Unity Through Humility

2 Therefore if there is any ^[a]consolation in Christ, if any comfort of love, if any fellowship of the Spirit, if any ^(A)affection and mercy, ^2 (B)fulfill my joy ^(C)by being like-minded, having the same love, being of ^(D)one accord, of one mind. ^3 (E)Let nothing be done through selfish ambition or conceit, but ^(F)in lowliness of mind let each esteem others better than himself. ^4 (G)Let each of you look out not only for his own interests, but also for the interests of ^(H)others.

The Humbled and Exalted Christ

^5 (I)Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus, ⁶ who, ^(J)being in the form of God, did not consider it ^[b]robbery to be equal with God, ^7 (K)but ^[c]made Himself of no reputation, taking the form ^(L)of a bondservant, and ^(M)coming in the likeness of men. ⁸ And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and ^(N)became ^(O)obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross. ^9 (P)Therefore God also ^(Q)has highly exalted Him and ^(R)given Him the name which is above every name, ^10 (S)that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth, ¹¹ and ^(T)that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

Light Bearers

¹² Therefore, my beloved, ^(U)as you have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, ^(V)work out your own salvation with ^(W)fear and trembling; ¹³ for ^(X)it is God who works in you both to will and to do ^(Y)for His good pleasure.

¹⁴ Do all things ^(Z)without ^[d]complaining and ^(AA)disputing,^{[e] 15} that you may become blameless and ^[f]harmless, children of God without fault in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, among whom you shine as ^(AB)lights in the world, ¹⁶ holding fast the word of life, so that ^(AC)I may rejoice in the day of Christ that ^(AD)I have not run in vain or labored in ^(AE)vain.

¹⁷ Yes, and if ^(AF)I am being poured out as a drink offering on the sacrifice ^(AG)and service of your faith, ^(AH)I am glad and rejoice with you all. ¹⁸ For the same reason you also be glad and rejoice with me.

Timothy Commended

¹⁹ But I trust in the Lord Jesus to send ^(AI)Timothy to you shortly, that I also may be encouraged when I know your ^[g]state. ²⁰ For I have no one ^(AJ)like-minded, who will sincerely care for your state. ²¹ For all seek their own, not the things which are of Christ Jesus. ²² But you know his proven character, ^(AK)that as a son with his father he served with me in the gospel. ²³ Therefore I hope to send him at once, as soon as I see how it goes with me. ²⁴ But I trust in the Lord that I myself shall also come shortly.

Epaphroditus Praised

²⁵ Yet I considered it necessary to send to you ^(AL)Epaphroditus, my brother, fellow worker, and ^(AM)fellow soldier, ^(AN)but your messenger and ^(AO)the one who ministered to my need; ^26 (AP)since he was longing for you all, and was distressed because you had heard that he was sick. ²⁷ For indeed he was sick almost unto death; but God had mercy on him, and not only on him but on me also, lest I should have sorrow upon sorrow. ²⁸ Therefore I sent him the more eagerly, that when you see him again you may rejoice, and I may be less sorrowful. ²⁹ Receive him therefore in the Lord with all gladness, and hold such men in esteem; ³⁰ because for the work of Christ he came close to death, ^[h]not regarding his life, ^(AQ)to supply what was lacking in your service toward me.

All for Christ

3 Finally, my brethren, ^(AR)rejoice in the Lord. For me to write the same things to you is not tedious, but for you it is safe.

^2 (AS)Beware of dogs, beware of ^(AT)evil workers, ^(AU)beware of the mutilation! ³ For we are ^(AV)the circumcision, ^(AW)who worship ^[i]God in the Spirit, rejoice in Christ Jesus, and have no confidence in the flesh, ⁴ though ^(AX)I also might have confidence in the flesh. If anyone else thinks he may have confidence in the flesh, I ^(AY)more so: ⁵ circumcised the eighth day, of the stock of Israel, ^(AZ)of the tribe of Benjamin, ^(BA)a Hebrew of the Hebrews; concerning the law, ^(BB)a Pharisee; ⁶ concerning zeal, ^(BC)persecuting the church; concerning the righteousness which is in the law, blameless.

⁷ But ^(BD)what things were gain to me, these I have counted loss for Christ. ⁸ Yet indeed I also count all things loss ^(BE)for the excellence of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them as rubbish, that I may gain Christ ⁹ and be found in Him, not having ^(BF)my own righteousness, which is from the law, but ^(BG)that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which is from God by faith; ¹⁰ that I may know Him and the ^(BH)power of His resurrection, and ^(BI)the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death, ¹¹ if, by any means, I may ^(BJ)attain^[j] to the resurrection from the dead.

Pressing Toward the Goal

¹² Not that I have already ^(BK)attained,^[k] or am already ^(BL)perfected; but I press on, that I may lay hold of that for which Christ Jesus has also laid hold of me. ¹³ Brethren, I do not count myself to have ^[l]apprehended; but one thing I do, ^(BM)forgetting those things which are behind and ^(BN)reaching forward to those things which are ahead, ^14 (BO)I press toward the goal for the prize of ^(BP)the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.

¹⁵ Therefore let us, as many as are ^(BQ)mature, ^(BR)have this mind; and if in anything you think otherwise, ^(BS)God will reveal even this to you. ¹⁶ Nevertheless, to the degree that we have already ^[m]attained, ^(BT)let us walk ^(BU)by the same ^[n]rule, let us be of the same mind.

Our Citizenship in Heaven

¹⁷ Brethren, ^(BV)join in following my example, and note those who so walk, as ^(BW)you have us for a pattern. ¹⁸ For many walk, of whom I have told you often, and now tell you even weeping, that they are ^(BX)the enemies of the cross of Christ: ^19 (BY)whose end is destruction, ^(BZ)whose god is their belly, and ^(CA)whose glory is in their shame—^(CB)who set their mind on earthly things. ²⁰ For ^(CC)our citizenship is in heaven, ^(CD)from which we also ^(CE)eagerly wait for the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, ^21 (CF)who will transform our lowly body that it may be ^(CG)conformed to His glorious body, ^(CH)according to the working by which He is able even to ^(CI)subdue all things to Himself.