New Living Translation | 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. | 2make my joy complete by thinking the same way, having the same love, united in spirit, intent on one purpose. |
3Don’t be selfish; don’t try to impress others. Be humble, thinking of others as better than yourselves. | 3Do nothing out of selfish ambition 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. | 5Adopt the same attitude as 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 exploited. |
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 servant, taking on the likeness of humanity. And when he had come as a man, |
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--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 will 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. | 12Therefore, my dear friends, just as you have always obeyed, so now, not only in my presence but 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 both to will and to work according to 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. | 16by holding firm to the word 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 sacrificial 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 too may be encouraged by 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 confident in the Lord that I myself will also come soon. |
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 sorrow upon sorrow. |
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 again when you see him 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 great joy and hold people 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. | The Christian Standard Bible. Copyright © 2017 by Holman Bible Publishers. Used by permission. |
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