¹⁹Now I hope in the Lord Jesus^am to send Timothy^an to you soon so that I too may be encouraged by news about you. ²⁰For I have no one else like-minded who will genuinely care about your interests; ²¹all seek their own interests,^ao not those of Jesus Christ.^ap ²²But you know his proven character, because he has served with me in the gospel ministry like a son with a father. ²³Therefore, I hope to send him as soon as I see how things go with me. ²⁴I am confident in the Lord that I myself will also come soon.^aq

²⁵But I considered it necessary to send you Epaphroditus^ar—my brother, coworker, and fellow soldier, as well as your messenger and minister to my need^as—²⁶since he has been longing for all of you and was distressed because you heard that he was sick. ²⁷Indeed, he was so sick that he nearly died. However, God had mercy on him, and not only on him but also on me, so that I would not have sorrow upon sorrow. ²⁸For this reason, I am very eager to send him so that you may rejoice again when you see him and I may be less anxious. ²⁹Therefore, welcome him in the Lord with great joy and hold people like him in honor, ³⁰because he came close to death for the work^at of Christ, risking his life to make up what was lacking in your ministry to me.

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Cross references

am Lk 24:3
an Ac 16:1; 1Tm 1:2
ao Rm 15:1; 2Tm 3:2
ap 1Co 10:24; Php 1:15
aq Php 1:7
ar Php 4:18
as Mt 6:8
at Mk 14:6; 2Co 9:8; Gl 3:10; Jms 2:14–26