Paul’s Thanksgiving and Prayer for the Church

1:3 We always6 give thanks to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, when we pray for you, 1:4 since7 we heard about your faith in Christ Jesus and the love that you have for all the saints. 1:5 Your faith and love have arisen8 from the hope laid up9 for you in heaven, which you have heard about in the message of truth, the gospel10 1:6 that has come to you. Just as in the entire world this gospel11 is bearing fruit and growing, so it has also been bearing fruit and growing12 among you from the first day you heard it and understood the grace of God in truth. 1:7 You learned the gospel13 from Epaphras, our dear fellow slave14—a15 faithful minister of Christ on our16 behalf—1:8 who also told us of your love in the Spirit.