Christian Humility and Christ’s Humility
2 If there is any encouragement in Christ, if any comfort of love, if any fellowship of the Spirit, if any compassion and mercy, 2 then fulfill my joy and be like-minded, having the same love, being in unity with one mind. 3 Let nothing be done out of strife or conceit, but in humility let each esteem the other better than himself. 4 Let each of you look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others.
5 Let this mind be in you all, which was also in Christ Jesus,
6 who, being in the form of God,
did not consider equality with God something to be grasped.
7 But He emptied Himself,
taking upon Himself the form of a servant,
and was made in the likeness of men.
8 And being found in the form of a man,
He humbled Himself
and became obedient to death,
even death on a cross.
9 Therefore God highly exalted Him
and gave Him the name which is above every name,
10 that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow,
of those in heaven and on earth and under the earth,
11 and every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord,
to the glory of God the Father.[a]
Shining as Lights in the World
12 Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, not only in my presence, but so much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling. 13 For God is the One working in you, both to will and to do His good pleasure.
14 Do all things without murmuring and disputing, 15 that you may be blameless and harmless, sons of God, without fault, in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, in which you shine as lights in the world. 16 Hold forth the word of life that I may rejoice on the day of Christ that I have not run in vain or labored in vain. 17 Yes, and even if I am offered upon the sacrifice and service of your faith, I take delight and rejoice with you all. 18 For this reason you also take delight and rejoice with me.
Timothy and Epaphroditus
19 I trust in the Lord Jesus to send Timothy shortly to you, that I also may be of good comfort when I get word concerning you. 20 For I have no one like-minded, who will sincerely care for your welfare. 21 For all seek their own, not the things of Christ Jesus. 22 But you know of his proven worth, that as a son with a father, he has served with me in the gospel. 23 Therefore I hope to send him soon after my situation is resolved. 24 But I trust in the Lord that I, myself, shall also come shortly.
25 Yet I thought it necessary to send to you Epaphroditus, who is my brother and companion in labor, fellow soldier, your messenger, and he who ministered to my necessity. 26 For he longed after you all and was filled with heaviness, because you heard that he was sick. 27 Indeed he was sick, near death. But God had mercy on him, and not only on him, but also on me, lest I should have had sorrow upon sorrow. 28 Therefore I sent him the more eagerly, that when you see him again, you may rejoice and I may be less sorrowful. 29 So receive him in the Lord with all joy. And hold such ones in high regard, 30 because for the work of Christ he was near death, not regarding his life, endeavoring to make up for your lack of service toward me.
Footnotes
- Philippians 2:11 A hymn about Jesus’ attitude of servanthood.