Christian Humility

1If 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 2fulfill my joy by thinking the same way,d having the same love,e sharing the same feelings, focusing on onef goal. 3Do nothing out of rivalryg or conceit,h but in humilityi consider others as more importantj than yourselves. 4Everyone should look out not only for his own interests,k but also for the interests of others.l

Christ’s Humility and Exaltation

5Make your own attitude that of Christ Jesus,

6who, existing in the form of God,

did not consider equality with Godm

as something to be used for His own advantage.n

7Instead He emptied Himselfo

by assuming the form of a •slave,p

taking on the likeness of men.q

And when He had come as a man

in His external form,

8He humbled Himself by becoming obedient

to the point of death —

even to death on a cross.r

9For this reason God highly exalted Hims

and gave Him the name

that is above every name,

10so that at the name of Jesus

every knee will bowt —

of those who are in heavenu and on earth

and under the earthv —

11and every tonguew should confess

that Jesus Christ is Lord,x

to the gloryy of God the Father.

Lights in the World

12So then, my dear friends,z just as you have always obeyed,aa not only in my presence, but now even more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling. 13For it is God who is working in you, enabling you both to desire and to work out His good purpose. 14Do everything without grumblingab and arguing,ac 15so that you may be blamelessad and pure,ae children of God who are faultlessaf in a crookedag and pervertedah generation,ai among whom you shine like stars in the world. 16Hold firmly toaj the messageak of life. Then I can boastal in the day of Christam that I didn’t run or labor for nothing. 17But even if I am poured outan as a •drink offeringao on the sacrifice and 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 Jesusap to send Timothyaq to you soon so that I also may be encouraged when I hear news about you. 20For I have no one else like-minded who will genuinely care about your interests; 21all seek their own interests,ar not those of Jesus Christ.as 22But 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 convinced in the Lord that I myself will also come quickly.at

25But I considered it necessary to send you Epaphroditusau — my brother, coworker, and fellow soldier, as well as your messenger and minister to my needav — 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 one grief on top of another. 28For this reason, I am very eager to send him so that you may rejoice when you see him again and I may be less anxious. 29Therefore, welcome him in the Lord with all joy and hold men like him in honor, 30because he came close to death for the workaw of Christ, risking his life to make up what was lacking in your ministry to me.