<t /><p class="bodytext">From Paul,<n id="1" /> an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, and Timothy our brother,

these are only<n id="1" /> the shadow of the things to come, but the reality<n id="2" /> is Christ!<n id="3" />

<t /><p class="bodytext">We always<n id="1" /> give thanks to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, when we pray for you,

You learned the gospel<n id="1" /> from Epaphras, our dear fellow slave<n id="2" /> &#8211; a<n id="3" /> faithful minister of Christ on our<n id="4" /> behalf &#8211;

My goal is that<n id="1" /> their hearts, having been knit together<n id="2" /> in love, may be encouraged, and that<n id="3" /> they may have all the riches that assurance brings in their understanding of the knowledge of the mystery of God, namely, Christ,<n id="4" />

In him you also were circumcised &#8211; not, however,<n id="1" /> with a circumcision performed by human hands, but by the removal<n id="2" /> of the fleshly body,<n id="3" /> that is,<n id="4" /> through the circumcision done by Christ.

Let the peace of Christ be in control in your heart (for you were in fact called as one body<n id="1" /> to this peace), and be thankful.

At the same time pray<n id="1" /> for us too, that<n id="2" /> God may open a door for the message<n id="3" /> so that we may proclaim<n id="4" /> the mystery of Christ, for which I am in chains.<n id="5" />

<p class="bodytext">Now I rejoice in my sufferings for you, and I fill up in my physical body &#8211; for the sake of his body, the church &#8211; what is lacking in the sufferings of Christ.

Let the word of Christ<n id="1" /> dwell in you richly, teaching and exhorting one another with all wisdom, singing psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs, all with grace<n id="2" /> in your hearts to God.

Epaphras, who is one of you and a slave<n id="1" /> of Christ,<n id="2" /> greets you. He is always struggling in prayer on your behalf, so that you may stand mature and fully assured<n id="3" /> in all the will of God.