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.

And this is my prayer, that your love may abound still more and more in real knowledge and all discernment,

What then? Only that in every way, whether in pretense or in truth, Christ is proclaimed; and in this I rejoice. Yes, and I will rejoice,

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

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.

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

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.

Have this attitude in yourselves which was also in Christ Jesus,

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.

Let those of us who are mature have this attitude; and if in anything you have a different attitude, God will reveal that also to you.