12. So then, my dear friends, just as you have always obeyed, not only in my presence but even more in my absence, continue working out your salvation with awe and reverence,
13. for the one bringing forth in you both the desire and the effort – for the sake of his good pleasure – is God.
14. Do everything without grumbling or arguing,
15. so that you may be blameless and pure, children of God without blemish though you live in a crooked and perverse society, in which you shine as lights in the world
16. by holding on to the word of life so that on the day of Christ I will have a reason to boast that I did not run in vain nor labor in vain.
17. But even if I am being poured out like a drink offering on the sacrifice and service of your faith, I am glad and rejoice together with all of you.
18. And in the same way you also should be glad and rejoice together with me.
19. Now I hope in the Lord Jesus to send Timothy to you soon, so that I too may be encouraged by hearing news about you.
20. For there is no one here like him who will readily demonstrate his deep concern for you.
21. Others are busy with their own concerns, not those of Jesus Christ.
22. But you know his qualifications, that like a son working with his father, he served with me in advancing the gospel.
23. So I hope to send him as soon as I know more about my situation,
24. though I am confident in the Lord that I too will be coming to see you soon.
25. But for now I have considered it necessary to send Epaphroditus to you. For he is my brother, coworker and fellow soldier, and your messenger and minister to me in my need.
26. Indeed, he greatly missed all of you and was distressed because you heard that he had been ill.
27. In fact he became so ill that he nearly died. But God showed mercy to him – and not to him only, but also to me – so that I would not have grief on top of grief.
28. Therefore I am all the more eager to send him, so that when you see him again you can rejoice and I can be free from anxiety.