2:1 Are you strong because you belong to Christ? Does His love comfort you? Do you have joy by being as one in sharing the Holy Spirit? Do you have loving-kindness and pity for each other?
2:2 Then give me true joy by thinking the same thoughts. Keep having the same love. Be as one in thoughts and actions.
2:3 Nothing should be done because of pride or thinking about yourself. Think of other people as more important than yourself.
2:4 Do not always be thinking about your own plans only. Be happy to know what other people are doing.
2:6 Jesus has always been as God is. But He did not hold to His rights as God.
2:7 He put aside everything that belonged to Him and made Himself the same as a servant who is owned by someone. He became human by being born as a man.
2:8 After He became a man, He gave up His important place and obeyed by dying on a cross.
2:9 Because of this, God lifted Jesus high above everything else. He gave Him a name that is greater than any other name.
2:10 So when the name of Jesus is spoken, everyone in heaven and on earth and under the earth will bow down before Him.
2:11 And every tongue will say Jesus Christ is Lord. Everyone will give honor to God the Father.
2:12 My Christian friends, you have obeyed me when I was with you. You have obeyed even more when I have been away. You must keep on working to show you have been saved from the punishment of sin. Be afraid that you may not please God.
2:13 He is working in you. God is helping you obey Him. God is doing what He wants done in you.
2:14 Be glad you can do the things you should be doing. Do all things without arguing and talking about how you wish you did not have to do them.
2:15 In that way, you can prove yourselves to be without blame. You are God’s children and no one can talk against you, even in a sin-loving and sin-sick world. You are to shine as lights among the sinful people of this world.
2:16 Take a strong hold on the Word of Life. Then when Christ comes again, I will be happy that I did not work with you for nothing.
2:17 Even if I give my life as a gift on the altar to God for you, I am glad and share this joy with you.
2:18 You must be happy and share your joy with me also.
2:19 I hope by the help of the Lord Jesus that I can send Timothy to you soon. It will comfort me when he brings news about you.
2:20 I have no one else who is as interested in you as Timothy.
2:21 Everyone else thinks of himself instead of Jesus Christ.
2:22 You know how Timothy proved to be such a true friend to me when we preached the Good News. He was like a son helping his father.
2:23 I hope to send Timothy as soon as I know what they are going to do to me.
2:24 I hope by the help of the Lord that I can come soon also.
2:25 I thought it was right that I send Epaphroditus back to you. You helped me by sending him to me. We have worked together like brothers. He was like a soldier fighting beside me.
2:26 He has been wanting to see all of you and was troubled because you heard he was sick.
2:27 It is true, he was sick. Yes, he almost died, but God showed loving-kindness to him and to me. If he had died, I would have had even more sorrow.
2:28 This is all the more reason I have sent him to you. When you see him, you will be glad and I will have less sorrow.
2:29 Take him into your church with joy. Show respect for men like him.
2:30 He came close to death while working for Christ. He almost died doing things for me that you could not do.
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