## Christ's Humility and Exaltation 

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

###### 2
fulfill my joy, that you think the same _way_, by maintaining the same love, _being_ united in spirit, thinking on one purpose, 

###### 3
doing nothing from selfish ambition or vain glory, but with humility of mind regarding one another as more important than yourselves, 

###### 4
not _merely_ looking out for your own personal interests, but also for the interests of others. 

###### 5
Have this _way of_ thinking in yourselves which was also in Christ Jesus, 

###### 6
who, although existing in the form of God, did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped, 

###### 7
but emptied Himself, by taking the form of a slave, by being made in the likeness of men. 

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

###### 9
Therefore, God also highly exalted Him, and bestowed on Him the name which is above every name, 

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

###### 11
and that every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is LORD, to the glory of God the Father. 

###### 12
So then, my beloved, just as you have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your salvation with fear and trembling; 

###### 13
for it is God who is at work in you, both to will and to work for _His_ good pleasure. 

###### 14
Do all things without grumbling or disputing, 

###### 15
so that you will be blameless and innocent, children of God without blemish in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world, 

###### 16
holding fast the word of life, so that in the day of Christ I will have reason to boast because I did not run in vain nor labor in vain. 

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

###### 18
And you also, rejoice in the same way and share your joy with me. 

## Timothy and Epaphroditus Sent 

###### 19
But I hope in the Lord Jesus to send Timothy to you shortly, so that I also may be in good spirits when I learn of your circumstances. 

###### 20
For I have no one _else_ of kindred spirit who will genuinely be concerned about your circumstances. 

###### 21
For they all seek after their own interests, not those of Christ Jesus. 

###### 22
But you know of his proven worth, that he served with me in the furtherance of the gospel like a child _serving_ his father. 

###### 23
Therefore I hope to send him immediately, as soon as I evaluate my own circumstances, 

###### 24
and I am confident in the Lord that I myself also will be coming shortly. 

###### 25
But I regarded it necessary to send to you Epaphroditus, my brother and fellow worker and fellow soldier, who is also your messenger and minister to my need; 

###### 26
because he was longing for you all and was distressed because you had heard that he was sick. 

###### 27
For indeed he was sick to the point of death, but God had mercy on him, and not on him only but also on me, so that I would not have sorrow upon sorrow. 

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

###### 29
Receive him then in the Lord with all joy, and hold men like him in high regard 

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