Poslanica Filipljanima 2

Jedinstvo u poniznosti

1 Ima li dakle u Kristu kakva ohrabrenja? Ima li utjehe u njegovoj ljubavi? Ima li zajedništva u Duhu? Ima li nježnosti i samilosti?

2 Usrećite me onda: budite složni, volite se uzajamno, budite jednodušni u osjećajima i mislima.
3 Ne budite sebični ni umišljeni. Budite ponizni i smatrajte jedni druge većima od sebe.

4 Ne starajte se samo za vlastitu korist već i za korist drugih.

Kristova poniznost i uzvišenost

5 Vaše bi motrište trebalo biti jednako Isusovu.6 Iako je bio Bog, nije zahtijevao svoje pravo da bude Bogom,7 nego je odložio svoju moćnu snagu i slavu te, uzevši na sebe lik sluge, postao ljudskim bićem. I kao ljudsko biće8 ponizio je samoga sebe, poslušan do smrti, i to do smrti na križu.9 Zato ga je Bog uzdignuo iznad svega i darovao mu ime uzvišenije od svakoga drugog imena,10 da pred Isusovim imenom prignu koljena sva bića na nebu, na zemlji i pod zemljom

11 i da svaki jezik prizna: "Isus Krist je Gospodin" na slavu Boga Oca.

Sjajno svijetlite za Krista

12 Najdraži moji, uvijek ste bili poslušni dok sam bio s vama. Ali sada dok me nema, morate se još više, sa strahom i drhtanjem, truditi oko svojega spasenja.

13 Jer Bog djeluje budeći u vama želju da mu budete poslušni i dajući vam snage da činite ono što mu je ugodno.
14 Ma što činili, ne prigovarajte i ne svađajte se15 da vas nitko ne može osuditi. Živite besprijekornim i čistim životom, kao neporočna Božja djeca usred izopačenog i pokvarenog naraštaja. Svijetlite u njihovoj tami poput zvijezda u svemiru.16 Čvrsto se držite Riječi života, tako da se na dan Kristova povratka mogu ponositi da nisam uzalud trčao trku niti uzalud se trudio.17 Štoviše, ako se i moja krv mora proliti poput žrtve za vašu vjeru i požrtvovno Božje djelo, sretan sam i radujem se s vama.

18 I vi se zato veselite i radujte sa mnom.

Preporuka Timoteju

19 Nadam se da ću, bude li volja Gospodina Isusa, ubrzo poslati k vama Timoteja, da me razveseli vijestima o vama.20 Nemam nikoga drugog poput njega tko bi se tako brinuo za vašu dobrobit,21 jer se svi drugi brinu samo o sebi, a ne o onomu što je Kristovo.22 Ali znate da je Timotej prokušan. Pomagao mi je u naviještanju Radosne vijesti kao sin ocu.23 Njega vam se nadam poslati čim doznam što će ovdje biti sa mnom.

24 A pouzdajem se u Gospodina da ću vam i sam ubrzo doći.

Preporuka Epafroditu

25 U međuvremenu mi se činilo potrebnim da vam pošaljem natrag Epafrodita, svojega brata, suradnika i suborca, kojega ste poslali da mi pomogne u potrebi.26 Šaljem ga doma jer čezne za vama i jer je žalostan što ste čuli da je obolio.

27 Zaista je bio bolestan, gotovo je umro. Ali Bog mu se - a i meni - smilovao da me ne snađe žalost na žalost.
28 Zato ga što prije šaljem jer znam da ćete se razveseliti kad ga vidite, a onda ću i ja biti manje žalostan.29 Primite ga dakle s ljubavlju Gospodnjom i poštujte takve ljude.

30 Izložio se životnoj pogibli radi Kristova djela i umalo je umro čineći za mene ono što vi niste mogli jer ste bili daleko.

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