效法基督

所以,如果你们在基督里受到鼓励,得到爱的安慰,与圣灵相通,有慈悲和怜悯之心, 就要同心合意,彼此相爱,灵里合一,思想一致,好让我的喜乐更充足。 凡事不可自私自利、爱慕虚荣,要心存谦卑,看别人比自己强。 各人不要只顾自己的事,也要为别人的需要着想。 你们应当有基督耶稣那样的心肠。

祂虽然本质上是上帝,
却没有紧紧抓住自己与上帝平等的地位不放,
反而甘愿放下一切,
取了奴仆的形象,
降生为人的样子。
祂以人的样子出现后,
就自愿卑微,顺服至死,
而且死在十字架上。
因此,上帝将祂升为至尊,
赐给祂超乎万名之上的名,
10 使一切天上的、
地上的和地底下的,
无不屈膝跪拜在耶稣的名下,
11 无不口称耶稣基督是主,
将荣耀归于父上帝。

暗世明灯

12 所以,我亲爱的弟兄姊妹,既然我在你们那里的时候,你们一向都很顺服;如今我不在你们那里,你们更要顺服,要战战兢兢地活出得救后应有的生命。 13 因为你们立志和行事都是上帝在你们心中工作,为要成就祂美好的旨意。

14 无论做什么事,都不要抱怨,也不要与人争论, 15 好使你们在这个弯曲败坏的时代中无可指责、诚实无伪,做上帝纯洁无瑕的儿女,如同明光照耀在世上, 16 坚守生命之道。这样,到了基督再来的时候,我可以夸口自己没有空跑一场,也没有白费功夫。 17 你们的信心就是献给上帝的事奉和祭物,即使在上面浇奠我的生命,我也很喜乐,并且和你们大家一同喜乐。 18 同样,你们也要喜乐,要和我一同喜乐。

保罗的得力同工

19 如果主耶稣许可,我希望尽快派提摩太去你们那里,我好知道你们的近况,心里得到安慰。 20 因为没有人像他那样跟我一同真正关心你们的事。 21 别人都只顾自己的事,并不关心耶稣基督的事。 22 但你们知道提摩太的为人,我与他情同父子,一起事奉和传扬福音。 23 所以,我的案子一旦明朗了,我会立刻派他去见你们。 24 我深信如果主许可,我自己很快也会去你们那里。

25 另外,我觉得有必要让以巴弗提回到你们那里。他是我的弟兄、同工和战友,也是你们差遣来服侍我、供应我需用的。 26 他很想念你们,并且感到不安,因为你们听说了他患病的事。 27 他确实病了,几乎丧命,但上帝怜悯了他,不但怜悯他,也怜悯了我,没让我忧上加忧。 28 所以,我想尽快派他回去与你们相聚,好让你们喜乐,也可以减少我的挂虑。 29 你们要在主里欢欢喜喜地接待他,而且要敬重像他这样的人。 30 他为了基督的工作,将生死置之度外,几乎丧命,以弥补你们服侍我的不足之处。

团结一致,互相关心

那么,在基督之中,你们是否受到了鼓励,是否有发自爱的安慰,是否共享着圣灵,是否有温情和仁慈? 如果你们具备这些,会令我非常高兴。我要求你们心往一处想,彼此相爱,一心一意,抱有共同的目标。 做任何事情都不要出于自私自利和骄傲自大,要谦卑,要视他人高于自己。 不要只顾自己的利益,也要关心别人的利益。

学习基督的无私

在生活中,你们要想耶稣基督之所想。

虽然基督在本质上就是上帝,但他没有认为与上帝平等是用作自己优越的事情。

相反,他放弃了一切,取了奴隶的本性,和人类一样。 当他在外表变得和人类一样时,他自甘卑微,甚至顺服到了死的地步,不惜死在十字架上。

所以上帝抬举他到了最高的地位,把他的名字凌驾于所有的名字之上, 10 好让众生都拜倒在耶稣名下,不论是在天堂、地上、还是地下, 11 并让所有的人都承认耶稣基督是主,这将给父上帝带来荣耀。

成为上帝期待的人

12 所以,我亲爱的朋友,要像你们一贯遵从我的指示那样,不仅仅你们和我在一起时这么做,当我不在你们那里时更要如此。要怀着敬畏的心情,为彻底完成你们的拯救继续工作。 13 上帝在你们中间工作着,他不但帮助你们去做令他喜悦的事情,而且还赐给你们做这些事情的能力。

14 做任何事情都不要抱怨与争吵, 这样你们在这腐败、堕落的一代人中,就能成为上帝的清白、纯洁和无可指摘的子女。你们向他们传播带来生命的信息,在这个黑暗世界里就犹如闪耀的明灯。这样,在基督重返那天,当我看到自己的工作没有白费,我便可以为你们而感到自豪。

17 你们的信仰使你们献出自己的生命做为祭献,为上帝服务。也许我将与你们的祭献一同抛撒热血。如果这一切发生了,我会非常快乐,并且还要与你们所有的人分享我的喜悦; 18 同样,你们也要快乐,并且与我分享你们的喜悦。

提摩太和以巴弗提的消息

19 我希望在主耶稣的帮助下,很快便派提摩太到你们那里去,以便能得到你们的消息,使我受到鼓舞。 20 他是我要派去的人,因为他是唯一与我同心并真正关心你们利益的人。 21 其他的人追求的只是他们自己的利益,而不是耶稣基督的利益。 22 你们了解提摩太的品格,他像儿子侍奉父亲那样,和我一起深入传播福音。 23 一旦我知道自己事情的结局后,便立即派他到你们那里去。 24 我相信,在上帝的帮助下我自己很快也会去的。

25 我还认为有必要派以巴弗提回到你们那里去。他是我的兄弟、同事、战友。他代表你们,在我需要时帮助了我。他一直渴望见到你们,我便决定派他去。 26 他还因为你们听说他患病的消息而感到难过。 27 他的确病了,几乎死去,但上帝怜悯他。上帝不仅怜悯他,也怜悯我,使我没有遭受到更大的忧伤。 28 所以我更急切要派他去,让你们看到他,使你们能高兴起来,这也可以消除我的忧伤。 29 要在主内欢欢喜喜地欢迎他,要敬重这样的人, 30 他为了基督的工作几乎死掉。他冒着生命危险弥补了你们无法给予我的帮助。

Christian Humility and Christ’s Humility

If there is any encouragement in Christ, if any comfort of love, if any fellowship of the Spirit, if any compassion and mercy, then fulfill my joy and be like-minded, having the same love, being in unity with one mind. Let nothing be done out of strife or conceit, but in humility let each esteem the other better than himself. Let each of you look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others.

Let this mind be in you all, which was also in Christ Jesus,

who, being in the form of God,
    did not consider equality with God something to be grasped.
But He emptied Himself,
    taking upon Himself the form of a servant,
    and was made in the likeness of men.
And being found in the form of a man,
    He humbled Himself
    and became obedient to death,
        even death on a cross.
Therefore God highly exalted Him
    and gave Him the name which is above every name,
10 that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow,
    of those in heaven and on earth and under the earth,
11 and every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord,
    to the glory of God the Father.[a]

Shining as Lights in the World

12 Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, not only in my presence, but so much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling. 13 For God is the One working in you, both to will and to do His good pleasure.

14 Do all things without murmuring and disputing, 15 that you may be blameless and harmless, sons of God, without fault, in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, in which you shine as lights in the world. 16 Hold forth the word of life that I may rejoice on the day of Christ that I have not run in vain or labored in vain. 17 Yes, and even if I am offered upon the sacrifice and service of your faith, I take delight and rejoice with you all. 18 For this reason you also take delight and rejoice with me.

Timothy and Epaphroditus

19 I trust in the Lord Jesus to send Timothy shortly to you, that I also may be of good comfort when I get word concerning you. 20 For I have no one like-minded, who will sincerely care for your welfare. 21 For all seek their own, not the things of Christ Jesus. 22 But you know of his proven worth, that as a son with a father, he has served with me in the gospel. 23 Therefore I hope to send him soon after my situation is resolved. 24 But I trust in the Lord that I, myself, shall also come shortly.

25 Yet I thought it necessary to send to you Epaphroditus, who is my brother and companion in labor, fellow soldier, your messenger, and he who ministered to my necessity. 26 For he longed after you all and was filled with heaviness, because you heard that he was sick. 27 Indeed he was sick, near death. But God had mercy on him, and not only on him, but also on me, lest I should have had 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 So receive him in the Lord with all joy. And hold such ones in high regard, 30 because for the work of Christ he was near death, not regarding his life, endeavoring to make up for your lack of service toward me.

Footnotes

  1. Philippians 2:11 A hymn about Jesus’ attitude of servanthood.