Philippians 2:3 - Plain English Version3-4 Each of you has to think about what is good for the others. Don’t only think about what is good for yourself. Don’t think that you are better than other people, but think that they are better than you. And don’t do things only to get people to say you are good. And don’t try to be a boss over other people. Ver CapítuloMás versionesKing James Version (Oxford) 17693 Let nothing be done through strife or vainglory; but in lowliness of mind let each esteem other better than themselves. Ver CapítuloAmplified Bible - Classic Edition3 Do nothing from factional motives [through contentiousness, strife, selfishness, or for unworthy ends] or prompted by conceit and empty arrogance. Instead, in the true spirit of humility (lowliness of mind) let each regard the others as better than and superior to himself [thinking more highly of one another than you do of yourselves]. Ver CapítuloAmerican Standard Version (1901)3 doing nothing through faction or through vainglory, but in lowliness of mind each counting other better than himself; Ver CapítuloCommon English Bible3 Don’t do anything for selfish purposes, but with humility think of others as better than yourselves. Ver CapítuloCatholic Public Domain Version3 Let nothing be done by contention, nor in vain glory. Instead, in humility, let each of you esteem others to be better than himself. Ver Capítulo |
Listen, you young people, it is like this. You have to listen carefully to your Christian leaders. Don’t think you are great or more important than other people. Think about what God says in his book. He says, “God is against people that think they are great, but he is good to people that know they are not great.”
But the people that teach something different are wrong. Those people don’t really understand anything. They just want everyone to think they are important. They want to make trouble and get people to have arguments about words. If people start to argue, then they start to get jealous of each other. They think bad things, and they say bad things about each other.
Jesus said, “I’m telling you now, God listened to that bad man because he was sorry for the bad things he did, so God says that he is all right, and he will not punish that man. But God doesn’t say that about the other man that already reckoned he was good. You see, if you try to make yourself important, God will make you like nothing. But if you make yourself like nothing, God will make you important.” (We have not yet translated 18:15-43. You can read those stories and messages in Mark 10:13-34, 46-52.)
Even though you are Christians you still don’t live like Christians. You still let your old human spirits control you. You want things that other people have. And you argue with each other. That shows that you are letting your human spirits control you, not the Holy Spirit. You are still like people that don’t know God.
But before I ever saw Jesus, he sent out his other special workers. They were the first people to go out and tell his message, so they are all more important than me. You see, I used to make a lot of trouble for God’s own people, so I’m not really good enough for anyone to call me one of Jesus’s special workers.
We have to do things that are right and good and honest, like the things people do in the day-light. We can’t go to wild grog parties, and we can’t get drunk. We can’t sleep with anyone that is not our own wife or husband, as if we are married to them. We can’t do wrong things with our bodies. We can’t get into fights and arguments. We can’t be jealous of other people.
You see, God loves you. He picked you to be his own special people. So you have to live a new way for him. You have to be good to other people. You have to feel sorry for people that have trouble and try to help them. Don’t think that you are more important than other people. You have to be easy on other people, and don’t get angry with them, even if they give you trouble.