Because the Scripture saw ahead of time that God would justify the gentiles by faith, it announced the gospel to Abraham beforehand when it said, "Through you all nations will be blessed."

For all who are of the works of the law are under a curse: because it is said in the Writings, A curse is on everyone who does not keep on doing all the things which are ordered in the book of the law.

But that no man is justified by the law in the sight of God, it is evident: for, The just shall live by faith.

Christ has made us free from the curse of the law, having become a curse for us: because it is said in the Writings, A curse on everyone who is put to death by hanging on a tree:

Brethren, even a covenant made by a man--to borrow an illustration from daily life--when once formally sanctioned is not liable to be set aside or added to.

Now to Abraham and his seed were the promises made. He saith not, And to seeds, as of many; but as of one, And to thy seed, which is Christ.

and this I say, A covenant confirmed before by God to Christ, the law, that came four hundred and thirty years after, doth not set aside, to make void the promise,

Wherefore then serveth the law? It was added because of transgressions, till the seed should come to whom the promise was made; and it was ordained by angels in the hand of a mediator.

But the mediator of the one [seed] he is not, though God is one.

Is the Law then against the promises of God? Let it not be said! For if a law had been given which could have given life, indeed righteousness would have been out of Law.

And if ye be Christ's, then are ye Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise.

but he is under guardians and managers until the time set by [his] father.

Now where are those good feelings you had for me? For I can [honestly] testify that [at one time] you would have even gouged out your eyes and given them to me [for sight] if that had been possible.

These men [the Judaizers] eagerly seek you [to entrap you with honeyed words and attention, to win you over to their philosophy], not honorably [for their purpose is not honorable or worthy of consideration]. They want to isolate you [from us who oppose them] so that you will seek them.

I wish I could be present this very moment with you, and suit my discourse accordingly, for I stand in doubt what to think of you.

This is being said as an allegory, for these women represent two covenants. The one woman, Hagar, is from Mount Sinai, and her children are born into slavery.

So, brothers, we are the children of no slave woman, but of free woman. For freedom did not Christ set us free;

For freedom did Christ set us free: stand fast therefore, and be not entangled again in a yoke of bondage.

Ye have been set aside from Christ, ye who, by law, are to be declared righteous, - out of his favour, ye have fallen;

You set out well in your course: who hath obstructed your progress in the truth?

I, however, brethren - if, circumcision, I yet proclaim, why am I yet persecuted? After all, the stumbling-block of the cross hath been set aside.

envyings, murders, drunkennesses, revels, and things like these; as to which I tell you beforehand, even as I also have said before, that they who do such things shall not inherit God's kingdom.

Brothers, if anyone is caught in any sin, you who are spiritual [that is, you who are responsive to the guidance of the Spirit] are to restore such a person in a spirit of gentleness [not with a sense of superiority or self-righteousness], keeping a watchful eye on yourself, so that you are not tempted as well.

Do not be deceived, God is not mocked [He will not allow Himself to be ridiculed, nor treated with contempt nor allow His precepts to be scornfully set aside]; for whatever a man sows, this and this only is what he will reap.

Because he who puts in the seed of the flesh will of the flesh get the reward of death; but he who puts in the seed of the Spirit will of the Spirit get the reward of eternal life.

Paul, an apostle (special messenger, personally chosen representative) of Christ Jesus (the Messiah, the Anointed), by the will of God [that is, by His purpose and choice],

To the saints (God’s people) who are at Ephesus and are faithful and loyal and steadfast in Christ Jesus:

just as [in His love] He chose us in Christ [actually selected us for Himself as His own] before the foundation of the world, so that we would be holy [that is, consecrated, set apart for Him, purpose-driven] and blameless in His sight. In love

He made known to us the mystery of His will according to His good pleasure, which He purposed in Christ,

so that we, who were the first to set our hope on Christ, would be to the praise of his glory.

And [I pray] that the eyes of your heart [the very center and core of your being] may be enlightened [flooded with light by the Holy Spirit], so that you will know and cherish the hope [the divine guarantee, the confident expectation] to which He has called you, the riches of His glorious inheritance in the saints (God’s people),

Which he wrought in Christ, when he raised him from the dead, and set him at his own right hand in the heavenly places,

above all the angelic Rulers, Authorities, Powers, and Lords, above every Name that is to be named not only in this age but in the age to come ??22 he has put everything under his feet and set him as head over everything for the church,

And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus:

So then you are no longer strangers and aliens [outsiders without rights of citizenship], but you are fellow citizens with the saints (God’s people), and are [members] of God’s household,

How by revelation the secret was made clear to me, as I said before in a short letter,

There is but one Body and one Spirit, just as there was but one hope set before you when you received your Call.

Therefore it says,

“When He ascended on high,
He led captivity captive,
And He bestowed gifts on men.”

Be angry, and do not sin; let not the sun set upon your wrath,

and walk in love, even as Christ also loved you, and gave himself up for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God for an odor of a sweet smell.

And let there be no low behaviour, or foolish talk, or words said in sport, which are not right, but in place of them the giving of praise.

Have nothing to do with the barren unprofitable deeds of darkness, but, instead of that, set your faces against them;

for what makes everything clear is light. Therefore it is said:

Get up, sleeper, and rise up from the dead,
and the Messiah will shine on you.

put on the set of divine armour, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.

wherefore invest yourselves with the set of divine armour, that ye may be able to withstand in the difficult day, and having overcome all to maintain your ground.

Pray at all times in the Spirit with every prayer and request, and stay alert in this with all perseverance and intercession for all the saints.

the one do it of love, knowing that I am set for the defence of the gospel;

But the other of love, knowing that I am set for the defence of the gospel.

But since to live means a longer stay on earth, that implies more labour for me--and not unsuccessful labour; and which I am to choose I cannot tell.

But I am hard-pressed between the two. I have the desire to leave [this world] and be with Christ, for that is far, far better;

But to stay on in the flesh [is] more necessary for your sake.

Since I am convinced of this, I know that I will remain and continue with all of you for your progress and joy in the faith,

Only [be sure to] lead your lives in a manner [that will be] worthy of the gospel of Christ, so that whether I do come and see you or remain absent, I will hear about you that you are standing firm in one spirit [and one purpose], with one mind striving side by side [as if in combat] for the faith of the gospel.

fill up my cup of joy by living in harmony, by fostering the same disposition of love, your hearts beating in unison, your minds set on one purpose.

Though he was divine by nature, he did not set store upon equality with God

I am all the more ready, therefore, to send him, so that the sight of him may revive your spirits and my own sorrow be lightened.

Finally, my brethren, rejoice in the Lord. it is not uneasy to me to write what I have already said, and it is an advantage to you.

by the standard set by zeal, I was a persecutor of the church, and measured by the uprightness reached by keeping the law, I was faultless.

Brothers and sisters, together follow my example and observe those who live by the pattern we gave you.

For many walk, of whom I often said to you, and now say even weeping, that they are enemies of the cross of the Christ,

Their destiny is destruction, their god is their belly, and their glory is in their shame. Their minds are set on worldly things.

Yes, I also ask you, true partner, to help these women who have contended for the gospel at my side, along with Clement and the rest of my coworkers whose names are in the book of life.

But I have all, and abound: I am full, having received of Epaphroditus the things which were sent from you, an odour of a sweet smell, a sacrifice acceptable, wellpleasing to God.

and by him to reconcile all things unto himself, and to set at peace by him through the blood of his cross both things in heaven and things in earth.

And you - which were in times past strangers and enemies, because your minds were set in evil works - hath he now reconciled

In the body of his flesh through death, to present you holy and unblameable and unreproveable in his sight:

[and He will do this] if you continue in the faith, well-grounded and steadfast, and not shifting away from the [confident] hope [that is a result] of the gospel that you have heard, which was proclaimed in all creation under heaven, and of which [gospel] I, Paul, was made a minister.

This is the Christ we proclaim; we train everyone and teach everyone the full scope of this knowledge, in order to set everyone before God mature in Christ;

For even though I am absent [from you] in body, nevertheless I am with you in spirit, delighted to see your good discipline [as you stand shoulder to shoulder and form a solid front] and to see the stability of your faith in Christ [your steadfast reliance on Him and your unwavering confidence in His power, wisdom, and goodness].

having canceled out the certificate of debt consisting of legal demands [which were in force] against us and which were hostile to us. And this certificate He has set aside and completely removed by nailing it to the cross.

Therefore let no one judge you in regard to food and drink or in regard to [the observance of] a festival or a new moon or a Sabbath day.

If then you people have been raised up together with Christ [i.e., from your burial in immersion, See 2:12-13 with Rom. 6:4], pay attention to the things that are above [i.e., heavenly things], where Christ is seated at the right side of God.

Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth.

And let the peace of God set up its throne in your hearts, whereunto also ye have been called in one body; and be ye thankful.

Devote yourselves to prayer; stay alert in it with thanksgiving.

Remembering without ceasing your work of faith, and labour of love, and patience of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ, in the sight of God and our Father;

You became imitators of us and [through us] of the Lord, after you welcomed our message in [a time of] great trouble with the joy supplied by the Holy Spirit;

so that you set an example to all the believers in Macedonia and Greece.

who both killed the Lord Jesus, and the prophets, and drove us out, and please not God, and set themselves against all men,

Brothers, when we were bereft of you for a little while (out of sight, not out of mind), we were the more eager to see you. We had a keen longing for you.

So when we could bear it no longer, we decided to stay on in Athens alone.

that no one might be moved by these afflictions. (For yourselves know that we are set for this;

for even when we were with you, we said to you beforehand, that we are about to suffer tribulation, as also it did come to pass, and ye have known it;

But, when Timothy recently returned to us from you with good news of your faith and love, and told us how kindly you think of us--always longing, he said, to see us, just as we are longing to see you--

How can we thank God enough for all the happiness that you are giving us in the sight of our God?

so that He may strengthen and establish your hearts without blame in holiness in the sight of our God and Father at the coming of our Lord Jesus with all His saints (God’s people).

For this is the will of God, that you be sanctified [separated and set apart from sin]: that you abstain and back away from sexual immorality;

And that no man may make attempts to get the better of his brother in business: for the Lord is the judge in all these things, as we said to you before and gave witness.

For we say this to you by [the authority of] the word of the Lord [Note: Paul was either quoting what Jesus had previously said, or was giving a revelation he had received from the Lord. See I Cor. 14:37], that we [Christians] who are [still] alive, who are left [on earth] when the Lord returns, will certainly not precede those who have fallen asleep. [Note: The point Paul is making is that the living will not be "changed" (I Cor. 15:51-52) and taken to heaven before the dead are raised].

So then, we must not sleep, like the rest, but we must stay awake and be serious.

But since we are of the day, we must stay sober by putting on the breastplate of faith and love and as a helmet our hope for salvation.

because God has not set us for wrath, but for obtaining salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ,

Brothers, we ask you to show your appreciation for those who work among you, set an example for you in the Lord, and instruct you.

Set not prophecies at nought.

Stay away from every kind of evil.

since [it is] righteous in the sight of God to pay back those who are afflicting you with affliction,

That ye be not quickly tossed from your mind, nor be put in alarm - either by spirit, or by discourse, or by letter as by us, as that the day of the Lord, hath set in:

That no one may cheat, you, in any one respect. Because that day will not set in - except the revolt come first, and there he revealed the man of lawlessness, the son of destruction,

who is opposing and is raising himself up above all called God or worshipped, so that he in the sanctuary of God as God hath sat down, shewing himself off that he is God -- the day doth not come.

Do ye not remember that, being yet with you, I said these things to you?

But we ought to thank God for you always, brothers [who are] dearly loved by the Lord, because God has chosen you from the beginning [Note: Some manuscripts use the Greek word for "firstfruits" instead of "beginning" here, but it is difficult to know in what sense the Thessalonian Christians were "first"], in order to be saved through being set apart by the Holy Spirit and through belief of the truth [of the Gospel].