One in Christ (Ephesians 2:11–18)
1 UDB Since Christ encourages us, since he loves us and comforts us, since God's Spirit fellowships with us, and since Christ is very merciful to us, BSB BSB: Therefore if you have any encouragement in Christ, if any comfort from His love, if any fellowship with the Spirit, if any affection and compassion,
2 UDB make me completely happy by doing the following things: Agree with one another, love one another, act together as one person, and try to accomplish the same things. BSB BSB: then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being united in spirit and purpose.
3 UDB Never try to make yourselves more important than others nor boast about what you are doing. Instead, be humble, and, in particular, honor one another more than you honor yourselves. BSB BSB: Do nothing out of selfish ambition or empty pride, but in humility consider others more important than yourselves.
4 UDB Each one of you should not only be concerned about your own needs. You should also be concerned about other people and help them when they have needs. BSB BSB: Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others.
The Mind of Christ (Isaiah 52:13–15)
6 UDB Although he is deserving of all the honors that God should receive, he took his honors and laid them down and did not hold onto them. BSB BSB: Who, existing in the form of God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped,
7 UDB Instead, he gave up everything, taking on the qualities of a servant, and he became a human being. BSB BSB: but emptied Himself, taking the form of a servant, being made in human likeness.
8 UDB And he humbled himself by taking on human form, and in his humility he obeyed God even though obedience to God meant he had to die, and he died a terrible death, the death of a criminal, death on a cross. BSB BSB: And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to death—even death on a cross.
11 UDB so that everyone will say the same praises, that Jesus Christ is Lord, and they will praise God the Father because of him. BSB BSB: and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
Lights in the World (Matthew 5:13–16)
12 UDB My dear friends, as you always obeyed God when I was with you, now that I am apart from you, obey him even more. Honor God together, be humble, and do your best to live as those whom God is saving. BSB BSB: Therefore, my beloved, just as you have always obeyed, not only in my presence, but now even more in my absence, continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling.
13 UDB For God is working in your hearts so that you will want to do and then actually do the good things that please him. BSB BSB: For it is God who works in you to will and to act on behalf of His good purpose.
14 UDB Do everything without complaining or arguing BSB BSB: Do everything without complaining or arguing,
15 UDB so that you neither do nor think of anything wrong as you live among unbelievers, since many of these are wicked people who call evil good. Among these wicked people you should be like the stars at night that shine in the midst of darkness. BSB BSB: so that you may be blameless and pure, children of God without fault in a crooked and perverse generation, in which you shine as lights in the world
16 UDB Keep trusting in the message that can make you live forever. If you do this, I will rejoice at the time when Christ returns because then I will know that I did not work among you uselessly. BSB BSB: as you hold forth the word of life, in order that I may boast on the day of Christ that I did not run or labor in vain.
17 UDB And I will greatly rejoice with you all, even if they kill me and my blood pours out like something I offer to God. It will be in addition to what you sacrifice to God because you trust in him. BSB BSB: 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 with all of you.
18 UDB In the same way you, too, should rejoice together with me! BSB BSB: So you too should be glad and rejoice with me.
Timothy and Epaphroditus (1 Corinthians 16:10–12)
19 UDB I am trusting in the Lord Jesus to be able to send Timothy to you soon. I hope that when he returns he will encourage me by telling me about what God is doing in your lives. BSB BSB: Now I hope in the Lord Jesus to send Timothy to you soon, that I also may be cheered when I learn how you are doing.
20 UDB I have no one else like Timothy, who genuinely cares for you. BSB BSB: I have nobody else like him who will genuinely care for your needs.
21 UDB All the others whom I might send to you are concerned only about their own matters. They are not concerned enough about what Jesus Christ considers important. BSB BSB: For all the others look after their own interests, not those of Jesus Christ.
22 UDB But you know Timothy's proven character because as a son with a father he served me in the good news. BSB BSB: But you know Timothy’s proven worth, that as a child with his father he has served with me to advance the gospel.
23 UDB I confidently expect to send Timothy to you as soon as I know what will happen to me. BSB BSB: So I hope to send him as soon as I see what happens with me.
24 UDB And because I believe that the Lord wants this to happen, I am confident that they will soon release me and that I will come to you myself. BSB BSB: And I trust in the Lord that I myself will come soon.
25 UDB I believe that I must send Epaphroditus back to you. He is a fellow believer and my fellow worker and soldier for Christ, and your messenger and servant whom you sent to help me in my need. BSB BSB: But I thought it necessary to send back to you Epaphroditus, my brother, fellow worker, and fellow soldier, who is also your messenger and minister to my needs.
26 UDB When Epaphroditus learned that you heard he was sick, he became very worried and began longing to be there with all of you at Philippi. BSB BSB: For he has been longing for all of you and is distressed because you heard he was ill.
27 UDB Indeed, he was so sick that he almost died, but he did not die. Instead, God was very kind to him and also to me, so that I would not have a reason to grieve much. BSB BSB: He was sick indeed, nearly unto death. But God had mercy on him, and not only on him but also on me, to spare me sorrow upon sorrow.
28 UDB So I am sending him back to you as quickly as possible. I will do this so that you may rejoice when you see him again and so that I might grieve less. BSB BSB: Therefore I am all the more eager to send him, so that when you see him again you may rejoice, and I may be less anxious.
29 UDB Welcome Epaphroditus with the great joy we have because the Lord Jesus loves us. Honor him and other believers like him. BSB BSB: Welcome him in the Lord with great joy, and honor men like him,
30 UDB As he was working for Christ, he almost died. He ran the risk of dying in order to supply the things that I needed, something you could not do because you are far away from me. BSB BSB: because he nearly died for the work of Christ, risking his life to make up for your deficit of service to me.
Select verses for actions: Enter goes to them and Escape comes back.