Christ's Humility and Greatness
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.
Shining as Lights in the World
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.
Timothy and Epaphroditus
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.
1 Ja nu ir kāds iepriecinājums Kristū, 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 Tātad, mani mīļie, tā kā jūs vienumēr esat paklausījuši, nevis manā klātbūtnē vien, bet tagad daudz vairāk manā prombūtnē, gādājiet ar bailēm un drebēšanu, ka topat svēti. 13 Jo Dievs ir tas, kas jums dod gribu un veiksmi pēc Sava labā prāta. 14 Dariet visu bez kurnēšanas un šaubīšanās, 15 lai jūs būtu nevainojami un šķīsti, nepeļami Dieva bērni sabojātas un samaitātas paaudzes vidū, un tanī mirdzētu 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 arī 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 nobēdājies par to, ka jūs bijāt dzirdējuši par viņa slimību. 27 Patiesi viņš bija slims, tuvu nāvei. Bet Dievs viņu ir žēlojis un ne vien viņu, bet arī mani, lai man nebūtu bēdas uz bēdām. 28 Un es viņu steidzīgi sūtu, lai jūs, viņu ieraudzījuši, atkal priecātos un arī 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.
