In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus:(A)

Who, being in very nature[a] God,(B)
    did not consider equality with God(C) something to be used to his own advantage;
rather, he made himself nothing(D)
    by taking the very nature[b] of a servant,(E)
    being made in human likeness.(F)
And being found in appearance as a man,
    he humbled himself
    by becoming obedient to death(G)
        even death on a cross!(H)

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Footnotes

  1. Philippians 2:6 Or in the form of
  2. Philippians 2:7 Or the form

(A)Have this attitude [a]in yourselves which was also in (B)Christ Jesus, who, as He already (C)existed in the (D)form of God, (E)did not consider equality with God something to be [b]grasped, but [c](F)emptied Himself by taking the form of a (G)bond-servant and [d](H)being born in the likeness of men. And being found in appearance as a man, (I)He humbled Himself by becoming (J)obedient to the point of death: (K)death [e]on a cross.

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Footnotes

  1. Philippians 2:5 Or among
  2. Philippians 2:6 Or seized
  3. Philippians 2:7 I.e., set aside His divine rights
  4. Philippians 2:7 Or having come to be
  5. Philippians 2:8 Lit of

(A)Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus,[a] (B)who, though he was in (C)the form of God, did not count equality with God (D)a thing to be grasped,[b] but (E)emptied himself, by taking the form of a (F)servant,[c] (G)being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, he humbled himself by (H)becoming obedient to the point of death, (I)even death on a cross.

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Footnotes

  1. Philippians 2:5 Or which was also in Christ Jesus
  2. Philippians 2:6 Or a thing to be held on to for advantage
  3. Philippians 2:7 Or slave (for the contextual rendering of the Greek word doulos, see Preface)

You must have the same attitude that Christ Jesus had.

Though he was God,[a]
    he did not think of equality with God
    as something to cling to.
Instead, he gave up his divine privileges[b];
    he took the humble position of a slave[c]
    and was born as a human being.
When he appeared in human form,[d]
    he humbled himself in obedience to God
    and died a criminal’s death on a cross.

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Footnotes

  1. 2:6 Or Being in the form of God.
  2. 2:7a Greek he emptied himself.
  3. 2:7b Or the form of a slave.
  4. 2:7c Some English translations put this phrase in verse 8.

5-8 Think of yourselves the way Christ Jesus thought of himself. He had equal status with God but didn’t think so much of himself that he had to cling to the advantages of that status no matter what. Not at all. When the time came, he set aside the privileges of deity and took on the status of a slave, became human! Having become human, he stayed human. It was an incredibly humbling process. He didn’t claim special privileges. Instead, he lived a selfless, obedient life and then died a selfless, obedient death—and the worst kind of death at that—a crucifixion.

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