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Romans 7

Amplified Bible, 2015 (AMP)

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¹ But I hope in the Lord Jesus to send Timothy to you soon, so that I may also be encouraged by learning news about you.

² For I have no one else [like him who is] so kindred a spirit who will be genuinely concerned for your [spiritual] welfare.

³ For the others [who deserted me after my arrest] all seek [to advance] their own interests, not those of Jesus Christ.

⁴ But you know of Timothy's tested worth and his proven character, that he has served with me to advance the gospel like a son serving with his father.

⁵ Therefore, I hope [that it is His will] to send him immediately, just as soon as I see how[5] my case turns out;

⁶ and I trust [confidently] in the Lord that soon I also will be coming to you.

⁷ However, I thought it necessary to send back to you Epaphroditus, [who has been] my brother and companion and fellow soldier, who was also sent as your messenger to take care of my needs.

⁸ For he has been longing[6] for all of you and was distressed because you had heard that he was sick.

⁹ He certainly was sick and close to death. But God had mercy on him, and not only on him but also on me, so that I would not have sorrow upon sorrow.

¹⁰ So I have sent him all the more eagerly so that when you see him again you may rejoice and I may be less concerned about you.

¹¹ Welcome him home in the Lord with great joy, and appreciate and honor men like him;

¹² because he came close to death for the work of Christ, risking his life to complete what was lacking in your service to me [which distance prevented you from rendering personally].

¹³ Finally, my[1] fellow believers, continue to rejoice and delight in the LORD. To write the same things again is no trouble for me, and it is a safeguard for you.

¹⁴ Look out for the[2] dogs [the Judaizers, the legalists], look out for the troublemakers, look out for the[3] false circumcision [those who claim circumcision is necessary for salvation];

¹⁵ for we [who are born-again have been reborn from above—spiritually transformed, renewed, set apart for His purpose and] are the true circumcision, who worship in the Spirit of God and glory and take pride and exult in Christ Jesus and place no confidence [in what we have or who we are] in the flesh—

¹⁶ though I myself might have [some grounds for] confidence in the flesh [if I were pursuing salvation by works]. If anyone else thinks that he has reason to be confident in the flesh [that is, in his own efforts to achieve salvation], I have far more:

¹⁷ circumcised when I was eight days old, of the nation of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of Hebrews [an exemplary Hebrew]; as to the [observance of the] Law, a Pharisee;

¹⁸ as to my zeal [for Jewish tradition], a persecutor of the church; and as to righteousness [supposed right living] which [my fellow Jews believe] is in the Law, I proved myself blameless.

¹⁹ But whatever former things were gains to me [as I thought then], these things [once regarded as advancements in merit] I have come to consider as loss [absolutely worthless] for the sake of Christ [and the purpose which He has given my life].

²⁰ But more than that, I count everything as loss compared to the priceless privilege and supreme advantage of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord [and of growing more deeply and thoroughly acquainted with Him—a joy unequaled]. For His sake I have lost everything, and I consider it all garbage, so that I may gain Christ,

²¹ and may be found in Him [believing and relying on Him], not having any righteousness of my own derived from [my obedience to] the Law and its rituals, but [possessing] that [genuine righteousness] which comes through faith in Christ, the righteousness which comes from God on the basis of faith.

²² And this, so that I may know Him [experientially, becoming more thoroughly acquainted with Him, understanding the remarkable wonders of His Person more completely] and [in that same way experience] the power of His resurrection [which overflows and is active in believers], and [that I may share] the fellowship of His sufferings, by being continually conformed [inwardly into His likeness even] to His death [dying as He did];

²³ [4] so that I may attain to the resurrection [that will raise me] from the dead.

²⁴ Not that I have already obtained it [this goal of being Christlike] or have already been made perfect, but I actively press on[5] so that I may take hold of that [perfection] for which Christ Jesus took hold of me and made me His own.

²⁵ [6] Brothers and sisters, I do not consider that I have made it my own yet; but one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and reaching forward to what lies ahead,

#	AMP
1	But I hope in the Lord Jesus to send Timothy to you soon, so that I may also be encouraged by learning news about you.
2	For I have no one else [like him who is] so kindred a spirit who will be genuinely concerned for your [spiritual] welfare.
3	For the others [who deserted me after my arrest] all seek [to advance] their own interests, not those of Jesus Christ.
4	But you know of Timothy's tested worth and his proven character, that he has served with me to advance the gospel like a son serving with his father.
5	Therefore, I hope [that it is His will] to send him immediately, just as soon as I see how[5] my case turns out;
6	and I trust [confidently] in the Lord that soon I also will be coming to you.
7	However, I thought it necessary to send back to you Epaphroditus, [who has been] my brother and companion and fellow soldier, who was also sent as your messenger to take care of my needs.
8	For he has been longing[6] for all of you and was distressed because you had heard that he was sick.
9	He certainly was sick and close to death. But God had mercy on him, and not only on him but also on me, so that I would not have sorrow upon sorrow.
10	So I have sent him all the more eagerly so that when you see him again you may rejoice and I may be less concerned about you.
11	Welcome him home in the Lord with great joy, and appreciate and honor men like him;
12	because he came close to death for the work of Christ, risking his life to complete what was lacking in your service to me [which distance prevented you from rendering personally].
13	Finally, my[1] fellow believers, continue to rejoice and delight in the LORD. To write the same things again is no trouble for me, and it is a safeguard for you.
14	Look out for the[2] dogs [the Judaizers, the legalists], look out for the troublemakers, look out for the[3] false circumcision [those who claim circumcision is necessary for salvation];
15	for we [who are born-again have been reborn from above—spiritually transformed, renewed, set apart for His purpose and] are the true circumcision, who worship in the Spirit of God and glory and take pride and exult in Christ Jesus and place no confidence [in what we have or who we are] in the flesh—
16	though I myself might have [some grounds for] confidence in the flesh [if I were pursuing salvation by works]. If anyone else thinks that he has reason to be confident in the flesh [that is, in his own efforts to achieve salvation], I have far more:
17	circumcised when I was eight days old, of the nation of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of Hebrews [an exemplary Hebrew]; as to the [observance of the] Law, a Pharisee;
18	as to my zeal [for Jewish tradition], a persecutor of the church; and as to righteousness [supposed right living] which [my fellow Jews believe] is in the Law, I proved myself blameless.
19	But whatever former things were gains to me [as I thought then], these things [once regarded as advancements in merit] I have come to consider as loss [absolutely worthless] for the sake of Christ [and the purpose which He has given my life].
20	But more than that, I count everything as loss compared to the priceless privilege and supreme advantage of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord [and of growing more deeply and thoroughly acquainted with Him—a joy unequaled]. For His sake I have lost everything, and I consider it all garbage, so that I may gain Christ,
21	and may be found in Him [believing and relying on Him], not having any righteousness of my own derived from [my obedience to] the Law and its rituals, but [possessing] that [genuine righteousness] which comes through faith in Christ, the righteousness which comes from God on the basis of faith.
22	And this, so that I may know Him [experientially, becoming more thoroughly acquainted with Him, understanding the remarkable wonders of His Person more completely] and [in that same way experience] the power of His resurrection [which overflows and is active in believers], and [that I may share] the fellowship of His sufferings, by being continually conformed [inwardly into His likeness even] to His death [dying as He did];
23	[4] so that I may attain to the resurrection [that will raise me] from the dead.
24	Not that I have already obtained it [this goal of being Christlike] or have already been made perfect, but I actively press on[5] so that I may take hold of that [perfection] for which Christ Jesus took hold of me and made me His own.
25	[6] Brothers and sisters, I do not consider that I have made it my own yet; but one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and reaching forward to what lies ahead,

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