One in Christ (Ephesians 2:11–18)
1 UST Since the Messiah encourages us, since he comforts us with his love, since the Spirit has produced fellowship{ among you}, since{ God gives you} affection and compassion{ toward one another}, 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 UST make me completely happy by doing the following things: Agree with one another, love one another, be closely united with one another, be united in your thinking. BSB BSB: then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being united in spirit and purpose.
3 UST Never try to selfishly make yourselves more important than others, and do not think of yourselves as better than others. Instead, be humble, and treat others as more important than yourselves. BSB BSB: Do nothing out of selfish ambition or empty pride, but in humility consider others more important than yourselves.
4 UST Each one of you should not only be concerned about your needs. Instead, you should also be concerned about other people and their 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 UST Although he was in every way the same as God, he did not insist on keeping all the privileges of being equal with God. BSB BSB: Who, existing in the form of God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped,
7 UST Rather, he gave up divine privileges and became a servant to others and became a human being. When he had become a human being, BSB BSB: but emptied Himself, taking the form of a servant, being made in human likeness.
8 UST he humbled himself further. Specifically,{ he humbled himself} by obeying God so far as to be willing to die. He was even willing to die by being crucified 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 UST and every mouth will say, that Jesus the Messiah is Lord, so that God the Father is honored. 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 UST As a result of these things, my dearly loved fellow believers, as you have always obeyed God when I was with you, now that I am apart from you, you also must obey him even more. Every one of you, work with God in his saving work within you, and do this humbly reverencing God. 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 UST For God is doing something within you 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 UST Do everything without grumbling or quarreling. BSB BSB: Do everything without complaining or arguing,
15 UST Behave like that in order that you may be completely faultless, children of God, who keep yourselves from evil as you live among the wicked people of this world. Then, as you live among them, you will stand out brightly against the darkness of sin. 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 UST Tell others the message about how to have eternal life.{ Do all these things} so that at the time when the Messiah returns, I will be able to rejoice that I did not work hard 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 UST And I am joyful and I will rejoice with you all, despite suffering daily or going through times when those who oppose the gospel try to kill me. I will gladly suffer along with you, adding to your service which you offer because you believe 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 UST In the same way also, each of you should rejoice regarding these things; you 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 UST I am hoping that the Lord Jesus will soon allow me to be able to send Timothy to visit you. I want this visit to happen because I hope he can encourage me when he returns with news of you. 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 UST 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 UST All the others whom I might send to you are concerned only about their own matters. They are not concerned enough about what Jesus the Messiah considers important. BSB BSB: For all the others look after their own interests, not those of Jesus Christ.
22 UST But you know that Timothy has proved that he serves the Lord and others faithfully. You know that he has served the Lord closely together with me in proclaiming the good news to people. 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 UST I am hoping 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 UST And I am confident that the Lord will allow me to be released soon, so that I myself will also come to you. BSB BSB: And I trust in the Lord that I myself will come soon.
25 UST I have concluded that I should send Epaphroditus back to you. He is a fellow believer and my fellow worker, and he endures difficulties together with me just like soldiers endure difficulties together. He is your messenger and servant, whom you sent to help me when I was needy. 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 UST Epaphroditus eagerly desires to be there with you at Philippi, and he is concerned for you{ that you would be worried about him} since you learned of his illness. BSB BSB: For he has been longing for all of you and is distressed because you heard he was ill.
27 UST Indeed, he was so sick that he almost died. But God pitied him, and he also pitied me{, and as a result, he healed him}. God pitied me so that I would not grieve even more. 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 UST So I am sending him back to you as quickly as possible. I will do this in order 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 UST Receive Epaphroditus joyfully as a fellow believer, and honor other believers who are like him. BSB BSB: Welcome him in the Lord with great joy, and honor men like him,
30 UST Do this because, as Epaphroditus was working for the Messiah, he almost died. He knew that he might die as a result of helping me, and he nearly did die. He helped me 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.