I am happy because you have joined me in spreading the good news. You have done so from the first day until now.

因为从头一天直到如今，你们是同心合意地兴旺福音。

因为从第一天直到如今，你们都同心合意兴旺福音。

因为从第一天直到如今，你们都同心合意兴旺福音。

因为你们从开始直到现在，一直和我同心合意地传扬福音。

为了你们从头一天直到现在都在福音的事工上有分，我就感谢我的神。

因你们从第一天到如今，一直在福音工作上相契合。

因為從頭一天直到如今，你們是同心合意地興旺福音。

因為從第一天直到如今，你們都同心合意興旺福音。

因為從第一天直到如今，你們都同心合意興旺福音。

因為你們從開始直到現在，一直和我同心合意地傳揚福音。

為了你們從頭一天直到現在都在福音的事工上有分，我就感謝我的神。

我感謝上帝，因為從頭一天到如今、你們在福音之推廣上就有了分。

因你們從第一天到如今，一直在福音工作上相契合。

緣爾自始迄今、共與福音、

緣爾自初迄今、共享福音、

緣爾曹自初迄今、共信福音、

蓋爾等與予通力合作、贊助福音、自始迄今、猶如一日。

because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now,

because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now.

for you have been my partners in spreading the Good News about Christ from the time you first heard it until now.

because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now.

in view of your participation in the gospel from the first day until now.

for your fellowship in the gospel from the first day until now,

for your fellowship in furtherance of the gospel from the first day until now;

because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now.

For your fellowship in the gospel from the first day until now;

because of your participation in the gospel from the first day until now.

for your partnership in furtherance of the Good News from the first day until now;

It is right for me to feel this way about all of you. I love you with all my heart. I may be held by chains, or I may be standing up for the truth of the good news. Either way, all of you share in God’s grace together with me.

But it was good of you to share in my troubles.And you believers at Philippi know what happened when I left Macedonia. Not one church helped me in the matter of giving and receiving. You were the only one that did. That was in the early days when you first heard the good news.

Do you think of me as a believer who works together with you? Then welcome Onesimus as you would welcome me.

From there we traveled to Philippi, a Roman colony. It is an important city in that part of Macedonia. We stayed there several days.On the Sabbath day we went outside the city gate. We walked down to the river. There we expected to find a place of prayer. We sat down and began to speak to the women who had gathered together.One of the women listening was from the city of Thyatira. Her name was Lydia, and her business was selling purple cloth. She was a worshiper of God. The Lord opened her heart to accept Paul’s message.She and her family were baptized. Then she invited us to her home.“ Do you consider me a believer in the Lord?” she asked.“ If you do, come and stay at my house.” She succeeded in getting us to go home with her.One day we were going to the place of prayer. On the way we were met by a female slave. She had a spirit that helped her tell people what was going to happen. She earned a lot of money for her owners by doing this.She followed Paul and the rest of us around. She shouted,“ These men serve the Most High God. They are telling you how to be saved.”She kept this up for many days. Finally Paul became upset. Turning around, he spoke to the spirit that was in her.“ In the name of Jesus Christ,” he said,“ I command you to come out of her!” At that very moment the spirit left the woman.Her owners realized that their hope of making money was gone. So they grabbed Paul and Silas. They dragged them into the market place to face the authorities.They brought them to the judges.“ These men are Jews,” her owners said.“ They are making trouble in our city.They are suggesting practices that are against Roman law. These are practices we can’t accept or take part in.”The crowd joined the attack against Paul and Silas. The judges ordered that Paul and Silas be stripped and beaten with rods.They were whipped without mercy. Then they were thrown into prison. The jailer was commanded to guard them carefully.When he received these orders, he put Paul and Silas deep inside the prison. He fastened their feet so they couldn’t get away.About midnight Paul and Silas were praying. They were also singing hymns to God. The other prisoners were listening to them.Suddenly there was a powerful earthquake. It shook the prison from top to bottom. All at once the prison doors flew open. Everyone’s chains came loose.The jailer woke up. He saw that the prison doors were open. He pulled out his sword and was going to kill himself. He thought the prisoners had escaped.“ Don’t harm yourself!” Paul shouted.“ We are all here!”The jailer called out for some lights. He rushed in, shaking with fear. He fell down in front of Paul and Silas.Then he brought them out. He asked,“ Sirs, what must I do to be saved?”They replied,“ Believe in the Lord Jesus. Then you and everyone living in your house will be saved.”They spoke the word of the Lord to him. They also spoke to all the others in his house.At that hour of the night, the jailer took Paul and Silas and washed their wounds. Right away he and everyone who lived with him were baptized.The jailer brought them into his house. He set a meal in front of them. He and everyone who lived with him were filled with joy. They had become believers in God.Early in the morning the judges sent their officers to the jailer. They ordered him,“ Let those men go.”The jailer told Paul,“ The judges have ordered me to set you and Silas free. You can leave now. Go in peace.”But Paul replied to the officers.“ They beat us in public,” he said.“ We weren’t given a trial. And we are Roman citizens! They threw us into prison. And now do they want to get rid of us quietly? No! Let them come themselves and personally lead us out.”The officers reported this to the judges. When the judges heard that Paul and Silas were Roman citizens, they became afraid.So they came and said they were sorry. They led them out of the prison. Then they asked them to leave the city.After Paul and Silas came out of the prison, they went to Lydia’s house. There they met with the brothers and sisters. They told them to be brave. Then they left.

At one time you were separated from God. You were enemies in your minds because of your evil ways.But because Christ died, God has brought you back to himself. Christ’s death has made you holy in God’s sight. So now you don’t have any flaw. You are free from blame.But you must keep your faith steady and firm. You must not move away from the hope the good news holds out to you. This is the good news that you heard. It has been preached to every creature under heaven. I, Paul, now serve the good news.

We belong to Christ if we hold tightly to the faith we had at first. But we must hold it tightly until the end.

I, Simon Peter, am writing this letter. I serve Jesus Christ. I am his apostle. I am sending this letter to you. You are those who have received a faith as valuable as ours. You received it because our God and Savior Jesus Christ does what is right.

The believers in Macedonia and Achaia were pleased to take an offering. It was for those who were poor among the Lord’s people in Jerusalem.

Some of the natural branches have been broken off. You are a wild olive branch. But you have been joined to the tree with the other branches. Now you enjoy the life- giving sap of the olive tree root.

The believers studied what the apostles taught. They shared their lives together. They ate and prayed together.

My dear friends, you have always obeyed God. You obeyed while I was with you. And you have obeyed even more while I am not with you. So continue to work out your own salvation. Do it with fear and trembling.

Brothers and sisters, we want you to know about the grace that God has given to the churches in Macedonia.

We announce to you what we have seen and heard. We do it so you can share life together with us. And we share life with the Father and with his Son, Jesus Christ.

Here is the mystery. Because of the good news, God’s promises are for Gentiles as well as for Jews. Both groups are parts of one body. They share in the promise. It belongs to them because they belong to Christ Jesus.

God is faithful. He has chosen you to share life with his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.

Share with the Lord’s people who are in need. Welcome others into your homes.

So you are no longer outsiders and strangers. You are citizens together with God’s people. You are also members of God’s family.You are a building that is built on the apostles and prophets. They are the foundation. Christ Jesus himself is the most important stone in the building.The whole building is held together by him. It rises to become a holy temple because it belongs to the Lord.And because you belong to him, you too are being built together. You are being made into a house where God lives through his Spirit.