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¹²Wherefore, my beloved, as ye have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling.
¹³For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure.
¹⁴Do all things without murmurings and disputings:
¹⁵That ye may be blameless and harmless, the sons of God, without rebuke, in the midst of a crooked and perverse nation, among whom ye shine as lights in the world;
¹⁶Holding forth the word of life; that I may rejoice in the day of Christ, that I have not run in vain, neither laboured in vain.
¹⁷Yea, and if I be offered upon the sacrifice and service of your faith, I joy, and rejoice with you all.
¹⁸For the same cause also do ye joy, and rejoice with me.
¹⁹But I trust in the Lord Jesus to send Timotheus shortly unto you, that I also may be of good comfort, when I know your state.
²⁰For I have no man likeminded, who will naturally care for your state.
²¹For all seek their own, not the things which are Jesus Christ’s.
²²But ye know the proof of him, that, as a son with the father, he hath served with me in the gospel.
²³Him therefore I hope to send presently, so soon as I shall see how it will go with me.
²⁴But I trust in the Lord that I also myself shall come shortly.
²⁵Yet I supposed it necessary to send to you Epaphroditus, my brother, and companion in labour, and fellowsoldier, but your messenger, and he that ministered to my wants.
²⁶For he longed after you all, and was full of heaviness, because that ye had heard that he had been sick.
²⁷For indeed he was sick nigh unto death: but God had mercy on him; and not on him only, but on me also, lest I should have sorrow upon sorrow.
²⁸I sent him therefore the more carefully, that, when ye see him again, ye may rejoice, and that I may be the less sorrowful.
²⁹Receive him therefore in the Lord with all gladness; and hold such in reputation:
³⁰Because for the work of Christ he was nigh unto death, not regarding his life, to supply your lack of service toward me.