and by not being intimidated in any way by your opponents. This is ¹  a sign of their ²  destruction, but of your salvation – a sign which ³  is from God.

And I pray this, that your love may abound even more and more in knowledge and every kind of insight

so that what you can be proud of may increase ¹  because of me in Christ Jesus, when I come back to you. ² 

and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of God the Father.

Only conduct yourselves ¹  in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ so that – whether I come and see you or whether I remain absent – I should hear that ²  you are standing firm in one spirit, with one mind, by contending side by side for the faith of the gospel, ³ 

filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ to the glory and praise of God.

But our citizenship is in heaven – and we also await a savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ,

I am not saying this because I am in need, for I have learned to be content in any circumstance.

But even if I am being poured out like a drink offering on the sacrifice and service of your faith, I am glad and rejoice together with all of you.

Now I hope in the Lord Jesus to send Timothy to you soon, so that I too may be encouraged by hearing news about you.

so that you may be blameless and pure, children of God without blemish though you live in a crooked and perverse society, in which you shine as lights in the world ¹ 

Not that I have already attained this – that is, I have not already been perfected – but I strive to lay hold of that for which Christ Jesus also laid hold of me. ¹