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Christ's Humility and Exaltation

¹ Therefore if there is any encouragement in Christ, if there is any consolation of love, if there is any ^(C1)fellowship of the Spirit, if any ^(F1)(C2)affection and compassion,^2 (C1)fulfill my joy, that ^(C2)you think the same way, by maintaining the same love, being united in spirit, thinking on one purpose,³ doing nothing ^(F1)from ^(F2)(C1)selfish ambition or ^(C2)vain glory, but with humility of mind ^(C3)regarding one another as more important than yourselves,^4 (C1)not merely looking out for your own personal interests, but also for the interests of others.^5 (C1)Have this way of thinking ^(F1)in yourselves which was also in ^(C2)Christ Jesus,⁶ who, although ^(C1)existing in the ^(C2)form of God, ^(C3)did not regard equality with God a thing ^(F1)to be grasped,⁷ but ^(F1)(C1)emptied Himself, by taking the form of a ^(C2)slave, by ^(C3)being made in the likeness of men.⁸ Being found in appearance as a man, ^(C1)He humbled Himself by becoming ^(C2)obedient to the point of death, even ^(C3)death ^(F1)on a cross.^9 (C1)Therefore, God also ^(C2)highly exalted Him, and bestowed on Him ^(C3)the name which is above every name,¹⁰ so that at the name of Jesus ^(C1)EVERY KNEE WILL BOW, of ^(C2)those who are in heaven and on earth and under the earth,¹¹ and that ^(C1)EVERY TONGUE WILL CONFESS that Jesus Christ is ^(F1)(C2)LORD, to the glory of God the Father.

¹² So then, my beloved, ^(C1)just as you have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your ^(C2)salvation with ^(C3)fear and trembling;¹³ for it is ^(C1)God who is at work in you, both to will and to work ^(C2)for His good pleasure.

¹⁴ Do all things without ^(C1)grumbling or disputing,¹⁵ so that you will be ^(C1)blameless and innocent, ^(C2)children of God without blemish in the midst of a ^(C3)crooked and perverse generation, among whom you ^(C4)shine as ^(F1)lights in the world,¹⁶ holding ^(F1)fast the word of life, so that in ^(C1)the day of Christ I will have reason to boast because I did not ^(C2)run in vain nor ^(C3)labor in vain.¹⁷ But even if I am being ^(C1)poured out as a drink offering upon ^(C2)the sacrifice and service of your faith, I rejoice and share my joy with you all.¹⁸ And you also, rejoice in the same way and share your joy with me.

Timothy and Epaphroditus Sent

¹⁹ But I hope in the Lord Jesus to ^(C1)send ^(C2)Timothy to you shortly, so that I also may be in good spirits when I learn of your circumstances.²⁰ For I have no one else ^(C1)of kindred spirit who will genuinely be concerned about your circumstances.²¹ For they all ^(C1)seek after their own interests, not those of Christ Jesus.²² But you know ^(C1)of his proven worth, that ^(C2)he served with me in the furtherance of the gospel ^(C3)like a child serving his father.^23 (C1)Therefore I hope to send him immediately, as soon as I ^(F1)evaluate my own circumstances,²⁴ and ^(C1)I am confident in the Lord that I myself also will be coming shortly.²⁵ But I regarded it necessary to send to you ^(C1)Epaphroditus, my brother and ^(C2)fellow worker and ^(C3)fellow soldier, who is also your ^(F1)(C4)messenger and ^(C1)minister to my need;²⁶ because he was longing ^(F1)for you all and was distressed because you had heard that he was sick.²⁷ For indeed he was sick to the point of death, but God had mercy on him, and not on him only but also on me, so that I would not have sorrow upon sorrow.²⁸ Therefore I have sent him all the more eagerly so that when you see him again you may rejoice and I may be less concerned.^29 (C1)Receive him then in the Lord with all joy, and ^(C2)hold men like him in high regard³⁰ because he came close to death ^(F1)(C1)for the work of Christ, risking his life to ^(C2)fulfill ^(F2)what was lacking in your service to me.