For thispurpose alsoI labor,strivingaccordingto His power, which mightilyworkswithinme.
"Striveto enterthroughthe narrowdoor;for many,I tellyou, will seekto enterand will not be able.
And thusI aspiredto preach the gospel,not whereChristwas [already] named,sothat I would not buildon another man'sfoundation;
NowI urgeyou, brethren,by our LordJesusChristand by the loveof the Spirit,to strive togetherwith me in your prayersto Godfor me,
But oneand the sameSpiritworksallthese things,distributingto each oneindividuallyjustas He wills.
There are varietiesof effects,but the sameGodwho worksallthings in all[persons].
But by the graceof GodI amwhatI am,and His gracetowardme did not provevain;but I laboredeven morethan allof them, yetnot I, but the graceof Godwith me.
Are they servantsof Christ?--I speakas if insane--I more so;in far morelabors,in far moreimprisonments,beatentimes without number,oftenin danger of death.
sinceyou are seekingfor proofof the Christwho speaksin me, and whois not weaktowardyou, but mightyin you.
Thereforewe alsohave as our ambition,whetherat homeorabsent,to be pleasingto Him.
in beatings,in imprisonments,in tumults,in labors,in sleeplessness,in hunger,
and whatis the surpassinggreatnessof His powertowardus who believe.[These are] in accordancewith the workingof the strengthof His might
Nowto Him who is ableto dofar more abundantlybeyondallthat we askorthink,accordingto the powerthat workswithinus,
of whichI was madea minister,accordingto the giftof God'sgracewhich was givento me accordingto the workingof His power.
Onlyconductyourselves in a manner worthyof the gospelof Christ,sothat whetherI comeand seeyou orremain absent,I will hearof you that you are standing firmin onespirit,with onemindstriving togetherfor the faithof the gospel;
experiencingthe sameconflictwhichyou sawin me, and nowhear[to be] in me.
for it is Godwho is at workin you, bothto willand to workfor [His] good pleasure.
holding fastthe wordof life,sothat in the dayof ChristI will have reason to glorybecauseI did not runin vainnortoilin vain.
For I wantyou to knowhow greata struggleI haveon your behalfand for thosewhoare at Laodicea,and for all those whohave not personallyseenmy face,
having been buriedwith Him in baptism,in whichyou were alsoraisedup with Him throughfaithin the workingof God,who raisedHim from the dead.
Epaphras,whois one of your number,a bondslaveof JesusChrist,sends you his greetings,alwayslaboring earnestlyfor you in his prayers,that you may standperfectand fully assuredin allthe willof God.
For you recall,brethren,our laborand hardship,[how] workingnightand daysoas not to be a burdento anyof you, we proclaimedto you the gospelof God.
nordid we eatanyone'sbreadwithout payingfor it, but with laborand hardshipwe [kept] workingnightand daysothat we would not be a burdento anyof you;
For thisreasonI endureall thingsfor the sakeof thosewho are chosen,sothat they alsomay obtainthe salvationwhich is in ChristJesus[and] with [it] eternalglory.
You have not yetresistedto the pointof shedding bloodin your strivingagainstsin;
equipyou in everygood thingto doHis will,workingin us that which is pleasingin His sight,throughJesusChrist,to whom[be] the gloryforeverand ever.Amen.
and you haveperseveranceand have enduredfor My name'ssake,and have not grown weary.