Philippians 2

Imitate Christ

1 Therefore, if there is any encouragement in Christ, any comfort in love, any sharing in the Spirit, any sympathy,2 complete my joy by thinking the same way, having the same love, being united, and agreeing with each other.3 Don’t do anything for selfish purposes but with humility think of others as better than yourselves.4 Instead of each person watching out for their own good, watch out for what is better for others.

5 Adopt the attitude that was in Christ Jesus:
6 Though he was in the form of God,
he did not consider being equal with God something to exploit.
7 But he emptied himself
by taking the form of a slave
and by becoming like human beings.
When he found himself in the form of a human,
8 he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death,
even death on a cross.
9 Therefore, God highly honored him
and gave him a name above all names,
10 so that at the name of Jesus everyone
in heaven, on earth, and under the earth might bow

11 and every tongue confess that
Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

Carry out your salvation

12 Therefore, my loved ones, just as you always obey me, not just when I am present but now even more while I am away, carry out your own salvation with fear and trembling.13 God is the one who enables you both to want and to actually live out his good purposes.14 Do everything without grumbling and arguing15 so that you may be blameless and pure, innocent children of God surrounded by people who are crooked and corrupt. Among these people you shine like stars in the world16 because you hold on to the word of life. This will allow me to say on the day of Christ that I haven’t run for nothing or worked for nothing.17 But even if I am poured out like a drink offering upon the altar of service for your faith, I am glad. I’m glad with all of you.

18 You should be glad about this in the same way. Be glad with me!

Sending Timothy and Epaphroditus

19 I hope in the Lord Jesus to send Timothy to see you soon so that I may be encouraged by hearing about you.20 I have no one like him. He is a person who genuinely cares about your well-being.21 All the others put their own business ahead of Jesus Christ’s business.22 You know his character, how he labors with me for the gospel like a son works with his father.23 So, he is the one that I hope to send as soon as I find out how things turn out here for me.

24 I trust in the Lord that I also will visit you soon.
25 I think it is also necessary to send Epaphroditus to you. He is my brother, coworker, and fellow soldier; and he is your representative who serves my needs.26 He misses you all, and he was upset because you heard he was sick.27 In fact, he was so sick that he nearly died. But God had mercy on him—and not just on him but also on me because his death would have caused me great sorrow.28 Therefore, I am sending him immediately so that when you see him again you can be glad and I won’t worry.29 So welcome him in the Lord with great joy and show great respect for people like him.

30 He risked his life and almost died for the work of Christ, and he did this to make up for the help you couldn’t give me.

Philippians 2

Christian Unity and Christ’s Humility

1 Therefore, if there is any encouragement in Christ, any comfort provided by love, any fellowship in the Spirit,t any affection or mercy,t2 complete my joy and be of the same mind,t by having the same love, being united in spirit,t and having one purpose.3 Instead of being motivated by selfish ambitiont or vanity, each of you should, in humility, be moved to treat one another as more important than yourself.4 Each of you should be concernedt not onlyt about your own interests, but about the interests of others as well.st

5 You should have the same attitude toward one another that Christ Jesus had,t

6 s who though he existed in the form of Gods
did not regard equality with God
as something to be grasped,

7 but emptied himself
by taking on the form of a slave,t
by looking like other men,ts
and by sharing in human nature.ts

8 He humbled himself,
by becoming obedient to the point of death
– even death on a cross!

9 As a result God exalted him
and gave him the name
that is above every name,

10 so that at the name of Jesus
every knee will 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.

Lights in the World

12 So then, my dear friends, just as you have always obeyed, not only in my presence but even more in my absence, continue working out your salvation with awe and reverence,t13 for the one bringing forth in you both the desire and the effort – for the sake of his good pleasure – is God.14 Do everything without grumbling or arguing,15 so that you may be blameless and pure, children of God without blemish though you live in a crooked and perverse society, in which you shine as lights in the worldt16 by holding on tot the word of life so that on the day of Christ I will have a reason to boast that I did not run in vain nor labor in vain.17 But even if I am being poured out like a drink offering on the sacrifice and service of your faith, I am glad and rejoice together with all of you.

18 And in the same way you also should be glad and rejoice together with me.

Models for Ministry

19 Now I hope in the Lord Jesus to send Timothy to you soon, so that I too may be encouraged by hearing news about you.20 For there is no one here like him who will readily demonstrate his deep concern for you.t21 Others are busy with their own concerns, not those of Jesus Christ.22 But you know his qualifications, that like a son working with his father, he served with me in advancing the gospel.23 So I hope to send him as soon as I know more about my situation,

24 though I am confident in the Lord that I too will be coming to see yout soon.
25 But for nowt I have considered it necessary to send Epaphroditus to you. For he is my brother,ts coworker and fellow soldier, and your messengert and ministert to me in my need.t26 Indeed, he greatly missed all of you and was distressed because you heard that he had been ill.27 In fact he became so ill that he nearly died.t But God showed mercy to him – and not to him only, but also to me – so that I would not have grief on top of grief.28 Therefore I am all the more eager to send him,t so that when you see him again you can rejoicet and I can be free from anxiety.29 So welcome him in the Lord with great joy, and honor people like him,

30 since it was because of the work of Christ that he almost died. He risked his life so that he could make up for your inability to serve me.t