Philippians 2
2
Have the Attitude of Christ
1Is there any encouragement from belonging to Christ? Any comfort from his love? Any fellowship together in the Spirit? Are your hearts tender and compassionate? 2Then make me truly happy by agreeing wholeheartedly with each other, loving one another, and working together with one mind and purpose.
3Don’t be selfish; don’t try to impress others. Be humble, thinking of others as better than yourselves. 4Don’t look out only for your own interests, but take an interest in others, too.
5You must have the same attitude that Christ Jesus had.
6Though he was God,#2:6 Or Being in the form of God.
he did not think of equality with God
as something to cling to.
7Instead, he gave up his divine privileges#2:7a Greek he emptied himself.;
he took the humble position of a slave#2:7b Or the form of a slave.
and was born as a human being.
When he appeared in human form,#2:7c Some English translations put this phrase in verse 8.
8he humbled himself in obedience to God
and died a criminal’s death on a cross.
9Therefore, God elevated him to the place of highest honor
and gave him the name above all other names,
10that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow,
in heaven and on earth and under the earth,
11and every tongue declare that Jesus Christ is Lord,
to the glory of God the Father.
Shine Brightly for Christ
12Dear friends, you always followed my instructions when I was with you. And now that I am away, it is even more important. Work hard to show the results of your salvation, obeying God with deep reverence and fear. 13For God is working in you, giving you the desire and the power to do what pleases him.
14Do everything without complaining and arguing, 15so that no one can criticize you. Live clean, innocent lives as children of God, shining like bright lights in a world full of crooked and perverse people. 16Hold firmly to the word of life; then, on the day of Christ’s return, I will be proud that I did not run the race in vain and that my work was not useless. 17But I will rejoice even if I lose my life, pouring it out like a liquid offering to God,#2:17 Greek I will rejoice even if I am to be poured out as a liquid offering. just like your faithful service is an offering to God. And I want all of you to share that joy. 18Yes, you should rejoice, and I will share your joy.
Paul Commends Timothy
19If the Lord Jesus is willing, I hope to send Timothy to you soon for a visit. Then he can cheer me up by telling me how you are getting along. 20I have no one else like Timothy, who genuinely cares about your welfare. 21All the others care only for themselves and not for what matters to Jesus Christ. 22But you know how Timothy has proved himself. Like a son with his father, he has served with me in preaching the Good News. 23I hope to send him to you just as soon as I find out what is going to happen to me here. 24And I have confidence from the Lord that I myself will come to see you soon.
Paul Commends Epaphroditus
25Meanwhile, I thought I should send Epaphroditus back to you. He is a true brother, co-worker, and fellow soldier. And he was your messenger to help me in my need. 26I am sending him because he has been longing to see you, and he was very distressed that you heard he was ill. 27And he certainly was ill; in fact, he almost died. But God had mercy on him—and also on me, so that I would not have one sorrow after another.
28So I am all the more anxious to send him back to you, for I know you will be glad to see him, and then I will not be so worried about you. 29Welcome him in the Lord’s love#2:29 Greek in the Lord. and with great joy, and give him the honor that people like him deserve. 30For he risked his life for the work of Christ, and he was at the point of death while doing for me what you couldn’t do from far away.
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Philippians 2: NLT
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Holy Bible, New Living Translation copyright 1996, 2004, 2007, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation.
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Philippians 2
2
Christ’s Example of Humility
1So if there is any encouragement in Christ, any comfort from #[Rom. 15:30; 2 Thess. 2:16] love, any #2 Cor. 13:14 participation in the Spirit, any #Col. 3:12affection and sympathy, 2#John 3:29; 15:11 complete my joy by being #See Rom. 12:16of the same mind, having the same love, being in full accord and of one mind. 3Do nothing from #ch. 1:17 selfish ambition or #Gal. 5:26 conceit, but in #[Eph. 5:21]; See Rom. 12:10; Eph. 4:2humility count others more significant than yourselves. 4Let each of you #See Rom. 15:2look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others. 5#Rom. 15:3; See Matt. 11:29Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus,#2:5 Or which was also in Christ Jesus 6#See John 1:1 who, though he was in #See 2 Cor. 4:4 the form of God, did not count equality with God #John 5:18; 10:33; [John 14:28]a thing to be grasped,#2:6 Or a thing to be held on to for advantage 7but #2 Cor. 8:9; 13:4; See Mark 9:12 emptied himself, by taking the form of a #See Isa. 42:1; Matt. 20:28 servant,#2:7 Or slave (for the contextual rendering of the Greek word doulos, see Preface) #Rom. 8:3; Gal. 4:4; See John 1:14being born in the likeness of men. 8And being found in human form, he humbled himself by #Heb. 5:8; [Matt. 26:39; John 10:18; Rom. 5:19] becoming obedient to the point of death, #Heb. 12:2even death on a cross. 9#John 10:17; [Isa. 52:13; 53:12; Heb. 2:9] Therefore #See Matt. 28:18 God has #Acts 2:33 highly exalted him and bestowed on him #Eph. 1:21; Heb. 1:4; [Acts 5:41]the name that is above every name, 10so that at the name of Jesus #Isa. 45:23; Rom. 14:11 every knee should bow, #[Rev. 5:3, 13]; See Eph. 1:10in heaven and on earth and under the earth, 11and #[Rom. 10:9; 1 Cor. 12:3] every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is #[Rom. 14:9]; See John 13:13Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
Lights in the World
12Therefore, my beloved, #[ch. 1:5; 4:15] as you have always #Heb. 5:9; [2 Cor. 10:5; 1 Pet. 1:2]obeyed, so now, not only as in my presence but much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling, 13for #1 Cor. 12:6; [Heb. 13:21]; See 1 Cor. 15:10 it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for #[1 Tim. 2:4]his good pleasure.
14Do all things #1 Pet. 4:9 without grumbling or #1 Tim. 2:8disputing, 15that you may be blameless and innocent, #[Matt. 5:45; Eph. 5:1] children of God #Jude 24 without blemish #1 Pet. 2:12 in the midst of #See Deut. 32:5 a crooked and twisted generation, among whom you shine #Matt. 5:14, 16; [Titus 2:10]as lights in the world, 16holding fast to #[Acts 5:20] the word of life, so that in #See 1 Cor. 1:8 the day of Christ #See 2 Cor. 1:14 I may be proud that #Gal. 2:2; 1 Thess. 3:5; [Gal. 4:11]I did not run in vain or labor in vain. 17Even if I am to be #[1 John 3:16]; See 2 Cor. 12:15 poured out as a drink offering upon #[Rom. 15:16]the sacrificial offering of your faith, I am glad and rejoice with you all. 18Likewise you also should be glad and rejoice with me.
Timothy and Epaphroditus
19I hope in the Lord Jesus #[1 Cor. 4:17; 1 Thess. 3:2]to send Timothy to you soon, so that I too may be cheered by news of you. 20For I have no one #[1 Cor. 16:10]like him, who will be genuinely concerned for your welfare. 21For they all #[2 Tim. 3:2]; See 1 Cor. 10:24seek their own interests, not those of Jesus Christ. 22But you know Timothy’s#2:22 Greek his #2 Cor. 2:9 proven worth, how #1 Cor. 4:17; 1 Tim. 1:2; 2 Tim. 1:2 as a son#2:22 Greek child with a father #[2 Tim. 3:10]he has served with me in the gospel. 23I hope therefore to send him just as soon as I see how it will go with me, 24and #[ch. 1:25; Philem. 22]I trust in the Lord that shortly I myself will come also.
25I have thought it necessary to send to you #ch. 4:18 Epaphroditus my brother and fellow worker and #Philem. 2 fellow soldier, and your messenger and #[ch. 4:18]minister to my need, 26for he has been longing for you all and has been distressed because you heard that he was ill. 27Indeed he was ill, near to death. But God had mercy on him, and not only on him but on me also, lest I should have sorrow upon sorrow. 28I am the more eager to send him, therefore, that you may rejoice at seeing him again, and that I may be less anxious. 29So #Rom. 16:2 receive him in the Lord with all joy, and #1 Cor. 16:18; 1 Thess. 5:12, 13; 1 Tim. 5:17honor such men, 30for he nearly died#2:30 Or he drew near to the point of death; compare verse 8 #[Acts 20:24] for the work of Christ, risking his life #[ch. 4:10]; See 1 Cor. 16:17to complete what was lacking in your service to me.
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