remembering without ceasing your work of faith and labor of love and patience of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ, before our God and Father.
Coffman comments on the "double triad of work, labor and patience linked to faith, love and hope thus constituting a melding of faith, hope and love (1 Corinthians 13:13) with ’I know thy works, and thy toil, and thy patience’ (Revelation 2:2)" (11). Phillips captures the meaning of this verse in his translation: "Your faith has meant solid achievement, your love has meant hard work, and the hope that you have in the Lord Jesus Christ means sheer dogged endurance in the life that you live."