I rejoice, because in everything I am completely confident in you.

And I am giving an opinion in this [matter], because this is profitable for you who not only began previously, a year ago, to do [something], but also to want [to do it].

because he not only welcomed our request, but being very earnest, by his own choice he went out to you.

And we are sending with them our brother whom we have tested many times in many [things] that he is diligent, but now much more diligent [because of his] great confidence in you.

because I know your readiness [to help], [concerning] which I keep on boasting to the Macedonians about you, that Achaia has been ready [to help] since last year, and your zeal has stirred up the majority [of them].

And God is able to cause all grace to abound to you, so that in everything at all times, [because you] have enough of everything, you may overflow in every good work.

because the service of this ministry is not only supplying the needs of the saints, but also is overflowing through many [expressions of] thanksgiving to God.

Through the proven character of this service [they will] glorify God because of the submission of your confession to the gospel of Christ and the generosity of [your] participation toward them and toward everyone,

and [they are] longing for you in their prayers for you, because of the surpassing grace of God to you.

because it is said, "His letters [are] severe and powerful, but his bodily presence [is] weak and his speech is of no account."

For we are not overextending ourselves, as [if we] had not reached you, because we have reached even as far as you with the gospel of Christ,

For I am jealous [for] you with a godly jealousy, because I promised you [in marriage] to one husband, to present [you] [as] a pure virgin to Christ.

Or did I commit a sin [by] humbling myself in order that you may be exalted, because I proclaimed the gospel of God to you without payment?

{Why}? Because I do not love you? God knows [I do]!

For [because you] are wise, you put up with foolish people gladly!

[I have been] on journeys many times, in dangers from rivers, in dangers from robbers, in dangers from [my own] people, in dangers from the Gentiles, in dangers in the city, in dangers in the wilderness, in dangers at sea, in dangers because of false brothers,

For if I want to boast, I will not be foolish, because I will be telling the truth, but I am refraining, so that no one can credit to me more than what he sees [in] me or hears anything from me,

even because of the extraordinary degree of the revelations. Therefore, so that I would not exalt myself, a thorn in the flesh was given to me, a messenger of Satan, in order that it would torment me so that I would not exalt myself.

And he said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, because the power is perfected in weakness." Therefore rather I will boast most gladly in my weaknesses, in order that the power of Christ may reside in me.

But let [it] be. I have not been a burden to you, but [because I] was crafty, I took you by cunning.

[I am afraid] lest [when I] come again my God will humiliate me {in your presence}, and I will grieve over many of those who sinned previously and have not repented because of their impurity and sexual immorality and licentiousness that they have practiced.

For indeed, he was crucified because of weakness, but he lives because of the power of God. For we also are weak in him, but we will live together with him because of the power of God toward you.

Because of this, I am writing these [things] [although I] am absent, in order that [when I] am present I may not have to act severely according to the authority that the Lord has given me for building up and not for tearing down.

and was progressing in Judaism beyond many contemporaries in my nation, [because] I was a far more zealous adherent of the traditions handed down by my forefathers.

and they were glorifying God because of me.

Now I went up [there] because of a revelation and laid out to them the gospel that I preach among the Gentiles, but in private to the influential people, lest somehow I was running, or had run, in vain.

Now [this was] because of the false brothers secretly brought in, who slipped in to spy out our freedom that we have in Christ Jesus, in order that they might enslave us,

But when Cephas came to Antioch, I opposed [him] to his face, because he was condemned.

For before certain people came from James, he used to eat with the Gentiles, but when they came, he withdrew and separated himself, [because he] was afraid of those [who were] of the circumcision,

but knowing that a person is not justified by the works of the law, if not by faith in Jesus Christ, and we have believed in Christ Jesus so that we may be justified by faith in Christ and not by the works of the law, because by the works of the law {no human being will be justified}.

Now [it is] clear that no one is justified in the sight of God by the law, because "the one who is righteous will live by faith."

Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law [by] becoming a curse for us, because it is written, "Cursed [is] everyone who hangs on a tree,"

And because you are sons, God sent out the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, crying out, "Abba! (Father!),"

But now, [because you] have come to know God, or rather have come to be known by God, how can you turn back again to the weak and miserable elemental spirits? Do you want to be enslaved to them all over again?

I ask you, brothers, become like me, because I also [have become] like you. You have done me no [wrong]!

But you know that because of an illness of the flesh I proclaimed the gospel to you the first time.

But I could wish to be present with you now, and to change my tone because I am perplexed about you.

For it is written, "Rejoice, O barren woman, who does not give birth to [children]; burst out and shout, [you] who do not have birth pains, because many [are] the children of the desolate [woman], even more than [those of] the one who has a husband."

because the one who sows to his own flesh will reap corruption from the flesh, but the one who sows to the Spirit will reap eternal life from the Spirit.

Because of this I also, hearing of {your faith} in the Lord Jesus and your love for all the saints,

But God, being rich in mercy, because of his great love [with] which he loved us,

because through him [we] both have access in one Spirit to the Father.

being darkened in understanding, alienated from the life of God, because of the ignorance [that] is in them, because of the hardness of their heart,

Therefore, putting aside the lie, speak truth each one of you with his neighbor, because we are members of one another.

Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of these [things] the wrath of God is coming on the sons of disobedience.

making the most of the time because the days are evil.

Because of this do not become foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord [is].

because [the] husband is [the] head of the wife, as also Christ [is the] head of the church (he himself [being the] Savior of the body).

because we are members of his body.

[because you] know that each one of you, whatever good he should do, this he will receive back from the Lord, whether slave or free.

because our struggle is not against blood and flesh, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the world rulers of this darkness, against the spiritual [forces] of wickedness in the heavenly [places].

Because of this, take up the full armor of God, in order that you may be able to resist in the evil day, and having done everything, to stand.

because of your participation in the gospel from the first day until now,

just as it is right for me to think this about all of you, because I have you in my heart, [since] both in my imprisonment and in the defense and confirmation of the gospel all of you are sharers of grace with me.

and most of the brothers, trusting in the Lord because of my imprisonment, dare [even] more to speak the word without fear.

Some even because of envy and strife preach Christ, but some also because of good will.

And because 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,

so that [what] you can be proud of may increase in Christ Jesus because of me through my return again to you.

because to you has been graciously granted on behalf of Christ not only to believe in him, but also to suffer on behalf of him,

because he was longing for all of you and was distressed because you had heard that he was sick.

because on account of the work of Christ he came near to the point of death, risking his life in order that {he might make up for your inability to serve me}.

But whatever [things] were gain to me, these [things] I have considered loss because of Christ.

{More than that}, even consider all [things] to be loss because of the surpassing greatness of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord, for the sake of whom I have suffered the loss of all [things], and consider [them] dung, in order that I may gain Christ

because even in Thessalonica {on more than one occasion} you sent for my need.

But I have received everything [in full] and have an abundance; {I am well supplied} [because] I received from Epaphroditus {what you had sent}, a fragrant offering, an acceptable sacrifice, well-pleasing to God.

because of the hope reserved for you in heaven, which you have heard about beforehand in the word of truth, the gospel,

Because of this also we, from the day we heard about [it], did not cease praying for you, and asking that you may be filled [with] the knowledge of his will in all wisdom and spiritual insight,

because all [things] in the heavens and on the earth were created by him, things visible and things invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or powers, all [things] were created through him and for him,

because he was well pleased [for] all the fullness to dwell in him,

And {although you were formerly alienated} and enemies in attitude, because of your evil deeds,

because in him all the fullness of deity dwells bodily,

because of which the wrath of God is coming upon the sons of disobedience,

Do not lie to one another, [because you] have taken off the old man together with his deeds,

[because you] know that from the Lord you will receive the reward of the inheritance. Serve the Lord Christ.

[because we] remember your work of faith and labor of love and steadfastness of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ in the presence of our God and Father,

because our gospel did not come to you with word only, but also with power and with the Holy Spirit and with much certainty, just as you know what sort of [people] we became among you for your sake.

Longing for you in this way, we determined to share with you not only the gospel of God but also our own souls, because you had become dear to us.

And because of this we also give thanks to God constantly, that [when you] received God's word {that you heard} from us, you accepted [it] not [as the] word of men, but as [it] truly is, [the] word of God, which also is at work in you who believe.

For you became imitators, brothers, of the churches of God [which] are in Judea in Christ Jesus, because you also suffered the same [things] at the hands of your own people, just as [they] themselves [did] also at the hands of the Jews,

because we wanted to come to you--I, Paul, {on more than one occasion}--and Satan hindered us.

Because of this, I also, [when I] could endure [it] no longer, sent in order to know your faith, lest somehow the tempter tempted you and our labor should be in vain.

But now, [because] Timothy has come to us from you and has brought good news to us of your faith and love, and that {you always think kindly of us}, desiring to see us just as also we [desire to see] you,

because of this, brothers, we have been comforted because of you in all our distress and affliction through your faith,

because now we live, if you stand firm in the Lord.

For what thanks can we repay to God concerning you, because of all the joy [with] which we rejoice because of you before our God,

not to transgress and to exploit his brother in the matter, because the Lord [is] the one who avenges concerning all these [things], just as also we told you beforehand and testified solemnly.

But [because] we are of the day, we must be sober, [by] putting on the breastplate of faith and love and [as] a helmet the hope of salvation,

because God did not appoint us for wrath, but for the obtaining of salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ,

and to esteem them beyond all measure in love, because of their work. Be at peace among yourselves.

We ought to give thanks to God always concerning you, brothers, just as it is fitting, because your faith is flourishing and the love of each one of you all toward one another is increasing

whenever he should come to be glorified on that day by his saints and to be marveled at by all who believe, because our testimony was believed among you,

And because of this, God sends them {a powerful delusion} so that they will believe the lie,

But we ought to give thanks to God always concerning you, brothers [dearly] loved by the Lord, because God has chosen you [as] first fruits for salvation by the sanctification of the Spirit and faith in the truth,

{I give thanks} to the one who strengthens me, Christ Jesus our Lord, because he considered me faithful, placing [me] into ministry,

[although I] was formerly a blasphemer and a persecutor and a violent man, but I was shown mercy because I acted ignorantly in unbelief,

But because of this I was shown mercy, in order that in me foremost, Christ Jesus might demonstrate his total patience, for an example for those who are going to believe in him for eternal life.

having faith and a good conscience, which some, [because they] have rejected [these], have suffered shipwreck concerning their faith,

and Adam was not deceived, but the woman, [because she] was deceived, came into transgression.

because everything created by God [is] good and nothing [is to be] rejected [if it is] received with thankfulness,

For the training of the body is {somewhat} profitable, but godliness is profitable for everything, [because it] holds promise for the present life and for the [life] to come.