Christian Humility

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) make my joy complete by thinking the same way,(D) having the same love,(E) united in spirit, intent on one(F) purpose. Do nothing out of selfish ambition(G) or conceit,(H) but in humility(I) consider others as more important(J) than yourselves. Everyone should look not to his own interests,(K) but rather to the interests of others.(L)

Christ’s Humility and Exaltation

Adopt the same attitude as that of Christ Jesus,

who, existing in the form of God,
did not consider equality with God(M)
as something to be exploited.[a]
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,
he humbled himself by becoming obedient
to the point of death—
even to death on a cross.(Q)
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

  1. 2:6 Or to be grasped, or to be held on to

Mulabire ku Kristo

(A)Kale bwe wabaawo okubazaamu endasi kwonna mu Kristo, oba okusanyusa kwonna okw’okwagala, oba okussa ekimu mu mwoyo, oba okwagala okw’engeri yonna, oba okusaasira, (B)mutuukirize essanyu lyange, mulowoozenga bumu, nga mulina okwagala, n’omwoyo gumu, nga mulowooza bumu, (C)nga temukola kintu na kimu olw’okuvuganya wadde okwewaana okutaliimu, wabula mu bwetoowaze nga buli muntu agulumiza munne okusinga bwe mwegulumiza mwekka, nga buli muntu tatunuulira bibye yekka, naye ng’afaayo ne ku by’abalala.

(D)Mubengamu endowooza eri eyali mu Kristo Yesu,

(E)ye newaakubadde nga yali mu kifaananyi kya Katonda,
    Teyeerowooza kwenkanankana ne Katonda,
(F)wabula yeewaayo n’afuuka ng’omuddu,
    era n’azaalibwa ng’omuntu,
    era n’alabikira mu kifaananyi ky’omuntu,
(G)ne yeetoowaza,
    n’aba muwulize n’okutuukira ddala ku kufa,
    ate okufa okw’okukomererwa ku musaalaba.

(H)Katonda kyeyava amugulumiza,
    n’amuwa erinnya erisinga amannya gonna;
10 (I)buli vviivi ery’abo abali mu ggulu n’abali ku nsi,
    era n’abali wansi w’ensi liryoke lifukaamirirenga erinnya lya Yesu,
11 (J)era buli lulimi lwatulenga nga Yesu Kristo ye Mukama,
    Katonda Kitaffe aweebwe ekitiibwa.

Okwakira Ensi

12 (K)Noolwekyo abaagalwa, nga bwe muli abawulize bulijjo nga ndi nammwe, kaakano nga bwe siri nammwe mube bawulize nnyo n’okusinga bwe mwali. Munyiikirenga okukola ebiraga nti mwalokolebwa, nga mutya era nga mukankana. 13 (L)Kubanga Katonda yakolera mu mmwe, era yabaagazisa n’abasobozesa okukola by’ayagala, olw’okumusanyusa.

14 (M)Buli kye mukola mukikolenga awatali kwemulugunya wadde empaka, 15 (N)mulyoke mube nga temuliiko kyakunenyezebwa nga muli balongoofu, mube abaana ba Katonda abatalina bbala, wakati mu mulembe ogwakyama era omwonoonefu, mwe mubeere ekyokulabirako eky’amaanyi mu nsi, 16 (O)nga munyweza ekigambo ky’obulamu gye bali, ndyoke mbeere n’eky’okwenyumiriza ku lunaku lwa Kristo, okulaga nti ssaddukira bwereere so ssaateganira busa. 17 (P)Naye singa ddala nfukibwa ng’ekiweebwayo ekyokunywa ku ssaddaaka ne ku kuweereza okw’obwakabona okw’okukkiriza kwammwe, nsanyukira wamu nammwe mwenna. 18 Era nammwe musanyukire wamu nange.

Timoseewo ne Epafuladito

19 (Q)Mukama waffe Yesu bw’alisiima nsuubira okubatumira mangu Timoseewo, ndyoke ntereere omwoyo nga ntegedde ebibafaako. 20 (R)Kubanga tewali mulala alina ndowooza nga yange, 21 (S)kubanga abalala bonna beenoonyeza byabwe ku bwabwe, so si ebya Yesu Kristo. 22 (T)Naye ye Timoseewo mumumanyi nga bw’asaanira, kubanga aweerereza wamu nange, ng’omwana bw’akolera awamu ne kitaawe nga tukola omulimu gw’okubuulira Enjiri. 23 (U)Kale oyo gwe nsuubira okubatumira amangu ddala nga naakamanya nga bwe nnaabeera. 24 (V)Naye nkakasa nti Mukama waffe bw’alisiima, nange nze kennyini sirimala bbanga ddene nga sinnajja eyo.

25 (W)Era ndabye nga kisaanye okubatumira owooluganda Epafuladito mukozi munnange, era mulwanyi munnange, naye ate nga mutume wammwe, omuweereza ow’eby’obwakabona ow’eby’etaago byange, 26 (X)ayagala ennyo okubalaba, mwenna, eyeeraliikirira ennyo olw’obutabalaba, kubanga mwawulira nga yalwala. 27 Ddala yalwala era yali kumpi n’okufa. Kyokka Katonda yamusaasira, naye era teyasaasira ye yekka, wabula nange yansaasira ennaku n’eteenneeyongera. 28 Noolwekyo nayagala nnyo okumutuma gye muli mulyoke musanyuke okumulaba nate, ekyo kikendeeze ku nnaku gye nnina. 29 (Y)Kale mumwanirize nnyo n’essanyu lyonna mu Mukama waffe, era abantu abali ng’oyo mubassangamu ekitiibwa, 30 (Z)kubanga yabulako katono okufa ng’ali ku mulimu gwa Kristo, ng’akola ebyo bye mwandinkoledde singa mwali nange.

Does your life in Christ give you strength? Does his love comfort you? Do we share together in the spirit? Do you have mercy and kindness? If so, make me very happy by having the same thoughts, sharing the same love, and having one mind and purpose. When you do things, do not let selfishness or pride be your guide. Instead, be humble and give more honor to others than to yourselves. Do not be interested only in your own life, but be interested in the lives of others.

Be Unselfish Like Christ

In your lives you must think and act like Christ Jesus.

Christ himself was like God in everything.
    But he did not think that being equal with God was something to be used for his own benefit.
But he gave up his place with God and made himself nothing.
    He was born as a man
    and became like a servant.
And when he was living as a man,
    he humbled himself and was fully obedient to God,
    even when that caused his death—death on a cross.
So God raised him to the highest place.
    God made his name greater than every other name
10 so that every knee will bow to the name of Jesus—
    everyone in heaven, on earth, and under the earth.
11 And everyone will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord
    and bring glory to God the Father.

Be the People God Wants You to Be

12 My dear friends, you have always obeyed God when I was with you. It is even more important that you obey now while I am away from you. Keep on working to complete your salvation with fear and trembling, 13 because God is working in you to help you want to do and be able to do what pleases him.

14 Do everything without complaining or arguing. 15 Then you will be innocent and without any wrong. You will be God’s children without fault. But you are living with crooked and mean people all around you, among whom you shine like stars in the dark world. 16 You offer the teaching that gives life. So when Christ comes again, I can be happy because my work was not wasted. I ran the race and won.

17 Your faith makes you offer your lives as a sacrifice in serving God. If I have to offer my own blood with your sacrifice, I will be happy and full of joy with all of you. 18 You also should be happy and full of joy with me.

Timothy and Epaphroditus

19 I hope in the Lord Jesus to send Timothy to you soon. I will be happy to learn how you are. 20 I have no one else like Timothy, who truly cares for you. 21 Other people are interested only in their own lives, not in the work of Jesus Christ. 22 You know the kind of person Timothy is. You know he has served with me in telling the Good News, as a son serves his father. 23 I plan to send him to you quickly when I know what will happen to me. 24 I am sure that the Lord will help me to come to you soon.

25 Epaphroditus, my brother in Christ, works and serves with me in the army of Christ. When I needed help, you sent him to me. I think now that I must send him back to you, 26 because he wants very much to see all of you. He is worried because you heard that he was sick. 27 Yes, he was sick, and nearly died, but God had mercy on him and me too so that I would not have more sadness. 28 I want very much to send him to you so that when you see him you can be happy, and I can stop worrying about you. 29 Welcome him in the Lord with much joy. Give honor to people like him, 30 because he almost died for the work of Christ. He risked his life to give me the help you could not give in your service to me.