1 I f there is therefore any exhortation in Christ, if any consolation of love, if any fellowship of the Spirit, if any tender mercies and compassion,

Are 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 m ake my joy full, by being like-minded, having the same love, being of one accord, of one mind;

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

3 d oing nothing through rivalry or through conceit, but in humility, each counting others better than himself;

Nothing should be done because of pride or thinking about yourself. Think of other people as more important than yourself.

4 e ach of you not just looking to his own things, but each of you also to the things of others.

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

5 H ave this in your mind, which was also in Christ Jesus,

Think as Christ Jesus thought.

6 w ho, existing in the form of God, didn’t consider equality with God a thing to be grasped,

Jesus has always been as God is. But He did not hold to His rights as God.

7 b ut emptied himself, taking the form of a servant, being made in the likeness of men.

He 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 nd being found in human form, he humbled himself, becoming obedient to death, yes, the death of the cross.

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

9 T herefore God also highly exalted him, and gave to him the name which is above every name;

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

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

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

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

12 S o 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.

My 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 F or it is God who works in you both to will and to work, for his good pleasure.

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

14 D o all things without murmurings and disputes,

Be 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 t hat you may become blameless and harmless, children of God without defect in the middle of a crooked and perverse generation, among whom you are seen as lights in the world,

In 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 h olding 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.

Take 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 Y es, and if I am poured out on the sacrifice and service of your faith, I rejoice, and rejoice with you all.

Even 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 I n the same way, you also rejoice, and rejoice with me.

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

19 B ut 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.

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 F or I have no one else like-minded, who will truly care about you.

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

21 F or they all seek their own, not the things of Jesus Christ.

Everyone else thinks of himself instead of Jesus Christ.

22 B ut you know the proof of him, that, as a child serves a father, so he served with me in furtherance of the Good News.

You 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 T herefore I hope to send him at once, as soon as I see how it will go with me.

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

24 B ut I trust in the Lord that I myself also will come shortly.

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

25 B ut I counted it necessary to send to you Epaphroditus, my brother, fellow worker, fellow soldier, and your apostle and servant of my need;

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 s ince he longed for you all, and was very troubled, because you had heard that he was sick.

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

27 F or 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.

It 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 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.

This 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 R eceive him therefore in the Lord with all joy, and hold such in honor,

Take him into your church with joy. Show respect for men like him.

30 b ecause for the work of Christ he came near to death, risking his life to supply that which was lacking in your service toward me.

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