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Christian Humility

1If then there is any encouragement in Christ, if any consolation of love,#Rm 5:8; 15:30; 2Th 2:16; 1Jn 3:16; 4:9-10,16 if any fellowship with the Spirit,#1Co 12:13; 2Co 13:13; Eph 4:3 if any affection and mercy,#Col 3:12 2make my joy complete by thinking the same way,#Rm 12:16; 15:5; 2Co 13:11; Php 4:2 having the same love,#2Th 1:3; 1Jn 3:16 united in spirit, intent on one#Jn 11:52 purpose. 3Do nothing out of selfish ambition#Rm 2:8 or conceit,#Gl 5:26 but in humility#Col 3:12 consider others as more important#Rm 13:1; Php 3:8; 4:7; 1Pt 2:13 than yourselves. 4Everyone should look out not only for his own interests,#Rm 15:1 but also for the interests of others.#Lv 19:18; Mk 10:45; 12:31; 1Co 10:24; 13:5; Php 2:21

Christ’s Humility and Exaltation

5Adopt the same attitude as that of Christ Jesus,

6who, existing in the form of God,

did not consider equality with God#Is 9:6; Jn 1:1,14; 20:28; Rm 9:5; Col 1:15-16; Ti 2:13; Heb 1:2-13; 2Pt 1:1; 1Jn 4:14-15

as something to be exploited.#2:6 Or to be grasped, or to be held on to

7Instead he emptied himself#Mk 9:12; 2Co 8:9; 13:4

by assuming the form of a servant,#Is 42:1; 53:12; Mt 20:28; Mk 10:45

taking on the likeness of humanity.#Jn 1:14; Rm 8:3; Gl 4:4; 1Tm 2:5; Heb 2:17

And when he had come as a man,

8he humbled himself by becoming obedient

to the point of death —

even to death on a cross.#Lk 23:26; Php 3:10

9For this reason God highly exalted him#Is 52:13; 53:12; Dn 7:14; Ac 2:32-33; 5:30-31; Eph 1:20-21; Heb 2:9

and gave him the name

that is above every name,

10so that at the name of Jesus

every knee will bow#Is 45:23 —

in heaven#2Co 5:1; Eph 1:20; 2:6; 3:10; 6:12; Heb 3:1; 12:22 and on earth

and under the earth#Mt 28:18; Eph 1:10; Rv 5:13 —

11and every tongue#Is 45:23; Rm 10:9; 14:11; 1Co 12:3 will confess

that Jesus Christ is Lord,

to the glory#Lk 9:32; Jn 17:24; 2Co 3:18; 2Pt 3:18 of God the Father.

Lights in the World

12Therefore, my dear friends,#Phm 1 just as you have always obeyed,#Mk 1:27; Ac 16:14,32-33; Rm 6:12 so now, not only in my presence but even more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling. 13For it is God who is working in you both to will and to work according to his good purpose. 14Do everything without grumbling#Jn 7:12; Ac 6:1; 1Pt 4:9 and arguing,#1Tm 2:8 15so that you may be blameless#Lk 1:6 and pure,#Mt 10:16; Rm 16:19 children of God who are faultless#Jd 24 in a crooked#Lk 3:5; Ac 2:40; 1Pt 2:18 and perverted#Mt 17:17 generation,#Dt 32:5 among whom you shine like stars in the world, 16by holding firm to the word#Lk 8:21; Jn 18:32; Ac 17:11; Heb 4:12 of life. Then I can boast#Rm 2:17; Gl 6:4; Php 1:26 in the day of Christ#Php 1:6,15 that I didn’t run or labor for nothing. 17But even if I am poured out#Php 1:7 as a drink offering#Ex 25:29; Nm 28:7 on the sacrificial 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 Jesus#Lk 24:3 to send Timothy#Ac 16:1; 1Tm 1:2 to you soon so that I too may be encouraged by news about you. 20For I have no one else like-minded who will genuinely care about your interests; 21all seek their own interests,#Rm 15:1; 2Tm 3:2 not those of Jesus Christ.#1Co 10:24; Php 1:15 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 confident in the Lord that I myself will also come soon.#Php 1:7

25But I considered it necessary to send you Epaphroditus#Php 4:18 — my brother, coworker, and fellow soldier, as well as your messenger and minister to my need#Mt 6:8 — 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 sorrow upon sorrow. 28For this reason, I am very eager to send him so that you may rejoice again when you see him and I may be less anxious. 29Therefore, welcome him in the Lord with great joy and hold people like him in honor, 30because he came close to death for the work#Mk 14:6; 2Co 9:8; Gl 3:10; Jms 2:14-26 of Christ, risking his life to make up what was lacking in your ministry to me.

Philippians 2:1-5

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