ſonldiour, but your meſſenger, and hee that miniſtred to my wants.
26 For hee longed after you all, and was full of heauineſſe, becauſe that yee had heard that he had bene ſicke.
27 For indeed he was ſicke nigh vnto death, but God had mercy on him: and not on him onely, but on mee alſo, leſt I ſhould haue ſorow vpon ſorow.
28 I ſent him therefore the more carefully, that when ye ſee him againe, ye may reioyce, and that I may bee the leſſe ſorrowfull.
29 Receiue him therefore in the Lord with all gladneſſe, and ǁǁ Or, honor ſuch. hold ſuch in reputation:
30 Becauſe for the worke of Chriſt he was nigh vnto death, not regarding his life, to ſupply your lacke of ſeruice toward me.
CHAP. III.
1 Hee warneth to beware of the falſe teachers of the Circumciſion, 4 ſhewing that himſelf hath greater cauſe then they, to truſt in the righteouſneſſe of the Law: 7 which notwithſtanding hee counteth as doung and loſſe, to gaine Chriſt and his righteouſneſſe, 12 therein acknowledging his owne imperfection. 15 Hee exhorteth them to be thus minded, 17 and to imitate him, 18 and to decline the waies of carnall Chriſtians.
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Inally, my brethren, reiyoce in the Lorde. To write the ſame things to you, to me indeed is not grieuous: but for you it is ſafe.
2 Beware of dogs, beware of euill workers: beware of the conciſion.
3 For we are the circumciſion, which worſhip God in the ſpirit, and reioyce in Chriſt Ieſus, and haue no confidence in the fleſh.
4 Though I might alſo haue confidence in the fleſh. If any other man thinketh that hee hath whereof hee might truſt in the fleſh, I more:
5 Circumciſed the eight day, of the ſtocke of Iſrael, of the tribe of Beniamin, an Hebrew of the Hebrewes, as touching the Law, a Phariſe:
6 Concerning zeale, perſecuting the Church: touching the righteouſneſſe which is in the Law, blameleſſe.
7 But what things were gaine to me, thoſe I counted loſſe for Chriſt.
8 Yea doubtleſſe, and I count all things but loſſe, for the excellencie of the knowledge of Chriſt Ieſus my Lord: for whom I haue ſuffered the loſſe of all things, and doe count them but doung, that I may win Chriſt,
9 And be found in him, not hauing mine righteouſneſſe, which is of the Law, but that which is through the faith of Chriſt, the righteouſneſſe which is of God by faith:
10 That I may know him, and the power of his reſurrection, and the fellowſhip of his ſufferings, being made conformable vnto his death,
11 If by any meanes I might attaine vnto the reſurrection of the dead.
12 Not as through I had already attained, either were already perfect: but I follow after, if that I may apprehend that for which alſo I am apprehended of Chriſt Jeſus.
13 Brethren, I count not my ſelfe to haue apprehended: but this one thing I doe, forgetting thoſe things which are behinde, and reaching forth vnto thoſe things which are before,
14 I preſſe toward the marke, for the price of the high calling of God in Chriſt Ieſus.
15 Let us therefore, as many as bee perfect, bee thus minded: and if in anything ye be otherwiſe minded, God ſhal reueale euen this vnto you.
16 Neuertheleſſe, whereto wee haue alreadie attained, let vs walke by the ſame rule, let vs minde the ſame thing.
17 Brethren, be followers together of me, and marke them which walke ſo, as ye haue vs for an enſample.
18 (For many walke, of whome I haue told you often, and now tell you euen weeping, that they are the enemies of the croſſe of Chriſt:
19 Whoſe end is deſtruction, whoſe God is their belly, and whoſe glorie is in their ſhame, who minde earthly things.)
20 For our conuerſation is in heauen, from whence alſo we looke for the Sauiour, the Lord Ieſus Chriſt:
21 Who ſhall change our vile bodie, that it may bee faſhioned like vnto his glorious body, according to the working whereby he is able euen to ſubdue all things vnto himſelfe.
