Philippians 2
2
True Humility
1Christ encourages you, and his love comforts you. God's Spirit unites you, and you are concerned for others. 2Now make me completely happy! Live in harmony by showing love for each other. Be united in what you think, as if you were only one person. 3Don't be jealous or proud, but be humble and consider others more important than yourselves. 4Care about them as much as you care about yourselves 5and think the same way that Christ Jesus thought:#2.5 think the same way that Christ Jesus thought: Or “think the way you should because you belong to Christ Jesus.”
6Christ was truly God.
But he did not try to remain#2.6 remain: Or “become.”
equal with God.
7Instead he gave up everything#2.7 he gave up everything: Greek, “he emptied himself.”
and became a slave,
when he became
like one of us.
8Christ was humble.
He obeyed God and even died
on a cross.
9Then God gave Christ
the highest place
and honored his name
above all others.
10 # Is 45.23 (LXX). So at the name of Jesus
everyone will bow down,
those in heaven, on earth,
and under the earth.
11And to the glory
of God the Father
everyone will openly agree,
“Jesus Christ is Lord!”
Lights in the World
12My dear friends, you always obeyed when I was with you. Now that I am away, you should obey even more. So work with fear and trembling to discover what it really means to be saved. 13God is working in you to make you willing and able to obey him.
14Do everything without grumbling or arguing. 15#Dt 32.5. Then you will be the pure and innocent children of God. You live among people who are crooked and evil, but you must not do anything they can say is wrong. Try to shine as lights among the people of this world, 16as you hold firmly to#2.16 hold firmly to: Or “offer them.” the message that gives life. Then on the day when Christ returns, I can take pride in you. I can also know that my work and efforts were not useless.
17Your faith in the Lord and your service are like a sacrifice offered to him. And my own blood may have to be poured out with the sacrifice.#2.17 my own blood may have to be poured out with the sacrifice: Offerings of water or wine were sometimes poured out when animals were sacrificed on the altar. If this happens, I will be glad and rejoice with you. 18In the same way, you should be glad and rejoice with me.
Timothy and Epaphroditus
19I want to be encouraged by news about you. So I hope the Lord Jesus will soon let me send Timothy to you. 20I don't have anyone else who cares about you as much as he does. 21The others think only about what interests them and not about what concerns Christ Jesus. 22But you know what kind of person Timothy is. He has worked with me like a son in spreading the good news. 23I hope to send him to you, as soon as I find out what is going to happen to me. 24And I feel sure the Lord will also let me come soon.
25I think I ought to send my dear friend Epaphroditus back to you. He is a follower and a worker and a soldier of the Lord, just as I am. You sent him to look after me, 26but now he is eager to see you. He is worried, because you heard he was sick. 27In fact, he was very sick and almost died. But God was kind to him, and also to me, and he kept me from being burdened down with sorrow.
28Now I am more eager than ever to send Epaphroditus back again. You will be glad to see him, and I won't have to worry any longer. 29Be sure to give him a cheerful welcome, just as people who serve the Lord deserve. 30He almost died working for Christ, and he risked his own life to do for me what you could not.
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Contemporary English Version, Second Edition (CEV®)
© 2006 American Bible Society. All rights reserved.
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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