I want you to know, my friends, that the things that have happened to me have really helped the progress of the gospel.

Our dear friend Tychicus, who is a faithful worker and fellow servant in the Lord's work, will give you all the news about me.

Sopater son of Pyrrhus, from Berea, went with him; so did Aristarchus and Secundus, from Thessalonica; Gaius, from Derbe; Tychicus and Trophimus, from the province of Asia; and Timothy.

I sent Tychicus to Ephesus.

When I send Artemas or Tychicus to you, do your best to come to me in Nicopolis, because I have decided to spend the winter there.

With him goes Onesimus, that dear and faithful friend, who belongs to your group. They will tell you everything that is happening here.

And now he is not just a slave, but much more than a slave: he is a dear brother in Christ. How much he means to me! And how much more he will mean to you, both as a slave and as a brother in the Lord!

Look on our Lord's patience as the opportunity he is giving you to be saved, just as our dear friend Paul wrote to you, using the wisdom that God gave him.

For this purpose I am sending to you Timothy, who is my own dear and faithful son in the Christian life. He will remind you of the principles which I follow in the new life in union with Christ Jesus and which I teach in all the churches everywhere.

You learned of God's grace from Epaphras, our dear fellow servant, who is Christ's faithful worker on our behalf.

If you give these instructions to the believers, you will be a good servant of Christ Jesus, as you feed yourself spiritually on the words of faith and of the true teaching which you have followed.

I write you this brief letter with the help of Silas, whom I regard as a faithful Christian. I want to encourage you and give my testimony that this is the true grace of God. Stand firm in it.