²⁵ But 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. ²⁶ He longs for all of you. He is troubled because you heard he was sick. ²⁷ He 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.