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Christ's Humility and Greatness

Your life in Christ makes you strong, and his love comforts you. You have fellowship with the Spirit,[a] and you have kindness and compassion for one another. I urge you, then, to make me completely happy by having the same thoughts, sharing the same love, and being one in soul and mind. Don't do anything from selfish ambition or from a cheap desire to boast, but be humble toward one another, always considering others better than yourselves. And look out for one another's interests, not just for your own. The attitude you should have is the one that Christ Jesus had:

He always had the nature of God,
    but he did not think that by force he should try to remain[b] equal with God.
Instead of this, of his own free will he gave up all he had,
    and took the nature of a servant.
He became like a human being
    and appeared in human likeness.
He was humble and walked the path of obedience all the way to death—
    his death on the cross.
For this reason God raised him to the highest place above
    and gave him the name that is greater than any other name.
10 (A)And so, in honor of the name of Jesus
    all beings in heaven, on earth, and in the world below[c]
    will fall on their knees,
11 and all will openly proclaim that Jesus Christ is Lord,
    to the glory of God the Father.

Shining as Lights in the World

12 So then, dear friends, as you always obeyed me when I was with you, it is even more important that you obey me now while I am away from you. Keep on working with fear and trembling to complete your salvation, 13 because God is always at work in you to make you willing and able to obey his own purpose.

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Footnotes

  1. Philippians 2:1 You have fellowship with the Spirit; or The Spirit has brought you into fellowship with one another.
  2. Philippians 2:6 remain; or become.
  3. Philippians 2:10 It was thought that the dead continued to exist in a dark world under the ground.

Imitating Christ’s Humility

Therefore if you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from his love, if any common sharing in the Spirit,(A) if any tenderness and compassion,(B) then make my joy complete(C) by being like-minded,(D) having the same love, being one(E) in spirit and of one mind. Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit.(F) Rather, in humility value others above yourselves,(G) not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others.(H)

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

Who, being in very nature[a] God,(J)
    did not consider equality with God(K) something to be used to his own advantage;
rather, he made himself nothing(L)
    by taking the very nature[b] of a servant,(M)
    being made in human likeness.(N)
And being found in appearance as a man,
    he humbled himself
    by becoming obedient to death(O)
        even death on a cross!(P)

Therefore God exalted him(Q) to the highest place
    and gave him the name that is above every name,(R)
10 that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow,(S)
    in heaven and on earth and under the earth,(T)
11 and every tongue acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord,(U)
    to the glory of God the Father.

Do Everything Without Grumbling

12 Therefore, my dear friends, as you 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,(V) 13 for it is God who works in you(W) to will and to act in order to fulfill his good purpose.(X)

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Footnotes

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