Philippians 2

1 If there is therefore any exhortation in Christ, if any consolation of love, if any fellowship of the Spirit, if any tender mercies and compassions,2 make full my joy, that ye be of the same mind, having the same love, being of one accord, of one mind;3 doing nothing through faction or through vainglory, but in lowliness of mind each counting other better than himself;4 not looking each of you to his own things, but each of you also to the things of others.5 Have this mind in you, which was also in Christ Jesus:6 who, existing in the form of God, counted not the being on an equality with God a thing to be grasped,7 but emptied himself, taking the form of a servant, being made in the likeness of men;8 and being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, becoming obedient even unto death, yea, the death of the cross.9 Wherefore also God highly exalted him, and gave unto him the name which is above every name;10 that in the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven and things on earth and things under the earth,11 and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.12 So then, my beloved, even as ye have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling;13 for it is God who worketh in you both to will and to work, for his good pleasure.14 Do all things without murmurings and questionings:15 that ye may become blameless and harmless, children of God without blemish in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, among whom ye are seen as lights in the world,16 holding forth the word of life; that I may have whereof to glory in the day of Christ, that I did not run in vain neither labor in vain.17 Yea, and if I am offered upon the sacrifice and service of your faith, I joy, and rejoice with you all:18 and in the same manner do ye also joy, and rejoice with me.19 But I hope in the Lord Jesus to send Timothy shortly unto you, that I also may be of good comfort, when I know your state.20 For I have no man likeminded, who will care truly for your state.21 For they all seek their own, not the things of Jesus Christ.22 But ye know the proof of him, that, as a child serveth a father, so he served with me in furtherance of the gospel.23 Him therefore I hope to send forthwith, so soon as I shall see how it will go with me:24 but I trust in the Lord that I myself also shall come shortly.25 But I counted it necessary to send to you Epaphroditus, my brother and fellow-worker and fellow-soldier, and your messenger and minister to my need;26 since he longed after you all, and was sore troubled, because ye had heard that he was sick:27 for indeed he was sick nigh unto death: but God had mercy on him; and not on him only, but on me also, that I might not have sorrow upon sorrow.28 I have sent him therefore the more diligently, that, when ye see him again, ye may rejoice, and that I may be the less sorrowful.29 Receive him therefore in the Lord with all joy; and hold such in honor:30 because for the work of Christ he came nigh unto death, hazarding his life to supply that which was lacking in your service toward 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