1 If then there is any comfort in Christ, any help given by love, any uniting of hearts in the Spirit, any loving mercies and pity,
2 Make my joy complete by being of the same mind, having the same love, being in harmony and of one mind;
3 Doing nothing through envy or through pride, but with low thoughts of self let everyone take others to be better than himself;
4 Not looking everyone to his private good, but keeping in mind the things of others.
5 Let this mind be in you which was in Christ Jesus,
6 To whom, though himself in the form of God, it did not seem that to take for oneself was to be like God;
7 But he made himself as nothing, taking the form of a servant, being made like men;
8 And being seen in form as a man, he took the lowest place, and let himself be put to death, even the death of the cross.
9 For this reason God has put him in the highest place and has given to him the name which is greater than every name;
10 So that at the name of Jesus every knee may be bent, of those in heaven and those on earth and those in the underworld,
11 And that every tongue may give witness that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
12 So then, my loved ones, as you have at all times done what I say, not only when I am present, but now much more when I am not with you, give yourselves to working out your salvation with fear in your hearts;
13 For it is God who is the cause of your desires and of your acts, for his good pleasure.
14 Do all things without protests and arguments;
15 So that you may be holy and gentle, children of God without sin in a twisted and foolish generation, among whom you are seen as lights in the world,
16 Offering the word of life; so that I may have glory in you in the day of Christ, because my running was not for nothing and my work was not without effect.
17 And even if I am offered like a drink offering, giving myself for the cause and work of your faith, I am glad and have joy with you all:
18 And in the same way do you be glad and have a part in my joy.
19 But I am hoping in the Lord Jesus to send Timothy to you before long, so that I may be comforted when I have news of you.
20 For I have no man of like mind who will truly have care for you.
21 For they all go after what is theirs, not after the things of Christ.
22 But his quality is clear to you; how, as a child is to its father, so he was a help to me in the work of the good news.
23 Him then I am hoping to send as quickly as possible, when I am able to see how things will go for me:
24 But I have faith in the Lord that I myself will come before long.
25 But it seemed to me necessary to send to you Epaphroditus, my brother, who has taken part with me in the work and in the fight, and your servant, sent by you for help in my need;
26 Because his heart was with you all, and he was greatly troubled because you had news that he was ill:
27 For in fact he was ill almost to death: but God had mercy on him; and not only on him but on me, so that I might not have grief on grief.
28 I have sent him, then, the more gladly, so that when you see him again, you may be happy and I may have the less sorrow.
29 So take him to your hearts in the Lord with all joy, and give honour to such as he is:
30 Because for the work of Christ he was near to death, putting his life in danger to make your care for me complete.
1 If then {there be} any comfort in Christ, if any consolation of love, if any fellowship of {the} Spirit, if any bowels and compassions,
2 fulfil my joy, that ye may think the same thing, having the same love, joined in soul, thinking one thing;
3 {let} nothing {be} in the spirit of strife or vain glory, but, in lowliness of mind, each esteeming the other as more excellent than themselves;
4 regarding not each his own {qualities}, but each those of others also.
5 For let this mind be in you which {was} also in Christ Jesus;
6 who, subsisting in the form of God, did not esteem it an object of rapine to be on an equality with God;
7 but emptied himself, taking a bondman's form, taking his place in {the} likeness of men;
8 and having been found in figure as a man, humbled himself, becoming obedient even unto death, and {that the} death of {the} cross.
9 Wherefore also God highly exalted him, and granted him a name, that which is above every name,
10 that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of heavenly and earthly and infernal {beings},
11 and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ {is} Lord to God {the} Father's glory.
12 So that, my beloved, even as ye have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much rather in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling,
13 for it is God who works in you both the willing and the working according to {his} good pleasure.
14 Do all things without murmurings and reasonings,
15 that ye may be harmless and simple, irreproachable children of God in the midst of a crooked and perverted generation; among whom ye appear as lights in {the} world,
16 holding forth {the} word of life, so as to be a boast for me in Christ's day, that I have not run in vain nor laboured in vain.
17 But if also I am poured out as a libation on the sacrifice and ministration of your faith, I rejoice, and rejoice in common with you all.
18 In like manner do *ye* also rejoice, and rejoice with me.
19 But I hope in {the} Lord Jesus to send Timotheus to you shortly, that *I* also may be refreshed, knowing how ye get on.
20 For I have no one like-minded who will care with genuine feeling how ye get on.
21 For all seek their own things, not the things of Jesus Christ.
22 But ye know the proof of him, that, as a child a father, he has served with me in the work of the glad tidings.
23 Him therefore I hope to send immediately, as soon as I shall see how it goes with me:
24 but I trust in {the} Lord that I myself also shall soon come;
25 but I have thought it necessary to send to you Epaphroditus, my brother and fellow-workman and fellow-soldier, but your messenger and minister to my need,
26 since he had a longing desire after you all, and was distressed because ye had heard that he was sick;
27 for he was also sick close to death, but God had mercy on him, and not indeed on him alone, but also on me, that I might not have sorrow upon sorrow.
28 I have sent him therefore the more diligently, that seeing him ye might again rejoice, and that *I* might be the less sorrowful.
29 Receive him therefore in {the} Lord with all joy, and hold such in honour;
30 because for the sake of the work he drew near even to death, venturing his life that he might fill up what lacked in your ministration toward me.