The Epistle of Paul the Apostle to the Philippians

⭑ Berean Study Bible :: World English Bible Catholic ⭑

- Chapter 2 -

(Ephesians 2:11–18)

Therefore if you have any encouragement in Christ, if any comfort from His love, if any fellowship with the Spirit, if any affection and compassion,

then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being united in spirit and purpose.

Do nothing out of selfish ambition or empty pride, but in humility consider others more important than yourselves.

Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others.

The Mind of Christ

(Isaiah 52:13–15)

Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus:

Who, existing in the form of God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped,(a)

but emptied Himself, taking the form of a servant, being made in human likeness.

And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to death— even death on a cross.

Therefore God exalted Him to the highest place and gave Him the name above all names,

that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth,

and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

Lights in the World

(Matthew 5:13–16)

Therefore, my beloved, just as you have always obeyed, not only in my presence, but now even more in my absence, continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling.

For it is God who works in you to will and to act on behalf of His good purpose.

Do everything without complaining or arguing,

so that you may be blameless and pure, children of God without fault in a crooked and perverse generation,(b) in which you shine as lights in the world

as you hold forth the word of life, in order that I may boast on the day of Christ that I did not run or labor in vain.

But even if I am being poured out like a drink offering on the sacrifice and service of your faith, I am glad and rejoice with all of you.

So you too should be glad and rejoice with me.

Timothy and Epaphroditus

(1 Corinthians 16:10–12)

Now I hope in the Lord Jesus to send Timothy to you soon, that I also may be cheered when I learn how you are doing.

I have nobody else like him who will genuinely care for your needs.

For all the others look after their own interests, not those of Jesus Christ.

But you know Timothy’s proven worth, that as a child with his father he has served with me to advance the gospel.

So I hope to send him as soon as I see what happens with me.

And I trust in the Lord that I myself will come soon.

But I thought it necessary to send back to you Epaphroditus, my brother, fellow worker, and fellow soldier, who is also your messenger and minister to my needs.

For he has been longing for all of you and is distressed because you heard he was ill.

He was sick indeed, nearly unto death. But God had mercy on him, and not only on him but also on me, to spare me sorrow upon sorrow.

Therefore I am all the more eager to send him, so that when you see him again you may rejoice, and I may be less anxious.

Welcome him in the Lord with great joy, and honor men like him,

because he nearly died for the work of Christ, risking his life to make up for your deficit of service to me.

Footnotes

(a)2:6 Or something to be exploited

(b)2:15 Deuteronomy 32:5

(Ephesians 2:11–18)

If therefore there is any exhortation in Christ, if any consolation of love, if any fellowship of the Spirit, if any tender mercies and compassion,

make my joy full by being like-minded, having the same love, being of one accord, of one mind;

doing nothing through rivalry or through conceit, but in humility, each counting others better than himself;

each of you not just looking to his own things, but each of you also to the things of others.

The Mind of Christ

(Isaiah 52:13–15)

Have this in your mind, which was also in Christ Jesus,

who, existing in the form of God, didn’t consider equality with God a thing to be grasped,

but emptied himself, taking the form of a servant, being made in the likeness of men.

And being found in human form, he humbled himself, becoming obedient to the point of death, yes, the death of the cross.

Therefore God also highly exalted him, and gave to him the name which is above every name,

that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, those on earth, and those under the earth,

and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

Lights in the World

(Matthew 5:13–16)

So then, 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.

For it is God who works in you both to will and to work for his good pleasure.

Do all things without complaining and arguing,

that you may become blameless and harmless, children of God without defect in the middle of a crooked and perverse generation, among whom you are seen as lights in the world,

holding up the word of life, that I may have something to boast in the day of Christ that I didn’t run in vain nor labor in vain.

Yes, and if I am poured out on the sacrifice and service of your faith, I am glad and rejoice with you all.

In the same way, you also should be glad and rejoice with me.

Timothy and Epaphroditus

(1 Corinthians 16:10–12)

But I hope in the Lord Jesus to send Timothy to you soon, that I also may be cheered up when I know how you are doing.

For I have no one else like-minded, who will truly care about you.

For they all seek their own, not the things of Jesus Christ.

But you know that he has proved himself. As a child serves a father, so he served with me in furtherance of the Good News.

Therefore I hope to send him at once, as soon as I see how it will go with me.

But I trust in the Lord that I myself also will come shortly.

But I thought it necessary to send to you Epaphroditus, my brother, fellow worker, fellow soldier, and your apostle and servant of my need,

since he longed for you all, and was very troubled because you had heard that he was sick.

For indeed he was sick nearly to death, but God had mercy on him, and not on him only, but on me also, that I might not have sorrow on sorrow.

I have sent him therefore the more diligently, that when you see him again, you may rejoice, and that I may be the less sorrowful.

Receive him therefore in the Lord with all joy, and hold such people in honor,

because for the work of Christ he came near to death, risking his life to supply that which was lacking in your service toward me.