³ At the same time, pray for us as well, that God will open to us a door for the word, that we may declare the mystery of Christ, for which I am in prison,^(A)

¹⁹ Pray also for me, so that when I speak a message may be given to me to make known with boldness the mystery of the gospel,^{[a](A) 20} for which I am an ambassador in chains. Pray that I may declare it boldly, as I must speak.^(B)

²⁷ When they arrived, they called the church together and related all that God had done with them and how he had opened a door of faith for the gentiles.

¹³ so that it has become known throughout the whole imperial guard^[a] and to everyone else that my imprisonment is for Christ, ¹⁴ and most of the brothers and sisters, having been made confident in the Lord by my imprisonment, dare to speak the word^[b] with greater boldness and without fear.

The Message to Philadelphia

⁷ “And to the angel of the church in Philadelphia write:

⁸ “I know your works. Look, I have set before you an open door that no one is able to shut. I know that you have but little power, yet you have kept my word and have not denied my name.^(B)

Request for Prayer

3 Finally, brothers and sisters, pray for us, so that the word of the Lord may spread rapidly and be glorified everywhere, just as it is among you,^{(A) 2} and that we may be rescued from wicked and evil people, for not all have faith.

²⁶ the mystery that has been hidden throughout the ages and generations but has now been revealed to his saints.^(A)

⁷ It is right for me to think this way about all of you, because I hold you in my heart,^[a] for all of you are my partners in God’s grace,^[b] both in my imprisonment and in the defense and confirmation of the gospel.^(A)

Paul’s Anxiety in Troas

¹² When I came to Troas to proclaim the good news^[a] of Christ, a door was opened for me in the Lord,^(A)

⁹ for which I suffer hardship, even to the point of being chained like a criminal. But the word of God is not chained.^(A)