Kristo Ahobrɛaseɛ
1Mo nkwa a mowɔ wɔ Kristo mu no hyɛ mo den anaa? Ne dɔ kyekyere mo werɛ anaa? Mo ne Honhom no wɔ ayɔnkofa bi anaa? Mowɔ ayamyɛ ne ayamhyehyeɛ ma mo ho mo ho anaa? 2Sɛ ɛte saa deɛ a, ɛnneɛ monnya adwene korɔ wɔ ɔdɔ ne Honhom ne botaeɛ korɔ mu na mʼanigyeɛ awie pɛyɛ. 3Monnyɛ pɛsɛmenkomenya; monnhoahoa mo ho mfa mpɛ animuonyam hunu. Mommrɛ mo ho ase mma mo ho mo ho na mommu mo yɔnkonom nsene mo ankasa mo ho. 4Mommma obiara nnnwene ne nko ara nʼadeɛ ho, na mmom, ɔnnwene nʼafɛfoɔ nso deɛ ho bi.
5Momma mo abrabɔ nyinaa nyɛ sɛ Yesu Kristo deɛ no bi.
6Ɔno na ɔwɔ Onyankopɔn tebea mu deɛ,
nanso wanhyɛ ne ho sɛ ɔne Onyankopɔn bɛyɛ pɛ.
7Ɔdanee ne tumi kɛseɛ ne nʼanimuonyam too nkyɛn.
Mmom, ɔfirii ne pɛ mu faa akoa tebea de too ne ho so,
baeɛ sɛ onipa bɛyɛɛ nʼadeɛ sɛ onipa.
8Ɔbrɛɛ ne ho ase,
yɛɛ ɔsetie,
de kɔduruu owuo mu,
asɛnnua ho owuo mu mpo.
9Yei enti, Onyankopɔn maa no so kɔɔ beaeɛ a ɛkorɔn koraa,
maa no din a ɛdi din nyinaa so.
10Na ɛno enti, sɛ wɔbɔ Yesu din a,
ɔsorofoɔ ne asase sofoɔ ne asase asefoɔ nkotodwe nyinaa bɛkoto no.
11Na tɛkrɛma nyinaa apae mu aka sɛ,
Yesu Kristo ne Awurade,
de ahyɛ Agya Onyankopɔn animuonyam.
Nkwagyeɛ Ho Adwumayɛ
12Enti, me nnamfo pa, sɛdeɛ na me ne mo te hɔ a na motie me no, saa ara nso na ɛberɛ a menni mo nkyɛn seesei yi, ɛsɛ sɛ motie me ara ne no. Monkɔ so mfa ahopopoɔ ne suro nyɛ adwuma mfa nwie mo nkwagyeɛ ho adwumayɛ, 13ɛfiri sɛ, Onyankopɔn na ɔma mofiri mo pɛ mu di dwuma a ɛsɔ nʼani.
14Dwuma biara a modi no, monnnwiinwii na monnnye ho akyinnyeɛ 15sɛdeɛ ɛbɛyɛ a, wɔnka biribi ntia mo. Mobɛyɛ kronn sɛ Onyankopɔn mma nokwafoɔ a wɔte ewiase a nkontompofoɔ ne nnebɔneyɛfoɔ ahyɛ ma tɔ no mu. Ɛsɛ sɛ mohyerɛn wɔ wɔn mu sɛ nsoromma a ɛwɔ soro 16wɔ nkwa no ho asɛm a moka kyerɛ wɔn no mu. Sɛ moyɛ saa, na Kristo Ɛda no mede mo hoahoa me ho a, na ne kwan so ara ne no, ɛfiri sɛ, ɛbɛda no adi sɛ dwuma a mebɛdiiɛ no anyɛ kwa. 17Ebia na ɛsɛ sɛ wɔhwie me mogya gu sɛ afɔrebɔdeɛ, sɛdeɛ mo ɔsom no nso yɛ afɔrebɔdeɛ ma Onyankopɔn no. Sɛ ɛba saa a, ɛbɛyɛ anigyesɛm, na me ne mo nyinaa anya saa ahosɛpɛ no. 18Aane, momma mo ani nnye, sɛdeɛ me nso mʼani agye no.
Wɔsoma Timoteo Ne Epafrodito.
19Anidasoɔ a mewɔ wɔ Awurade Yesu mu no enti, mɛsoma Timoteo ma waba mo nkyɛn na mo ho nsɛm a mɛte no ahyɛ me nkuran. 20Ɔno nko ne obi a ɔwɔ ɔtema ma me na mo ho asɛm nso hia no. 21Obiara pɛ ɔno ara ne yiedie a Yesu Kristo ho asɛm mmfa ne ho. 22Mo ankasa modi ho adanseɛ wɔ dwuma a wadi ho. Wakyerɛ nso sɛ, ɔne me te sɛ ɔba ne nʼagya a wɔaka abom adi asɛmpa no ho dwuma. 23Sɛ mehunu sɛdeɛ nneɛma rekɔ so ma me a, ɛrenkyɛre biara mɛsoma no wɔ mo nkyɛn. 24Na Awurade mu anidasoɔ a mewɔ enti, menim sɛ ɛrenkyɛre biara mʼankasa mɛba mo nkyɛn.
25Mʼadwene ho sɛ, mɛsoma yɛn nua Epafrodito a wayɛ adwuma, na ɔdi me nkyɛn mu ako na wasom mo sɛ mo ɔsomafoɔ de aboa me no wɔ mo nkyɛn. 26Ne ho pere no sɛ ɔbɛhunu mo nyinaa na ɛha no nso sɛ motee ne nka sɛ ɔyare. 27Ampa ara, na ɔyare a anka ɔreyɛ awu. Nanso, Onyankopɔn hunuu no ne me nso mmɔbɔ, ɛfiri sɛ, wamma manni awerɛhoɔ. 28Me ho peree me yie sɛ mɛsoma no mo nkyɛn, na mohunu no a, mo ani asane agye bio na me nso mʼawerɛhoɔ to atwa. 29Momfa ahosɛpɛ nnye no sɛ onua wɔ Awurade mu. Momfa obuo ne anidie mma nnipa a wɔte sɛ ɔno nyinaa, 30ɛfiri sɛ, ɔde ne nkwa bɔɔ afɔdeɛ a ɛnam so maa anka ɔrewu ama Kristo adwuma de aboa me a anka morentumi mmoa saa no.
Being Humble Like Christ
1So does belonging to Christ help you in any way? Does his love comfort you at all? Do you share anything in common because of the Holy Spirit? Has Christ ever been gentle and loving toward you? 2If any of these things has happened to you, then agree with one another. Have the same love. Be one in spirit and in the way you think and act. By doing this, you will make my joy complete. 3Don’t do anything only to get ahead. Don’t do it because you are proud. Instead, be humble. Value others more than yourselves. 4None of you should look out just for your own good. Each of you should also look out for the good of others.
5As you deal with one another, you should think and act as Jesus did.
6In his very nature he was God.
Jesus was equal with God. But Jesus didn’t take advantage of that fact.
7Instead, he made himself nothing.
He did this by taking on the nature of a servant.
He was made just like human beings.
8He appeared as a man.
He was humble and obeyed God completely.
He did this even though it led to his death.
Even worse, he died on a cross!
9So God lifted him up to the highest place.
God gave him the name that is above every name.
10When the name of Jesus is spoken, everyone will kneel down to worship him.
Everyone in heaven and on earth and under the earth will kneel down to worship him.
11Everyone’s mouth will say that Jesus Christ is Lord.
And God the Father will receive the glory.
Live Without Complaining
12My dear friends, you have always obeyed God. You obeyed while I was with you. And you have obeyed even more while I am not with you. So continue to work out your own salvation. Do it with fear and trembling. 13God is working in you. He wants your plans and your acts to fulfill his good purpose.
14Do everything without complaining or arguing. 15Then you will be pure and without blame. You will be children of God without fault among sinful and evil people. Then you will shine among them like stars in the sky. 16You will shine as you hold on tight to the word of life. Then I will be able to boast about you on the day Christ returns. I can be happy that I didn’t run or work for nothing. 17But my life might even be poured out like a drink offering on your sacrifices. I’m talking about the way you serve because you believe. Even so, I am glad. I am joyful with all of you. 18So you too should be glad and joyful with me.
Timothy and Epaphroditus
19I hope to send Timothy to you soon if the Lord Jesus allows it. Then I will be encouraged when I receive news about you. 20I have no one else like Timothy. He will truly care about how you are doing. 21All the others are looking out for their own interests. They are not looking out for the interests of Jesus Christ. 22But you know that Timothy has proved himself. He has served with me like a son with his father in spreading the good news. 23So I hope to send him as soon as I see how things go with me. 24And I’m sure I myself will come soon if the Lord allows it.
25But I think it’s necessary to send Epaphroditus back to you. He is my brother in the Lord. He is a worker and a soldier of Christ together with me. He is also your messenger. You sent him to take care of my needs. 26He longs for all of you. He is troubled because you heard he was sick. 27He was very sick. In fact, he almost died. But God had mercy on him. He also had mercy on me. God spared me sadness after sadness. 28So I want even more to send him to you. Then when you see him again, you will be glad. And I won’t worry so much. 29So then, welcome him as a brother in the Lord with great joy. Honor people like him. 30He almost died for the work of Christ. He put his life in danger to make up for the help you yourselves couldn’t give me.
