1Therefore, if there is any exhortation in Christ, any consolation of love, any communion of the Spirit, any tender mercies and compassion, 2make my joy full, by being like-minded, having the same love, being of one accord and of one mind. 3Do nothing through rivalry or conceit, but in humility, consider others better than yourselves. 4Do not just look after your own selfish interests but each one of you should consider the interests of others.
5Let the following be in your mind, which was also in [the mind of] Christ Jesus. 6He who existed in the form1972 of God did not consider equality with God a thing to be exploited.1973 7Instead, he emptied1974 himself, taking the form of a bondservant, being made in the likeness of men. 8And being found in human form, he humbled himself, becoming obedient to [the point of] death, even death on the cross! 9Therefore, God highly exalted him, and gave him the Name which is above every name; 10so that at the Name of Jesus every knee should bow in heaven, on earth, and under the earth; 11and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
Call to obedience
12And so, my beloved, even as you have always obeyed, not only in my presence, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling, 13for it is God1975 who works in you, both to will and to work, according to his good purpose. 14Do all things without murmurings and disputes 15in order to become blameless and harmless, children of God without fault1976 in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation among whom you are seen as lights in the world. 16Uphold the word1977 of life, so that I may have a reason to glory1978 in the day of Christ: that I did not run or labor in vain. 17Yes, even if I am poured out [as an offering1979] on the sacrifice and liturgy1980 of your faith, I rejoice and share my joy with you all. 18In the same way, rejoice, rejoice with me!
Paul and Timothy—About Epaphroditus
19I hope in the Lord Jesus [that I will be able] to send you Timothy soon, so that I too may be encouraged when I learn how you are doing. 20For I have no one else with the same soul,1981 who will truly care about you, 21unlike others who seek their own, not the things of Christ Jesus. 22But you know how he has proved himself; as a child serves a father, he has served with me to spread the Good News. 23Therefore, I hope to send him at once, as soon as I see how things are going with me [here]. 24As it is, I trust in the Lord that I too will be able to come shortly. 25Still, I deemed it necessary to send you Epaphroditus who is my brother, fellow worker, fellow soldier, and your apostle and the servant of my need. 26He was longing for you all and was very troubled, because you had heard that he was sick. 27Indeed, he was sick, almost to the point of death! But God had mercy on him; and not on him only, but also on me, so that I may not have sorrow upon sorrow. 28And so, I have sent him all the more eagerly, so that you may rejoice when you see him again, and that I may be less sorrowful. 29Receive him in the Lord with all joy, and hold such a person in honor, 30because on account of the work of Christ, he came near to death, risking his life to provide what was lacking in your ministry to me.
Warning against evil-workers—Paul’s background
- Greek morfh/
- Greek a`rpagmo.n – a difficult verse that can mean either “something possessed but not to be exploited or hold on to,” or, on the contrary, “something to be grasped / conquered / snatched / carried off, or seized by force”).
- Greek evke,nwsen (related to the word kenosis)
- Literally “{a} God” (indefinite in Greek, in the sense that is it a divine being or energy that is at work. The focus is not so much on the person (God) but on the nature or energy at work).
- CT reads “blemish” instead of “fault”
- Or “message”
- Or “boast”
- Or “libation” (a liquid offering)
- Or “service/ministry” (Greek leitourgi,a|)
- Greek ivso,yucon
Text: The Eastern / Greek Orthodox Bible, New Testament (EOB). Used with permission.
