OET-RV PHP Chapter 2

2 So if you all feel that Messiah is encouraging you on and if his love brings comfort and the spirit brings fellowship, if anyone feels compassion, 2 then complete my happiness by being in agreement in your thinking and being united in the same love.[fn] 3 Don’t do anything from selfish ambition or in vain conceit, but show humility and consider others to be more important than yourselves, 4 not just looking out for your own advantage, but for what others need. 5 This is how you all who are also in Messiah Yeshua should be thinking: 6 Yeshua, though he was in the form of God, didn’t take advantage of being considered equal with God, 7 but emptied himself and becoming like a human, took on the form of a slave. Then in that human form, 8 he humbled himself and became obedient all the way to death, even death on the stake. 9 That’s why God highly praised him and gave him authority over every other authority, 10 [ref]so that every being in heaven and earthly and underwater realms will bow when Yeshua is announced 11 and will honour God the father by testifying that the master is Yeshua Messiah.

12 So then, my dear friends, work towards your salvation with fear and trembling—you always did this in my presence, so now do it much more in my absence—13 because God is the one who works in you all to both desire and to be living out his good pleasure.

14 Do everything without grumbling and arguing 15 [ref]so that you’ll all be blameless and innocent—blameless children of God among a generation that’s crooked and perverted. Then you’ll shine like lights in the world, 16 as you live out the message of life, and then I’ll be able to boast when Messiah returns because I didn’t waste my time or work for nothing, 17 but even if I’m to lose my life by being poured out like wine on your sacrifice and on the ministry of your faith, I’ll be happy and celebrate along with all of you. 18 You all should also be happy and celebrating along with me.

19 I’m hoping in the master Yeshua to be able to send Timothy to you all soon, so that I can be encouraged when I learn what you’re all up to, 20 because I have no one else so similar to me in spirit who will be genuinely caring for how you’re all doing. 21 (There’s plenty who search out what they themselves need instead of the things of Yeshua Messiah. 22 But you all know that Timothy has proven himself and has served with me in the good message like a son serving his father.) 23 So I’ll send him as soon as I can sort out what’s happening to me, 24 but I’m confident in the master that I myself will also be coming soon.

25 Meanwhile I thought it was necessary to send Epaphroditus to you all. He’s my brother and fellow-worker and fellow-soldier, and your ambassador and minister to my needs. 26 He’s been longing to see you all again and was upset that you heard that he’d been sick 27 because he nearly died from it, but God showed mercy to him, and not only to him but also to me that I wouldn’t have yet another hardship to go through. 28 So I sent him willingly so that when you all see him again, you’ll all be very happy and I’ll be less anxious here. 29 So accept him in the master with gratefulness and treat him with honour, 30 because he nearly died after risking his life doing the work of Messiah, but he was able to minister to me in a way that all of you there couldn’t.