NET Bible

New American Standard Bible 1995

1Therefore, if there is any encouragement in Christ, any comfort provided by love, any fellowship in the Spirit, any affection or mercy,

1Therefore 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,

2complete my joy and be of the same mind, by having the same love, being united in spirit, and having one purpose.

2make my joy complete by being of the same mind, maintaining the same love, united in spirit, intent on one purpose.

3Instead of being motivated by selfish ambition or vanity, each of you should, in humility, be moved to treat one another as more important than yourself.

3Do nothing from selfishness or empty conceit, but with humility of mind regard one another as more important than yourselves;

4Each of you should be concerned not only about your own interests, but about the interests of others as well.

4do not merely look out for your own personal interests, but also for the interests of others.

5You should have the same attitude toward one another that Christ Jesus had,

5Have this attitude in yourselves which was also in Christ Jesus,

6who though he existed in the form of God did not regard equality with God as something to be grasped,

6who, although He existed in the form of God, did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped,

7but emptied himself by taking on the form of a slave, by looking like other men, and by sharing in human nature.

7but emptied Himself, taking the form of a bond-servant, and being made in the likeness of men.

8He humbled himself, by becoming obedient to the point of death--even death on a cross!

8Being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.

9As a result God exalted him and gave him the name that is above every name,

9For this reason also, God highly exalted Him, and bestowed on Him the name which is above every name,

10so that at the name of Jesus every knee will 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 confess that Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of God the Father.

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

12So then, my dear friends, just as you have always obeyed, not only in my presence but even more in my absence, continue working out your salvation with awe and reverence,

12So 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;

13for the one bringing forth in you both the desire and the effort--for the sake of his good pleasure--is God.

13for it is God who is at work in you, both to will and to work for His good pleasure.

14Do everything without grumbling or arguing,

14Do all things without grumbling or disputing;

15so that you may be blameless and pure, children of God without blemish though you live in a crooked and perverse society, in which you shine as lights in the world

15so 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,

16by holding on to the word of life so that on the day of Christ I will have a reason to boast that I did not run in vain nor labor in vain.

16holding 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.

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 together with all of you.

17But 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.

18And in the same way you also should be glad and rejoice together with me.

18You too, I urge you, rejoice in the same way and share your joy with me.

19Now I hope in the Lord Jesus to send Timothy to you soon, so that I too may be encouraged by hearing news about you.

19But 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.

20For there is no one here like him who will readily demonstrate his deep concern for you.

20For I have no one else of kindred spirit who will genuinely be concerned for your welfare.

21Others are busy with their own concerns, not those of Jesus Christ.

21For they all seek after their own interests, not those of Christ Jesus.

22But you know his qualifications, that like a son working with his father, he served with me in advancing the gospel.

22But you know of his proven worth, that he served with me in the furtherance of the gospel like a child serving his father.

23So I hope to send him as soon as I know more about my situation,

23Therefore I hope to send him immediately, as soon as I see how things go with me;

24though I am confident in the Lord that I too will be coming to see you soon.

24and I trust in the Lord that I myself also will be coming shortly.

25But for now I have considered it necessary to send Epaphroditus to you. For he is my brother, coworker and fellow soldier, and your messenger and minister to me in my need.

25But 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;

26Indeed, he greatly missed all of you and was distressed because you heard that he had been ill.

26because he was longing for you all and was distressed because you had heard that he was sick.

27In fact he became so ill that he nearly died. But God showed mercy to him--and not to him only, but also to me--so that I would not have grief on top of grief.

27For 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 that I would not have sorrow upon sorrow.

28Therefore I am all the more eager to send him, so that when you see him again you can rejoice and I can be free from anxiety.

28Therefore 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.

29So welcome him in the Lord with great joy, and honor people like him,

29Receive him then in the Lord with all joy, and hold men like him in high regard;

30since it was because of the work of Christ that he almost died. He risked his life so that he could make up for your inability to serve me.

30because he came close to death for the work of Christ, risking his life to complete what was deficient in your service to me.

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