Study Desk

I am in chains now, still preaching this message as God's ambassador. So pray that I will keep on speaking boldly for him, as I should.

So it is right that I should feel as I do about all of you, for you have a special place in my heart. You share with me the special favor of God, both in my imprisonment and in defending and confirming the truth of the Good News.

For I want you to understand what really matters, so that you may live pure and blameless lives until the day of Christ's return.

But that doesn't matter. Whether their motives are false or genuine, the message about Christ is being preached either way, so I rejoice. And I will continue to rejoice.

But if I live, I can do more fruitful work for Christ. So I really don't know which is better.

Knowing this, I am convinced that I will remain alive so I can continue to help all of you grow and experience the joy of your faith.

so that no one can criticize you. Live clean, innocent lives as children of God, shining like bright lights in a world full of crooked and perverse people.

And he certainly was ill; in fact, he almost died. But God had mercy on him—and also on me, so that I would not have one sorrow after another.

So I am all the more anxious to send him back to you, for I know you will be glad to see him, and then I will not be so worried about you.

I was so zealous that I harshly persecuted the church. And as for righteousness, I obeyed the law without fault.

Yes, everything else is worthless when compared with the infinite value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have discarded everything else, counting it all as garbage, so that I could gain Christ

so that one way or another I will experience the resurrection from the dead!

Even so, you have done well to share with me in my present difficulty.

So we have not stopped praying for you since we first heard about you. We ask God to give you complete knowledge of his will and to give you spiritual wisdom and understanding.

We also pray that you will be strengthened with all his glorious power so you will have all the endurance and patience you need. May you be filled with joy,

Christ is also the head of the church, which is his body. He is the beginning, supreme over all who rise from the dead. So he is first in everything.

So we tell others about Christ, warning everyone and teaching everyone with all the wisdom God has given us. We want to present them to God, perfect in their relationship to Christ.

That's why I work and struggle so hard, depending on Christ's mighty power that works within me.

I am telling you this so no one will deceive you with well-crafted arguments.

So you also are complete through your union with Christ, who is the head over every ruler and authority.