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God knows how much I love you and long for you with the tender compassion of Christ Jesus.

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God can testify(A) how I long for all of you with the affection of Christ Jesus.

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Therefore, my dear brothers and sisters,[a] stay true to the Lord. I love you and long to see you, dear friends, for you are my joy and the crown I receive for my work.

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Footnotes

  1. 4:1 Greek brothers; also in 4:8.

Closing Appeal for Steadfastness and Unity

Therefore, my brothers and sisters, you whom I love and long for,(A) my joy and crown, stand firm(B) in the Lord in this way, dear friends!

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God knows how often I pray for you. Day and night I bring you and your needs in prayer to God, whom I serve with all my heart[a] by spreading the Good News about his Son.

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Footnotes

  1. 1:9 Or in my spirit.

God, whom I serve(A) in my spirit in preaching the gospel of his Son, is my witness(B) how constantly I remember you

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I long to see you again, for I remember your tears as we parted. And I will be filled with joy when we are together again.

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Recalling your tears,(A) I long to see you,(B) so that I may be filled with joy.

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We loved you so much that we shared with you not only God’s Good News but our own lives, too.

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so we cared for you. Because we loved you so much, we were delighted to share with you not only the gospel of God(A) but our lives as well.(B)

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12 I am sending him back to you, and with him comes my own heart.

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12 I am sending him—who is my very heart—back to you.

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God’s Selection of Israel

With Christ as my witness, I speak with utter truthfulness. My conscience and the Holy Spirit confirm it.

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Paul’s Anguish Over Israel

I speak the truth in Christ—I am not lying,(A) my conscience confirms(B) it through the Holy Spirit—

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I want you to know how much I have agonized for you and for the church at Laodicea, and for many other believers who have never met me personally.

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I want you to know how hard I am contending(A) for you and for those at Laodicea,(B) and for all who have not met me personally.

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19 Oh, my dear children! I feel as if I’m going through labor pains for you again, and they will continue until Christ is fully developed in your lives.

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19 My dear children,(A) for whom I am again in the pains of childbirth until Christ is formed in you,(B)

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20 I declare before God that what I am writing to you is not a lie.

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20 I assure you before God(A) that what I am writing you is no lie.(B)

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We are glad to seem weak if it helps show that you are actually strong. We pray that you will become mature.

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We are glad whenever we are weak(A) but you are strong;(B) and our prayer is that you may be fully restored.(C)

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15 Now he cares for you more than ever when he remembers the way all of you obeyed him and welcomed him with such fear and deep respect.

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15 And his affection for you is all the greater when he remembers that you were all obedient,(A) receiving him with fear and trembling.(B)

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12 There is no lack of love on our part, but you have withheld your love from us.

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12 We are not withholding our affection from you, but you are withholding yours from us.

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