Philippians 2:12-30

Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, not only in my presence, but so much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling. For God is the One working in you, both to will and to do His good pleasure. Do all things without murmuring and disputing, that you may be blameless and harmless, sons of God, without fault, in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, in which you shine as lights in the world. Hold forth the word of life that I may rejoice on the day of Christ that I have not run in vain or labored in vain. Yes, and even if I am offered upon the sacrifice and service of your faith, I take delight and rejoice with you all. For this reason you also take delight and rejoice with me. I trust in the Lord Jesus to send Timothy shortly to you, that I also may be of good comfort when I get word concerning you. For I have no one like-minded, who will sincerely care for your welfare. For all seek their own, not the things of Christ Jesus. But you know of his proven worth, that as a son with a father, he has served with me in the gospel. Therefore I hope to send him soon after my situation is resolved. But I trust in the Lord that I, myself, shall also come shortly. Yet I thought it necessary to send to you Epaphroditus, who is my brother and companion in labor, fellow soldier, your messenger, and he who ministered to my necessity. For he longed after you all and was filled with heaviness, because you heard that he was sick. Indeed he was sick, near death. But God had mercy on him, and not only on him, but also on me, lest I should have had sorrow upon sorrow. Therefore I sent him the more eagerly, that when you see him again, you may rejoice and I may be less sorrowful. So receive him in the Lord with all joy. And hold such ones in high regard, because for the work of Christ he was near death, not regarding his life, endeavoring to make up for your lack of service toward me.