The Humility of Christ

Philippians 2

Therefore, if there is any encouragement in Christ, if any comfort from love, if any fellowship of the Spirit, if any affection and compassion, then y’all make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being of one accord and of one mind. Y’all must not act out of selfishness or vanity, but in humility, put others ahead of yourselves*, not just looking to y’all’s own interests, but also to the interests of others.

Y’all should have the same mind as Christ Jesus,

who though existing in the form of God, didn’t consider equality with God a thing to be held onto, but emptied himself, taking the form of a slave, being made in human likeness. Being found with fully humanity, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. Therefore God also highly exalted him, and gave to him the name which is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow in heaven, on earth, and under the earth, and that every tongue should publicly acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

Respond to Christ’s Work

So then, my beloved, even as y’all have always obeyed, not only in my presence, but now much more in my absence, continue to work out your* salvation with fear and trembling. For it is God who works in y’all both to will and to work for ʜɪꜱ good pleasure.

Y’all should do everything without complaining and arguing, so that y’all may become blameless and harmless, “children of God without defect in the middle of a crooked and perverse generation,”+Deut 32:5 among whom you shine as lights in the world, holding on to the word of life. Then on the day of Christ I will have reason to boast that I didn’t run in vain or labor in vain. But even if I am poured out as a drink offering upon the sacrifice and service of y’all’s faith, I am glad and rejoice with all y’all. In the same way, y’all also should be glad and rejoice with me.

Timothy and Epaphroditus

I hope in the Lord Jesus to send Timothy to y’all soon, so that I also may be cheered up when I know how y’all are doing. For I have no one else like-minded, who will truly care for y’all. For they all seek their own interests, not those of Jesus Christ. But y’all know that he has proved himself. As a child serves a father, so he served with me in the gospel. Therefore I hope to send him immediately, as soon as I see how it will go with me. But I trust in the Lord that I myself will come shortly.

But I thought it necessary to send y’all Epaphroditus, my sibling, fellow worker, fellow soldier, and your* messenger and minister of my needs, since he longed for all y’all, and was very troubled because y’all had heard that he was sick. For indeed he was sick nearly to death, but God had mercy on him, and not on him only, but on me also, that I might not have sorrow upon sorrow. So I am all the more eager to send him, so that when y’all see him again, y’all may rejoice, and that I may be less concerned. Therefore y’all should receive him in the Lord with all joy, and hold people like him in honor, because he almost died for the work of Christ, risking his life to supply what was lacking in y’all’s service toward me.