1 A re you strong because you belong to Christ? Does His love comfort you? Do you have joy by being as one in sharing the Holy Spirit? Do you have loving-kindness and pity for each other?

2 T hen give me true joy by thinking the same thoughts. Keep having the same love. Be as one in thoughts and actions.

3 N othing should be done because of pride or thinking about yourself. Think of other people as more important than yourself.

4 D o not always be thinking about your own plans only. Be happy to know what other people are doing. Christ Was Not Proud

5 T hink as Christ Jesus thought.

6 J esus has always been as God is. But He did not hold to His rights as God.

7 H e put aside everything that belonged to Him and made Himself the same as a servant who is owned by someone. He became human by being born as a man.

8 A fter He became a man, He gave up His important place and obeyed by dying on a cross.

9 B ecause of this, God lifted Jesus high above everything else. He gave Him a name that is greater than any other name.

10 S o when the name of Jesus is spoken, everyone in heaven and on earth and under the earth will bow down before Him.

11 A nd every tongue will say Jesus Christ is Lord. Everyone will give honor to God the Father.

12 M y Christian friends, you have obeyed me when I was with you. You have obeyed even more when I have been away. You must keep on working to show you have been saved from the punishment of sin. Be afraid that you may not please God.

13 H e is working in you. God is helping you obey Him. God is doing what He wants done in you.

14 B e glad you can do the things you should be doing. Do all things without arguing and talking about how you wish you did not have to do them.

15 I n that way, you can prove yourselves to be without blame. You are God’s children and no one can talk against you, even in a sin-loving and sin-sick world. You are to shine as lights among the sinful people of this world.

16 T ake a strong hold on the Word of Life. Then when Christ comes again, I will be happy that I did not work with you for nothing.

17 E ven if I give my life as a gift on the altar to God for you, I am glad and share this joy with you.

18 Y ou must be happy and share your joy with me also. Timothy Is Being Sent to You

19 I hope by the help of the Lord Jesus that I can send Timothy to you soon. It will comfort me when he brings news about you.

20 I have no one else who is as interested in you as Timothy.

21 E veryone else thinks of himself instead of Jesus Christ.

22 Y ou know how Timothy proved to be such a true friend to me when we preached the Good News. He was like a son helping his father.

23 I hope to send Timothy as soon as I know what they are going to do to me.

24 I hope by the help of the Lord that I can come soon also.

25 I thought it was right that I send Epaphroditus back to you. You helped me by sending him to me. We have worked together like brothers. He was like a soldier fighting beside me.

26 H e has been wanting to see all of you and was troubled because you heard he was sick.

27 I t is true, he was sick. Yes, he almost died, but God showed loving-kindness to him and to me. If he had died, I would have had even more sorrow.

28 T his is all the more reason I have sent him to you. When you see him, you will be glad and I will have less sorrow.

29 T ake him into your church with joy. Show respect for men like him.

30 H e came close to death while working for Christ. He almost died doing things for me that you could not do.