hearing about your divine love, and the faith which you have toward the Lord Jesus, and all the saints;

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, having much boldness in Christ to command you to that which is appropriate,

Whom I did wish to have with me, in order that he might minister unto me in your stead in the bonds of the gospel:

but without your consent I did not wish to do anything; in order that your good might not be by constraint, but by the free will:

Having confidence in your obedience I have written to you, knowing that you will do even more than those things which I say.