Ang Pagpapakumbaba ni Cristo
1Hindi baʼt masigla kayo dahil nakay Cristo kayo? Hindi baʼt masaya kayo dahil alam ninyong mahal niya kayo? Hindi baʼt may mabuti kayong pagsasamahan dahil sa Banal na Espiritu? At hindi baʼt may malasakit at pang-unawa kayo sa isaʼt isa? 2Kung ganoon, nakikiusap ako na lubusin na ninyo ang kagalakan ko: Magkasundo kayoʼt magmahalan, at magkaisa sa isip at layunin. 3Huwag kayong gumawa ng anumang bagay dahil sa makasariling hangarin o sa paghahangad na maitaas ang sarili. Sa halip, magpakumbaba kayo sa isaʼt isa at ituring na mas mabuti ang iba kaysa sa inyo. 4Huwag lang ang sarili ninyong kapakanan ang isipin nʼyo kundi ang kapakanan din ng iba. 5Dapat maging katulad ng kay Cristo Jesus ang pananaw nʼyo:
6Kahit na nasa kanya ang katangian ng Dios, hindi niya itinuring ang pagiging kapantay ng Dios bilang isang bagay na dapat panghawakan.
7Sa halip, ibinaba niya nang lubusan ang sarili niya sa pamamagitan ng pag-aanyong alipin.
Naging tao siyang tulad natin. 8At sa pagiging tao niya, nagpakumbaba siya at naging masunurin sa Dios hanggang sa kamatayan, maging sa kamatayan sa krus.
9Kaya naman itinaas siyang lubos ng Dios at binigyan ng titulong higit sa lahat ng titulo,
10upang ang lahat ng nasa langit at lupa, at nasa ilalim ng lupa ay luluhod sa pagsamba sa kanya.
11At kikilalanin ng lahat na si Jesu-Cristo ang Panginoon, sa ikapupuri ng Dios Ama.
Magsilbi Kayong Ilaw na Nagliliwanag
12Mga minamahal, kung paanong lagi ninyo akong sinusunod noong magkakasama pa tayo, lalo sana kayong maging masunurin kahit ngayong malayo na ako sa inyo. Sikapin ninyong ipamuhay2:12 ipamuhay: o, maging lubos. ang kaligtasang tinanggap nʼyo, at gawin nʼyo ito nang may takot at paggalang sa Dios. 13Sapagkat ang Dios ang siyang nagbibigay sa inyo ng pagnanais at kakayahang masunod nʼyo ang kalooban niya.
14Gawin nʼyo ang lahat nang walang reklamo o pagtatalo, 15para maging malinis kayo at walang kapintasang mga anak ng Dios sa gitna ng mga mapanlinlang at masasamang tao sa panahong ito. Kailangang magsilbi kayong ilaw na nagliliwanag sa kanila 16habang pinaninindigan nʼyo2:16 habang pinaninindigan nʼyo: o, dahil ibinibigay nʼyo sa kanila. ang salita na nagbibigay ng buhay na walang hanggan. At kung gagawin nʼyo ito, may maipagmamalaki ako sa pagbabalik ni Cristo, dahil alam kong hindi nasayang ang pagsisikap ko sa inyo. 17Ang paglilingkod ninyo na bunga ng inyong pananampalataya ay tulad sa isang handog. At kung kinakailangang ibuhos ko ang aking dugo2:17 ibuhos ko ang aking dugo: Ang ibig sabihin, ialay ko ang aking buhay. sa handog na ito, maligaya pa rin ako at makikigalak sa inyo. 18At dapat maligaya rin kayo at makigalak sa akin.
Si Timoteo at si Epafroditus
19Umaasa ako sa Panginoong Jesus na mapapapunta ko riyan si Timoteo sa lalong madaling panahon, para masiyahan naman ako kapag naibalita niya ang tungkol sa inyo. 20Siya lang ang kilala ko na katulad kong nagmamalasakit sa inyo nang totoo. 21Ang ibaʼy walang ibang iniisip kundi ang sarili nilang kapakanan at hindi ang kay Jesu-Cristo. 22Ngunit alam nʼyo kung paano pinatunayan ni Timoteo ang kanyang sarili. Para ko siyang tunay na anak sa pagtulong niya sa akin sa pangangaral ng Magandang Balita. 23Binabalak kong papuntahin siya sa inyo kapag nalaman ko na ang magiging hatol sa akin dito. 24At umaasa ako sa Panginoon na ako mismo ay makakapunta sa inyo sa lalong madaling panahon.
25Sa ngayon, naisip kong kailangan nang pabalikin ang kapatid nating si Epafroditus na pinapunta nʼyo rito para tulungan ako. Tulad ko rin siyang manggagawa at tagapagtanggol ng Magandang Balita. 26Pababalikin ko na siya sa inyo dahil sabik na sabik na siyang makita kayo, at hindi siya mapalagay dahil nabalitaan ninyong nagkasakit siya. 27Totoo ngang nagkasakit siya, at muntik nang mamatay. Ngunit naawa ang Dios sa kanya at maging sa akin, dahil pinagaling siya at naligtas naman ako sa matinding kalungkutan. 28Kaya gusto ko na siyang pabalikin para matuwa kayo kapag nakita nʼyo na siya ulit, at hindi na rin ako mag-aalala para sa inyo. 29Kaya tanggapin nʼyo siya nang buong galak bilang kapatid sa Panginoon. Igalang nʼyo ang mga taong tulad niya, 30dahil nalagay sa panganib ang buhay niya para sa gawain ni Cristo. Itinaya niya ang buhay niya para matulungan ako bilang kinatawan ninyo.
Being Humble Like Christ
1So does belonging to Christ help you in any way? Does his love comfort you at all? Do you share anything in common because of the Holy Spirit? Has Christ ever been gentle and loving toward you? 2If any of these things has happened to you, then agree with one another. Have the same love. Be one in spirit and in the way you think and act. By doing this, you will make my joy complete. 3Don’t do anything only to get ahead. Don’t do it because you are proud. Instead, be humble. Value others more than yourselves. 4None of you should look out just for your own good. Each of you should also look out for the good of others.
5As you deal with one another, you should think and act as Jesus did.
6In his very nature he was God.
Jesus was equal with God. But Jesus didn’t take advantage of that fact.
7Instead, he made himself nothing.
He did this by taking on the nature of a servant.
He was made just like human beings.
8He appeared as a man.
He was humble and obeyed God completely.
He did this even though it led to his death.
Even worse, he died on a cross!
9So God lifted him up to the highest place.
God gave him the name that is above every name.
10When the name of Jesus is spoken, everyone will kneel down to worship him.
Everyone in heaven and on earth and under the earth will kneel down to worship him.
11Everyone’s mouth will say that Jesus Christ is Lord.
And God the Father will receive the glory.
Live Without Complaining
12My dear friends, you have always obeyed God. You obeyed while I was with you. And you have obeyed even more while I am not with you. So continue to work out your own salvation. Do it with fear and trembling. 13God is working in you. He wants your plans and your acts to fulfill his good purpose.
14Do everything without complaining or arguing. 15Then you will be pure and without blame. You will be children of God without fault among sinful and evil people. Then you will shine among them like stars in the sky. 16You will shine as you hold on tight to the word of life. Then I will be able to boast about you on the day Christ returns. I can be happy that I didn’t run or work for nothing. 17But my life might even be poured out like a drink offering on your sacrifices. I’m talking about the way you serve because you believe. Even so, I am glad. I am joyful with all of you. 18So you too should be glad and joyful with me.
Timothy and Epaphroditus
19I hope to send Timothy to you soon if the Lord Jesus allows it. Then I will be encouraged when I receive news about you. 20I have no one else like Timothy. He will truly care about how you are doing. 21All the others are looking out for their own interests. They are not looking out for the interests of Jesus Christ. 22But you know that Timothy has proved himself. He has served with me like a son with his father in spreading the good news. 23So I hope to send him as soon as I see how things go with me. 24And I’m sure I myself will come soon if the Lord allows it.
25But I think it’s necessary to send Epaphroditus back to you. He is my brother in the Lord. He is a worker and a soldier of Christ together with me. He is also your messenger. You sent him to take care of my needs. 26He longs for all of you. He is troubled because you heard he was sick. 27He was very sick. In fact, he almost died. But God had mercy on him. He also had mercy on me. God spared me sadness after sadness. 28So I want even more to send him to you. Then when you see him again, you will be glad. And I won’t worry so much. 29So then, welcome him as a brother in the Lord with great joy. Honor people like him. 30He almost died for the work of Christ. He put his life in danger to make up for the help you yourselves couldn’t give me.
