For the Son of God, Jesus Christ, the one who was proclaimed among you by us, by me and Silvanus and Timothy, did not become "yes" and "no," but has become "yes" in him.

Now the one who establishes us together with you in Christ and who anoints us [is] God,

Now to whomever you forgive anything, I also [do]; for indeed, whatever I have forgiven, if I have forgiven anything, [it is] {for your sake} in the presence of Christ,

Now [when I] arrived in Troas for the gospel of Christ and a door was opened for me by the Lord,

But thanks [be] to God, who always leads us in triumphal procession in Christ, and who reveals the fragrance of the knowledge of him through us in every place.

For we are the aroma of Christ to God among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing,

For we are not like the majority who peddle the word of God, but as from pure motives--but as from God--we speak before God in Christ.

revealing that you are a letter of Christ, delivered by us, inscribed not with ink but with the Spirit of the living God, not on stone tablets but on tablets of human hearts.

Now we possess such confidence through Christ toward God.

But their minds were hardened. For until this very day, the same veil remains upon the reading of the old covenant, not being uncovered, because it is done away with in Christ.

among whom the god of this age has blinded the minds of the unbelievers, so that they would not see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God.

For we do not proclaim ourselves, but Christ Jesus [as] Lord, and ourselves [as] your slaves for the sake of Jesus.

For God who said, "Light will shine out of darkness," [is the one] who has shined in our hearts for the enlightenment of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ.

For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, in order that each one may receive back the [things] through the body according to what he has done, whether good or bad.

For the love of Christ controls us, [because we] have concluded this: that one died for all; as a result all died.

So then, from now on we know no one {from a human point of view}, if indeed we have known Christ {from a human point of view}, but now we know [him this way] no longer.

Therefore if anyone [is] in Christ, [he is] a new creation; the old [things] have passed away; behold, new [things] have come.

And all these [things] [are] from God, who has reconciled us to himself through Christ, and who has given us the ministry of reconciliation,

namely, that God was in Christ reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation.

Therefore we are ambassadors on behalf of Christ, as [if] God were imploring [you] through us. We beg [you] on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God.

And what agreement [does] Christ [have] with Beliar? Or what share [does] a believer [have] with an unbeliever?

For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that [although he] was rich, for your sake he became poor, in order that you, by his poverty, may become rich.

If [there is a question] concerning Titus, [he is] my partner and fellow worker for you. If [there is a question concerning] our brothers, [they are] messengers of the churches, the glory of Christ.

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,

Now I, Paul, appeal to you myself by the humility and gentleness of Christ, who {when I am present in person} [am] humble among you, but [when I] am absent am bold toward you--

and all pride that is raised up against the knowledge of God, and taking every thought captive to the obedience of Christ.

You are looking at things according to appearance. If anyone is convinced he himself is Christ's, he should consider this concerning himself again: that just as Christ himself [is], so also [are] we.

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.

But I am afraid lest somehow, as the serpent deceived Eve by his craftiness, your minds may be led astray from the sincerity and the purity of [devotion] to Christ.

[As the] truth of Christ is in me, this boasting {of mine} will not be stopped in the regions of Achaia.

For such people [are] false apostles, deceitful workers, disguising themselves as apostles of Christ.

Are they servants of Christ?--I am speaking as though I were beside myself--I [am] more so, with far greater labors, with far more imprisonments, with beatings to a much greater degree, in [danger of] death many times.

I know a man in Christ fourteen years ago--whether in the body I do not know, or outside the body I do not know, God knows--such a man was caught up to the third heaven,

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.

Therefore I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in calamities, in persecutions and difficulties for the sake of Christ, for whenever I am weak, then I am strong.

Have you been thinking all this time that we are defending ourselves to you? We are speaking in Christ before God, and all [these things], dear friends, [are] for your edification.

since you are demanding proof that Christ, who [is] not weak toward you, but is powerful among you, is speaking in me.

Test yourselves [to see] if you are in the faith. Examine yourselves! Or do you not recognize regarding yourselves that Jesus Christ [is] in you, unless you are unqualified?

The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ and the love of God and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit [be] with all of you.

Paul, an apostle not from men nor by men but through Jesus Christ and God the Father who raised him from the dead,

Grace to you and peace from God the Father and our Lord Jesus Christ,

I am astonished that you are turning away so quickly from the one who called you by the grace of Christ to a different gospel,

not that [there] is a different [gospel], except there are some who are disturbing you and wanting to distort the gospel of Christ.

For am I now making an appeal to people or [to] God? Or am I seeking to please people? If I were still trying to please people, I would not be a slave of Christ.

For neither did I receive it from man, nor was I taught [it], but [I received it] through a revelation of Jesus Christ.

but I was unknown {in person} to the churches of Judea [that are] in Christ,

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 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}.

But if [while] seeking to be justified by Christ, [we] ourselves also have been found [to be] sinners, then [is] Christ an agent of sin? May it never be!

For through the law I died to the law, in order that I might live to God. I have been crucified with Christ,

and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me, and that [life] I now live in the flesh, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.

I do not declare invalid the grace of God, for if righteousness [is] through the law, then Christ died to no purpose.

O foolish Galatians, who has bewitched you, before whose eyes Jesus Christ was publicly portrayed [as] having been crucified?

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,"

in order that the blessing of Abraham might come to the Gentiles in Christ Jesus, so that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith.

Now to Abraham and to his descendant the promises were spoken. It does not say, "and to descendants," as concerning many, but as concerning one, "and to your descendant," who is Christ.

But the scripture imprisoned all under sin, in order that the promise could be given by faith in Jesus Christ to those who believe.

So then, the law became our guardian until Christ, in order that we could be justified by faith.

For you are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus,

for as many [of you] as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ.

There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.

And if you [are] Christ's, then you are descendants of Abraham, heirs according to the promise.

And you did not despise or disdain [what was] a trial for you in my flesh, but you welcomed me like an angel of God, like Christ Jesus.

My children, for whom I am having birth pains again, until Christ is formed in you!

For freedom Christ has set us free. Stand firm, therefore, and do not be subject again to a yoke of slavery.

Look! I, Paul, tell you that if you become circumcised, Christ will profit you nothing!

You are estranged from Christ, [you] who are attempting to be justified by the law; you have fallen from grace.

For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision counts for anything nor uncircumcision, but faith working through love.

Now those {who belong to Christ} have crucified the flesh together with its feelings and its desires.

Carry the burdens of one another, and so fulfill the law of Christ.

As many as are wanting to make a good showing in the flesh, these are attempting to compel you to be circumcised, only so that they will not be persecuted for the cross of Christ.

But [as] for me, may it never be [that I] boast, except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world.

The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ [be] with your spirit, brothers. Amen.

Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, to the saints who are in Ephesus and faithful in Christ Jesus:

Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

Blessed [is] the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly [places] in Christ,

having predestined us to adoption through Jesus Christ to himself according to the good pleasure of his will,

for the administration of the fullness of times, to bring together all things in Christ, the things in the heavens and the things on the earth, in him

[that] we who hoped beforehand in Christ should be for the praise of his glory,

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

which he has worked in Christ, raising him from the dead and seating [him] at his right hand in the heavenly [places],

and we being dead in trespasses, he made [us] alive together with Christ (by grace you are saved),

and raised [us] together and seated [us] together in the heavenly [places] in Christ Jesus,

in order that he might show in the coming ages the surpassing riches of his grace in kindness upon us in Christ Jesus.

For we are his creation, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, so that we may walk in them.

that you were at that time apart from Christ, alienated from the citizenship of Israel, and strangers to the covenants of promise, not having hope, and without God in the world.

But now in Christ Jesus you, the ones who once were far away, have become near by the blood of Christ.

built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus himself being the cornerstone,

On account of this I, Paul, the prisoner of Christ Jesus for the sake of you Gentiles

so that you may be able when you read to understand my insight into the mystery of Christ

[that] the Gentiles are fellow heirs, and fellow members of the body, and fellow sharers of the promise in Christ Jesus through the gospel,

To me, the least of all the saints, was given this grace: to proclaim the good news of the fathomless riches of Christ to the Gentiles,

according to the purpose of the ages which he carried out in Christ Jesus our Lord,

[that] Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith (you having been firmly rooted and established in love),

and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, in order that you may be filled up to all the fullness of God.

to him [be] the glory in the church and in Christ Jesus to all generations forever and ever. Amen.

Now to each one of us was given this grace, according to the measure of Christ's gift.

for the equipping of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for building up the body of Christ,

until we all reach the unity of the faith and the knowledge of the Son of God, to a mature man, to a measure of the maturity of the fullness of Christ,