| 1 | If there is therefore any exhortation in Christ, if any consolation of love, if any fellowship of the Spirit, if any tender mercies and compassion, |
| 2 | make my joy full, by being like-minded, having the same love, being of one accord, of one mind; |
| 3 | doing nothing through rivalry or through conceit, but in humility, each counting others better than himself; |
| 4 | each of you not just looking to his own things, but each of you also to the things of others. |
| 5 | Have this in your mind, which was also in Christ Jesus, |
| 6 | who, existing in the form of God, didn't consider equality with God a thing to be grasped, |
| 7 | but emptied himself, taking the form of a servant, being made in the likeness of men. |
| 8 | And being found in human form, he humbled himself, becoming obedient to death, yes, the death of the cross. |
| 9 | Therefore God also highly exalted him, and gave to him the name which is above every name; |
| 10 | that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, those on earth, and those under the earth, |
| 11 | and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. |
| 12 | So then, my beloved, even as you have always obeyed, not only in my presence, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling. |
| 13 | For it is God who works in you both to will and to work, for his good pleasure. |
| 14 | Do all things without murmurings and disputes, |
| 15 | that you may become blameless and harmless, children of God without blemish in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, among whom you are seen as lights in the world, |
| 16 | holding up the word of life; that I may have something to boast in the day of Christ, that I didn't run in vain nor labor in vain. |
| 17 | Yes, and if I am poured out on the sacrifice and service of your faith, I rejoice, and rejoice with you all. |
| 18 | In the same way, you also rejoice, and rejoice with me. |
| 19 | But I hope in the Lord Jesus to send Timothy to you soon, that I also may be cheered up when I know how you are doing. |
| 20 | For I have no one else like-minded, who will truly care about you. |
| 21 | For they all seek their own, not the things of Jesus Christ. |
| 22 | But you know the proof of him, that, as a child serves a father, so he served with me in furtherance of the Good News. |
| 23 | Therefore I hope to send him at once, as soon as I see how it will go with me. |
| 24 | But I trust in the Lord that I myself also will come shortly. |
| 25 | But I counted it necessary to send to you Epaphroditus, my brother, fellow worker, fellow soldier, and your apostle and servant of my need; |
| 26 | since he longed for you all, and was very troubled, because you had heard that he was sick. |
| 27 | For indeed he was sick, nearly to death, but God had mercy on him; and not on him only, but on me also, that I might not have sorrow on sorrow. |
| 28 | I have sent him therefore the more diligently, that, when you see him again, you may rejoice, and that I may be the less sorrowful. |
| 29 | Receive him therefore in the Lord with all joy, and hold such in honor, |
| 30 | because for the work of Christ he came near to death, risking his life to supply that which was lacking in your service toward me. |
