Now through the unmerited favor God has shown me I would say to every one of you not to estimate himself above his real value, but to make a sober rating of himself, in accordance with the degree of faith which God has apportioned to him.

And yet, to refresh your memories, I have written you rather freely on some details, because of the unmerited favor shown me by God

For from His bounty we have all received spiritual blessing after spiritual blessing.

But by God's unmerited favor I have become what I am, and His unmerited favor shown to me was not bestowed for nothing, for I have toiled more extensively than any of them, and yet it was not I but God's unmerited favor working with me.

Not that I am myself qualified to consider anything as coming from me myself. No, my qualification comes from God, for

But when God, who had already set me apart from my birth, and had called me by His unmerited favor,

that is, if you have heard how God's favor has been entrusted to me for you,

as measured by the glorious good news of the blessed God, with which I have been entrusted.

Apostleship

to take a share in this service as an apostle, from which Judas fell away to go to his own place."

If I am not an apostle to other people, I certainly am one to you, for you yourselves, by virtue of your union with the Lord, are the proof of my apostleship.

for He who had been at work in Peter for his apostleship to the Jews had been at work in me too for the apostleship to the heathen --

For obedience to the faith

For I would venture to mention only what Christ has accomplished through me in bringing the heathen peoples to obedience, by word and by work,

but now has been fully brought to light by means of the prophetic Scriptures, and in accordance with the command of the eternal God has been made known to all the heathen, to win them to obedience inspired by faith --

So God's message continued to spread, and the number of the disciples in Jerusalem continued to grow rapidly; a large number, even of priests, continued to surrender to the faith.

for the weapons used in my warfare are not mere human ones, but through my God are mighty for demolishing fortresses.

and because He was perfectly qualified for it He became the author of endless salvation for all who obey Him,

Among

Or is He the God of Jews alone? Is He not the God of heathen peoples too? Of course, He is the God of heathen peoples too,

For his name

Symeon has told how God at first graciously visited the heathen to take from among them a people to bear His name.

so that we might praise the splendid favor which He has shown us in His beloved Son.

But you are the chosen race, the royal priesthood, the consecrated nation, the people to be His very own, to proclaim the perfections of Him who called you out of darkness into His wonderful light.