Lectionary Calendar

Tuesday, December 24th, 2024
Christmas Eve

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PhilippiansPhi 1 PhilippiansPhi PhilippiansPhi 3

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One in Christ

¹ 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,² then make my joy complete by being of one mind, having the same love, being united in spirit and purpose.³ Do nothing out of selfish ambition or empty pride, but in humility consider others more important than yourselves.⁴ Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others.

The Mind of Christ

(Isaiah 52:13-15)

⁵ Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus:⁶ Who, existing in the form of God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped,⁷ but emptied Himself, taking the form of a servant, being made in human likeness.⁸ And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to death—even death on a cross.⁹ Therefore God exalted Him to the highest place and gave Him the name above all names,¹⁰ that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth,¹¹ and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

Shining as Stars

(Matthew 5:13-16)

¹² Therefore, 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.¹³ For it is God who works in you to will and to act on behalf of His good pleasure.

¹⁴ Do everything without complaining or arguing,¹⁵ so that you may be blameless and pure, children of God without fault in a crooked and perverse generation^(a), in which you shine as lights in the world¹⁶ as 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.¹⁷ But 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.¹⁸ So you too should be glad and rejoice with me.

Timothy and Epaphroditus

¹⁹ Now 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.²⁰ I have nobody else like him who will genuinely care for your needs.²¹ For all the others look after their own interests, not those of Jesus Christ.²² But you know Timothy’s proven worth, that as a child with his father he has served with me to advance the gospel.²³ So I hope to send him as soon as I see what happens with me.²⁴ And I trust in the Lord that I myself will come soon.

Epaphroditus Commended

²⁵ But 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.²⁶ For he has been longing for all of you and is distressed because you heard he was ill.²⁷ He 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.²⁸ Therefore 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.²⁹ Welcome him in the Lord with great joy, and honor men like him,³⁰ because he nearly died for the work of Christ, risking his life to make up for your deficit of service to me.