10. God did this so that every person will bow down to honor the name of Jesus. Everyone in heaven, on earth, and under the earth will bow.
11. They will all confess, “Jesus Christ is Lord,” and this will bring glory to God the Father.
12. My dear friends, you always obeyed what you were taught. Just as you obeyed when I was with you, it is even more important for you to obey now that I am not there. So you must continue to live in a way that gives meaning to your salvation. Do this with fear and respect for God.
13. Yes, it is God who is working in you. He helps you want to do what pleases him, and he gives you the power to do it.
14. Do everything without complaining or arguing
15. so that you will be blameless and pure, children of God without any fault. But you are living with evil people all around you, who have lost their sense of what is right. Among those people you shine like lights in a dark world,
16. and you offer them the teaching that gives life. So I can be proud of you when Christ comes again. You will show that my work was not wasted—that I ran in the race and won.
17. Your faith makes you give your lives as a sacrifice in serving God. Maybe I will have to offer my own life with your sacrifice. But if that happens, I will be glad, and I will share my joy with all of you.
18. You also should be glad and share your joy with me.
19. With the blessing of the Lord Jesus, I hope I will be able to send Timothy to you soon. I will be glad to learn how you are.
20. I have no one else like Timothy, who genuinely cares for you.
21. Others are interested only in their own lives. They don’t care about the work of Christ Jesus.
22. You know the kind of person Timothy is. He has served with me in telling the Good News like a son with his father.
23. I plan to send him to you quickly, as soon as I know what will happen to me.
24. I am sure the Lord will help me come to you soon.