2Is there any encouragement from belonging to Christ? Any comfort from his love? Any fellowship together in the Spirit? Are your hearts tender and compassionate?G3767G1536G3874G1722G5547G1536G3890G26G1536G2842G4151G1536G4698G2532G3628 2Then make me truly happy by agreeing wholeheartedly with each other, loving one another, and working together with one mind and purpose.G4137G3450G5479G2443G846G5426G2192G846G26G4861G1520G5426 3Don't be selfish; don't try to impress others. Be humble, thinking of others as better than yourselves.G3367G2596G2052G2228G2754G235G5012G2233G240G2233G240G5242G1438 4Don't look out only for your own interests, but take an interest in others, too.G4648G3361G1538G1438G235G1538G2532G3588G2087 5You must have the same attitude that Christ Jesus had.G1063G5426G5124G5426G1722G5213G3739G2532G1722G5547G2424 6Though he was God, he did not think of equality with God as something to cling to.G3739G5225G1722G3444G2316G2233G3756G725G1511G2470G2316 7Instead, he gave up his divine privileges; he took the humble position of a slave and was born as a human being. When he appeared in human form,G235G2758G1438G2758G2983G3444G1401G1096G1722G3667G444 8he humbled himself in obedience to God and died a criminal's death on a cross.G2532G2147G4976G5613G444G5013G1438G1096G5255G3360G2288G1161G2288G4716 9Therefore, God elevated him to the place of highest honor and gave him the name above all other names,G1352G2316G2532G5251G846G2532G5483G846G3686G3588G5228G3956G3686 10that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth,G2443G1722G3686G2424G3956G1119G2578G2032G2532G1919G2532G2709 11and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.G2532G3956G1100G1843G3754G2424G5547G2962G1519G1391G2316G3962 12Dear friends, you always followed my instructions when I was with you. And now that I am away, it is even more important. Work hard to show the results of your salvation, obeying God with deep reverence and fear.G5620G3450G27G2531G5219G3842G5219G3361G5613G1722G3450G3952G3440G235G3568G4183G3123G1722G3450G666G2716G1438G4991G3326G5401G2532G5156 13For God is working in you, giving you the desire and the power to do what pleases him.G1063G2076G2316G3588G1754G1722G5213G2532G2309G2532G1754G5228G2107 14Do everything without complaining and arguing,G4160G3956G5565G1112G2532G1261 15so that no one can criticize you. Live clean, innocent lives as children of God, shining like bright lights in a world full of crooked and perverse people.G2443G1096G273G2532G185G5043G2316G298G1722G3319G4646G2532G1294G1074G1722G3739G5316G5613G5458G1722G2889 16Hold firmly to the word of life; then, on the day of Christ's return, I will be proud that I did not run the race in vain and that my work was not useless.G1907G3056G2222G1519G1698G2745G1519G2250G5547G3754G5143G3756G5143G1519G2756G3761G2872G1519G2756 17But I will rejoice even if I lose my life, pouring it out like a liquid offering to God, just like your faithful service is an offering to God. And I want all of you to share that joy.G235G1499G4689G1909G2378G2532G3009G5216G4102G5463G2532G4796G5213G3956 18Yes, you should rejoice, and I will share your joy.G1161G846G2532G5463G5210G5463G2532G4796G3427 19If the Lord Jesus is willing, I hope to send Timothy to you soon for a visit. Then he can cheer me up by telling me how you are getting along.G1161G1679G1722G2962G2424G3992G5095G5030G5213G2443G2504G2174G1097G5216G4012 20I have no one else like Timothy, who genuinely cares about your welfare.G1063G2192G3762G2473G3748G1104G3309G5216G4012 21All the others care only for themselves and not for what matters to Jesus Christ.G1063G3956G2212G1438G3756G3588G2424G5547 22But you know how Timothy has proved himself. Like a son with his father, he has served with me in preaching the Good News.G1161G1097G1382G846G3754G5613G5043G3962G1398G4862G1698G1519G2098 23I hope to send him to you just as soon as I find out what is going to happen to me here.G3303G5126G3767G1679G3992G1824G5613G302G542G4012G1691 24And I have confidence from the Lord that I myself will come to see you soon.G1161G3982G1722G2962G3754G2064G2532G846G2064G5030 25Meanwhile, I thought I should send Epaphroditus back to you. He is a true brother, co-worker, and fellow soldier. And he was your messenger to help me in my need.G1161G2233G316G3992G4314G5209G1891G3450G80G2532G4904G2532G4961G1161G5216G652G2532G3011G3450G5532 26I am sending him because he has been longing to see you, and he was very distressed that you heard he was ill.G1894G2258G1971G5209G3956G2532G85G1360G191G3754G770 27And he certainly was ill; in fact, he almost died. But God had mercy on him—and also on me, so that I would not have one sorrow after another.G1063G2532G770G3897G2288G235G2316G1653G846G1161G3756G846G3440G235G1691G2532G3363G2192G3077G1909G3077 28So I am all the more anxious to send him back to you, for I know you will be glad to see him, and then I will not be so worried about you.G3992G846G3767G4708G2443G1492G846G3825G5463G2504G5600G253 29Welcome him with Christian love and with great joy, and give him the honor that people like him deserve.G4327G846G3767G1722G2962G3326G3956G5479G2532G2192G5108G1784 30For he risked his life for the work of Christ, and he was at the point of death while doing for me what you couldn't do from far away.G3754G1223G2041G5547G1448G3360G2288G3851G5590G2443G378G5216G5303G3009G4314G3165
New Living Translation (NLT). Scripture quotations marked (NLT) are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright ©1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, a Division of Tyndale House Ministries, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
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, he did not think of equality with God as something to cling to.G3739
