Christ's Example of Humility

2 So if there is any encouragement in Christ, any comfort from ^(A)love, any ^(B)participation in the Spirit, any ^(C)affection and sympathy, ^2 (D)complete my joy by being ^(E)of the same mind, having the same love, being in full accord and of one mind. ³ Do nothing from ^(F)selfish ambition or ^(G)conceit, but in ^(H)humility count others more significant than yourselves. ⁴ Let each of you ^(I)look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others. ^5 (J)Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus,^{[a] 6 (K)}who, though he was in ^(L)the form of God, did not count equality with God ^(M)a thing to be grasped,^{[b] 7} but ^(N)emptied himself, by taking the form of a ^(O)servant,^{[c] (P)}being born in the likeness of men. ⁸ And being found in human form, he humbled himself by ^(Q)becoming obedient to the point of death, ^(R)even death on a cross. ^9 (S)Therefore ^(T)God has ^(U)highly exalted him and bestowed on him ^(V)the name that is above every name, ¹⁰ so that at the name of Jesus ^(W)every knee should bow, ^(X)in heaven and on earth and under the earth, ¹¹ and ^(Y)every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is ^(Z)Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

Lights in the World

¹² Therefore, my beloved, ^(AA)as you have always ^(AB)obeyed, so now, not only as in my presence but much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling, ¹³ for ^(AC)it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for ^(AD)his good pleasure.

¹⁴ Do all things ^(AE)without grumbling or ^(AF)disputing, ¹⁵ that you may be blameless and innocent, ^(AG)children of God ^(AH)without blemish ^(AI)in the midst of ^(AJ)a crooked and twisted generation, among whom you shine ^(AK)as lights in the world, ¹⁶ holding fast to ^(AL)the word of life, so that in ^(AM)the day of Christ ^(AN)I may be proud that ^(AO)I did not run in vain or labor in vain. ¹⁷ Even if I am to be ^(AP)poured out as a drink offering upon ^(AQ)the sacrificial offering of your faith, I am glad and rejoice with you all. ¹⁸ Likewise you also should be glad and rejoice with me.

Timothy and Epaphroditus

¹⁹ I hope in the Lord Jesus ^(AR)to send Timothy to you soon, so that I too may be cheered by news of you. ²⁰ For I have no one ^(AS)like him, who will be genuinely concerned for your welfare. ²¹ For they all ^(AT)seek their own interests, not those of Jesus Christ. ²² But you know Timothy's^{[d] (AU)}proven worth, how ^(AV)as a son^[e] with a father ^(AW)he has served with me in the gospel. ²³ I hope therefore to send him just as soon as I see how it will go with me, ²⁴ and ^(AX)I trust in the Lord that shortly I myself will come also.

²⁵ I have thought it necessary to send to you ^(AY)Epaphroditus my brother and fellow worker and ^(AZ)fellow soldier, and your messenger and ^(BA)minister to my need, ²⁶ for he has been longing for you all and has been distressed because you heard that he was ill. ²⁷ Indeed he was ill, near to death. But God had mercy on him, and not only on him but on me also, lest I should have sorrow upon sorrow. ²⁸ I am the more eager to send him, therefore, that you may rejoice at seeing him again, and that I may be less anxious. ²⁹ So ^(BB)receive him in the Lord with all joy, and ^(BC)honor such men, ³⁰ for he nearly died^{[f] (BD)}for the work of Christ, risking his life ^(BE)to complete what was lacking in your service to me.

Righteousness Through Faith in Christ

3 Finally, my brothers,^{[g] (BF)}rejoice in the Lord. ^(BG)To write the same things to you is no trouble to me and is safe for you.

² Look out for ^(BH)the dogs, look out for ^(BI)the evildoers, look out for those who mutilate the flesh. ³ For ^(BJ)we are the circumcision, ^(BK)who worship ^(BL)by the Spirit of God^[h] and ^(BM)glory in Christ Jesus and put no confidence in the flesh— ^4 (BN)though I myself have reason for confidence in the flesh also. If anyone else thinks he has reason for confidence in the flesh, I have more: ^5 (BO)circumcised on the eighth day, ^(BP)of the people of Israel, ^(BQ)of the tribe of Benjamin, ^(BR)a Hebrew of Hebrews; as to the law, ^(BS)a Pharisee; ^6 (BT)as to zeal, ^(BU)a persecutor of the church; ^(BV)as to righteousness under the law,^[i] blameless. ⁷ But ^(BW)whatever gain I had, ^(BX)I counted as loss for the sake of Christ. ⁸ Indeed, I count everything as loss because of ^(BY)the surpassing worth of ^(BZ)knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I ^(CA)have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ ⁹ and be found in him, not having ^(CB)a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but ^(CC)that which comes through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God that depends on faith— ^10 (CD)that I may know him and ^(CE)the power of his resurrection, and ^(CF)may share his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, ¹¹ that by any means possible I may ^(CG)attain the resurrection from the dead.

Straining Toward the Goal

¹² Not that I have already ^(CH)obtained this or ^(CI)am already perfect, but I press on to make it my own, because Christ Jesus has made me his own. ¹³ Brothers, I do not consider that I have made it my own. But one thing I do: ^(CJ)forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, ¹⁴ I press on toward the goal for ^(CK)the prize of the upward ^(CL)call of God in Christ Jesus. ¹⁵ Let those of us who are ^(CM)mature think this way, and if in anything ^(CN)you think otherwise, ^(CO)God will reveal that also to you. ¹⁶ Only ^(CP)let us hold true to what we have attained.

¹⁷ Brothers, ^(CQ)join in imitating me, and keep your eyes on those who walk ^(CR)according to the example you have in us. ¹⁸ For ^(CS)many, of whom I have often told you and now tell you ^(CT)even with tears, walk as enemies of the cross of Christ. ^19 (CU)Their end is destruction, ^(CV)their god is their belly, and ^(CW)they glory in their shame, with ^(CX)minds set on earthly things. ²⁰ But ^(CY)our citizenship is in heaven, and ^(CZ)from it we ^(DA)await a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, ²¹ who will transform ^(DB)our lowly body ^(DC)to be like his glorious body, ^(DD)by the power that enables him even ^(DE)to subject all things to himself.