Philippians 2

Consider others better than yourselves

Therefore if you have any encouragement in Christ, if any comfort from His love, if any fellowship with the Spirit, if any affection and compassion,a ²then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being united in spirit and purpose.b ³Do nothing out of selfish ambition or empty pride, but in humility consider others more important than yourselves.c

⁴Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others.d

He humbled himself

⁵Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus:e ⁶Who, existing in the form of God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped,f ⁷but emptied Himself, taking the form of a servant, being made in human likeness.g

⁸And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to death— even death on a cross.h ⁹Therefore God exalted Him to the highest place and gave Him the name above all names,i ¹⁰that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth,j ¹¹and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.k

Shine like stars

¹²Therefore, my beloved, just as you have always obeyed, not only in my presence, but now even more in my absence, continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling.l ¹³For it is God who works in you to will and to act on behalf of His good purpose.m ¹⁴Do everything without complaining or arguing,n ¹⁵so that you may be blameless and pure, children of God without fault in a crooked and perverse generation, in which you shine as lights in the worldo ¹⁶as you hold forth the word of life, in order that I may boast on the day of Christ that I did not run or labor in vain.p

¹⁷But even if I am being poured out like a drink offering on the sacrifice and service of your faith, I am glad and rejoice with all of you.q ¹⁸So you too should be glad and rejoice with me.

Timothy and Epaphroditus

¹⁹Now I hope in the Lord Jesus to send Timothy to you soon, that I also may be cheered when I learn how you are doing.r ²⁰I have nobody else like him who will genuinely care for your needs. ²¹For all the others look after their own interests, not those of Jesus Christ.s

²²But you know Timothy’s proven worth, that as a child with his father he has served with me to advance the gospel. ²³So I hope to send him as soon as I see what happens with me. ²⁴And I trust in the Lord that I myself will come soon.

²⁵But I thought it necessary to send back to you Epaphroditus, my brother, fellow worker, and fellow soldier, who is also your messenger and minister to my needs.t ²⁶For he has been longing for all of you and is distressed because you heard he was ill. ²⁷He was sick indeed, nearly unto death. But God had mercy on him, and not only on him but also on me, to spare me sorrow upon sorrow.

²⁸Therefore I am all the more eager to send him, so that when you see him again you may rejoice, and I may be less anxious. ²⁹Welcome him in the Lord with great joy, and honor men like him, ³⁰because he nearly died for the work of Christ, risking his life to make up for your deficit of service to me.