⁹ Now ^(A)the Lord spoke to Paul in the night by a vision, “Do not be afraid, but speak, and do not keep silent; ^10 (B)for I am with you, and no one will attack you to hurt you; for I have many people in this city.” ¹¹ And he continued there a year and six months, teaching the word of God among them.

¹⁵ For though you might have ten thousand instructors in Christ, yet you do not have many fathers; for ^(A)in Christ Jesus I have begotten you through the gospel.

^19 (A)My little children, for whom I labor in birth again until Christ is formed in you,

Their Faith in Christ

^3 (A)We give thanks to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, praying always for you, ^4 (B)since we heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and of ^(C)your love for all the saints; ⁵ because of the hope ^(D)which is laid up for you in heaven, of which you heard before in the word of the truth of the gospel, ⁶ which has come to you, ^(E)as it has also in all the world, and ^(F)is bringing forth ^[a]fruit, as it is also among you since the day you heard and knew ^(G)the grace of God in truth; ⁷ as you also learned from ^(H)Epaphras, our dear fellow servant, who is ^(I)a faithful minister of Christ on your behalf, ⁸ who also declared to us your ^(J)love in the Spirit.

Preeminence of Christ

^9 (K)For this reason we also, since the day we heard it, do not cease to pray for you, and to ask ^(L)that you may be filled with ^(M)the knowledge of His will ^(N)in all wisdom and spiritual understanding; ^10 (O)that you may walk worthy of the Lord, ^(P)fully pleasing Him, ^(Q)being fruitful in every good work and increasing in the ^(R)knowledge of God;