For to me life is Christ, and death is gain.

It is Timothy, then, whom I hope to send, as soon as ever I can foresee how it will go with me.

And I can assure you that his illness very nearly proved fatal. But God had pity on him, and not on him only but also on me, that I might not have sorrow upon sorrow.

Though I, if any man, have cause to rely even upon them. If any one thinks he can rely upon external privileges, far more can I!

More than that, I count everything as loss, for the sake of the exceeding value of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord. And for his sake I have lost everything, and count it as refuse, if I may but gain Christ and be found in union with him;

I press on to the goal, to gain the prize of that heavenward Call which God gave me through Christ Jesus.

I can do everything in the strength of him who makes me strong!