Philippians 2:1-30 (Good News Translation)
Come Together in Faith and Build Up the Body of Christ
Introduction
Philippians 2:1-30: Paul reminds the Philippians that Christ “took the
nature of a servant,” and he encourages them to have the same attitude
as Christ by being humble toward one another and by shining “like stars
lighting up the sky.” The chapter concludes with Paul’s plan to send
Timothy and Epaphroditus to Philippi.
Today’s Scripture: Philippians 2:14a
Do everything without complaining or arguing, so that you may be innocent
and pure as God’s perfect children.
Today’s Reading
1 Your
life in Christ makes you strong, and his love comforts you. You have
fellowship with the Spirit,
and you have kindness and compassion for one another.
2 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.
3 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.
4 And look out for one another's interests, not just
for your own.
5 The attitude you should have is the one that
Christ Jesus had:
6 He always had the nature of God,
but he did not think that by force he
should try to remain
equal with God.
7 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.
8 He was humble and walked the path of obedience all
the way to death—
his death on the cross.
9 For this reason God raised him to the highest
place above
and gave him the name that is greater
than any other name.
10 And so, in honor of the name of Jesus
all beings in heaven, on earth, and in
the world below
will fall on their knees,
11 and all will openly proclaim that Jesus Christ
is Lord,
to the glory of God the Father.
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.
14 Do everything without complaining or arguing,
15 so that you may be innocent and
pure as God's perfect children, who live in a world of corrupt and sinful
people. You must shine among them like stars lighting up the sky,
16 as you offer them the message of life. If you do
so, I shall have reason to be proud of you on the Day of Christ, because it
will show that all my effort and work have not been wasted.
17 Perhaps my life's blood is to be poured out like
an offering on the sacrifice that your faith offers to God. If that is so,
I am glad and share my joy with you all.
18 In the same way, you too must be glad and share
your joy with me.
19 If it is the Lord's will, I hope that I will be
able to send Timothy to you soon, so that I may be encouraged by news
about you.
20 He is the only one who shares my feelings and
who really cares about you.
21 Everyone else is concerned only with their own
affairs, not with the cause of Jesus Christ.
22 And you yourselves know how he has proved his
worth, how he and I, like a son and his father, have worked together for
the sake of the gospel.
23 So I hope to send him to you as soon as I know
how things are going to turn out for me.
24 And I trust in the Lord that I myself will be
able to come to you soon.
25 I have thought it necessary to send to you our
brother Epaphroditus, who has worked and fought by my side and who has
served as your messenger in helping me.
26 He is anxious to see you all and is very upset
because you had heard that he was sick.
27 Indeed he was sick and almost died. But God had
pity on him, and not only on him but on me, too, and spared me an even
greater sorrow.
28 I am all the more eager, then, to send him to
you, so that you will be glad again when you see him, and my own sorrow
will disappear.
29 Receive him, then, with joy, as a believer in
the Lord. Show respect to all such people as he,
30 because he risked his life and nearly died for
the sake of the work of Christ, in order to give me the help that you
yourselves could not give.
Reflect
Reread verses 1-4. What words express Paul’s concern for unity among the
believers? Verses 6-11 are believed to be derived from an early Christian
hymn. What are the key points in these verses? Are you familiar with any
songs or hymns that attest to this passage of Scripture?
Pray
Holy Jesus, grant me the nature of a servant and help me to be guided by
your example of love and humility in my relationships with others. I
proclaim that you are Lord, to the glory of God the Father. Amen.
Prayer Concern
Liturgists