[1] Is there any encouragement from belonging to Christ? Any comfort from his love? Any fellowship together in the Spirit? Are your hearts tender and compassionate?
[2] Then make me truly happy by agreeing wholeheartedly with each other, loving one another, and working together with one mind and purpose.
[3] Don’t be selfish; don’t try to impress others. Be humble, thinking of others as better than yourselves.
[4] Don’t look out only for your own interests, but take an interest in others, too.
[5] You must have the same attitude that Christ Jesus had.
[6] Though he was God, he did not think of equality with God as something to cling to.
[7] Instead, he gave up his divine privileges; he took the humble position of a slave and was born as a human being. When he appeared in human form,
[8] he humbled himself in obedience to God and died a criminal’s death on a cross.
[9] Therefore, God elevated him to the place of highest honor and gave him the name above all other names,
[10] that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth,
[11] and every tongue declare that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
[12] Dear friends, you always followed my instructions when I was with you. And now that I am away, it is even more important. Work hard to show the results of your salvation, obeying God with deep reverence and fear.
[13] For God is working in you, giving you the desire and the power to do what pleases him.
[14] Do everything without complaining and arguing,
[15] so that no one can criticize you. Live clean, innocent lives as children of God, shining like bright lights in a world full of crooked and perverse people.
[16] Hold firmly to the word of life; then, on the day of Christ’s return, I will be proud that I did not run the race in vain and that my work was not useless.
[17] But I will rejoice even if I lose my life, pouring it out like a liquid offering to God, just like your faithful service is an offering to God. And I want all of you to share that joy.
[18] Yes, you should rejoice, and I will share your joy.
[19] If the Lord Jesus is willing, I hope to send Timothy to you soon for a visit. Then he can cheer me up by telling me how you are getting along.
[20] I have no one else like Timothy, who genuinely cares about your welfare.
[21] All the others care only for themselves and not for what matters to Jesus Christ.
[22] But you know how Timothy has proved himself. Like a son with his father, he has served with me in preaching the Good News.
[23] I hope to send him to you just as soon as I find out what is going to happen to me here.
[24] And I have confidence from the Lord that I myself will come to see you soon.
[25] Meanwhile, I thought I should send Epaphroditus back to you. He is a true brother, co-worker, and fellow soldier. And he was your messenger to help me in my need.
[26] I am sending him because he has been longing to see you, and he was very distressed that you heard he was ill.
[27] And he certainly was ill; in fact, he almost died. But God had mercy on him—and also on me, so that I would not have one sorrow after another.
[28] So I am all the more anxious to send him back to you, for I know you will be glad to see him, and then I will not be so worried about you.
[29] Welcome him in the Lord’s love and with great joy, and give him the honor that people like him deserve.
[30] For he risked his life for the work of Christ, and he was at the point of death while doing for me what you couldn’t do from far away.