[1] 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] Then give me true joy by thinking the same thoughts. Keep having the same love. Be as one in thoughts and actions.
[3] Nothing should be done because of pride or thinking about yourself. Think of other people as more important than yourself.
[4] Do not always be thinking about your own plans only. Be happy to know what other people are doing.
[5] Think as Christ Jesus thought.
[6] Jesus has always been as God is. But He did not hold to His rights as God.
[7] 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] After He became a man, He gave up His important place and obeyed by dying on a cross.
[9] Because of this, God lifted Jesus high above everything else. He gave Him a name that is greater than any other name.
[10] So when the name of Jesus is spoken, everyone in heaven and on earth and under the earth will bow down before Him.
[11] And every tongue will say Jesus Christ is Lord. Everyone will give honor to God the Father.
[12] 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] He is working in you. God is helping you obey Him. God is doing what He wants done in you.
[14] 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] 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] 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] 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] You must be happy and share your joy with me also.
[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] Everyone else thinks of himself instead of Jesus Christ.
[22] 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] 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] He has been wanting to see all of you and was troubled because you heard he was sick.
[27] 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] 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] Take him into your church with joy. Show respect for men like him.
[30] He came close to death while working for Christ. He almost died doing things for me that you could not do.