    So have nothing at all to do with such people. 

8    You yourselves used to be in the darkness, but since you have become the Lord's people, you are in the light. So you must live like people who belong to the light, 

9    for it is the light that brings a rich harvest of every kind of goodness, righteousness, and truth. 

10  Try to learn what pleases the Lord. 

11  Have nothing to do with the worthless things that people do, things that belong to the darkness. Instead, bring them out to the light. 

12  (It is really too shameful even to talk about the things they do in secret.) 

13  And when all things are brought out to the light, then their true nature is clearly revealed; 

14   for the light makes everything visible. This is why it is said, “Awake, O sleeper, rise up from the dead, and Christ will give you light."

15  So be careful how you live. Don't live like ignorant people, but like wise people. 

16  Make good use of every opportunity you have, because these are evil days. 

17  Don't be fools, then, but try to find out what the Lord wants you to do.

18  Do not get drunk with wine, which will only ruin you; instead, be filled with the Spirit. 

19  Speak to one another with the words of psalms, hymns, and sacred songs; sing hymns and psalms to the Lord with praise in your hearts. 

20  In the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, always give thanks for everything to God the Father.

The New Life In Christ (Ephesians 4:17-32) New Living and Good News Translations

NEW LIVING TRANSLATION

17  With the Lord’s authority I say this: Live no longer as the Gentiles do, for they are hopelessly confused.

18  Their minds are full of darkness; they wander far from the life God gives because they have closed their minds and hardened their hearts against him. 

19  They have no sense of shame. They live for lustful pleasure and eagerly practice every kind of impurity.

20  But that isn’t what you learned about Christ. 

21  Since you have heard about Jesus and have learned the truth that comes from him, 

22  throw off your old sinful nature and your former way of life, which is corrupted by lust and deception.

23  Instead, let the Spirit renew your thoughts and attitudes. 

24  Put on your new nature, created to be like God—truly righteous and holy.

25  So stop telling lies. Let us tell our neighbors the truth, for we are all parts of the same body. 

26  And “don’t sin by letting anger control you.” Don’t let the sun go down while you are still angry, 

27  for anger gives a foothold to the devil.

28  If you are a thief, quit stealing. Instead, use your hands for good hard work, and then give generously to others in need. 

29  Don’t use foul or abusive language. Let everything you say be good and helpful, so that your words will be an encouragement to those who hear them.

30  And do not bring sorrow to God’s Holy Spirit by the way you live. Remember, he has identified you as his own, guaranteeing that you will be saved on the day of redemption.

31  Get rid of all bitterness, rage, anger, harsh words, and slander, as well as all types of evil behavior.

32  Instead, be kind to each other, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, just as God through Christ has forgiven you.

GOOD NEWS TRANSLATION

17  In the Lord's name, then, I warn you: do not continue to live like the heathen, whose thoughts are worthless 
18  and whose minds are in the dark. They have no part in the life that God gives, for they are completely ignorant and stubborn. 
19  They have lost all feeling of shame; they give themselves over to vice and do all sorts of indecent things without restraint.
20  That was not what you learned about Christ! 
21  You certainly heard about him, and as his followers you were taught the truth that is in Jesus. 
22  So get rid of your old self, which made you live as you used to—the old self that was being destroyed by its deceitful desires. 
23  Your hearts and minds must be made completely new, 
24  and you must put on the new self, which is created in God's likeness and reveals itself in the true life that is upright and holy.
25  No more lying, then! Each of you must tell the truth to the other believer, because we are all members together in the body of Christ. 
26  If you become angry, do not let your anger lead you into sin, and do not stay angry all day. 
27  Don't give the Devil a chance. 
28  If you used to rob, you must stop robbing and start working, in order to earn an honest living for yourself and to be able to help the poor. 
29  Do not use harmful words, but only helpful words, the kind that build up and provide what is needed, so that what you say will do good to those who hear you. 
30  And do not make God's Holy Spirit sad; for the Spirit is God's mark of ownership on you, a guarantee that the Day will come when God will set you free. 
31  Get rid of all bitterness, passion, and anger. No more shouting or insults, no more hateful feelings of any sort. 
32  Instead, be kind and tender-hearted to one another, and forgive one another, as God has forgiven you through Christ.

The Unity Of The Body (Ephesians 4:1-16) New Living & Good News Translations

NEW LIVING TRANSLATION

1    Therefore I, a prisoner for serving the Lord, beg you to lead a life worthy of your calling, for you have been called by God. 

2    Always be humble and gentle. Be patient with each other, making allowance for each other’s faults because of your love. 

3    Make every effort to keep yourselves united in the Spirit, binding yourselves together with peace. 

4    For there is one body and one Spirit, just as you have been called to one glorious hope for the future.

5    There is one Lord, one faith, one baptism, 

6    and one God and Father, who is over all and in all and living through all.  

7    However, he has given each one of us a special gift through the generosity of Christ. 

8    That is why the Scriptures say, “When he ascended to the heights, he led a crowd of captives and gave gifts to his people.”

9    Notice that it says “he ascended.” This clearly means that Christ also descended to our lowly world.

10  And the same one who descended is the one who ascended higher than all the heavens, so that he might fill the entire universe with himself.

11  Now these are the gifts Christ gave to the church: the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, and the pastors and teachers. 

12  Their responsibility is to equip God’s people to do his work and build up the church, the body of Christ.

13  This will continue until we all come to such unity in our faith and knowledge of God’s Son that we will be mature in the Lord, measuring up to the full and complete standard of Christ.

14  Then we will no longer be immature like children. We won’t be tossed and blown about by every wind of new teaching. We will not be influenced when people try to trick us with lies so clever they sound like the truth. 

15  Instead, we will speak the truth in love, growing in every way more and more like Christ, who is the head of his body, the church. 

16  He makes the whole body fit together perfectly. As each part does its own special work, it helps the other parts grow, so that the whole body is healthy and growing and full of love.

GOOD NEWS TRANSLATION

1    I urge you, then—I who am a prisoner because I serve the Lord: live a life that measures up to the standard God set when he called you. 

2    Be always humble, gentle, and patient. Show your love by being tolerant with one another. 

3    Do your best to preserve the unity which the Spirit gives by means of the peace that binds you together.

4    There is one body and one Spirit, just as there is one hope to which God has called you. 

5    There is one Lord, one faith, one baptism; 

6    there is one God and Father of all people, who is Lord of all, works through all, and is in all.

7    Each one of us has received a special gift in proportion to what Christ has given. 

8    As the scripture says, “When he went up to the very heights, he took many captives with him; he gave gifts to people.”

9    Now, what does “he went up” mean? It means that first he came down to the lowest depths of the earth.

10  So the one who came down is the same one who went up, above and beyond the heavens, to fill the whole universe with his presence. 

11  It was he who “gave gifts to people”; he appointed some to be apostles, others to be prophets, others to be evangelists, others to be pastors and teachers. 

12  He did this to prepare all God's people for the work of Christian service, in order to build up the body of Christ. 

13  And so we shall all come together to that oneness in our faith and in our knowledge of the Son of God; we shall become mature people, reaching to the very height of Christ's full stature. 

14  Then we shall no longer be children, carried by the waves and blown about by every shifting wind of the teaching of deceitful people, who lead others into error by the tricks they invent. 

15  Instead, by speaking the truth in a spirit of love, we must grow up in every way to Christ, who is the head. 

16  Under his control all the different parts of the body fit together, and the whole body is held together by every joint with which it is provided. So when each separate part works as it should, the whole body grows and builds itself up through love.

The Love Of Christ (Ephesians 3:14-21) New Living and Good News Translations

NEW LIVING TRANSLATION

14  When I think of all this, I fall to my knees and pray to the Father,

15  the Creator of everything in heaven and on earth.

16  I pray that from his glorious, unlimited resources he will empower you with inner strength through his Spirit. 

17  Then Christ will make his home in your hearts as you trust in him. Your roots will grow down into God’s love and keep you strong. 

18  And may you have the power to understand, as all God’s people should, how wide, how long, how high, and how deep his love is. 

19  May you experience the love of Christ, though it is too great to understand fully. Then you will be made complete with all the fullness of life and power that comes from God.

20  Now all glory to God, who is able, through his mighty power at work within us, to accomplish infinitely more than we might ask or think. 

21  Glory to him in the church and in Christ Jesus through all generations forever and ever! Amen.

GOOD NEWS TRANSLATION

14  For this reason I fall on my knees before the Father, 
15  from whom every family in heaven and on earth receives its true name. 
16  I ask God from the wealth of his glory to give you power through his Spirit to be strong in your inner selves, 
17  and I pray that Christ will make his home in your hearts through faith. I pray that you may have your roots and foundation in love, 
18  so that you, together with all God's people, may have the power to understand how broad and long, how high and deep, is Christ's love. 
19  Yes, may you come to know his love—although it can never be fully known—and so be completely filled with the very nature of God.
20  To him who by means of his power working in us is able to do so much more than we can ever ask for, or even think of: 
21  to God be the glory in the church and in Christ Jesus for all time, forever and ever! Amen.

Oneness And Peace In Christ (Ephesians 2:11-22) New Living & Good News Translations

NEW LIVING TRANSLATION

11  Don’t forget that you Gentiles used to be outsiders. You were called “uncircumcised heathens” by the Jews, who were proud of their circumcision, even though it affected only their bodies and not their hearts.

12  In those days you were living apart from Christ. You were excluded from citizenship among the people of Israel, and you did not know the covenant promises God had made to them. You lived in this world without God and without hope. 

13  But now you have been united with Christ Jesus. Once you were far away from God, but now you have been brought near to him through the blood of Christ.

14  For Christ himself has brought peace to us. He united Jews and Gentiles into one people when, in his own body on the cross, he broke down the wall of hostility that separated us. 

15  He did this by ending the system of law with its commandments and regulations. He made peace between Jews and Gentiles by creating in himself one new people from the two groups. 

16  Together as one body, Christ reconciled both groups to God by means of his death on the cross, and our hostility toward each other was put to death.

17  He brought this Good News of peace to you Gentiles who were far away from him, and peace to the Jews who were near. 

18  Now all of us can come to the Father through the same Holy Spirit because of what Christ has done for us. 

19  So now you Gentiles are no longer strangers and foreigners. You are citizens along with all of God’s holy people. You are members of God’s family. 

20  Together, we are his house, built on the foundation of the apostles and the prophets. And the cornerstone is Christ Jesus himself.

21  We are carefully joined together in him, becoming a holy temple for the Lord. ²² Through him you Gentiles are also being made part of this dwelling where God lives by his Spirit.

GOOD NEWS TRANSLATION

11  You Gentiles by birth—called “the uncircumcised” by the Jews, who call themselves the circumcised (which refers to what men do to their bodies)—remember what you were in the past. 
12  At that time you were apart from Christ. You were foreigners and did not belong to God's chosen people. You had no part in the covenants, which were based on God's promises to his people, and you lived in this world without hope and without God. 
13  But now, in union with Christ Jesus you, who used to be far away, have been brought near by the blood of Christ.
14  For Christ himself has brought us peace by making Jews and Gentiles one people. With his own body he broke down the wall that separated them and kept them enemies. 
15  He abolished the Jewish Law with its commandments and rules, in order to create out of the two races one new people in union with himself, in this way making peace. 
16  By his death on the cross Christ destroyed their enmity; by means of the cross he united both races into one body and brought them back to God. 
17  So Christ came and preached the Good News of peace to all—to you Gentiles, who were far away from God, and to the Jews, who were near to him. 
18  It is through Christ that all of us, Jews and Gentiles, are able to come in the one Spirit into the presence of the Father.
19  So then, you Gentiles are not foreigners or strangers any longer; you are now citizens together with God's people and members of the family of God. 
20  You, too, are built upon the foundation laid by the apostles and prophets, the cornerstone being Christ Jesus himself. 
21  He is the one who holds the whole building together and makes it grow into a sacred temple dedicated to the Lord. 
22  In union with him you too are being built together with all the others into a place where God lives through his Spirit.