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Philippians 1:12-2:18

He Humbled Himself

Lyrics · Philippians

He Humbled Himself

Philippians 1:12-2:18

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About this song

About this song

This song belongs to the Philippians collection. One recording is available to play here, with the complete lyrics below.

Bible book
Philippians
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Philippians
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Uncategorized
[Chains Advance] The things that befell him advanced the good word, Palace and brethren learned why he was bound. Some preached through envy and some out of love, Yet Christ was proclaimed and rejoicing remained. [Verse I] To live is Christ and to die becomes gain, Yet fruitful labor still calls him to stay. Stand in one spirit, one mind in the fight, Not terrified when opposition ignites. [Call to Mind] Let nothing be done through vainglory or strife, Esteem one another beyond private life. Look not every one to his own alone, Let the mind of Christ become the pattern made known. [Chorus] He humbled Himself, Took the form of a servant and came in our likeness. Obedient unto death, even death on a cross, He emptied no holiness, yet carried the cost. He humbled Himself, Therefore God highly exalted His name. [Exaltation] At the name of Jesus every knee shall bow, In heaven and earth and beneath even now. Every tongue confess Jesus Christ as Lord, To the glory of God the Father adored. [Bridge] Work out salvation with trembling and care, For God works within both the will and the deed. Do all without murmuring, shine in the world, Holding the word of life bright in the dark. [Final Chorus] He humbled Himself, The prison and cross did not silence the gospel. Now every knee moves toward the name above names, And humble obedience shines as His people. [Outro] The descent reached the cross, The exaltation filled heaven and earth.

Named in this songJesusThe cross

About the passage

Philippians 1: A prisoner measures what his chains cannot stop

A prison letter could have made Paul's chains the center of everything, but the Book of Philippians measures the chapter by what those chains fail to stop. Fellowship has endured into imprisonment, love is asked to grow sharper in judgment, and confinement has carried the gospel into places freedom might not have reached in the same way. Even rival preachers cannot control the meaning of their own activity once Christ is being proclaimed. Paul's uncertainty about life or death is genuine, yet neither outcome is allowed to become simple defeat. His personal desire to be with Christ stands beside the congregation's continuing need of him. By the end, the question has moved from Paul's fate to the Philippians' steadiness together, whether he returns to see it or only hears of it from afar.

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Philippians 2: The descent of Christ gives unity its shape

The Book of Philippians answers rivalry by placing the mind of Christ in the middle of the congregation's shared life. Christ's movement from divine equality to servanthood and the cross gives lowliness content, while God's exaltation shows honor received rather than seized. The chapter then refuses to let that theology float above ordinary relationships. Working out salvation belongs beside God's working within them, and shining in the world appears in the unglamorous form of life without murmurings and disputes. Timotheus embodies genuine concern for other people, while Epaphroditus nearly dies carrying out the service distance kept the Philippians from giving personally. The chapter begins with a command to look beyond one's own interests and ends by honoring a man whose dangerous labor did exactly that.

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