21 If then there is any comfort in Christ, any help given by love, any uniting of hearts in the Spirit, any loving mercies and pity, 2 Make my joy complete by being of the same mind, having the same love, being in harmony and of one mind; 3 Doing nothing through envy or through pride, but with low thoughts of self let everyone take others to be better than himself; 4 Not looking everyone to his private good, but keeping in mind the things of others. 5 Let this mind be in you which was in Christ Jesus, 6 To whom, though himself in the form of God, it did not seem that to take for oneself was to be like God; 7 But he made himself as nothing, taking the form of a servant, being made like men; 8 And being seen in form as a man, he took the lowest place, and let himself be put to death, even the death of the cross. 9 For this reason God has put him in the highest place and has given to him the name which is greater than every name; 10 So that at the name of Jesus every knee may be bent, of those in heaven and those on earth and those in the underworld, 11 And that every tongue may give witness that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
12 So then, my loved ones, as you have at all times done what I say, not only when I am present, but now much more when I am not with you, give yourselves to working out your salvation with fear in your hearts; 13 For it is God who is the cause of your desires and of your acts, for his good pleasure.
14 Do all things without protests and arguments; 15 So that you may be holy and gentle, children of God without sin in a twisted and foolish generation, among whom you are seen as lights in the world, 16 Offering the word of life; so that I may have glory in you in the day of Christ, because my running was not for nothing and my work was not without effect. 17 And even if I am offered like a drink offering, giving myself for the cause and work of your faith, I am glad and have joy with you all: 18 And in the same way do you be glad and have a part in my joy.
19 But I am hoping in the Lord Jesus to send Timothy to you before long, so that I may be comforted when I have news of you. 20 For I have no man of like mind who will truly have care for you. 21 For they all go after what is theirs, not after the things of Christ. 22 But his quality is clear to you; how, as a child is to its father, so he was a help to me in the work of the good news. 23 Him then I am hoping to send as quickly as possible, when I am able to see how things will go for me: 24 But I have faith in the Lord that I myself will come before long. 25 But it seemed to me necessary to send to you Epaphroditus, my brother, who has taken part with me in the work and in the fight, and your servant, sent by you for help in my need; 26 Because his heart was with you all, and he was greatly troubled because you had news that he was ill: 27 For in fact he was ill almost to death: but God had mercy on him; and not only on him but on me, so that I might not have grief on grief. 28 I have sent him, then, the more gladly, so that when you see him again, you may be happy and I may have the less sorrow. 29 So take him to your hearts in the Lord with all joy, and give honour to such as he is: 30 Because for the work of Christ he was near to death, putting his life in danger to make your care for me complete.
31 For the rest, my brothers, be glad in the Lord. Writing the same things to you is no trouble to me, and for you it is safe. 2 Be on the watch against dogs, against the workers of evil, against those of the circumcision: 3 For we are the circumcision, who give worship to God and have glory in Jesus Christ, and have no faith in the flesh:
4 Even though I myself might have faith in the flesh: if any other man has reason to have faith in the flesh, I have more: 5 Being given circumcision on the eighth day, of the nation of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of Hebrews; in relation to the law, a Pharisee: 6 In bitter hate I was cruel to the church; I kept all the righteousness of the law to the last detail. 7 But those things which were profit to me, I gave up for Christ. 8 Yes truly, and I am ready to give up all things for the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord, which is more than all: for whom I have undergone the loss of all things, and to me they are less than nothing, so that I may have Christ as my reward,
9 And be seen in him, not having my righteousness which is of the law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith: 10 That I may have knowledge of him, and of the power of his coming back from the dead, and a part with him in his pains, becoming like him in his death; 11 If in any way I may have the reward of life from the dead. 12 Not as if I had even now got the reward or been made complete: but I go on in the hope that I may come to the knowledge of that for which I was made the servant of Christ Jesus. 13 Brothers, it is clear to me that I have not come to that knowledge; but one thing I do, letting go those things which are past, and stretching out to the things which are before, 14 I go forward to the mark, even the reward of the high purpose of God in Christ Jesus.
15 Then let us all, who have come to full growth, be of this mind: and if in anything you are of a different mind, even this will God make clear to you: 16 Only, as far as we have got, let us be guided by the same rule.
17 Brothers, take me as your example, and take note of those who are walking after the example we have given. 18 For there are those, of whom I have given you word before, and do so now with sorrow, who are haters of the cross of Christ; 19 Whose end is destruction, whose god is the stomach, and whose glory is in their shame, whose minds are fixed on the things of the earth. 20 For our country is in heaven; from where the Saviour for whom we are waiting will come, even the Lord Jesus Christ: 21 By whom this poor body of ours will be changed into the image of the body of his glory, in the measure of the working by which he is able to put all things under himself.
