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Be like Christ

¹ Therefore if there is any encouragement in Christ, if any consolation of love, if any ^(C1)fellowship of the Spirit, if any ^(F1)(C2)affection and compassion,^2 (C1)make my joy complete ^(F1)by ^(C2)being of the same mind, maintaining the same love, united in spirit, intent on one purpose.³ Do nothing ^(F1)from ^(F2)(C1)selfishness or ^(C2)empty conceit, but with humility ^(C3)consider one another as more important than yourselves;^4 (C1)do not merely look out for your own personal interests, but also for the interests of others.^5 (C1)Have this attitude ^(F1)in yourselves which was also in ^(C2)Christ Jesus,⁶ who, as He already ^(C1)existed in the ^(C2)form of God, ^(C3)did not consider equality with God something to be ^(F1)grasped,⁷ but ^(F1)(C1)emptied Himself by taking the form of a ^(C2)bond-servant and ^(F2)(C3)being born in the likeness of men.⁸ And being found in appearance as a man, ^(C1)He humbled Himself by becoming ^(C2)obedient to the point of death: ^(C3)death ^(F1)on a cross.^9 (C1)For this reason also God ^(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 every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is ^(C1)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 own ^(C2)salvation with ^(C3)fear and trembling;¹³ for it is ^(C1)God who is at work in you, both to ^(F1)desire and to work ^(C2)for His good pleasure.

¹⁴ Do all things without ^(C1)complaining or arguments;¹⁵ so that you will ^(F1)prove yourselves to be ^(C1)blameless and innocent, ^(C2)children of God above reproach in the midst of a ^(C3)crooked and perverse generation, among whom you ^(F2)(C4)appear as ^(F3)lights in the world,¹⁶ holding firmly the word of life, so that on ^(C1)the day of Christ I can take pride 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 You too, I urge you, rejoice in the same way and share your joy with me.

Timothy and Epaphroditus

¹⁹ But I hope, ^(F1)in the Lord Jesus, to ^(C1)send ^(C2)Timothy to you shortly, so that I also may be encouraged when I learn of your condition.²⁰ For I have no one else ^(C1)of kindred spirit who will genuinely be concerned for your welfare.²¹ For they all ^(C1)seek after their own interests, not those of Christ Jesus.²² But you know ^(C1)of his proven character, 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 see how things go with me;²⁴ and ^(C1)I trust in the Lord that I myself will also be coming shortly.²⁵ But I thought 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 only on him 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 about you.^29 (C1)Receive him then in the Lord with all joy, and ^(C2)hold people like him in high regard,³⁰ because he came close to death ^(F1)(C1)for the work of Christ, risking his life to ^(C2)compensate ^(F2)for your absence in your service to me.