3 Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ!
4 I always thank my God as I remember you in my prayers,
5 because I hear of your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for all the saints.
6 I pray that the faith you share with us may deepen your understanding of every blessing that belongs to you in Christ.
7 I have had great joy and encouragement because of your love, for the hearts of the saints have been refreshed through you, brother.
8 So, although I have quite a lot of confidence in Christ and could command you to do what is proper,
9 I would rather appeal to you on the basis of love – I, Paul, an old man and even now a prisoner for the sake of Christ Jesus –