Imitating Christ's Humility

1So if there is any encouragement in Christ, if there is any comfort from love, if there is any fellowship in the Spirit, if there is any compassion or mercy,

2make my joy complete by adopting the same mindset, having the same love, being united in spirit, and having one purpose.

3Do nothing from selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility regard others as more important than yourselves.

4None of you should look out for your own interests, but for the interests of others.

5⁹Let the same mind be in you that was in Christ Jesus,

6who, though he was in the form of God, did not consider equality with God as something to be exploited,

7but emptied himself by taking the form of a servant and being born in the likeness of men.

8And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.

9Therefore God highly exalted him and gave him the name that is above every other name,

10so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth,

11and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

Shining as Lights in the World

12Therefore, my beloved friends, just as you have always obeyed, not only in my presence, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling,

13for God is the one at work in you, granting you the will and power to do so, according to his good pleasure.

14Do everything without grumbling or arguing,

15so that you may be blameless and pure, children of God without blemish in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world

16as you hold firmly to the word of life. Then I will have a reason to boast in the day of Christ that I did not run or labor in vain.

17But even if I am being poured out as a drink offering upon the sacrifice and service of your faith, I am glad and rejoice with you all.

18In the same way you also should be glad and rejoice with me.

Timothy and Epaphroditus

19I hope in the Lord Jesus to send Timothy to you soon so that I too may be encouraged when I receive news about you.

20I have no one else like-minded who will be genuinely concerned about your welfare.

21For they all seek their own interests, not those of ¹⁰Christ Jesus.

22But you know Timothy's proven character, how as a son with a father he has served with me in the work of the gospel.

23Therefore I hope to send him to you at once, as soon as I find out what is going to happen to me.

24And I am confident in the Lord that I myself will also come soon.

25But for now 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 need.

26For he has been longing ¹¹for you all and was distressed because you heard that he was sick.

27Indeed he was sick, almost 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 one sorrow after another.

28Therefore I am all the more eager to send him, so that when you see him again you can rejoice and I can be less anxious.

29So receive him in the Lord with all joy, and honor men like him,

30because he drew near to death for the work of ¹²Christ, ¹³disregarding his own life to complete what was lacking in your service to me.