1 If, then, there is any encouragement in Christ, if any consolation of love,  * if any fellowship with the Spirit,  * if any affection and mercy,  *2 make my joy complete by thinking the same way,  * having the same love,  * united in spirit, intent on one  * purpose. 3 Do nothing out of selfish ambition  * or conceit,  * but in humility  * consider others as more important  * than yourselves. 4 Everyone should look not to his own interests,  * but rather to the interests of others.  *

5 Adopt the same attitude as that of Christ Jesus,

6 who, existing in the form of God,

did not consider equality with God  *

as something to be exploited.  *

7 Instead he emptied himself  *

by assuming the form of a servant,  *

taking on the likeness of humanity.  *

And when he had come as a man,

8 he humbled himself by becoming obedient

to the point of death —

even to death on a cross.  *

9 For this reason God highly exalted him  *

and gave him the name

that is above every name,

10 so that at the name of Jesus

every knee will bow  *  —

in heaven  * and on earth

and under the earth  *  —

11 and every tongue  * will confess

that Jesus Christ is Lord,

to the glory  * of God the Father.

12 Therefore, my dear friends,  * just as you have always obeyed,  * so now, not only in my presence but even more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling. 13 For it is God who is working in you both to will and to work according to his good purpose. 14 Do everything without grumbling  * and arguing,  *15 so that you may be blameless  * and pure,  * children of God who are faultless  * in a crooked  * and perverted  * generation,  * among whom you shine like stars in the world, 16 by holding firm to the word  * of life. Then I can boast  * in the day of Christ  * that I didn’t run or labor for nothing. 17 But even if I am poured out  * as a drink offering  * on the sacrificial service of your faith, I am glad and rejoice with all of you. 18 In the same way you should also be glad and rejoice with me.

19 Now I hope in the Lord Jesus  * to send Timothy  * to you soon so that I too may be encouraged by news about you. 20 For I have no one else like-minded who will genuinely care about your interests; 21 all seek their own interests,  * not those of Jesus Christ.  *22 But you know his proven character, because he has served with me in the gospel ministry like a son with a father. 23 Therefore, I hope to send him as soon as I see how things go with me. 24 I am confident in the Lord that I myself will also come soon.  *

25 But I considered it necessary to send you Epaphroditus  *  — my brother, coworker, and fellow soldier, as well as your messenger and minister to my need  *  —  26 since he has been longing for all of you and was distressed because you heard that he was sick. 27 Indeed, he was so sick that he nearly died. However, God had mercy on him, and not only on him but also on me, so that I would not have sorrow upon sorrow. 28 For this reason, I am very eager to send him so that you may rejoice again when you see him and I may be less anxious. 29 Therefore, welcome him in the Lord with great joy and hold people like him in honor, 30 because he came close to death for the work  * of Christ, risking his life to make up what was lacking in your ministry to me.