Study Desk

For he risked his life and nearly died working for the Messiah, in order to give me the help you were not in a position to give.

In conclusion, my brothers: rejoice in union with the Lord. It is no trouble for me to repeat what I have written you before, and for you it will be a safeguard:

For it is we who are the Circumcised, we who worship by the Spirit of God and make our boast in the Messiah Yeshua! We do not put confidence in human qualifications,

even though I certainly have grounds for putting confidence in such things. If anyone else thinks he has grounds for putting confidence in human qualifications, I have better grounds:

But the things that used to be advantages for me, I have, because of the Messiah, come to consider a disadvantage.

It is not that I have already obtained it or already reached the goal — no, I keep pursuing it in the hope of taking hold of that for which the Messiah Yeshua took hold of me.

Brothers, I, for my part, do not think of myself as having yet gotten hold of it; but one thing I do: forgetting what is behind me and straining forward toward what lies ahead,

Brothers, join in imitating me, and pay attention to those who live according to the pattern we have set for you.

For many — I have told you about them often before, and even now I say it with tears — live as enemies of the Messiah's execution-stake.

They are headed for destruction! Their god is the belly; they are proud of what they ought to be ashamed of, since they are concerned about the things of the world.

So, my brothers, whom I love and long for, my joy and my crown, my dear friends, keep standing firm in union with the Lord.

I also request you, loyal Syzygus, to help these women; for they have worked hard proclaiming the Good News with me, along with Clement and the rest of my fellow-workers whose names are in the Book of Life.

In union with the Lord I greatly rejoice that now, after this long time, you have let your concern for me express itself again. Of course, you were concerned for me all along, but you had no opportunity to express it.

I am not seeking the gift; rather, I am looking for what will increase the credit balance of your account.

Whenever we pray, we always give thanks for you to God, the Father of our Lord Yeshua the Messiah.

For we have heard of your trust in the Messiah Yeshua and of the love you have for all God's people.

Both spring from the confident hope that you will receive what is stored up for you in heaven. You heard of this earlier in the message about the truth. This Good News

You learned it from Epaphras, our dear fellow-slave and a faithful worker for the Messiah on your behalf;

Therefore, from the day we heard of it, we have not stopped praying for you, asking God to fill you with the knowledge of his will in all the wisdom and understanding which the Spirit gives;

giving thanks to the Father for having made you fit to share in the inheritance of his people in the light.