Philippians 2

CHRISTIAN HUMILITY

2If, then, there is any encouragement in Christ, if any consolation of love,^a if any fellowship with the Spirit,^b if any affection and mercy,^{c 2}make my joy complete by thinking the same way,^d having the same love,^e united in spirit, intent on one^f purpose. ³Do nothing out of selfish ambition^g or conceit,^h but in humilityⁱ consider others as more important^j than yourselves. ⁴Everyone should look not to his own interests,^k but rather to the interests of others.^l

CHRIST’S HUMILITY AND EXALTATION

⁵Adopt the same attitude as that of Christ Jesus,

⁶who, existing in the form of God,

did not consider equality with God^m

as something to be exploited.^B

⁷Instead he emptied himselfⁿ

by assuming the form of a servant,^o

taking on the likeness of humanity.^p

And when he had come as a man,

⁸he humbled himself by becoming obedient

to the point of death—

even to death on a cross.^q

⁹For this reason God highly exalted him^r

and gave him the name

that is above every name,

¹⁰so that at the name of Jesus

every knee will bow^s—

in heaven^t and on earth

and under the earth^u—

¹¹and every tongue^v will confess

that Jesus Christ is Lord,

to the glory^w of God the Father.

LIGHTS IN THE WORLD

¹²Therefore, my dear friends,^x just as you have always obeyed,^y so now, not only in my presence but even more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling. ¹³For it is God who is working in you both to will and to work according to his good purpose. ¹⁴Do everything without grumbling^z and arguing,^{aa 15}so that you may be blameless^ab and pure,^ac children of God who are faultless^ad in a crooked^ae and perverted^af generation,^ag among whom you shine like stars in the world, ¹⁶by holding firm to the word^ah of life. Then I can boast^ai in the day of Christ^aj that I didn’t run or labor for nothing. ¹⁷But even if I am poured out^ak as a drink offering^al on the sacrificial service of your faith, I am glad and rejoice with all of you. ¹⁸In the same way you should also be glad and rejoice with me.

TIMOTHY AND EPAPHRODITUS

¹⁹Now I hope in the Lord Jesus^am to send Timothy^an to you soon so that I too may be encouraged by news about you. ²⁰For I have no one else like-minded who will genuinely care about your interests; ²¹all seek their own interests,^ao not those of Jesus Christ.^{ap 22}But you know his proven character, because he has served with me in the gospel ministry like a son with a father. ²³Therefore, I hope to send him as soon as I see how things go with me. ²⁴I am confident in the Lord that I myself will also come soon.^aq

²⁵But I considered it necessary to send you Epaphroditus^ar—my brother, coworker, and fellow soldier, as well as your messenger and minister to my need^as—²⁶since he has been longing for all of you and was distressed because you heard that he was sick. ²⁷Indeed, he was so sick that he nearly died. However, God had mercy on him, and not only on him but also on me, so that I would not have sorrow upon sorrow. ²⁸For this reason, I am very eager to send him so that you may rejoice again when you see him and I may be less anxious. ²⁹Therefore, welcome him in the Lord with great joy and hold people like him in honor, ³⁰because he came close to death for the work^at of Christ, risking his life to make up what was lacking in your ministry to me.