Fill Up My Joy By Being United In Love And Humility

2 If then there is any encouragement in Christ, if any consolation of ^[a] love, if any fellowship^[b] of the Spirit, if any deep-feelings and compassions, ² fill-up my joy, which is that you be thinking the same thing^[c], having the same love, united-in-spirit, thinking^[d] the one thing, ³ doing nothing based-on selfish-interest nor based on conceit, but with humble-mindedness regarding one another as surpassing^[e] yourselves; ⁴ not each looking-out-for your own things, but also each the things of others.

Think And Behave Like Christ Did

⁵ Be thinking^[f] this in you, which also was in Christ Jesus— ⁶ Who, while^[g] being^[h] in the form^[i] of God, did not regard the being equal with God a thing-to-be-grasped^[j], ⁷ but emptied Himself, having taken the form of a slave, having come^[k] in the likeness^[l] of humans^[m]. And having been found as a man in outward-appearance, ⁸ He humbled Himself, having become obedient to the point of death— and a death of a cross! ⁹ Therefore God also highly-exalted Him, and granted Him the name above every name ¹⁰ in-order-that every knee should bow at the name of Jesus— of heavenly ones and earthly ones and ones under-the-earth— ¹¹ and every tongue should confess-out^[n] that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

Work Out Your Salvation As Shining Lights In The World, Holding Out The Word of Life

¹² So then my beloved, just as you always obeyed— not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence— be working-out your salvation with fear and trembling. ¹³ For God^[o] is the One working in you both the wanting^[p] and the working, for His good-pleasure. ¹⁴ Be doing all things without grumblings and arguments ¹⁵ in-order-that you may become^[q] blameless^[r] and innocent, children of God without-blemish amidst a crooked and perverted generation, among whom you are shining^[s] as lights^[t] in the world, ¹⁶ holding-out^[u] the word of life— for a boast for me in the day of Christ that I did not run in vain nor labor in vain!

But Let Us Rejoice Together No Matter What Happens To Me

¹⁷ But if I even am being poured-out^[v] upon the sacrifice and service of your faith, I am rejoicing [over it], and rejoicing-with you all. ¹⁸ And you also be rejoicing the same way, and be rejoicing-with me.

I Am Hoping To Send Timothy To You, And To Come Soon Myself

¹⁹ Now I am hoping in the Lord Jesus to send Timothy to you soon in order that I also may be cheered, having come-to-know the things concerning you. ²⁰ For I have no one likeminded who will genuinely be concerned-about the things concerning you. ²¹ For the ones all are seeking their own things, not the things of Jesus Christ. ²² But you know his approvedness, because he served with me for the good-news as a child with a father. ²³ So indeed I am hoping to send this one at-once, whenever I see the things with-respect-to me. ²⁴ And I am confident in the Lord that I myself also will come soon.

I Sent Back Epaphroditus, Your Precious Servant To My Need. Rejoice In Him

²⁵ But I regarded it necessary to send to you Epaphroditus— my brother and fellow-worker and fellow-soldier, and your delegate^[w] and minister of my need— ²⁶ because he was yearning-for you all, and was being distressed because you heard that he was sick. ²⁷ For indeed he was sick nearly to death. But God had-mercy-on him— and not him only, but also me, in order that I should not have grief upon grief. ²⁸ Therefore I sent him more-eagerly, in order that having seen him again you may rejoice, and I may be less-grieved. ²⁹ So receive him in the Lord with all joy, and be holding such ones precious, ³⁰ because he drew-near to the point of death for the sake of the work of Christ— having risked his life in order that he might fill-up your lack^[x] of service to me.