²⁵ Meanwhile, I thought it best to send Epaphroditus—my brother, fellow worker, and fellow soldier, but your messenger and minister to my need—back to you. ²⁶ For he has been longing for^[a] all of you and is troubled because you heard that he was sick. ²⁷ Indeed, he was sick to the point of death, but God had mercy on him, and not only on him but also on me, so that I would not have one sorrow on top of another.^{[b] 28} Therefore, I am especially eager to send him so that you may have the joy of seeing him again, and so that I may feel relieved. ²⁹ So joyfully welcome him in the Lord and make sure you honor such people highly, ³⁰ because he came close to death for the work of the Messiah^[c] by risking his life to complete what remained unfinished in your service to me.