in order that the fellowship of your faith may be efficient in the perfect knowledge of every good thing which is in you toward Christ.

Therefore, [although I] have great confidence in Christ to order you [to do what] is proper,

Still, because of love, in place of an order, I make a request to you, I, Paul, an old man and now a prisoner of Christ Jesus:

I would have chosen to keep him with me, so that he might minister to me on your behalf during my imprisonment for the gospel;

but I did not want to do anything without first getting your consent, so that your goodness would not be, in effect, by compulsion but of your own free will.

For perhaps because of this, he was separated [from you] for a time, in order that you might have him back forever,