New Living Translation | Holman Christian Standard Bible |
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? | 1If then there is any encouragement in Christ, if any consolation of love, if any fellowship with the Spirit, if any affection and mercy, |
2Then make me truly happy by agreeing wholeheartedly with each other, loving one another, and working together with one mind and purpose. | 2fulfill my joy by thinking the same way, having the same love, sharing the same feelings, focusing on one goal. |
3Don’t be selfish; don’t try to impress others. Be humble, thinking of others as better than yourselves. | 3Do nothing out of rivalry or conceit, but in humility consider others as more important than yourselves. |
4Don’t look out only for your own interests, but take an interest in others, too. | 4Everyone should look out not only for his own interests, but also for the interests of others. |
5You must have the same attitude that Christ Jesus had. | 5Make your own attitude that of Christ Jesus, |
6Though he was God, he did not think of equality with God as something to cling to. | 6who, existing in the form of God, did not consider equality with God as something to be used for His own advantage. |
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, | 7Instead He emptied Himself by assuming the form of a slave, taking on the likeness of men. And when He had come as a man in His external form, |
8he humbled himself in obedience to God and died a criminal’s death on a cross. | 8He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death-- even to death on a cross. |
9Therefore, God elevated him to the place of highest honor and gave him the name above all other names, | 9For this reason God highly exalted Him and gave Him the name that is above every name, |
10that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, | 10so that at the name of Jesus every knee will bow-- of those who are in heaven and on earth and under the earth-- |
11and every tongue declare that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. Shine Brightly for Christ | 11and every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. |
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. | 12So then, my dear friends, just as you have always obeyed, not only in my presence, but now even more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling. |
13For God is working in you, giving you the desire and the power to do what pleases him. | 13For it is God who is working in you, enabling you both to desire and to work out His good purpose. |
14Do everything without complaining and arguing, | 14Do everything without grumbling and arguing, |
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. | 15so 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. |
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. | 16Hold firmly to the message of life. Then I can boast in the day of Christ that I didn't run or labor for nothing. |
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. | 17But even if I am poured out as a drink offering on the sacrifice and service of your faith, I am glad and rejoice with all of you. |
18Yes, you should rejoice, and I will share your joy. Paul Commends Timothy | 18In the same way you should also be glad and rejoice with me. |
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. | 19Now I hope in the Lord Jesus to send Timothy to you soon so that I also may be encouraged when I hear news about you. |
20I have no one else like Timothy, who genuinely cares about your welfare. | 20For I have no one else like-minded who will genuinely care about your interests; |
21All the others care only for themselves and not for what matters to Jesus Christ. | 21all seek their own interests, not those of Jesus Christ. |
22But you know how Timothy has proved himself. Like a son with his father, he has served with me in preaching the Good News. | 22But you know his proven character, because he has served with me in the gospel ministry like a son with a father. |
23I hope to send him to you just as soon as I find out what is going to happen to me here. | 23Therefore, I hope to send him as soon as I see how things go with me. |
24And I have confidence from the Lord that I myself will come to see you soon. Paul Commends Epaphroditus | 24I am convinced in the Lord that I myself will also come quickly. |
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. | 25But I considered it necessary to send you Epaphroditus--my brother, coworker, and fellow soldier, as well as your messenger and minister to my need-- |
26I am sending him because he has been longing to see you, and he was very distressed that you heard he was ill. | 26since he has been longing for all of you and was distressed because you heard that he was sick. |
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. | 27Indeed, 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 one grief on top of another. |
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. | 28For this reason, I am very eager to send him so that you may rejoice when you see him again and I may be less anxious. |
29Welcome him in the Lord’s love and with great joy, and give him the honor that people like him deserve. | 29Therefore, welcome him in the Lord with all joy and hold men like him in honor, |
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. | 30because he came close to death for the work of Christ, risking his life to make up what was lacking in your ministry to me. |
Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved. | Holman Christian Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1999, 2000, 2002, 2003, 2009 by Holman Bible Publishers. Used by permission. |
|