Striving and Suffering for Christ

27 Only olet your conduct be worthy of the gospel of Christ, so that whether I come and see you or am absent, I may hear of your affairs, that you stand fast in one spirit, pwith one mind qstriving together for the faith of the gospel, 28 and not in any way terrified by your adversaries, which is to them a proof of perdition, but 6to you of salvation, and that from God. 29 For to you rit has been granted on behalf of Christ, snot only to believe in Him, but also to tsuffer for His sake, 30 uhaving the same conflict vwhich you saw in me and now hear is in me.

Unity Through Humility

2 Therefore if there is any 1consolation in Christ, if any comfort of love, if any fellowship of the Spirit, if any aaffection and mercy, 2 bfulfill my joy cby being like-minded, having the same love, being of done accord, of one mind. 3 eLet nothing be done through selfish ambition or conceit, but fin lowliness of mind let each esteem others better than himself. 4 gLet each of you look out not only for his own interests, but also for the interests of hothers.

The Humbled and Exalted Christ

5 iLet this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus, 6 who, jbeing in the form of God, did not consider it 2robbery to be equal with God, 7 kbut 3made Himself of no reputation, taking the form lof a bondservant, and mcoming in the likeness of men. 8 And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and nbecame oobedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross. 9 pTherefore God also qhas highly exalted Him and rgiven Him the name which is above every name, 10 sthat at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth, 11 and tthat every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

Light Bearers

12 Therefore, my beloved, uas you have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, vwork out your own salvation with wfear and trembling; 13 for xit is God who works in you both to will and to do yfor His good pleasure.

14 Do all things zwithout 4complaining and adisputing, 515 that you may become blameless and 6harmless, children of God without fault in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, among whom you shine as blights in the world, 16 holding fast the word of life, so that cI may rejoice in the day of Christ that dI have not run in vain or labored in evain.

17 Yes, and if fI am being poured out as a drink offering on the sacrifice gand service of your faith, hI am glad and rejoice with you all. 18 For the same reason you also be glad and rejoice with me.