Philippians 2:25-30

2:25 But for now ¹  I have considered it necessary to send Epaphroditus to you. For he is my brother, ²  coworker and fellow soldier, and your messenger ³  and minister ⁴  to me in my need. ⁵  2:26 Indeed, he greatly missed all of you and was distressed because you heard that he had been ill. 2:27 In fact he became so ill that he nearly died. ⁶  But God showed mercy to him – and not to him only, but also to me – so that I would not have grief on top of grief. 2:28 Therefore I am all the more eager to send him, ⁷  so that when you see him again you can rejoice ⁸  and I can be free from anxiety. 2:29 So welcome him in the Lord with great joy, and honor people like him, 2:30 since it was because of the work of Christ that he almost died. He risked his life so that he could make up for your inability to serve me. ⁹ 

[2:25]  ¹ tn Grk “But.” The temporal notion (“for now”) is implied in the epistolary aorist (“I have considered”), for Epaphroditus was dispatched with this letter to the Philippians.

[2:25]  ² tn Grk “my brother” instead of “For he is my brother.” Verse 25 constitutes one sentence in Greek, with “my brother…” functioning appositionally to “Epaphroditus.”

[2:25]  ³ tn Grk “apostle.”

[2:25]  ⁴ tn The Greek word translated “minister” here is λειτουργός (leitourgo").

[2:25]  ⁵ tn Grk “servant of my need.”

[2:27]  ⁶ tn Grk “For he became ill to the point of death.”

[2:28]  ⁷ tn Grk “I have sent him to you with earnestness.” But the epistolary aorist needs to be translated as a present tense with this adverb due to English stylistic considerations.

[2:28]  ⁸ tn Or “when you see him you can rejoice again.”

[2:30]  ⁹ tn Grk “make up for your lack of service to me.”