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?

Therefore if there is any consolation in Christ, if any comfort of love, if any fellowship of the Spirit, if any affection and mercy,

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

fulfill my joy by being like-minded, having the same love, being of one accord, of one mind.

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

Let nothing be done through selfish ambition or conceit, but in lowliness of mind let each esteem others better than himself.

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

Let each of you look out not only for his own interests, but also for the interests of others. The Humbled and Exalted Christ

5 T hink as Christ Jesus thought.

Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus,

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

who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with 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.

but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men.

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

And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the 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.

Therefore God also has highly exalted Him and given Him the name which is above every 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.

that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth,

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

and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. Light Bearers

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.

Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling;

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

for it is God who works in you both to will and to do for His good pleasure.

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.

Do all things without complaining and disputing,

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.

that you may become blameless and harmless, children of God without fault in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, among whom you shine as lights in the 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.

holding fast the word of life, so that I may rejoice in the day of Christ that I have not run in vain or labored in vain.

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.

Yes, and if I am being poured out as a drink offering on the sacrifice and service of your faith, I am glad and rejoice with you all.

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

For the same reason you also be glad and rejoice with me. Timothy Commended

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.

But I trust in the Lord Jesus to send Timothy to you shortly, that I also may be encouraged when I know your state.

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

For I have no one like-minded, who will sincerely care for your state.

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

For all seek their own, not the things which are of Christ Jesus.

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.

But you know his proven character, that as a son with his father he served with me in the gospel.

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

Therefore I hope to send him at once, as soon as I see how it goes with me.

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

But I trust in the Lord that I myself shall also come shortly. Epaphroditus Praised

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.

Yet I considered it necessary to send to you Epaphroditus, my brother, fellow worker, and fellow soldier, but your messenger and the one who ministered to my need;

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

since he was longing for you all, and was distressed because you had heard that 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.

For indeed he was sick almost unto death; but God had mercy on him, and not only on him but on me also, lest I should have sorrow upon 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.

Therefore I sent him the more eagerly, that when you see him again you may rejoice, and I may be less sorrowful.

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

Receive him therefore in the Lord with all gladness, and hold such men in esteem;

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

because for the work of Christ he came close to death, not regarding his life, to supply what was lacking in your service toward me.