1: If there is therefore any exhortation in Christ, if any consolation of love, if any fellowship of the Spirit, if any tender mercies and compassion, 2: make my joy full, that you be of the same mind, having the same love, being of one accord, of one mind; 3: doing nothing through rivalry or through conceit, but in humility, each counting others better than himself; 4: each of you not just looking to his own things, but each of you also to the things of others. 5: Have this in your mind, which was also in Christ Jesus, 6: who, existing in the form of God, didn't consider it robbery to be equal with God, 7: but emptied himself, taking the form of a servant, being made in the likeness of men. 8: And being found in human form, he humbled himself, becoming obedient to death, yes, the death of the cross. 9: Therefore God also highly exalted him, and gave to him the name which is above every name; 10: that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, those on earth, and those under the earth, 11: and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. 12: So 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. 13: For it is God who works in you both to will and to work, for his good pleasure. 14: Do all things without murmurings and disputes, 15: that you may become blameless and harmless, children of God without blemish in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, among whom you are seen as lights in the world, 16: holding 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. 17: Yes, and if I am poured out on the sacrifice and service of your faith, I rejoice, and rejoice with you all. 18: In the same way, you also rejoice, and rejoice with me. 19: But 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. 20: For I have no one else like-minded, who will truly care about you. 21: For they all seek their own, not the things of Jesus Christ. 22: But you know the proof of him, that, as a child serves a father, so he served with me in furtherance of the gospel. 23: Therefore I hope to send him at once, as soon as I see how it will go with me. 24: But I trust in the Lord that I myself also will come shortly. 25: But I counted it necessary to send to you Epaphroditus, my brother, fellow worker, fellow soldier, and your apostle and minister to my need; 26: since he longed for you all, and was very troubled, because you had heard that he was sick. 27: For 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. 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. 29: Receive him therefore in the Lord with all joy, and hold such in honor, 30: because for the work of Christ he came near to death, risking his life to supply that which was lacking in your service toward me.
