but that there may be an equality; that at the present time your abundance may supply their deficiency, and that their abundance may supply your deficiency, that there may be an equality,

as it is written; He that [gathered] much had nothing over, and he that [gathered] little had no deficiency.

guarding against this, that no one may blame us in this abundance administered by us;

for I know your readiness, of which I boasted in your behalf to the Macedonians that Achaia was ready a year ago, and your zeal has excited many.

But I sent the brothers, that our boasting of you may not be in vain in this respect, as I said you were prepared,

I thought it necessary, therefore, to exhort the brothers to go to you before, and to make ready your free gift before announced, that it may be ready as a free gift and not as an exaction.

And [consider] this, He that sows sparingly shall reap also sparingly, and he that sows liberally shall reap also liberally.

And God is able to make every favor abound to you, that having always every sufficiency in every thing you may abound in every good work;

And may he that supplies seed to the sower and bread for eating multiply your grain, and increase the products of your righteousness;

that you may be enriched in every thing for all liberality, which produces through us thanksgiving to God.

and I desire that I may not be bold when present, with that confidence which I design to use against some who speak of us as if we walked according to the flesh.

You see things according to appearances. If any one trusts in himself that he is Christ's, let him consider again with himself that as he is Christ's so also are we.

[But I forbear,] that I may not seem as though I would terrify you by epistles.

Let such a one think, that such as we are in word by epistles when absent, such also will we be in work when present.

not boasting of things unmeasured in the labors of others, but having a hope, your faith being increased, that we shall be magnified among you according to our rule abundantly,

But let him that glories glory in the Lord;

for not he that commends himself is approved, but he whom the Lord commends.

For if he that comes preaches another Jesus whom we did not preach, or you receive another spirit which you did not receive, or another gospel which you did not receive, you might well bear it;

for I judge that I am not behind the chief of the apostles.

Have I done wrong to humble myself that you might be exalted, that I preached the gospel of God to you gratuitously?

But what I do I also will do, that I may take away an occasion from those who wish an occasion, that wherein they boast they may be found even as we are.

Again, I say let no one think me to be foolish; but if otherwise, even as a foolish man bear with me that I may boast a little.

Besides things without, that which comes upon me daily, the care of all the churches.

The God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who is blessed forever, knows that I lie not.

I know even such a man,??hether in the body or out of the body I know not, God knows,??4 that he was caught up to paradise, and heard unutterable words, which it is not lawful for man to speak.

And that I might not be elated with my extraordinary revelations, there was given me a thorn in the flesh, an angel of Satan to beat me, that I should not be too much exalted.

For this I besought the Lord thrice that it might leave me.

Most gladly, therefore, will I glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. Wherefore I am well pleased with infirmities, with injuries, with necessities, with persecutions, with distresses for Christ; for when I am weak, then am I strong.

For what is there in which you were inferior to the rest of the churches, except that I was not burdensome to you? Forgive me this wrong.

Do you again think that we are defending ourselves? We speak in Christ before God; all these things, beloved, are for your edification.

For I fear lest when I come I shall not find you such as I wish, and that I shall be found such as you wish not; lest there shall be strife, envy, anger, contentions, evil speakings, whisperings, pride, dissensions;

I have said before, and I now foretell as if present a second time, although absent, to those who have already sinned and to all the rest, that if I come again I will not spare;

Try yourselves, whether you are in the faith; prove yourselves; or know you not yourselves that Christ is in you unless you are reprobates?

But I hope you will know that we are not reprobates.

We wish to God that you may do no evil, not that we may appear approved, but that you may do good though we should be as reprobates.

For this reason, being absent, I write these things, that I may not use sharpness when present, with the power which the Lord has given me for building up, and not for pulling down.

who gave himself for our sins, that he might deliver us from the present evil life according to the will of God even our Father,

I wonder that you have so quickly turned away from him that called you in the grace of Christ to another gospel,

For I certify you, brothers, of the gospel preached by me, that it is not according to man;

For you heard of my conduct formerly in Judaism, that I greatly persecuted the church of God and destroyed it;

was pleased to reveal his Son in me, that I might preach him among the gentiles, immediately I conferred not with flesh and blood,

only they heard that he who persecuted us formerly, now preached the faith which he formerly destroyed;

we did not yield to them by subjection, for an hour, that the truth of the gospel might continue with you.

but on the contrary seeing that I was intrusted with the gospel of the uncircumcision, as Peter was of the circumcision,??8 for he that operated in Peter for the apostleship of the circumcision, operated also in me for the gentiles,??9 and knowing the grace given me, James and Cephas and John, who were manifest pillars, gave to me and Barnabas the right hand of fellowship that we should go to the gentiles and they to the circumcision;

only [they wished] that we should remember the poor, which I was also forward to do.

and the other Jews also dissembled with him, so that Barnabas was carried away with their dissimulation.

But when I saw that they walked not correctly, according to the truth of the gospel, I said to Peter before all, If you being a Jew live after the manner of the gentiles, and not after the manner of the Jews, why do you compel the gentiles to practise Judaism?

knowing that a man is not justified by works of the law but by the faith of Jesus Christ, we also have believed in Jesus Christ, that we may be justified by faith and not by works of the law, because by works of the law shall no flesh be justified.

For by a law I have died to the law, that I may live to God.

He then that imparts to you the Spirit, and exercises miraculous powers among you, does he do it by works of the law, or by the doctrine of faith?

Know, therefore, that those of faith, these are children of Abraham.

And the Scripture foreseeing that God would justify the nations by faith, promised before to Abraham, In you shall all the nations be blessed.

For as many as are of works of the law are under a curse; for it is written, Cursed is every one that continues not in all things written in the book of the law to do them.

And it is evident that no one is justified by the law before God, because the just shall live by faith,

but the law is not of faith, but he that does these things shall live by them.

Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law, having become a curse for us, for it is written, Cursed is every one that hangs on a tree,

that the blessing of Abraham may come on the nations, in Christ Jesus, that we may receive the promise of the Spirit through the faith.

And this I say; that the law which was four hundred and thirty years after, cannot abrogate the covenant previously established by God, to make the promise of no effect.

but the Scripture has shut up all under sin, that the promise of the faith of Jesus Christ may be given to them that believe.

So that the law was our schoolmaster to lead to Christ, that we might be justified by faith;

But I say, that as long as the heir is a child, he differs not from a servant, though he is lord of all,

that he might redeem those under the law, that we might receive the adoption of sons.

So that you are no longer a servant, but a son; and if a son, also an heir of God.

What then was your blessedness? For I bear you witness that, if possible, you would have dug out your eyes and have given them to me.

They are zealous for you, but not well, but they wish to exclude you that you may be zealous for them.

Tell me, you that wish to be under the law, do you not hear the law?

For it is written, that Abraham had two sons, one by a servant woman, and the other by a free woman.

for it is written, Rejoice, barren woman, that did not bear, break forth and cry, woman that had no pain, for the children of the desolate are more numerous than those of her who had a husband.

But as then he that was born of the flesh persecuted him that was born of the Spirit, so also now.

Behold, I Paul tell you, that if you are circumcised Christ will not profit you.

For I testify again to every man that is circumcised, that he is bound to perform the whole law.

This persuasion is not of him that calls you.

I have confidence in you, in the Lord, that you will not be of another mind; but he that troubles you shall bear his sin, whoever he is.

I would that they were cut off that disturb you.

But if you bite and devour one another, see that you be not consumed one by another.

For the flesh desires against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; and these are opposed one to another, so that you do not what you wish.

murders, drunkenness, revellings and the like, of which I tell you before, as I have also previously told you, that those who do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God.

Brothers, if a man is overtaken with any fault, do you that are spiritual restore such a one with a spirit of meekness, considering yourself; lest you also be tried.

Let him that is taught the word communicate with him that teaches of all good things.

Be not deceived, God is not mocked. For what a man sows, that shall he also reap;

for he that sows for his flesh, shall of the flesh reap destruction; but he that sows for the Spirit, shall of the Spirit reap life eternal.

Those who wish to make a fair appearance in the flesh compel you to be circumcised, only that they may not be persecuted for the cross of Christ.

For the circumcised themselves do not keep the law, but they wish you to be circumcised that they may glory in your flesh.

as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him,

that we should be for a praise of his glory, who first trusted in Christ;

that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give you a spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of him;

the eyes of your minds being enlightened, that you may know what is the hope of his call, and what the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints,

above every principality and authority and power and lordship, and every name that is named, not only in this life but also in that to come,

which is his body, the fullness of him that fills all things in all.

that he might show in the ages to come the transcendent riches of his grace in goodness to us by Jesus Christ.

For by grace are you saved through the faith; and that not of you; [it is] the gift of God;

not of works, that no one may boast;

for we are his creation, created in Christ Jesus for good works, in which God before appointed that we should walk.

Wherefore, remember that you were formerly gentiles by birth, called uncircumcision by that called circumcision made in the flesh by the hand,

that at that time you were without Christ, alienated from the polity of Israel, and strangers to the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world;

the enmity, and abolished by his flesh the law of commandments [consisting] of ordinances, that of the two he might create in himself one new man, making peace,

that by revelation the mystery was made known to me,??s I wrote before in a few words,

that the gentiles are co-heirs and of the same body and joint partakers of the promise in Christ Jesus through the gospel,

that now to the principalities and powers in the heavenly [worlds] should be made known, through the church, the manifold wisdom of God,

that he would grant to you according to the riches of his glory, to be strengthened with power through his Spirit in the inward man,