He is the only one who shares my feelings represents a positive statement corresponding to the negative one in the original (King James Version “for I have no man like-minded”). Who shares my feelings translates a very rare Greek adjective meaning “like-souled.” This word means not so much a sharing of the same disposition as a sharing of intimate feelings, a genuine concern and care, as Paul goes on to say. Obviously, Paul is not talking about someone who shares Timothy’s feelings, as some translations seem to suggest (Moffatt “I have no one like him”; so also Revised Standard Version Jerusalem Bible New American Bible). Rather, he is comparing Timothy with himself, indicating that Timothy is the person he can rely on to share his own concerns for the Philippian Christians (Good News Translation New English Bible). In some languages who shares my feelings is best rendered “who shares one heart with me.” In other languages one may say “he has my heart and mind,” “he thinks the same in his heart as I do,” or “my thoughts are his thoughts.”

Paul wants his friends in Philippi to know that Timothy is the one who, like himself, really cares about you. The adverb rendered really is a word suggesting kinship (literally, “legitimately born”). It is often used in the sense of “genuinely” or “sincerely” or “truly.” The adjectival form is used in 1 Tim 1.2, where Paul speaks of Timothy as “my true son in the faith.” The verb “to care” in this clause is the same verb as that used in 4.6, where the readers are advised “Don’t worry about anything.” In the present context the verb does not have the negative sense of “to be anxious for” but the positive sense of “to take genuine interest in” (New English Bible New American Bible), or “to really care about” the well-being of others. In some languages “to care for someone else” may be most effectively expressed as “help,” for example, “he really wants to help you.”

Quoted with permission from Luo, I-Jin. and Nida, Eugene A. A Handbook on Paul’s Letter to the Philippians. (UBS Handbook Series). New York: UBS, 1977. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .