always making my prayer with joy in every prayer of mine for you all,

For I am confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.

For it is only right for me to feel this way about you all, because I have you in my heart, since both in my imprisonment and in the defense and confirmation of the gospel, you all are partakers of grace with me.

For God is my witness, how I long for you all with the affection of Christ Jesus.

so that my imprisonment for Christ has become well known throughout the whole praetorian guard and to everyone else,

and that most of the brethren, trusting in the Lord because of my imprisonment, have been encouraged to speak the word of God without fear.

The latter do it out of love, knowing that I am put here for the defense of the gospel;

for I know that through your prayers and the help of the Spirit of Jesus Christ this will turn out for my deliverance,

For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain.

But if I am to live on in the flesh, this will mean fruitful labor for me. Yet which I shall choose I do not know.

I am hard pressed between the two. My desire is to depart and be with Christ, for that is far better;

but to remain on in the flesh is more necessary for your sake.

Convinced of this, I know that I will remain and continue with you all, for your progress and joy in the faith,

Only conduct yourselves in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ, so that whether I come and see you or remain absent, I will hear of you that you stand firm in one spirit, with one mind striving together for the faith of the gospel,

in no way frightened by your opponents. This is a sign of destruction to them, but of salvation for you and that too, from God.

For to you it has been granted for the sake of Christ, not only to believe in him, but also to suffer for his sake,

Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, so now, not only as in my presence but much more in my absence, work out your salvation with fear and trembling;

for it is God who is at work in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure.

I have no one else like him, who will be genuinely concerned for your welfare.

For they all seek after their own interests, not those of Christ Jesus.

for he was longing for you all and was distressed because you had heard that he was ill.

because he almost died for the work of Christ, risking his life to complete what was deficient in your service to me.

Finally, my brethren, rejoice in the Lord. To write the same things to you again is no trouble to me, and it is a safeguard for you.

Watch out for the dogs, watch out for the evil workers, watch out for those mutilators of the body.

For we are the true circumcision, who worship in the Spirit of God, and glory in Christ Jesus, and put no confidence in the flesh,

though I myself have reasons for confidence in the flesh. If anyone else thinks he has reasons to put confidence in the flesh, I have more:

But whatever was gain to me, I counted as loss for the sake of Christ.

More than that, I count everything to be loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ

Not that I have already obtained this, or have already been made perfect, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me.

I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.

For many, of whom I have often told you and now tell you even with tears, live as enemies of the cross of Christ.

But our citizenship is in heaven, from which also we eagerly wait for a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ;

Therefore, my brethren, whom I love and long for, my joy and crown, stand firm thus in the Lord, my beloved.

I rejoice in the Lord greatly, that now at last you have revived your concern for me; indeed, you were concerned before, but you had no opportunity.

Not that I speak from want, for I have learned to be content in whatever circumstances I am.

for even in Thessalonica you sent me a gift once and again for my needs.

Not that I seek the gift itself, but I seek for the profit which increases to your account.

To our God and Father be glory for ever and ever. Amen.