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Philippians 2
Expanded Bible
Philippians 2
Expanded Bible
2 [L Therefore,] ·Does your life in Christ give you strength? [L If there is any encouragement in Christ…] ·Does his love comfort you? [L …if any comfort from (his) love…] ·Do we share together in the Spirit? [L …if any fellowship/sharing of the Spirit…] ·Do you have mercy and kindness? [L …if any mercy/affection and kindness/compassion…] 2 ·If so […then], ·make me very happy [L fulfill/complete my joy] by ·having the same thoughts [being like-minded/of one mind], sharing the same love, and having one ·mind [heart; soul] and ·purpose [goal; mind]. 3 When you do things, do not let ·selfishness [rivalry; selfish ambition] or pride be your guide. Instead, be humble and give more ·honor [regard; value] to others than to yourselves. 4 Do not ·be interested only in your own life [look out for your own interests], but ·be interested in the lives of others [look out for others’ interests].
Be Unselfish like Christ
5 In your lives you must ·think and act like [have the same attitude as] Christ Jesus. [C What follows may be from an early Christian hymn.]
6 ·Christ himself was like God in everything [L Who, being in the form of God].
But he did not think that being equal with God was something to be ·used for his own benefit [or grasped; seized; held on to].
7 But he ·gave up his place with God and made himself nothing [L emptied himself].
He ·became like [L took the form of] a ·servant [slave; bondservant]
and was born ·as a man [L in the likeness of humanity/men].
8 And ·when he was living [L being found in appearance/likeness] as a ·man [human being],
he humbled himself and was fully obedient to God,
even ·when that caused his [to the point of] death—death on a cross.
9 So God ·raised [exalted] him to the highest place.
God ·made his name [or gave him the name] ·greater than [far above] every other name
10 so that every knee will bow to the name of Jesus—
everyone in heaven, on earth, and under the earth.
11 And ·everyone [L every tongue] will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord
and bring glory to God the Father.
Be the People God Wants You to Be
12 My ·dear friends [beloved], you have always obeyed God when I was with you. It is even more important that you obey now while I am away from you. ·Keep on working to complete [Continue working out] your salvation with ·fear [awe; reverence] and trembling, 13 because God is working in you ·to help you want to do and be able to do [L both to will/desire and to work] what pleases him.
14 Do everything without ·complaining [grumbling] or arguing. 15 Then you will be ·innocent [blameless] and ·without any wrong [innocent; pure; harmless], God’s children without ·fault [blemish; C as are sacrificial animals]. ·But you are living with people that are crooked and evil [L …in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation; Deut. 32:5], among whom you shine like stars in the ·dark world [or sky; L world]. 16 You ·offer [or hold firmly/fast to] the ·teaching that gives life [message/word of life]. So ·when Christ comes again [L on the day of Christ; C judgment day], I can ·be happy [L be proud; boast] because I ·ran the race and won [L did not run for nothing/in vain]. ·My work was not wasted [L …nor did I labor for nothing/in vain].
17 Your faith makes you offer your lives as a sacrifice in serving God. [L Even] If I ·have to offer my own blood [L am poured out as a drink offering] with your sacrifice, I will be ·happy [rejoicing] and full of joy with all of you. 18 You also should be ·happy [rejoicing] and full of joy with me.
Timothy and Epaphroditus
19 I hope in the Lord Jesus to send Timothy to you soon. [L …so that] I will be ·happy [encouraged] to learn how you are. 20 I have no one else like Timothy [1:1], who ·truly [genuinely] cares for you. 21 Other people ·are interested only in their own lives [pursue their own interests/concerns], not ·in the work [the interests/concerns; L the things] of Jesus Christ. 22 You know ·the kind of person Timothy is [his tested and proven character]. You know he has served with me in ·telling the Good News [L the Gospel], as a son serves his father. 23 [L Therefore] I ·plan [hope] to send him to you quickly when I know what will happen to me [C probably referring to the outcome of Paul’s trial in Rome]. 24 I am ·sure [confident] ·that the Lord will help me to [L in the Lord that I will] come to you soon.
25 [L But; or Meanwhile,] I thought ·I should [it necessary to] send back to you Epaphroditus [4:18], my ·brother in Christ [L brother] and coworker, ·who serves with me in Christ’s army [L and fellow soldier]. He was your messenger, sent as a ·servant [minister] to meet my needs. 26 I am sending him because he ·wants very much to see [greatly misses; L longs for] all of you. He is ·worried [distressed] because you heard that he was sick. 27 Yes, he was sick, and nearly died, but God had mercy on him and me too so that I would not have ·more sadness [L sorrow upon sorrow]. 28 I ·want very much [am very eager] to send him to you so that when you see him you can ·be happy [rejoice], and I can stop worrying about you. 29 Welcome him in the Lord with much joy. Give honor to people like him, 30 because he almost died for the work of Christ. He risked his life to give me the help you could not give in your service to me.
Philippians 2
New International Version
Philippians 2
New International Version
Imitating Christ’s Humility
2 Therefore if you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from his love, if any common sharing in the Spirit,(A) if any tenderness and compassion,(B) 2 then make my joy complete(C) by being like-minded,(D) having the same love, being one(E) in spirit and of one mind. 3 Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit.(F) Rather, in humility value others above yourselves,(G) 4 not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others.(H)
5 In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus:(I)
6 Who, being in very nature[a] God,(J)
did not consider equality with God(K) something to be used to his own advantage;
7 rather, he made himself nothing(L)
by taking the very nature[b] of a servant,(M)
being made in human likeness.(N)
8 And being found in appearance as a man,
he humbled himself
by becoming obedient to death(O)—
even death on a cross!(P)
9 Therefore God exalted him(Q) to the highest place
and gave him the name that is above every name,(R)
10 that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow,(S)
in heaven and on earth and under the earth,(T)
11 and every tongue acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord,(U)
to the glory of God the Father.
Do Everything Without Grumbling
12 Therefore, my dear friends, as you have always obeyed—not only in my presence, but now much more in my absence—continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling,(V) 13 for it is God who works in you(W) to will and to act in order to fulfill his good purpose.(X)
14 Do everything without grumbling(Y) or arguing, 15 so that you may become blameless(Z) and pure, “children of God(AA) without fault in a warped and crooked generation.”[c](AB) Then you will shine among them like stars in the sky 16 as you hold firmly to the word of life. And then I will be able to boast on the day of Christ(AC) that I did not run(AD) or labor in vain.(AE) 17 But even if I am being poured out like a drink offering(AF) on the sacrifice(AG) and service coming from your faith, I am glad and rejoice with all of you.(AH) 18 So you too should be glad and rejoice with me.
Timothy and Epaphroditus
19 I hope in the Lord Jesus to send Timothy(AI) to you soon,(AJ) that I also may be cheered when I receive news about you. 20 I have no one else like him,(AK) who will show genuine concern for your welfare. 21 For everyone looks out for their own interests,(AL) not those of Jesus Christ. 22 But you know that Timothy has proved himself, because as a son with his father(AM) he has served with me in the work of the gospel. 23 I hope, therefore, to send him as soon as I see how things go with me.(AN) 24 And I am confident(AO) in the Lord that I myself will come soon.
25 But I think it is necessary to send back to you Epaphroditus, my brother, co-worker(AP) and fellow soldier,(AQ) who is also your messenger, whom you sent to take care of my needs.(AR) 26 For he longs for all of you(AS) and is distressed because you heard he was ill. 27 Indeed he was ill, and almost died. But God had mercy on him, and not on him only but also on me, to spare me sorrow upon sorrow. 28 Therefore I am all the more eager to send him,(AT) so that when you see him again you may be glad and I may have less anxiety. 29 So then, welcome him in the Lord with great joy, and honor people like him,(AU) 30 because he almost died for the work of Christ. He risked his life to make up for the help you yourselves could not give me.(AV)
Footnotes
- Philippians 2:6 Or in the form of
- Philippians 2:7 Or the form
- Philippians 2:15 Deut. 32:5
Expanded Bible (EXB)
The Expanded Bible, Copyright © 2011 Thomas Nelson Inc. All rights reserved.
New International Version (NIV) 
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NIV Reverse Interlinear Bible: English to Hebrew and English to Greek. Copyright © 2019 by Zondervan.