Philippians

Christian Love and the Humility of Christ

If I may advise you, in the name of Christ, and if you can hear it as the voice of love; if we share the same Spirit and are capable of mercy and compassion, then I beg you:

make me very happy—have one love, one Spirit, one feeling.

Do nothing out of rivalry or vain conceit. Let each of you gently consider the others as more important than yourselves.

Don’t pursue your own interest, but rather, that of others.

Your attitude should mirror that of Jesus Christ.

Though he was in the form of God,

he did not consider equality with God

something to be grasped.

Instead, he emptied himself

by taking on the nature of a servant,

made in human likeness,

and appeared as a man,

He humbled himself

by obediently facing death

—death on the cross.

That is why God exalted him

and gave him the name

above all names,

so that at the name of Jesus, all knees should bow

in heaven and on earth and under the earth,

and every tongue should confess

that Jesus Christ is Lord,

to the glory of God the Father.

Therefore, my dearest friends, just as you always obeyed me when I was with you, even more now that I am far away, keep working out your salvation with fear and trembling.

It is God who makes you want to do what pleases Him and gives you the power to carry it out.

Do everything without grumbling,

so that you may be blameless and pure, children of God without fault in a crooked and depraved generation.

You shine like stars in the universe, holding fast to the word of life. I will be proud of you on the day of Christ, knowing that my work and effort have not been wasted.

And if I am being poured out like a drink offering on the sacrifice and service of your faith, I rejoice and share your joy;

and you should also rejoice and share my joy.

Timothy and Epaphroditus

The Lord Jesus allows me to hope that I will soon be able to send you Timothy and hear news of you. This will encourage me.

For I have no one else concerned for your welfare as he is.

Most of them pursue their own interests, not those of Christ Jesus.

But you know that Timothy has proven himself. Like a son with his father, he has been with me in serving the gospel.

Because of that, I hope to send him to you as soon as I see how things develop for me.

Nevertheless, the Lord gives me confidence that I myself will be coming soon.

I thought it necessary to send back to you Epaphroditus, who worked and fought alongside me, and whom you sent to help me in my great need.

In fact, he missed you very much and was even more concerned because you had heard of his sickness.

He was, indeed, sick and nearly died, but God took pity on both him and me, sparing me greater sorrow.

And so, I am eager to send him to you so that, upon seeing him, you will be glad and I will be at peace.

Receive him, then, with joy as is fitting in the Lord, and honor such people,

because he almost died for the work of Christ; he risked his life to serve me on your behalf, when you could not help me.