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 compassions,

2 make my joy full, that you{+} are of the same mind, having the same love, being of one accord, of one mind;

3 [doing] nothing through faction or through vainglory, but in lowliness of mind each counting one another better than himself;

4 each of you{+} not looking to his own things, but each of you{+} also to the things of others.

5 Have this mind in you{+}, which was also in Christ Jesus:

6 who, existing in the form of God, did not consider making full use of his equality with God,

7 but emptied himself, taking the form of a slave, being made in the likeness of men;

8 and being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, becoming obedient [even] 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 in the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of [those] in heaven and [those] on earth and [those] under the earth,

11 and that every tongue should confess, The Lord Jesus Christ, to the glory of God the Father.

12 So then, my beloved, even as you{+} have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, 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 questionings:

15 that you{+} may become blameless and harmless, children of God without blemish in the middle of a crooked and perverse generation, among whom you{+} are seen as lights in the world,

16 holding forth the word of life; that I may have something of which to glory in the day of Christ, that I did not run in vain neither labor in vain.

17 Yes, and if I am offered on the sacrifice and ministry of your{+} faith, I joy, and rejoice with all of you{+}:

18 and in the same manner do you{+} also joy, and rejoice with me.

19 But I hope in the Lord Jesus to send Timothy shortly to you{+}, that I also may be of good comfort, when I know your{+} state.

20 For I have no man likeminded, who will care truly for your{+} state.

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 [to] a father, he served as a slave with me in furtherance of the good news.

23 Therefore I hope to send him forthwith, as soon as I will 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 and coworker and fellow-soldier, and your{+} messenger and minister to my need;

26 since he longed after all of you{+}, and was very troubled, because you{+} had heard that he was sick:

27 for indeed he was sick near 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, hazarding his life to supply that which was lacking in your{+} ministry toward me.