<p class="poetry">He humbled himself,p> <p class="poetry">by becoming obedient to the point of deathp> <p class="poetry">&#8211; even death on a cross!p>

I was circumcised on the eighth day, from the people of Israel and the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of Hebrews. I lived according to the law as a Pharisee.<n id="1" />

and by not being intimidated in any way by your opponents. This is<n id="1" /> a sign of their<n id="2" /> destruction, but of your salvation &#8211; a sign which<n id="3" /> is from God.

<p class="poetry">As a result God exalted himp> <p class="poetry">and gave him the namep> <p class="poetry">that is above every name,p>

<p class="poetry">but emptied himselfp> <p class="poetry">by taking on the form of a slave,<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">by looking like other men,<n id="2" />p> <p class="poetry">and by sharing in human nature.<n id="3" />p>

But our citizenship is in heaven &#8211; and we also await a savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ,

But you know his qualifications, that like a son working with his father, he served with me in advancing the gospel.

For I am sure of this very thing,<n id="1" /> that the one<n id="2" /> who began a good work in<n id="3" /> you will perfect it<n id="4" /> until the day of Christ Jesus.

I do not say this because I am seeking a gift.<n id="1" /> Rather, I seek the credit that abounds to your account.

I feel torn between the two,<n id="1" /> because I have a desire to depart and be with Christ, which is better by far,

<t /><p class="bodytext">Finally, my brothers and sisters,<n id="1" /> rejoice in the Lord! To write this again is no trouble to me, and it is a safeguard for you.p>

For I have received everything, and I have plenty. I have all I need because I received from Epaphroditus what you sent &#8211; a fragrant offering, an acceptable sacrifice, very pleasing to God.

But even if I am being poured out like a drink offering on the sacrifice and service of your faith, I am glad and rejoice together with all of you.

so that you may be blameless and pure, children of God without blemish though you live in a crooked and perverse society, in which you shine as lights in the world<n id="1" />

by holding on to<n id="1" /> the word of life so that on the day of Christ I will have a reason to boast that I did not run in vain nor labor in vain.

and be found in him, not because I have my own righteousness derived from the law, but because I have the righteousness that comes by way of Christ&#8217;s faithfulness<n id="1" /> &#8211; a righteousness from God that is in fact<n id="2" /> based on Christ&#8217;s<n id="3" /> faithfulness.<n id="4" />

<p class="bodytext">Only conduct yourselves<n id="1" /> in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ so that &#8211; whether I come and see you or whether I remain absent &#8211; I should hear that<n id="2" /> you are standing firm in one spirit, with one mind, by contending side by side for the faith of the gospel,<n id="3" />

In my zeal for God I persecuted the church. According to the righteousness stipulated in the law I was blameless.

The<n id="1" /> whole imperial guard<n id="2" /> and everyone else knows<n id="3" /> that I am in prison<n id="4" /> for the sake of Christ,

Therefore let those of us who are &#8220;perfect&#8221; embrace this point of view.<n id="1" /> If you think otherwise, God will reveal to you the error of your ways.<n id="2" />