because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now.

It is right for me to think this way about all of you, because I have you in my heart, and you are all partners with me in grace, both in my imprisonment and in the defense and establishment of the gospel.

because I know this will lead to my deliverance through your prayers and help from the Spirit of Jesus Christ.

so that, because of me, your confidence may grow in Christ Jesus when I come to you again.

But you know his proven character, because he has served with me in the gospel ministry like a son with a father.

since he has been longing for all of you and was distressed because you heard that he was sick.

because he came close to death for the work of Christ, risking his life to make up what was lacking in your ministry to me.

But everything that was a gain to me, I have considered to be a loss because of Christ.

More than that, I also consider everything to be a loss in view of the surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. Because of Him I have suffered the loss of all things and consider them filth, so that I may gain Christ

Not that I have already reached the goal or am already fully mature, but I make every effort to take hold of it because I also have been taken hold of by Christ Jesus.