True Humility
1 Christ encourages you, and his love comforts you. God's Spirit unites you, and you are concerned for others. 2 Now make me completely happy! Live in harmony by showing love for each other. Be united in what you think, as if you were only one person. 3 Don't be jealous or proud, but be humble and consider others more important than yourselves. 4 Care about them as much as you care about yourselves 5 and think the same way that Christ Jesus thought:
6 Christ was truly God.
But he did not try to remain
equal with God.
7 Instead he gave up everything
and became a slave,
when he became
like one of us.
8 Christ was humble.
He obeyed God and even died
on a cross.
9 Then God gave Christ
the highest place
and honored his name
above all others.
10 So at the name of Jesus
everyone will bow down,
those in heaven, on earth,
and under the earth.
11 And to the glory
of God the Father
everyone will openly agree,
“Jesus Christ is Lord!”
Lights in the World
12 My dear friends, you always obeyed when I was with you. Now that I am away, you should obey even more. So work with fear and trembling to discover what it really means to be saved. 13 God is working in you to make you willing and able to obey him.
14 Do everything without grumbling or arguing. 15 Then you will be the pure and innocent children of God. You live among people who are crooked and evil, but you must not do anything they can say is wrong. Try to shine as lights among the people of this world, 16 as you hold firmly to the message that gives life. Then on the day when Christ returns, I can take pride in you. I can also know that my work and efforts were not useless.
17 Your faith in the Lord and your service are like a sacrifice offered to him. And my own blood may have to be poured out with the sacrifice. If this happens, I will be glad and rejoice with you. 18 In the same way, you should be glad and rejoice with me.
Timothy and Epaphroditus
19 I want to be encouraged by news about you. So I hope the Lord Jesus will soon let me send Timothy to you. 20 I don't have anyone else who cares about you as much as he does. 21 The others think only about what interests them and not about what concerns Christ Jesus. 22 But you know what kind of person Timothy is. He has worked with me like a son in spreading the good news. 23 I hope to send him to you, as soon as I find out what is going to happen to me. 24 And I feel sure the Lord will also let me come soon.
25 I think I ought to send my dear friend Epaphroditus back to you. He is a follower and a worker and a soldier of the Lord, just as I am. You sent him to look after me, 26 but now he is eager to see you. He is worried, because you heard he was sick. 27 In fact, he was very sick and almost died. But God was kind to him, and also to me, and he kept me from being burdened down with sorrow.
28 Now I am more eager than ever to send Epaphroditus back again. You will be glad to see him, and I won't have to worry any longer. 29 Be sure to give him a cheerful welcome, just as people who serve the Lord deserve. 30 He almost died working for Christ, and he risked his own life to do for me what you could not.
1 Ja nu ir kāda Kristus ieprieca, ja kāds mīlestības mierinājums, ja kāda gara sadraudzība, kāda sirsnība vai līdzcietība,
2 Tad piepildait manu prieku, turēdamies vienā prātā, lolodami vienu mīlestību, dvēselēs vienoti, ar vienu mērķi,
3 Ne strīdēdamies, ne tukšā lielībā, bet pazemībā cits citu uzskatīdami augstāku par sevi,
4 Neraudzīdamies katrs uz savām, bet arī uz citu vajadzībām.
5 Savā starpā turiet tādu pat prātu, kāds ir arī Kristū Jēzū,
6 Kas Dieva veidā būdams, neturēja par laupījumu līdzināties Dievam,
7 Bet sevi iztukšoja, pieņemdams kalpa veidu, tapdams cilvēkiem līdzīgs;
8 Un cilvēka kārtā būdams, viņš pazemojās, kļūdams paklausīgs līdz nāvei, līdz pat krusta nāvei!
9 Tāpēc arī Dievs viņu ļoti paaugstinājis un dāvinājis viņam vārdu pāri visiem vārdiem,
10 Lai Jēzus vārdā locītos visi ceļi debesīs un zemes virsū un pazemē,
11 Un visas mēles apliecinātu, ka Jēzus Kristus ir Kungs Dievam Tēvam par godu.
12 Tā tad, mani mīļie, it kā jūs vienumēr esat paklausījuši, nevis manā klātbūtnē vien, bet tagad daudz vairāk mana prombūtnē, gādājiet ar bailēm un drebēšanu, ka topat svēti.
13 Jo Dievs ir tas, kas jums dod gribu un veiksmi pēc labpatikas.
14 Dariet visu bez kurnēšanas un šaubīšanās,
15 Lai jūs būtu nevainojami un šķīsti, nepeļami Dieva bērni sabojātas un samaitātas paaudzes vidū, un tanī mirļ dzētu kā spīdekļi pasaulē,
16 Turēdami dzīvības vārdu, man par lepnumu uz Jēzus Kristus dienu; tad es veltīgi nebūtu skrējis nedz veltīgi pūlējies!
17 Bet ja man ari jāizlej savas asinis, nesot jūsu ticības un kalpošanas upuri, tad es priecājos, priecādamies kopā ar jums visiem;
18 Tāpat arī jūs priecājaties, priecādamies kopā ar mani.
19 Bet es iekš Kunga Jēzus ceru drīz sūtīt pie jums Timoteju, lai es, pārliecinājies, kā jums klājas, kļūtu līksms.
20 Jo man nav neviena ar līdzīgu dvēseli, kas bez viltus rūpētos par jūsu lietām.
21 Jo visi meklē savu, nevis Kristus Jēzus labumu.
22 Bet viņa krietnumu jūs pazīstat, ka viņš man kalpojis evaņģēlija labā kā bērns tēvam.
23 To nu es ceru pie jums sūtīt, tiklīdz varēšu pārredzēt savas lietas.
24 Bet es droši ceru iekš tā Kunga, ka arī pats drīz nākšu. —
25 Man šķiet nepieciešami sūtīt pie jums Epafroditu, manu brāli un darba un cīņas biedru, jūsu sūtni un palīgu manā trūkumā,
26 Tāpēc ka viņš karsti ilgojās pēc jums visiem un bija nobēdāļies par to, ka jūs bijāt dzirdējuši par viņa slimību.
27 Patiesi viņš biļa slims, tuvu nāvei. Bet Dievs viņu ir žēlojis, un nevien viņu, bet arī mani, lai man nebūtu bēdas uz bēdām.
28 Un es viņu steidzīgi sūtu, lai jūs, viņu ieraudzījuši, atkal priecātos un ari man būtu mazāk bēdu.
29 Uzņemiet viņu iekš tā Kunga ar visu prieku un vērtējiet augsti tādus vīrus,
30 Jo Kristus darba dēļ viņš bijis tuvu nāvei, dzīvību ķīlā likdams, lai aizpildītu iztrūkumu jūsu kalpošanā manis labā.
