The Mystery of the Gospel Revealed

3 For this reason I, Paul, ^(A)a prisoner of Christ Jesus ^(B)on behalf of you Gentiles—

Paul's Ministry to the Church

²⁴ Now ^(A)I rejoice in my sufferings for your sake, and in my flesh ^(B)I am filling up ^(C)what is lacking in Christ's afflictions ^(D)for the sake of his body, that is, the church,

Unity in the Body of Christ

4 I therefore, ^(A)a prisoner for the Lord, urge you to ^(B)walk in a manner worthy of ^(C)the calling to which you have been called,

⁹ yet for love's sake I prefer to appeal to you—I, Paul, an old man and now ^(A)a prisoner also for Christ Jesus—

⁸ Therefore ^(A)do not be ashamed of ^(B)the testimony about our Lord, nor of ^(C)me his prisoner, but ^(D)share in suffering for the gospel by the power of God,

¹³ so that it has become known throughout the whole imperial guard^[a] and ^(A)to all the rest that ^(B)my imprisonment is for Christ. ¹⁴ And most of the brothers, having become confident in the Lord by my imprisonment, are much more bold ^(C)to speak the word^[b] without fear.

^15 (D)Some indeed preach Christ from envy and rivalry, but others from good will. ¹⁶ The latter do it out of love, ^(E)knowing that I am put here for ^(F)the defense of the gospel.

²⁰ for which I ^(A)am an ambassador ^(B)in chains, that I may declare it boldly, as I ought to speak.

⁷ It is right for me to feel this way about you all, because I hold you ^(A)in my heart, for you are all ^(B)partakers with me of grace,^[a] both ^(C)in my imprisonment and in ^(D)the defense and confirmation of the gospel.

Greeting

¹ Paul, ^(A)a prisoner for Christ Jesus, and ^(B)Timothy our brother,

To Philemon our beloved fellow worker