1 I f, then, any exhortation in Christ, if any comfort of love, if any fellowship of spirit, if any bowels and mercies,

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 f ulfil ye my joy, that ye may mind the same thing -- having the same love -- of one soul -- minding the one thing,

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

3 n othing in rivalry or vain-glory, but in humility of mind one another counting more excellent than yourselves --

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

4 e ach not to your own look ye, but each 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 F or, let this mind be in you that also in Christ Jesus,

Think as Christ Jesus thought.

6 w ho, being in the form of God, thought not robbery to be equal to God,

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

7 b ut did empty himself, the form of a servant having taken, in the likeness of men having been made,

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 in fashion having been found as a man, he humbled himself, having become obedient unto death -- death even of a cross,

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

9 w herefore, also, God did highly exalt him, and gave to him a name that 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 in the name of Jesus every knee may bow -- of heavenlies, and earthlies, and what are 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 every tongue may confess that Jesus Christ 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 that, my beloved, as ye always obey, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, with fear and trembling your own salvation work out,

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 God it is who is working 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 A ll things do without murmurings and reasonings,

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 ye may become blameless and harmless, children of God, unblemished in the midst of a generation crooked and perverse, among whom ye do appear as luminaries 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 t he word of life holding forth, for rejoicing to me in regard to a day of Christ, that not in vain did I run, nor in vain did I labour;

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 b ut if also I am poured forth upon the sacrifice and service of your faith, I rejoice and joy 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 b ecause of this do ye also rejoice and joy with me.

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

19 A nd I hope, in the Lord Jesus, Timotheus to send quickly to you, that I also may be of good spirit, having known the things concerning you,

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 like-minded, who sincerely for the things concerning you will care,

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

21 f or the whole seek their own things, not the things of the Christ Jesus,

Everyone else thinks of himself instead of Jesus Christ.

22 a nd the proof of him ye know, that as a child a father, with me he did serve in regard to 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 h im, indeed, therefore, I hope to send, when I may see through the things concerning me -- immediately;

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

24 a nd I trust in the Lord that I myself also shall quickly come.

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

25 A nd I thought necessary Epaphroditus -- my brother, and fellow-workman, and fellow-soldier, and your apostle and servant to my need -- to send unto you,

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 eeing he was longing after you all, and in heaviness, because ye heard that he ailed,

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

27 f or he also ailed nigh to death, but God did deal kindly with him, and not with him only, but also with me, that sorrow upon sorrow I might not have.

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 T he more eagerly, therefore, I did send him, that having seen him again ye may rejoice, and 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 honour,

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

30 b ecause on account of the work of the Christ he drew near to death, having hazarded the life that he might fill up your deficiency of service unto me.

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