Hold to the standard of sound words that you heard from me and do so with the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus.

You know that everyone in the province of Asia deserted me, including Phygelus and Hermogenes.

for which I suffer hardship to the point of imprisonment as a criminal, but God’s message is not imprisoned!

When you come, bring with you the cloak I left in Troas with Carpas and the scrolls, especially the parchments.

Alexander the coppersmith did me a great deal of harm. The Lord will repay him in keeping with his deeds.

To Titus, my genuine son in a common faith. Grace and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Savior!

and a sound message that cannot be criticized, so that any opponent will be at a loss, because he has nothing evil to say about us.

as we wait for the happy fulfillment of our hope in the glorious appearing of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ.

Here is another way that our people can learn to engage in good works to meet pressing needs and so not be unfruitful.

From Paul, a prisoner of Christ Jesus, and Timothy our brother, to Philemon, our dear friend and colaborer,

to Apphia our sister, to Archippus our fellow soldier, and to the church that meets in your house.

I pray that the faith you share with us may deepen your understanding of every blessing that belongs to you in Christ.

I would rather appeal to you on the basis of love – I, Paul, an old man and even now a prisoner for the sake of Christ Jesus –

no longer as a slave, but more than a slave, as a dear brother. He is especially so to me, and even more so to you now, both humanly speaking and in the Lord.

Therefore, holy brothers and sisters, partners in a heavenly calling, take note of Jesus, the apostle and high priest whom we confess,

“There your fathers tested me and tried me, and they saw my works for forty years.

Therefore we must be wary that, while the promise of entering his rest remains open, none of you may seem to have come short of it.

Therefore since we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast to our confession.

On this topic we have much to say and it is difficult to explain, since you have become sluggish in hearing.

But we passionately want each of you to demonstrate the same eagerness for the fulfillment of your hope until the end,