My children – I am again undergoing birth pains until Christ is formed in you!

The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit, brothers and sisters. Amen.

Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ!

I do not cease to give thanks for you when I remember you in my prayers.

For this reason I, Paul, the prisoner of Christ Jesus for the sake of you Gentiles –

that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith, so that, because you have been rooted and grounded in love,

But among you there must not be either sexual immorality, impurity of any kind, or greed, as these are not fitting for the saints.

Finally, be strengthened in the Lord and in the strength of his power.

Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ!

I thank my God every time I remember you.

I always pray with joy in my every prayer for all of you

because of your participation in the gospel from the first day until now.

For God is my witness that I long for all of you with the affection of Christ Jesus.

For to me, living is Christ and dying is gain.

He humbled himself, by becoming obedient to the point of death – even death on a cross!

For there is no one here like him who will readily demonstrate his deep concern for you.

So I hope to send him as soon as I know more about my situation,

though I am confident in the Lord that I too will be coming to see you soon.

In my zeal for God I persecuted the church. According to the righteousness stipulated in the law I was blameless.

Let everyone see your gentleness. The Lord is near!