1If there is therefore any exhortation in Christ, if any consolation of love, if any fellowship of the Spirit, if any tender mercies and compassions, 2make my joy full, that you{+} are of the same mind, having the same love, being of one accord, of one mind; 3[doing] nothing through faction or through vainglory, but in lowliness of mind each counting one another better than himself; 4each of you{+} not looking to his own things, but each of you{+} also to the things of others. 5Have this mind in you{+}, which was also in Christ Jesus: 6who, existing in the form of God, did not consider making full use of his equality with God, 7but emptied himself, taking the form of a slave, being made in the likeness of men; 8and being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, becoming obedient [even] to death, yes, the death of the cross. 9Therefore God also highly exalted him, and gave to him the name which is above every name; 10that in the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of [those] in heaven and [those] on earth and [those] under the earth, 11and that every tongue should confess, The Lord Jesus Christ, to the glory of God the Father. 12So then, my beloved, even as you{+} have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your{+} own salvation with fear and trembling; 13for it is God who works in you{+} both to will and to work, for his good pleasure. 14Do all things without murmurings and questionings: 15that you{+} may become blameless and harmless, children of God without blemish in the middle of a crooked and perverse generation, among whom you{+} are seen as lights in the world, 16holding forth the word of life; that I may have something of which to glory in the day of Christ, that I did not run in vain neither labor in vain. 17Yes, and if I am offered on the sacrifice and ministry of your{+} faith, I joy, and rejoice with all of you{+}: 18and in the same manner do you{+} also joy, and rejoice with me. 19But I hope in the Lord Jesus to send Timothy shortly to you{+}, that I also may be of good comfort, when I know your{+} state. 20For I have no man likeminded, who will care truly for your{+} state. 21For they all seek their own, not the things of Jesus Christ. 22But you{+} know the proof of him, that, as a child [to] a father, he served as a slave with me in furtherance of the good news. 23Therefore I hope to send him forthwith, as soon as I will see how it will go with me: 24but I trust in the Lord that I myself also will come shortly. 25But I counted it necessary to send to you{+} Epaphroditus, my brother and coworker and fellow-soldier, and your{+} messenger and minister to my need; 26since he longed after all of you{+}, and was very troubled, because you{+} had heard that he was sick: 27for indeed he was sick near to death: but God had mercy on him; and not on him only, but on me also, that I might not have sorrow on sorrow. 28I have sent him therefore the more diligently, that, when you{+} see him again, you{+} may rejoice, and that I may be the less sorrowful. 29Receive him therefore in the Lord with all joy; and hold such in honor: 30because for the work of Christ he came near to death, hazarding his life to supply that which was lacking in your{+} ministry toward me.