21 Therefore if there is any encouragement in Christ , if there is any consolation of love , if there is any fellowship of the Spirit , if any affection and compassion , 2 make my joy complete by being of the same mind , maintaining the same love , united in spirit , intent on one purpose . 3 Do nothing from selfishness or empty conceit , but with humility of mind regard one another as more important than yourselves ; 4 do not merely look out for your own personal interests, but also for the interests of others . 5 Have this attitude in yourselves which was also in Christ Jesus , 6 who , although He existed in the form of God , did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped , 7 but emptied Himself , taking the form of a bond-servant , and being made in the likeness of men . 8 Being found in appearance as a man , He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death , even death on a cross . 9 For this reason also , God highly exalted Him, and bestowed on Him the name which is above every name , 10 so that at the name of Jesus EVERY KNEE WILL BOW , of those who are in heaven and on earth and under the earth , 11 and that every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord , to the glory of God the Father .
12 So then , my beloved , just as you have always obeyed , not as in my presence only , but now much more in my absence , work out your salvation with fear and trembling ; 13 for it is God who is at work in you, both to will and to work for His good pleasure .
14 Do all things without grumbling or disputing ; 15 so that you will prove yourselves to be blameless and innocent , children of God above reproach in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation , among whom you appear as lights in the world , 16 holding fast the word of life , so that in the day of Christ I will have reason to glory because I did not run in vain nor toil in vain . 17 But even if I am being poured out as a drink offering upon the sacrifice and service of your faith , I rejoice and share my joy with you all . 18 You too , I urge you, rejoice in the same way and share your joy with me.
19 But I hope in the Lord Jesus to send Timothy to you shortly , so that I also may be encouraged when I learn of your condition e . 20 For I have no one else of kindred spirit who will genuinely be concerned for your welfare . 21 For they all seek after their own interests, not those of Christ Jesus . 22 But you know of his proven worth , that he served with me in the furtherance of the gospel like a child serving his father . 23 Therefore I hope to send him immediately , as soon as I see how things go with me; 24 and I trust in the Lord that I myself also will be coming shortly . 25 But I thought it necessary to send to you Epaphroditus , my brother and fellow worker and fellow soldier , who is also your messenger and minister to my need ; 26 because he was longing for you all and was distressed because you had heard that he was sick . 27 For indeed he was sick to the point of death , but God had mercy on him, and not on him only but also on me, so e that I would not have sorrow upon sorrow . 28 Therefore I have sent him all the more eagerly so that when you see him again you may rejoice and I may be less concerned about you. 29 Receive him then in the Lord with all joy , and hold men like him in high regard ; 30 because he came close to death for the work of Christ , risking his life to complete what was deficient in your service to me.
