holding fast a word of life, unto my boasting unto a day of Christ, that I have not run unto emptiness, nor toiled unto emptiness. But if, assuming it is true, also I am poured out upon the sacrifice even religious service of your faith, I rejoice and I rejoice with all of you. Because of the same also you rejoice and you rejoice with me.
Moreover, I hope by the Lord Jesus to quickly send Timothy to you, in order that I also may be good souled knowing the things concerning you. For I have no one of the same soul who will genuinely care concerning the things concerning you. For they all seek the things pertaining to themselves, not the things concerning Christ Jesus. Indeed you experientially know the proof concerning him that as a son to a father, with me he has served unto the Gospel. Therefore this one I hope to send, as I fix my eyes upon the things immediately concerning me. Moreover, I am persuaded by the Lord, that also I myself will shortly come. And I considered it necessary to send to you Epaphroditus my brother and coworker and my fellow soldier, and your apostle, and minister of my needs, since he was longing for all of you and distressed because you heard he was sick. For also he was sick, near to death, but God had mercy on him and not him only, but also me, in order that I should not have sorrow upon sorrow. Therefore I diligently sent him in order that seeing him you should again rejoice and I should be less anxious. Therefore receive him in the Lord generally associated with joy and hold with honor such men, because through the work of the Christ he came near as far as death, exposing to danger the soul, in order that he should provide the thing lacking of you, the religious service towards me.