| Berean Study Bible | New Living Translation |
| 1Therefore if you have any encouragement in Christ, if any comfort from His love, if any fellowship with the Spirit, if any affection and compassion, | 1Is there any encouragement from belonging to Christ? Any comfort from his love? Any fellowship together in the Spirit? Are your hearts tender and compassionate? |
| 2then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being united in spirit and purpose. | 2Then make me truly happy by agreeing wholeheartedly with each other, loving one another, and working together with one mind and purpose. |
| 3Do nothing out of selfish ambition or empty pride, but in humility consider others more important than yourselves. | 3Don’t be selfish; don’t try to impress others. Be humble, thinking of others as better than yourselves. |
| 4Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others. | 4Don’t look out only for your own interests, but take an interest in others, too. |
| 5Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus: | 5You must have the same attitude that Christ Jesus had. |
| 6Who, existing in the form of God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, | 6Though he was God, he did not think of equality with God as something to cling to. |
| 7but emptied Himself, taking the form of a servant, being made in human likeness. | 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, |
| 8And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to death—even death on a cross. | 8he humbled himself in obedience to God and died a criminal’s death on a cross. |
| 9Therefore God exalted Him to the highest place and gave Him the name above all names, | 9Therefore, God elevated him to the place of highest honor and gave him the name above all other names, |
| 10that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, | 10that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, |
| 11and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. | 11and every tongue declare that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. Shine Brightly for Christ |
| 12Therefore, my beloved, just as you have always obeyed, not only in my presence, but now even more in my absence, continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling. | 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. |
| 13For it is God who works in you to will and to act on behalf of His good purpose. | 13For God is working in you, giving you the desire and the power to do what pleases him. |
| 14Do everything without complaining or arguing, | 14Do everything without complaining and arguing, |
| 15so that you may be blameless and pure, children of God without fault in a crooked and perverse generation, in which you shine as lights in the world | 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. |
| 16as you hold forth the word of life, in order that I may boast on the day of Christ that I did not run or labor in vain. | 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. |
| 17But even if I am being poured out like a drink offering on the sacrifice and service of your faith, I am glad and rejoice with all of you. | 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. |
| 18So you too should be glad and rejoice with me. | 18Yes, you should rejoice, and I will share your joy. Paul Commends Timothy |
| 19Now I hope in the Lord Jesus to send Timothy to you soon, that I also may be cheered when I learn how you are doing. | 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. |
| 20I have nobody else like him who will genuinely care for your needs. | 20I have no one else like Timothy, who genuinely cares about your welfare. |
| 21For all the others look after their own interests, not those of Jesus Christ. | 21All the others care only for themselves and not for what matters to Jesus Christ. |
| 22But you know Timothy’s proven worth, that as a child with his father he has served with me to advance the gospel. | 22But you know how Timothy has proved himself. Like a son with his father, he has served with me in preaching the Good News. |
| 23So I hope to send him as soon as I see what happens with me. | 23I hope to send him to you just as soon as I find out what is going to happen to me here. |
| 24And I trust in the Lord that I myself will come soon. | 24And I have confidence from the Lord that I myself will come to see you soon. Paul Commends Epaphroditus |
| 25But I thought it necessary to send back to you Epaphroditus, my brother, fellow worker, and fellow soldier, who is also your messenger and minister to my needs. | 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. |
| 26For he has been longing for all of you and is distressed because you heard he was ill. | 26I am sending him because he has been longing to see you, and he was very distressed that you heard he was ill. |
| 27He was sick indeed, nearly unto death. But God had mercy on him, and not only on him but also on me, to spare me sorrow upon sorrow. | 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. |
| 28Therefore I am all the more eager to send him, so that when you see him again you may rejoice, and I may be less anxious. | 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. |
| 29Welcome him in the Lord with great joy, and honor men like him, | 29Welcome him in the Lord’s love and with great joy, and give him the honor that people like him deserve. |
| 30because he nearly died for the work of Christ, risking his life to make up for your deficit of service to me. | 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. |
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