Poul and Tymothe, seruauntis of Jhesu Crist, to alle the hooly men in Crist Jhesu, that ben at Philippis, with bischopis and dekenes, grace to ȝou and pees of God oure fadir, and of the Lord Jhesu Crist. I do thankyngis to my God in al mynde of ȝou euermore in alle my preieris for alle ȝou with ioye, makynge a bisechinge on ȝoure comunynge in the gospel of Crist, fro the firste day til now; tristnynge this ilke thing, for he that bigan in ȝou a good work, schal performe til into the day of Jhesu Crist. As it is iust to me for to feele this thing for alle ȝou, for that I haue ȝou in herte, and in my boondis, and in defendyng and confermyng of the gospel, alle ȝou for to be felowis of my ioye. Forsothe God is a witnesse to me, hou I coueite ȝou alle in the bowelis of Jhesu Crist. And this thing I preye, that ȝoure charite be plenteuous more and more in science, or kunnynge, and in al witt; that ȝe proue bettere thingis, that ȝe be clene and withoute offence in the day of Crist; fulfillid with the fruyt of riȝtwysnesse by Jhesu Crist, into the heriynge and glorie of God. Forsoth, britheren, I wole ȝow for to wite, that the thingis that ben aboute me han comyn more to the profyte of the gospel, so that my boondis weren maad knowun in Crist, in ech moot halle, and in alle othere placis; that mo of britheren in the Lord tristenynge in my boondis, more plenteuously dursten with oute drede speke the word of God. Summe forsoth and for enuye and stryf, summe forsoth and for good wille, prechen Crist; summe forsoth of charite, witinge for I am putt in the defence of the gospel. Forsoth summe of contencioun, or stryf, schewen Crist not clenly, gessinge hem for to reyse pressure to my boondis. What sothly? the while in al maner, ether by contencioun, ether by treuthe, Crist is schewid; and in this thing I haue ioye, but and in this thing I schal haue ioye. Sothli I woot, that this thing schal come to me into heelthe by ȝoure preier, and the vndirmynistringe of the spirit of Jhesu Crist, vp myn abidyng and hope. For in no thing I schal be confoundid, or schamed, but in al trist as euermore and now, Crist schal be magnyfied in my body, ether by lyf, ether by deeth. Forsothe to me for to lyue Crist is, and for to deie wynnyng. That if for to lyue in fleisch, this is fruyt of work to me, and what I schal cheese, I knowe not. Forsoth I am constreyned of twey thingis, hauynge desyr for to be dissolued, or departid the soule fro body, and for to be with Crist, it is moche more bettere; forsoth for to dwelle in fleisch, it is nedeful for ȝou. And I tristinge this thing, wot that I schal dwelle, and parfitly dwelle to alle ȝou, to ȝoure profyit and ioye of feith, that ȝoure thankyng habounde in Crist Jhesu in me, by my comynge eftsoone to ȝou. Oonly lyue ȝe worthily to the gospel of Crist, that where I schal come and se ȝou, ether absent I schal heere of ȝou, for ȝe stonden in o spirit of o wille, trauelinge to gidere to the feith of the gospel. And in no thing be ȝe aferd of aduersaries, the which is to hem cause of perdicioun, or of damnacioun; forsoth to ȝou cause of heelthe. And this thing of God. For it is ȝouun to ȝou for Crist, that not oonly ȝe bileuen in to him, but also that ȝe suffren for him; hauynge the same stryf, what maner and ȝe syȝen in me, and now ȝe han herd of me.
Therfore if ony comfort in Crist, if ony solace of charite, if ony felowschip of spirit, if ony entraylis of mercy doynge, fulfille ȝe my ioye, that ȝe vndirstonde the same thing, hauynge the same charite, of o wille, feelinge the same thing; nothing by stryf, nether by veyn glorie, but in mekenesse, demynge hiȝere to hem silf to gidere, or ech holdinge othere hiȝer in vertu; not ech by him silf biholdinge what thingis ben her owne, but tho thingis that ben of othere. Forsothe feele ȝe this thing in ȝou, the which and in Crist Jhesu; the which whanne he was in the foorme of God, demyde not raueyn, him silf for to be euene to God; but he lowyde him silf, takynge the foorme of a seruaunt, into lyknesse of men maad, and in habyt founden as a man. He mekede him silf, maad obedient til to the deeth, forsoth to the deeth of cross. For which thing and God enhauncide him, and ȝaf to him a name that is aboue al name; that in the name of Jhesu ech kne be bowid, of heuenly thingis and erthely, and of hellis; and ech tunge knowleche, for the Lord Jhesu Crist is in the glorie of God the fadir. And so, my mooste dereworthe, as euermore ȝe han obeischid, not in my presence oonly, but moche more now in myn absence, worche ȝe with drede and tremblinge ȝoure heelthe. Forsoth it is God that worchith in ȝou, and for to wille, and for to perfoorme, for good wille. Forsoth do ȝe alle thingis withouten grucchingis and doutyngis; that ȝe be withoute pleynt, and the symple sones of God, withoute reprof, in the myddel of a schrewid nacioun and weyward; among whom ȝe schynen as ȝyueris of liȝt in the world; holdynge to gidere the word of lyf to my glorie in the day of Crist; for I haue not runnen in veyn, nether in veyn trauelid. But and if I be offrid, or slayn, vpon the sacrifice and seruyce of ȝoure feith, I haue ioye, and to gidere thank ȝou alle. The same thing forsothe and ȝe haue ioye, and to gidere thanke me. Forsoth I hope in the Lord Jhesu, me for to sende Tymothe soone to ȝou, that and I be in good ynwitt, or gladnesse, tho thingis knowun that ben at ȝou. Forsothe I haue no man so of o wille, or acoord, that is bisy for ȝou with clene affeccioun, or desyre. Forsoth alle men seken tho thingis that ben her owne, not tho that ben of Crist Jhesu. Forsoth knowe ȝe the assay of him, for as a sone to the fadir he seruyde with me in the gospel. Forsothe I hope me for to sende hym to ȝou, a noon as I schal se what thingis ben abowte me. Sothely in the Lord I triste, for and I my silf schal come to ȝou soone. Forsothe I gesside it nedeful for to sende to ȝou Epaphrodite, my brother and euene worchere, and myn euene knyȝt, forsothe ȝoure apostle, and the mynystre of my nede. For sothely he desyride ȝou alle, and he was sorwful, for that and ȝe herden him maad syk. Forwhi and he was maad syk to the deeth, but God hadde mercy on hym; forsoth not oonly on hym, but also and on me, lest I hadde heuynesse vpon heuynesse. Therfore more hastely I sente hym, that him seyn, eft ȝe haue ioye, and I be withoute heuynesse. And so resceyue ȝe him with al ioye in the Lord, and haue ȝe such maner men with honour. Forwhi for the work of Crist til to deeth he wente, ȝyuynge his soule, that is, lyf, that he schulde fulfille that that faylide to ȝou anentis my seruyse.
Hennus forward, my britheren, haue ȝe ioye in the Lord. For to write to ȝou the same thingis, forsoth to me not slow, forsoth to ȝou necessarie. Se ȝe houndis, se ȝe yuel workmen, se ȝe dyuisioun. Sothli we ben circumcisioun, that bi spirit seruen to God, and glorien in Crist Jhesu, and not hauynge trist in the fleisch, thouȝ I haue trist and in the fleisch. If ony other man is seyn for to triste in fleisch, I more, circumsidid in the eiȝtith day, of the kyn of Israel, of the lynage of Beniamyn, an Ebrew of Ebrews, vp the lawe a Pharise, vp loue pursuwinge the chirche of God, vp riȝtwysnesse that is in the lawe lyuynge withoute pleynt. But whiche thingis weren to me wynnyngis, I haue demyde these peiringis for Crist. Netheles I gesse alle thingis for to be peyrement for the cleer science of Jhesu Crist. For whom I made alle thingis peirement, and I deme as toordis, that I wynne Crist, and that I be foundyn in him, not hauynge my riȝtwysnesse that is of the lawe, but that that is of the feith of Crist, that is of God riȝtwysnesse in feith, for to knowe him, and the vertu of his rysinge aȝen, and the felowschip of his passioun, I configurid, or made lyk, to his deeth, if on ony maner I schal come, or renne aȝens, to the resurreccioun that is of deede men. Not that now I haue takun, or now am parfyit; forsoth I sue, if on ony maner I schal comprehende, and in what thing I am comprehendid of Crist Jhesu. Bretheren, I deme me not for to haue comprehendid; o thing forsothe, I forȝetinge sothli tho thingis that ben bihyndis, strecchinge my silf forsoth to tho thingis that ben the formere, to the ordeyned thing, pursue to the pris of the hiȝe cleping of God in Crist Jhesu. Therefore who euere we ben parfyt, feele we this thing. And if ȝe vndirstonden othir maner ony thing, and that thing God schal schewe to ȝou. Netheles to what thing we han comen, that we vndirstonde the same thing, and that we parfytli dwelle in the same reule. Britheren, be ȝe my foloweris, and wayte ȝe hem that walken so, as ȝe han oure foorme. Forsoth manye walken, whom I haue seide oft to ȝou, forsoth now and I wepinge seie, the enemyes of Cristis cross, whos ende deeth, or perisching, whos god is the wombe, and glorie in confusioun of hem, that saueren, or vndirstonden, ertheli thingis. Forsoth oure lyuynge is in heuenes; wher of also we abyden the sauyour oure Lord Jhesu Crist, the which schal refoorme the body of oure mekenesse, configurid, or maad lyk, to the body of his cleernesse, vp the worchinge by which he may also make alle thingis suget to hym.
And so, my britheren moost dereworthe and moost desyrid, my ioye and my crowne, so stonde ȝe in the Lord, moost dere britheren. I preie Eucodiam, and I bisech Syntesem, for to vndirstonde the same thing in the Lord. Also and I preie thee, german felowe, helpe thou the ilke wymmen that traueliden with me in the gospel, with Clement and othere my helperis, whos names ben in the book of lyf. Ioye ȝe in the Lord euer more; eft I seie, ioye ȝe. Be ȝoure temperaunce, or pacience, knowun to alle men; the Lord is nyȝ. Be ȝe no thing bisy, but in al preier and biseching, with doynge of thankingis, be ȝoure axingis knowun at God. And the pees of God, that passith al witt, kepe ȝoure hertis and vndirstondingis in Crist Jhesu oure Lord. Fro hennus forth, britheren, what euere thingis ben sothe, what euere thingis chast, what euere thingis iust, what euere thingis hooly, what euere thingis amyable, or able for to be loued, what euere thingis of good fame, if ony vertu, if ony preisinge of disciplyn, thenke ȝe these thingis, that and ȝe han lerud, and take, and herd, and seyn in me. Do ȝe these thingis, and God of pees schal be with ȝou. Forsoth, britheren, I ioyede greetly in the Lord, for sumtyme aftirward ȝe flouriden aȝen for to feele for me, as and ȝe feeliden. Forsoth ȝe weren ocupied, I seie not as for nede, forsoth I haue lerud, in whiche thingis I am, sufficient for to be. I can and be lowid, or mekid, I can and abounde, or haue plente. Euery where and in alle thingis I am ordeyned, and I can be fulfillid, and to hungre, and to habounde, and to suffre myseste. I may alle thingis in him that comfortith me. Netheles ȝe han don wel, comunynge to my tribulacioun. Forsoth and ȝe, Philipencis, witen, that in the bigynnyng of the gospel, whanne I wente forth fro Macedonye, no chirche comunede with me in resoun of thing ȝouun and takun, no but ȝe allone. For and to Tessalonyk ȝe senten oonis and twyes in to vss to me. Not for I seke ȝifte, but I requyre, or seke aȝen, fruyt haboundynge in ȝoure resoun. Forsoth I haue alle thingis, and habounde; I am repleet with tho thingis takun of Epafrodite, the which ȝe sente into the odour of swetnesse, a couenable oost, or sacrifice, plesynge to God. Forsoth my God fulfille al ȝoure desyr, vp his richessis in glorie in Crist Jhesu. Forsoth to God and oure fadir be glorie into worldis of worldis. Amen. Greete ȝe wel euery hooly man in Crist Jhesu. Tho britheren that ben with me, greeten ȝou wel. Alle hooli men greeten ȝou wel, moost sothli tho that ben of Cesaris hous. The grace of oure Lord Jhesu Crist be with ȝoure spirit. Amen.
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