One in Christ
(Ephesians 2:11–18)
1If therefore there be any consolation in Christ, if any comfort of love, if any participation of the Spirit,2if any bowels of compassion, compleat ye my joy, be like-minded, maintaining the same love, with your souls united,in attending to the onething needful.3Do nothing through strife or vain-glory, but in lowliness of mind each esteeming others better than themselves.4Look not every one to his owninterests only, but every one also tothe concerns of others.
The Mind of Christ
5Let the same mind be in you, whichwas also in Christ Jesus:6who being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be as God.7Yet He emptied himself, assuming the form of a servant, when made in the likeness of men:8and being in the human state, He humbled himself, and was obedient even unto death, andthat the death of the cross.9Wherefore God hath highly exalted Him, and given Him a name above every name:10that in the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of celestialbeings, as well as of those on earth, and of those under the earth;11and every tongue confess that Jesus Christis Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
Lights in the World
(Matthew 5:13–16)
12Wherefore, my beloved, as ye have always obeyedthe gospel, not only in my presence, but now much more in my absence; bestill working out your own salvationthough with fear and trembling:13for it is God that worketh in you both to will, and to work, out ofhis own good-pleasure.
14Do allthings without murmurings and disputings:15that ye may be blameless and inoffensive, the children of God without reproof, in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation; among whom ye shine as lights in the world,16exhibiting the word of life; to my rejoicing in the day of Christ, that I have not run in vain, nor laboured in vain.17But if I be even poured forth as a libation on the sacrifice and service of your faith, I rejoice and congratulate with you all.18Andfor the samecause do ye also rejoice, and congratulate with me.
Timothy and Epaphroditus
(1 Corinthians 16:10–12)
19But I hope in the Lord Jesus to send Timothy to you shortly, that I also may be refreshed,by knowingthe state of your affairs.20For I have no one of a like spirit, who will with akind of natural affection take care of your affairs.21For all seek their owninterests, not those of Christ Jesus.22But ye know the proofI have had of him, that as son with a father he served with me in the gospel.23I hope therefore to send him as soon as I seethe issue of my own affairs.24But I trust in the Lord, that I shall soon come myself too.
25However, I thought it necessary to send to you Epaphroditus my brother, and fellow-laborer, and fellow-soldier, but your messenger, who ministred to my wants:26for he much longed after you all, and was greatly concerned because ye had heard that he was sick.27For indeed he was sickand 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.28I have sent him therefore the more desirously, that when ye see him again ye may rejoice, and I may be the less sorrowful.29Receive him therefore in the Lord with all joy, and have such in high esteem:30because for the work of Christ he was nigh unto death, not regardinghis own life,so that he might fill up what was wanting in your kind offices towards me.
