He humbled himself, by becoming obedient to the point of death – even death on a cross!

but emptied himself by taking on the form of a slave, ¹  by looking like other men, ²  and by sharing in human nature. ³ 

who will transform these humble bodies of ours ¹  into the likeness of his glorious body by means of that power by which he is able to subject all things to himself.

Instead of being motivated by selfish ambition ¹  or vanity, each of you should, in humility, be moved to treat one another as more important than yourself.

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

For God is my witness that I long for all of you with the affection of Christ Jesus.

¹ who though he existed in the form of God ²  did not regard equality with God as something to be grasped,

and by not being intimidated in any way by your opponents. This is ¹  a sign of their ²  destruction, but of your salvation – a sign which ³  is from God.

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’s faithfulness ¹  – a righteousness from God that is in fact ²  based on Christ’s ³  faithfulness. ⁴