Philippians 2
1 If therefore there is any exhortation in Christ, if any consolation of love, if any fellowship of the Spirit, if any tender mercies and compassion,
If, then, any encouragement comes through union with Christ, if there is any persuasive power in love, if there is any communion with the Spirit, if there is any tenderness or pity,
2 make my joy full by being like-minded, having the same love, being of one accord, of one mind;
I entreat you to make my happiness complete — Live together animated by the same spirit and in mutual love, one in heart, animated by one Spirit.
3 doing nothing through rivalry or through conceit, but in humility, each counting others better than himself;
Nothing should be done in a factious spirit or from vanity, but each of you should with all humility regard others as of more account than himself,
4 each of you not just looking to his own things, but each of you also to the things of others.
and one and all should consider, not only their own interests, but also the interests of others.
5 Have this in your mind, which was also in Christ Jesus,
Let the spirit of Christ Jesus be yours also.
6 who, existing in the form of God, didn’t consider equality with God a thing to be grasped,
Though the divine nature was his from the beginning, yet he did not look upon equality with God as above all things to be clung to,
7 but emptied himself, taking the form of a servant, being made in the likeness of men.
but impoverished himself by taking the nature of a servant and becoming like men;
8 And being found in human form, he humbled himself, becoming obedient to the point of death, yes, the death of the cross.
he appeared among us as a man, and still further humbled himself by submitting even to death — to death on a cross!
9 Therefore God also highly exalted him, and gave to him the name which is above every name,
And that is why God raised him to the very highest place, and gave him the Name which stands above all other names,
10 that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, those on earth, and those under the earth,
so that in adoration of the Name of Jesus every knee should bend, in Heaven, on earth, and under the earth,
11 and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
and that every tongue should acknowledge JESUS CHRIST as LORD — to the glory of God the Father.
12 So then, my beloved, even as you have always obeyed, not only in my presence, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling.
Therefore, my dear friends, as you have always been obedient in the past, so now work out your own Salvation with anxious care, not only when I am with you, but all the more now that I am absent.
13 For it is God who works in you both to will and to work for his good pleasure.
Remember it is God who, in his kindness, is at work within you, enabling you both to will and to work.
14 Do all things without complaining and arguing,
In all that you do, avoid murmuring and dissension,
15 that you may become blameless and harmless, children of God without defect in the middle of a crooked and perverse generation, among whom you are seen as lights in the world,
so as to prove yourselves blameless and innocent — ‘faultless children of God, in the midst of an evil-disposed and perverse generation,’ in which you are seen shining like stars in a dark world,
16 holding up the word of life, that I may have something to boast in the day of Christ that I didn’t run in vain nor labor in vain.
offering to men the Message of Life; and then I shall be able at the Day of Christ to boast that I did not run my course for nothing, or toil for nothing.
17 Yes, and if I am poured out on the sacrifice and service of your faith, I am glad and rejoice with you all.
And yet, even if, when your faith is offered as a sacrifice to God, my life-blood must be poured out in addition, still I shall rejoice and share the joy of you all;
18 In the same way, you also should be glad and rejoice with me.
and do you also rejoice and share my joy.
19 But I hope in the Lord Jesus to send Timothy to you soon, that I also may be cheered up when I know how you are doing.
I hope, however, as one who trusts in the Lord Jesus, to send Timothy to you before long, so that I may myself be cheered by receiving news of you.
20 For I have no one else like-minded, who will truly care about you.
For I have no one but him to send — no one of kindred spirit who would take the same genuine interest in your welfare.
21 For they all seek their own, not the things of Jesus Christ.
They are all pursuing their own aims and not those of Christ Jesus.
22 But you know that he has proved himself. As a child serves a father, so he served with me in furtherance of the Good News.
But you know what Timothy has proved himself to be, and how, like a child working for his father, he worked hard with me in spreading the Good News.
23 Therefore I hope to send him at once, as soon as I see how it will go with me.
It is Timothy, then, whom I hope to send, as soon as ever I can foresee how it will go with me.
24 But I trust in the Lord that I myself also will come shortly.
And I am confident, as one who trusts in the Lord Jesus, that before long I myself shall follow.
25 But I thought it necessary to send to you Epaphroditus, my brother, fellow worker, fellow soldier, and your apostle and servant of my need,
Still I think it necessary to send Epaphroditus to you now, for he is my brother, fellow-worker, and fellow-soldier, and he was also your messenger to help me in my need.
26 since he longed for you all, and was very troubled because you had heard that he was sick.
For he has been longing to see you all, and has been distressed because you heard of his illness.
27 For indeed he was sick nearly to death, but God had mercy on him, and not on him only, but on me also, that I might not have sorrow on sorrow.
And I can assure you that his illness very nearly proved fatal. But God had pity on him, and not on him only but also on me, that I might not have sorrow upon sorrow.
28 I have sent him therefore the more diligently, that when you see him again, you may rejoice, and that I may be the less sorrowful.
I am all the more ready, therefore, to send him, so that the sight of him may revive your spirits and my own sorrow be lightened.
29 Receive him therefore in the Lord with all joy, and hold such people in honor,
Give him, then, the heartiest of Christian welcomes, and hold such men in great honour.
30 because for the work of Christ he came near to death, risking his life to supply that which was lacking in your service toward me.
For it was owing to his devotion to the Master’s work that he was at the point of death, having risked his own life in the effort to supply what was wanting in the help that you sent me.
