Philippians 2 - Amplified Bible(AMP)

Be Like Christ

1Therefore if there is any encouragement and comfort in Christ, if there is any consolation of love, if there is any fellowship in the Spirit, if any affection and compassion,

2make my joy complete by being of the same mind, having the same love, knit together in spirit, intent on one purpose.

3Do nothing from selfishness or empty conceit, but with humility, regard others as more important than yourselves.

4Do not merely look out for your own personal interests, but also for the interests of others.

5Have this same attitude in yourselves which was in Christ Jesus,

6who, although He existed in the form and unchanging essence of God, did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped or asserted;

7but emptied Himself by assuming the form of a bond-servant, and being made in the likeness of men.

8After He was found in outward appearance as a man, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.

9For this reason also, God has highly exalted Him and bestowed on Him the name which is above every name,

10so that at the name of Jesus every knee shall bow, of those who are in heaven and on earth and under the earth,

11and that every tongue will confess and openly acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord (sovereign God), to the glory of God the Father.

12So then, my dear ones, just as you have always obeyed, not only in my presence, but now much more in my absence, continue to work out your salvation with awe-inspired fear and trembling.

13For it is God who is effectively at work in you, both to will and to work for His good pleasure.

14Do everything without murmuring or questioning,

15so that you may prove yourselves to be blameless and guileless, innocent and uncontaminated, children of God without blemish in the midst of a crooked and perverted generation, among whom you are seen as bright lights in the world,

16holding out and offering to everyone the word of life, so that in the day of Christ I will have reason to rejoice greatly because I did not run in vain nor labor without result.

17But even if I am being poured out as a drink offering on the sacrifice and service of your faith, still I rejoice and share my joy with you all.

18You too, rejoice in the same way and share your joy with me.

Timothy and Epaphroditus

19But I hope in the Lord Jesus to send Timothy to you soon, so that I may also be encouraged by learning news about you.

20For I have no one else so kindred a spirit who will be genuinely concerned for your welfare.

21For the others all seek their own interests, not those of Jesus Christ.

22But you know of Timothy’s tested worth and his proven character, that he has served with me to advance the gospel like a son serving with his father.

23Therefore, I hope to send him immediately, just as soon as I see how my case turns out;

24and I trust in the Lord that soon I also will be coming to you.

25However, I thought it necessary to send back to you Epaphroditus, my brother and companion and fellow soldier, who was also sent as your messenger to take care of my needs.

26For he has been longing for all of you and was distressed because you had heard that he was sick.

27He certainly was sick and close to death. But God had mercy on him, and not only on him but also on me, so that I would not have sorrow upon sorrow.

28So I have sent him all the more eagerly so that when you see him again you may rejoice and I may be less concerned about you.

29Welcome him home in the Lord with great joy, and appreciate and honor men like him;

30because he came close to death for the work of Christ, risking his life to complete what was lacking in your service to me.