Philippians 2:12-30

My beloved ones, just like you’ve always listened to everything I’ve taught you in the past, I’m asking you now to keep following my instructions as though I were right there with you. Now you must continue to make this new life fully manifested as you live in the holy awe of God—which brings you trembling into his presence. God will continually revitalize you, implanting within you the passion to do what pleases him. Live a cheerful life, without complaining or division among yourselves. For then you will be seen as innocent, faultless, and pure children of God, even though you live in the midst of a brutal and perverse culture. For you will appear among them as shining lights in the universe, holding out the words of eternal life. I haven’t labored among you for nothing, for your lives are the fruit of my ministry and will be my glorious boast at the unveiling of Christ! But I will rejoice even if my life is poured out like a liquid offering to God over your sacrificial and surrendered lives of faith. And so no matter what happens to me, you should rejoice in ecstatic celebration with me! Yet I’m trusting in our Lord Jesus that I may send Timothy to you soon, so I can be refreshed when I find out how you’re doing. Timothy is like no other. He carries the same passion for your welfare that I carry in my heart. For it seems as though everyone else is busy seeking what is best for themselves instead of the things that are most important to our Lord Jesus Christ. You already know about his excellent reputation, since he has served alongside me as a loyal son in the work of ministry. After I see what transpires with me he’s the one I will send to you to bless you. And I’m trusting in my Lord to return to you in due time. But for now, I feel a stirring in my heart to send Epaphroditus back to you immediately. He’s a friend to me and a wonderful brother and fellow soldier who has worked with me as we serve as ministers of the gospel. And you sent him as your apostle to minister to me in my need. But now he is grieved to know that you found out he had been sick, so he longs to return and comfort you in this. It’s true he almost died, but God showed him mercy and healed him. And I’m so thankful to God for his healing, as I was spared from having the sorrow of losing him on top of all my other troubles! So you can see why I’m delighted to send him to you now. I know that you’re anxious to see him and rejoice in his healing, and it encourages me to know how happy you’ll be to have him back. So warmly welcome him home in the Lord, with joyous love, and esteem him highly, for people like him deserve it. Because of me, he put his life on the line, despising the danger, so that he could provide for me with what you couldn’t, since you were so far away. And he did it all because of his ministry for Christ.