Philippians 2
Common English Bible
Imitate Christ
2 Therefore, if there is any encouragement in Christ, any comfort in love, any sharing in the Spirit, any sympathy, 2 complete my joy by thinking the same way, having the same love, being united, and agreeing with each other. 3 Don’t do anything for selfish purposes, but with humility think of others as better than yourselves. 4 Instead of each person watching out for their own good, watch out for what is better for others. 5 Adopt the attitude that was in Christ Jesus:
6 Though he was in the form of God,
he did not consider being equal with God something to exploit.
7 But he emptied himself
by taking the form of a slave
and by becoming like human beings.
When he found himself in the form of a human,
8 he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death,
even death on a cross.
9 Therefore, God highly honored him
and gave him a name above all names,
10 so that at the name of Jesus everyone
in heaven, on earth, and under the earth might bow
11 and every tongue confess
that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
Carry out your salvation
12 Therefore, my loved ones, just as you always obey me, not just when I am present but now even more while I am away, carry out your own salvation with fear and trembling. 13 God is the one who enables you both to want and to actually live out his good purposes. 14 Do everything without grumbling and arguing 15 so that you may be blameless and pure, innocent children of God surrounded by people who are crooked and corrupt. Among these people you shine like stars in the world 16 because you hold on to the word of life. This will allow me to say on the day of Christ that I haven’t run for nothing or worked for nothing. 17 But even if I am poured out like a drink offering upon the altar of service for your faith, I am glad. I’m glad with all of you. 18 You should be glad about this in the same way. Be glad with me!
Sending Timothy and Epaphroditus
19 I hope in the Lord Jesus to send Timothy to see you soon so that I may be encouraged by hearing about you. 20 I have no one like him. He is a person who genuinely cares about your well-being. 21 All the others put their own business ahead of Jesus Christ’s business. 22 You know his character, how he labors with me for the gospel like a son works with his father. 23 So he is the one that I hope to send as soon as I find out how things turn out here for me. 24 I trust in the Lord that I also will visit you soon.
25 I think it is also necessary to send Epaphroditus to you. He is my brother, coworker, and fellow soldier; and he is your representative who serves my needs. 26 He misses you all, and he was upset because you heard he was sick. 27 In fact, he was so sick that he nearly died. But God had mercy on him—and not just on him but also on me, because his death would have caused me great sorrow. 28 Therefore, I am sending him immediately so that when you see him again you can be glad and I won’t worry. 29 So welcome him in the Lord with great joy and show great respect for people like him. 30 He risked his life and almost died for the work of Christ, and he did this to make up for the help you couldn’t give me.
Philippians 2
Christian Standard Bible
Christian Humility
2 If, then, there is any encouragement in Christ, if any consolation of love,(A) if any fellowship with the Spirit,(B) if any affection and mercy,(C) 2 make my joy complete by thinking the same way,(D) having the same love,(E) united in spirit, intent on one(F) purpose. 3 Do nothing out of selfish ambition(G) or conceit,(H) but in humility(I) consider others as more important(J) than yourselves. 4 Everyone should look not to his own interests,(K) but rather to the interests of others.(L)
Christ’s Humility and Exaltation
5 Adopt the same attitude as that of Christ Jesus,
6 who, existing in the form of God,
did not consider equality with God(M)
as something to be exploited.[a]
7 Instead he emptied himself(N)
by assuming the form of a servant,(O)
taking on the likeness of humanity.(P)
And when he had come as a man,
8 he humbled himself by becoming obedient
to the point of death—
even to death on a cross.(Q)
9 For this reason God highly exalted him(R)
and gave him the name
that is above every name,
10 so that at the name of Jesus
every knee will bow(S)—
in heaven(T) and on earth
and under the earth(U)—
11 and every tongue(V) will confess
that Jesus Christ is Lord,
to the glory(W) of God the Father.
Lights in the World
12 Therefore, my dear friends,(X) just as you have always obeyed,(Y) so now, not only in my presence but even more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling. 13 For it is God who is working in you both to will and to work according to his good purpose. 14 Do everything without grumbling(Z) and arguing,(AA) 15 so that you may be blameless(AB) and pure,(AC) children of God who are faultless(AD) in a crooked(AE) and perverted(AF) generation,(AG) among whom you shine like stars in the world, 16 by holding firm to the word(AH) of life. Then I can boast(AI) in the day of Christ(AJ) that I didn’t run or labor for nothing. 17 But even if I am poured out(AK) as a drink offering(AL) on the sacrificial service of your faith, I am glad and rejoice with all of you. 18 In the same way you should also be glad and rejoice with me.
Timothy and Epaphroditus
19 Now I hope in the Lord Jesus(AM) to send Timothy(AN) to you soon so that I too may be encouraged by news about you. 20 For I have no one else like-minded who will genuinely care about your interests; 21 all seek their own interests,(AO) not those of Jesus Christ.(AP) 22 But you know his proven character, because he has served with me in the gospel ministry like a son with a father. 23 Therefore, I hope to send him as soon as I see how things go with me. 24 I am confident in the Lord that I myself will also come soon.(AQ)
25 But I considered it necessary to send you Epaphroditus(AR)—my brother, coworker, and fellow soldier, as well as your messenger and minister to my need(AS)— 26 since he has been longing for all of you and was distressed because you heard that he was sick. 27 Indeed, he was so sick that he nearly died. However, God had mercy on him, and not only on him but also on me, so that I would not have sorrow upon sorrow. 28 For this reason, I am very eager to send him so that you may rejoice again when you see him and I may be less anxious. 29 Therefore, welcome him in the Lord with great joy and hold people like him in honor, 30 because he came close to death for the work(AT) of Christ, risking his life to make up what was lacking in your ministry to me.
Footnotes
- 2:6 Or to be grasped, or to be held on to
Philippians 2
New Revised Standard Version Updated Edition
Imitating Christ’s Humility
2 If, then, there is any comfort in Christ, any consolation from love, any partnership in the Spirit, any tender affection and sympathy,(A) 2 make my joy complete: be of the same mind, having the same love, being in full accord and of one mind.(B) 3 Do nothing from selfish ambition or empty conceit, but in humility regard others as better than yourselves.(C) 4 Let each of you look not to your own interests but to the interests of others.(D) 5 Let the same mind be in you that was[a] in Christ Jesus,(E)
6 who, though he existed in the form of God,
did not regard equality with God
as something to be grasped,(F)
7 but emptied himself,
taking the form of a slave,
assuming human likeness.
And being found in appearance as a human,(G)
8 he humbled himself
and became obedient to the point of death—
even death on a cross.(H)
9 Therefore God exalted him even more highly
and gave him the name
that is above every other name,(I)
10 so that at the name given to Jesus
every knee should bend,
in heaven and on earth and under the earth,(J)
11 and every tongue should confess
that Jesus Christ is Lord,
to the glory of God the Father.(K)
Shining as Lights in the World
12 Therefore, my beloved, just as you have always obeyed me, not only in my presence but much more now in my absence, work on your own salvation with fear and trembling,(L) 13 for it is God who is at work in you, enabling you both to will and to work for his good pleasure.
14 Do all things without murmuring and arguing,(M) 15 so that you may be blameless and innocent, children of God without blemish in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, in which you shine like stars in the world,(N) 16 holding forth the word of life so that I can boast on the day of Christ that I did not run in vain or labor in vain.(O)
17 But even if I am being poured out as a libation over the sacrifice and the service of your faith, I rejoice, and I rejoice together with all of you;(P) 18 in the same way also you should rejoice and rejoice together with me.
Timothy and Epaphroditus
19 I hope in the Lord Jesus to send Timothy to you soon, so that I, too, may be consoled by news of you. 20 I have no one so like myself who will be genuinely concerned for your welfare. 21 All of them are seeking their own interests, not those of Jesus Christ.(Q) 22 But Timothy’s[b] worth you know, how like a son with a father he has served with me in the work of the gospel.(R) 23 I hope therefore to send him as soon as I see how things go with me, 24 and I trust in the Lord that I will also come soon.
25 Still, I think it necessary to send to you Epaphroditus—my brother and coworker and fellow soldier, your messenger[c] and minister to my need,(S) 26 for he has been longing for[d] all of you and has been distressed because you heard that he was ill. 27 He was indeed so ill that he nearly died. But God had mercy on him, and not only on him but on me also, so that I would not have one sorrow after another. 28 I am the more eager to send him, therefore, in order that you may rejoice at seeing him again and that I may be less anxious. 29 Welcome him, then, in the Lord with all joy, and honor such people,(T) 30 because he came close to death for the work of Christ,[e] risking his life to make up for those services that you could not give me.
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The Christian Standard Bible. Copyright © 2017 by Holman Bible Publishers. Used by permission. Christian Standard Bible®, and CSB® are federally registered trademarks of Holman Bible Publishers, all rights reserved.
New Revised Standard Version, Updated Edition. Copyright © 2021 National Council of Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.