If there is therefore any exhortation in Christ, if any {Or, persuasion}consolation of love, if any fellowship of the Spirit, if any tender mercies and compassions,
make full my joy, that ye be of the same mind, having the same love, being of one accord, {Some ancient authorities read of the same mind.}of one mind;
doing nothing through faction or through vainglory, but in lowliness of mind each counting other better than himself;
not looking each of you to his own things, but each of you also to the things of others.
Have this mind in you, which was also in Christ Jesus:
who, existing in the form of God, counted not the being on an equality with God a thing to be grasped,
but emptied himself, taking the form of a {Greek: bondservant.}servant, {Greek: becoming in.}being made in the likeness of men;
and being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, becoming obedient even unto death, yea, the death of the cross.
Wherefore also God highly exalted him, and gave unto him the name which is above every name;
that in the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven and things on earth and {Or, things of the world below}things under the earth,
and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
So then, my beloved, even as ye have always obeyed, not {Some ancient authorities omit as.}as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling;
for it is God who worketh in you both to will and to work, for his good pleasure.
Do all things without murmurings and questionings:
that ye may become blameless and harmless, children of God without blemish in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, among whom ye are seen as {Greek: luminaries. Wisd. 13:2; compare Revelation 21:11}lights in the world,
holding forth the word of life; that I may have whereof to glory in the day of Christ, that I did not run in vain neither labor in vain.
Yea, and if I am {Greek: poured out as a drink-offering.}offered upon the sacrifice and service of your faith, I joy, and rejoice with you all:
and in the same manner do ye also joy, and rejoice with me.
But I hope in the Lord Jesus to send Timothy shortly unto you, that I also may be of good comfort, when I know your state.
For I have no man likeminded, who will care {Greek: genuinely.}truly for your state.
For they all seek their own, not the things of Jesus Christ.
But ye know the proof of him, that, as a child serveth a father, so he served with me in furtherance of the {Greek: good tidings. See marginal note on chapter 1:5.}gospel.
Him therefore I hope to send forthwith, so soon as I shall see how it will go with me:
but I trust in the Lord that I myself also shall come shortly.
But I counted it necessary to send to you Epaphroditus, my brother and fellow-worker and fellow-soldier, and your {Greek: apostle.}messenger and minister to my need;
since he longed {Many ancient authorities read to see you all.}after you all, and was sore troubled, because ye had heard that he was sick:
for indeed he was sick nigh unto death: but God had mercy on him; and not on him only, but on me also, that I might not have sorrow upon sorrow.
I have sent him therefore the more diligently, that, when ye see him again, ye may rejoice, and that I may be the less sorrowful.
Receive him therefore in the Lord with all joy; and hold such in honor:
because for the work of {Many ancient authorities read the Lord.}Christ he came nigh unto death, hazarding his life to supply that which was lacking in your service toward me.
Querverweise zu Philipper 2,4 Phil 2,4
but whoso shall cause one of these little ones that believe on me to stumble, it is profitable for him that {Greek: a millstone turned by an ass.}a great millstone should be hanged about his neck, and that he should be sunk in the depth of the sea.
Rejoice with them that rejoice; weep with them that weep.
So then {Many ancient authorities read we follow.}let us follow after things which make for peace, and things whereby we may edify one another.
Overthrow not for meat's sake the work of God. All things indeed are clean; howbeit it is evil for that man who eateth with offence.
It is good not to eat flesh, nor to drink wine, nor to do anything whereby thy brother stumbleth {Many ancient authorities add or is offended, or is weak.}.
The faith which thou hast, have thou to thyself before God. Happy is he that judgeth not himself in that which he {Or, putteth to the test}approveth.
Now we that are strong ought to bear the infirmities of the weak, and not to please ourselves.
But take heed lest by any means this {Or, power}liberty of yours become a stumblingblock to the weak.
For if a man see thee who hast knowledge sitting at meat in an idol's temple, will not his conscience, if he is weak, {Greek: be builded up.}be emboldened to eat things sacrificed to idols?
For {Greek: in.}through thy knowledge he that is weak perisheth, the brother for whose sake Christ died.
And thus, sinning against the brethren, and wounding their conscience when it is weak, ye sin against Christ.
Wherefore, if meat causeth my brother to stumble, I will eat no flesh for evermore, that I cause not my brother to stumble.
Let no man seek his own, but each {Greek: the other's. See Romans 13:8.}his neighbor's good.
Give no occasion of stumbling, either to Jews, or to Greeks, or to the church of God:
even as I also please all men in all things, not seeking mine own profit, but the profit of the many, that they may be saved.
Nay, much rather, those members of the body which seem to be more feeble are necessary:
and those parts of the body, which we think to be less honorable, upon these we {Or, put on}bestow more abundant honor; and our uncomely parts have more abundant comeliness;
whereas our comely parts have no need: but God tempered the body together, giving more abundant honor to that part which lacked;
that there should be no schism in the body; but that the members should have the same care one for another.
And whether one member suffereth, all the members suffer with it; or one member is {Or, glorified}honored, all the members rejoice with it.
Love suffereth long, and is kind; love envieth not; love vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up,
doth not behave itself unseemly, seeketh not its own, is not provoked, taketh not account of evil;
giving no occasion of stumbling in anything, that our ministration be not blamed;
Who is weak, and I am not weak? who is caused to stumble, and I burn not?
Howbeit if ye fulfil the royal law, according to the scripture, {Leviticus 19:18.}Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself, ye do well: