Christ's Humility and Greatness
1 Your life in Christ makes you strong, and his love comforts you. You have fellowship with the Spirit, and you have kindness and compassion for one another. 2 I urge you, then, to make me completely happy by having the same thoughts, sharing the same love, and being one in soul and mind. 3 Don't do anything from selfish ambition or from a cheap desire to boast, but be humble toward one another, always considering others better than yourselves. 4 And look out for one another's interests, not just for your own. 5 The attitude you should have is the one that Christ Jesus had:
6 He always had the nature of God,
but he did not think that by force he should try to remain equal with God.
7 Instead of this, of his own free will he gave up all he had,
and took the nature of a servant.
He became like a human being
and appeared in human likeness.
8 He was humble and walked the path of obedience all the way to death—
his death on the cross.
9 For this reason God raised him to the highest place above
and gave him the name that is greater than any other name.
10 And so, in honor of the name of Jesus
all beings in heaven, on earth, and in the world below
will fall on their knees,
11 and all will openly proclaim that Jesus Christ is Lord,
to the glory of God the Father.
Shining as Lights in the World
12 So then, dear friends, as you always obeyed me when I was with you, it is even more important that you obey me now while I am away from you. Keep on working with fear and trembling to complete your salvation, 13 because God is always at work in you to make you willing and able to obey his own purpose.
14 Do everything without complaining or arguing, 15 so that you may be innocent and pure as God's perfect children, who live in a world of corrupt and sinful people. You must shine among them like stars lighting up the sky, 16 as you offer them the message of life. If you do so, I shall have reason to be proud of you on the Day of Christ, because it will show that all my effort and work have not been wasted.
17 Perhaps my life's blood is to be poured out like an offering on the sacrifice that your faith offers to God. If that is so, I am glad and share my joy with you all. 18 In the same way, you too must be glad and share your joy with me.
Timothy and Epaphroditus
19 If it is the Lord's will, I hope that I will be able to send Timothy to you soon, so that I may be encouraged by news about you. 20 He is the only one who shares my feelings and who really cares about you. 21 Everyone else is concerned only with their own affairs, not with the cause of Jesus Christ. 22 And you yourselves know how he has proved his worth, how he and I, like a son and his father, have worked together for the sake of the gospel. 23 So I hope to send him to you as soon as I know how things are going to turn out for me. 24 And I trust in the Lord that I myself will be able to come to you soon.
25 I have thought it necessary to send to you our brother Epaphroditus, who has worked and fought by my side and who has served as your messenger in helping me. 26 He is anxious to see you all and is very upset because you had heard that he was sick. 27 Indeed he was sick and almost died. But God had pity on him, and not only on him but on me, too, and spared me an even greater sorrow. 28 I am all the more eager, then, to send him to you, so that you will be glad again when you see him, and my own sorrow will disappear. 29 Receive him, then, with joy, as a believer in the Lord. Show respect to all such people as he, 30 because he risked his life and nearly died for the sake of the work of Christ, in order to give me the help that you yourselves could not give.
1 If there be therfore any consolation in Christ, if any comfort of loue, if any fellowship of the Spirit, if any compassion and mercie, 2 Fulfill my ioye, that ye be like minded, hauing the same loue, being of one accorde, and of one iudgement, 3 That nothing be done through contention or vaine glory, but that in meekenesse of minde euery man esteeme other better then himselfe. 4 Looke not euery man on his owne things, but euery man also on the things of other men. 5 Let the same minde be in you that was euen in Christ Iesus, 6 Who being in ye forme of God, thought it no robberie to be equall with God: 7 But he made himself of no reputation, and tooke on him ye forme of a seruant, and was made like vnto men, and was founde in shape as a man. 8 He humbled himselfe, and became obedient vnto the death, euen the death of the Crosse. 9 Wherefore God hath also highly exalted him, and giuen him a Name aboue euery name, 10 That at the Name of Iesus shoulde euery knee bowe, both of things in heauen, and things in earth, and things vnder the earth, 11 And that euery tongue shoulde confesse that Iesus Christ is the Lord, vnto the glory of God the Father. 12 Wherefore my beloued, as ye haue alwayes obeyed me, not as in my presence only, but now much more in mine absence, so make an end of your owne saluation with feare and trembling. 13 For it is God which worketh in you, both the will and the deede, euen of his good pleasure. 14 Do all things without murmuring and reasonings, 15 That ye may be blamelesse, and pure, and the sonnes of God without rebuke in the middes of a naughtie and crooked nation, among whom yee shine as lights in the world, 16 Holding forth the worde of life, that I may reioyce in the day of Christ, that I haue not runne in vaine, neither haue laboured in vaine. 17 Yea, and though I bee offered vp vpon the sacrifice, and seruice of your faith, I am glad, and reioyce with you all. 18 For the same cause also be ye glad, and reioyce with me. 19 And I trust in the Lord Iesus, to sende Timotheus shortly vnto you, that I also may be of good comfort, when I knowe your state. 20 For I haue no man like minded, who will faithfully care for your matters. 21 For all seeke their owne, and not that which is Iesus Christes. 22 But yee knowe the proofe of him, that as a sonne with the father, hee hath serued with me in the Gospel. 23 Him therefore I hope to send assoone as I knowe howe it will goe with me, 24 And trust in the Lord, that I also my selfe shall come shortly. 25 But I supposed it necessarie to sende my brother Epaphroditus vnto you, my companion in labour, and fellowe souldier, euen your messenger, and he that ministred vnto me such things as I wanted. 26 For he longed after all you, and was full of heauinesse, because yee had heard that hee had beene sicke. 27 And no doubt he was sicke, very neere vnto death: but God had mercie on him, and not on him onely, but on me also, least I should haue sorowe vpon sorowe. 28 I sent him therefore the more diligently, that when yee shoulde see him againe, yee might reioyce, and I might be the lesse sorowfull. 29 Receiue him therefore in the Lord with all gladnesse, and make much of such: 30 Because that for the woorke of Christ he was neere vnto death, and regarded not his life, to fulfill that seruice which was lacking on your part towarde me.