|
Paul, your bond servant in the Lord Jesus
Christ, together with Luke and Silas and the others who are serving our God
and Father in the proclamation of the gospel in Cyprus, Pamphlyia,
Pisida, Galatia, and all of Asia, to the brothers
and sisters of the church in Antioch of Syria where Christ rules, Grace to
you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
When I pray
each day, I bless our heavenly Father for the grace that He has bestowed upon
me through each remembrance of you and your generosity, and your hard work
for the gospel, and your zealous desire to see the gospel spread to the ends
of the earth.
|
|
|
|
Our work in
the field is going well, though we are facing many hardships and rejections,
the Lord has been good to us and His word is growing in the hearts of men and
women, Jew and gentile, slave and free. Not wanting to impose upon you,
because your kindness has already exceeded all expectation, we need your
kindness again.
|
|
Many people
are coming to know the Lord Jesus Christ and have a hearty desire to study
His teachings but since we have no written account, the Lord has laid it upon
Luke=s heart to set down an orderly
account of the events that have been fulfilled as they have been handed down
to us by those who from the beginning were eyewitnesses and servants of the
word, so that these new believers may know the truth concerning the things
about which they have been instructed.
He would like your assistance in this godly
endeavor. Please record all of the
sayings of our Lord and Savior and send them to us as quickly as possible.
We ask
knowing that you will do even more than we expect and we anxiously await your
response.
Please greet
the elders in Antioch,
especially Norvellonius and Gormanos
and their families, and all the brothers and sisters in the Lord.
Blessed be
our Lord and God. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be
with all of you.
|
|
