And I pray this, that your divine love may yet more and more abound in perfect knowledge and all understanding;

the latter from divine love, knowing that I am set for the defence of the gospel:

according to my earnest expectation and hope, that I shall be ashamed in nothing, but with all boldness, as always, even now Christ will be magnified in my body, whether by life, or by death.

For Christ is my life, and death is my gain.

But if to live in the flesh, this shall be to me the fruit of the work, indeed I know not what I shall ask.

Only live worthily of the gospel of Christ: in order that, whether coming and seeing you or being absent, I hear those things concerning you, that you are standing in one spirit, with one soul contending for the faith of the gospel;

If then there is any consolation in Christ, if there is any comfort of divine love, if any fellowship of the Spirit, if any affection and mercies,

fill my joy, that you may think the same thing, having the same divine love, being like-minded, thinking this one thing;

having the word of life; unto my boasting in the day of Christ, because I did not run in vain, neither did I labor in vain.

because he was nigh unto death on account of the work of Christ, having jeoparded his life, in order that he might fulfill your deficiency of ministry towards me.

Yea, I also entreat thee, noble yoke-fellow, assist those women, whosoever labored with me in the gospel, both along with Clement, and the rest of my fellow-workers, whose names are in the book of life.