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Philippians 2
New Testament for Everyone
Philippians 2
New Testament for Everyone
Unity in everything
2 So if our shared life in the Messiah brings you any comfort; if love still has the power to make you cheerful; if we really do have a partnership in the spirit; if your hearts are at all moved with affection and sympathy— 2 then make my joy complete! Bring your thinking into line with one another.
Here’s how to do it. Hold on to the same love; bring your innermost lives into harmony; fix your minds on the same object. 3 Never act out of selfish ambition or vanity; instead, regard everybody else as your superior. 4 Look after each other’s best interests, not your own.
The mind of the Messiah
5 This is how you should think among yourselves—with the mind that you have because you belong to the Messiah, Jesus:
6 Who, though in God’s form, did not
regard his equality with God
as something he ought to exploit.
7 Instead, he emptied himself,
and received the form of a slave,
being born in the likeness of humans.
And then, having human appearance,
8 he humbled himself, and became
obedient even to death,
yes, even the death of the cross.
9 And so God has greatly exalted him,
and to him in his favor has given
the name which is over all names:
10 That now at the name of Jesus
every knee within heaven shall bow—
on earth, too, and under the earth;
11 And every tongue shall confess
that Jesus, Messiah, is Lord,
to the glory of God, the father.
How salvation is worked out
12 So, my dear people: you always did what I said, so please now carry on in the same way, not just as though I was there with you, but much more because I’m not! Your task now is to work at bringing about your own salvation; and naturally you’ll be taking this with utter seriousness. 13 After all, God himself is the one who’s at work among you, who provides both the will and the energy to enable you to do what pleases him.
14 There must be no grumbling and disputing in anything you do. 15 That way, nobody will be able to fault you, and you’ll be pure and spotless children of God in the midst of a twisted and depraved generation. You are to shine among them like lights in the world, 16 clinging on to the word of life. That’s what I will be proud of on the day of the Messiah. It will prove that I didn’t run a useless race, or work to no purpose.
17 Yes: even if I am to be poured out like a drink-offering on the sacrifice and service of your faith, I shall celebrate, and celebrate jointly with you all. 18 In the same way, you should celebrate, yes, and celebrate with me.
On Timothy
19 I hope in the Lord Jesus to send Timothy to you soon, so that I in turn may be encouraged by getting news about you. 20 I have nobody else of his quality: he will care quite genuinely about how you are. 21 Everybody else, you see, looks after their own interests, not those of Messiah Jesus. 22 But you know how Timothy has proved himself. Like a child with a father he has worked as a slave alongside me for the sake of the gospel. 23 So I’m hoping to send him just as soon as I see how it will turn out with me. 24 And I am confident in the Lord that I myself will come very soon as well.
On Epaphroditus
25 But I did think it was necessary to send Epaphroditus to you. He is my brother; he has worked alongside me and fought alongside me; and he’s served as your agent in tending to my needs. 26 He was longing for you all, you see, and he was upset because you heard that he was sick. 27 And he really was sick, too; he nearly died. But God took pity on him—yes, and on me as well, so that I wouldn’t have one sorrow piled on top of another.
28 This has made me all the more eager to send him, so that you’ll see him again and be glad, and my own anxieties will be laid to rest. 29 So give him a wonderfully happy welcome in the Lord, and hold people like him in special respect. 30 He came close to death through risking his life for the Messiah’s work, so that he could complete the service to me that you hadn’t been able to perform.
Philippians 2
New International Version
Philippians 2
New International Version
Imitating Christ’s Humility
2 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) 2 then make my joy complete(C) by being like-minded,(D) having the same love, being one(E) in spirit and of one mind. 3 Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit.(F) Rather, in humility value others above yourselves,(G) 4 not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others.(H)
5 In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus:(I)
6 Who, being in very nature[a] God,(J)
did not consider equality with God(K) something to be used to his own advantage;
7 rather, he made himself nothing(L)
by taking the very nature[b] of a servant,(M)
being made in human likeness.(N)
8 And being found in appearance as a man,
he humbled himself
by becoming obedient to death(O)—
even death on a cross!(P)
9 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)
14 Do everything without grumbling(Y) or arguing, 15 so that you may become blameless(Z) and pure, “children of God(AA) without fault in a warped and crooked generation.”[c](AB) Then you will shine among them like stars in the sky 16 as you hold firmly to the word of life. And then I will be able to boast on the day of Christ(AC) that I did not run(AD) or labor in vain.(AE) 17 But even if I am being poured out like a drink offering(AF) on the sacrifice(AG) and service coming from your faith, I am glad and rejoice with all of you.(AH) 18 So you too should be glad and rejoice with me.
Timothy and Epaphroditus
19 I hope in the Lord Jesus to send Timothy(AI) to you soon,(AJ) that I also may be cheered when I receive news about you. 20 I have no one else like him,(AK) who will show genuine concern for your welfare. 21 For everyone looks out for their own interests,(AL) not those of Jesus Christ. 22 But you know that Timothy has proved himself, because as a son with his father(AM) he has served with me in the work of the gospel. 23 I hope, therefore, to send him as soon as I see how things go with me.(AN) 24 And I am confident(AO) in the Lord that I myself will come soon.
25 But I think it is necessary to send back to you Epaphroditus, my brother, co-worker(AP) and fellow soldier,(AQ) who is also your messenger, whom you sent to take care of my needs.(AR) 26 For he longs for all of you(AS) and is distressed because you heard he was ill. 27 Indeed he was ill, and almost died. But God had mercy on him, and not on him only but also on me, to spare me sorrow upon sorrow. 28 Therefore I am all the more eager to send him,(AT) so that when you see him again you may be glad and I may have less anxiety. 29 So then, welcome him in the Lord with great joy, and honor people like him,(AU) 30 because he almost died for the work of Christ. He risked his life to make up for the help you yourselves could not give me.(AV)
Footnotes
- Philippians 2:6 Or in the form of
- Philippians 2:7 Or the form
- Philippians 2:15 Deut. 32:5
New Testament for Everyone (NTFE) 
Scripture quotations from The New Testament for Everyone are copyright © Nicholas Thomas Wright 2011, 2018, 2019.
New International Version (NIV) 
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