[I edited this translation in one place from the original one I made in order to post it online. My original draft included some choices which would have been more controversial for various reasons.]
If you have any motivation with the Christ, if any encouragement of love, if any communion of the Spirit, if any deep feelings and compassions, fill my joy so that you would mind the self-same thing, having the self-same love, united in soul, being mindful of the one thing, nothing in line with discord neither in line with a liability to vain imagination but by humility guiding one another surpassing what comes from yourselves, each person not looking out for their own things but each of you for the things of the others different from yourselves.
Be mindful of this thing within yourselves which also was in the Christ, Yeshua, who starting off with the form of God, being equal to God, didn’t admire the spoils of plunder, but emptied Himself taking the form of a slave, having become with the likeness of a human being; and having been found with the figure as a human being He humbled Himself having become obedient up to the point of death, yet the death of the cross. Therefore God also lifted Him high beyond and charitably gave to Him the name which is over every name, so that with the name of Yeshua every knee of the heavenly realms and of the earthly and of the underworld will bend, and every single tongue will utterly agree that the Lord Yeshua is the Christ for the purpose of the reputation of Father God.
So as, my dear ones, just like you’ve always obeyed, not as just with my presence but now much more with my being away, accomplish your own means of safety with fear and trembling; because God is the One who acts within you both the willing and the acting on behalf of His good pleasure. Do everything without complaints and overthinking things, so that you would become faultless and unmixed, unblemished children of God in the middle of a crooked and twisted race, among whom you shine out as heavenly lights in the universe, holding up the message of Life, for a reason to brag for me as far as the day of the Christ, because I didn’t run for an empty reason neither did I wear myself out working for an empty reason. But if also I am poured out as a drink offering upon the sacrifice and liturgy of your faith, I am rejoicing and I am rejoicing together with you all; yet over the self-same thing you both rejoice and rejoice together with me.
Yet I leaned towards it being necessary to send in your direction Epaphroditos my brother, co-worker, and co-soldier, yet your apostle and minister for my use, since he was longing for and being in anguish for you all, because you heard that he was sick. Because he was also sick neighboring next to death; but God was merciful to him, yet not just to him but to me as well, so that I wouldn’t have grief upon grief. I then sent him speedily, so that having seen him again you would rejoice and I would be the more without grief. Welcome him then by means of the Lord with every joy and those such as these whom you hold honored, because, due to the work of the Christ, he had drawn near as far as death having exposed his breath to danger, so that he would fill up your lack of ministry in my direction.
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