Three times I was beaten with a stick, once I was pelted with stones, three times I was shipwrecked, and I drifted on the sea for a day and a night.

I know a man in Christ, who, fourteen years ago, whether in the body, I know not, or out of the body, I know not, God, knoweth, such a one as this, caught away, as far as the third heaven;

How that he was caught up into paradise, and heard unspeakable words, which it is not lawful for a man to utter.

Wherefore, I take pleasure in weaknesses, in insults, in necessities, in persecutions, and straits, in behalf of Christ; for, as soon as I am weak, then, am powerful.

Now I'm ready to visit you for a third time, and I will not bother you for help. I do not want your things, but rather you yourselves. Children should not have to support their parents, but parents their children.

For a long time you were thinking that I am apologizing to you. We speak before God in Christ; but all things, beloved, are for your edification.

Seeing that you are looking for a sign of Christ giving out his word in me; who is not feeble in relation to you, but is strong in you:

I am amazed that you are so quickly deserting Him who called you by the grace of Christ, for a different gospel;

For am I now seeking the favor of men, or of God? or am I striving to please men? if I were still pleasing men, I should not be a servant of Christ.

To whom we gave place by subjection, no, not for an hour; that the truth of the gospel might continue with you.

With Christ, have I been crucified; and, living no longer, am, I, but, living in me, is, Christ, - while, so far as I now do live in flesh, by faith, I live - The faith in the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself up in my behalf.

So then they who are of faith are blessed with faithful Abraham. For as many as are of the works of the law are under a curse;

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

For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ.

Now I say, for as long a time [as] the heir is a child, [he is] no different from a slave, [although he] is master of everything,

Now it is always pleasant to be eagerly sought after [provided that it is] for a good purpose, and not just when I am with you [seeking you myself—but beware of the others doing it].

For it is written, Rejoice thou barren, that for a while didst not bear, break forth and cry aloud for joy, thou that didst not travail with child; for many more are the children of the desolate than of her that hath an husband."

*We* have not, for through the Spirit we wait with longing hope for an acceptance with God which is to come through faith.

I wish those agitators would go so far as to castrate themselves!

For, brethren, ye have been called unto liberty; only use not liberty for an occasion to the flesh, but by love serve one another.

Do not be deceived. God will not be made a fool. For a person will reap what he sows,

and in the doing good we may not be faint-hearted, for at the proper time we shall reap -- not desponding;

But the last thing I want to do is brag [about such things]. For [if I had any bragging to do at all], it would be about [salvation through] the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, for it is through Him that this [sinful] world has been crucified [i.e., died] as far as I am concerned and I have been crucified [i.e., died] as far as it is concerned.

From this time onward let no one trouble me; for, as for me, I bear, branded on my body, the scars of Jesus as my Master.

For an administration of the fulness of the seasons, to reunite for himself (under one head) the all things in the Christ, the things upon the heavens, and the things upon the earth, in him:

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

For at one time you lived in sin, following the ways of the world, in subjection to the Ruler of the Powers of the air--the Spirit who is still at work among the disobedient.

In whom ye also are builded together for an habitation of God through the Spirit.

So I ask you not to lose heart at my sufferings on your behalf, for they are your glory and honor.

unto the perfecting of the saints, for a work of ministration, for a building up of the body of the Christ,

And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, in which ye are sealed for a day of redemption.

And walk in love, as Christ also hath loved us, and hath given himself for us an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweetsmelling savour.

For at one time ye were darkness, but now ye are light in the Lord: walk about as children of the light,

for a husband is head of the wife, as also the Christ is head of the assembly. He is Saviour of the body.

And, you masters, do the same things to them, not making use of violent words: in the knowledge that their Master and yours is in heaven, and he has no respect for a man's position.

In the measure of my strong hope and belief that in nothing will I be put to shame, but that without fear, as at all times, so now will Christ have glory in my body, by life or by death.

For, as I see it, living means Christ and dying something even better.

And in no way be alarmed or intimidated [in anything] by your opponents, for such [constancy and fearlessness on your part] is a [clear] sign [a proof and a seal] for them of [their impending] destruction, but [a clear sign] for you of deliverance and salvation, and that too, from God.

And, in fashion, being found, as a man, humbled himself, becoming obedient as far as death, yea, death upon a cross.

holding fast to the word of life, for a source of pride to me in the day of Christ, that I did not run in vain or labor in vain.

But if indeed I am poured out for a sacrifice and an offering for your faith, I rejoice, and rejoice along with you all;

In conclusion, my brethren, be joyful in the Lord. For me to give you the same warnings as before is not irksome to me, while so far as you are concerned it is a safe precaution.

Having been circumcised on the eighth day, I am of the nation of Israel, from the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of Hebrews. As far as the Law is concerned, I was a Pharisee.

As for my zeal, I was a persecutor of the church. As far as righteousness in the Law is concerned, I was blameless.

Only, as far as we have got, let us be guided by the same rule.

Brethren, be followers together of me, and mark them which walk so as ye have us for an ensample.

For our citizenship is in heaven; whence also we wait for a Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ:

Not that I speak as regards privation, for as to me I have learnt in those circumstances in which I am, to be satisfied in myself.

And you at Philippi know, as well as I, that in the early days of the Good News--at the time when I had just left Macedonia--no Church, with the one exception of yourselves, had anything to do with me as far as giving and receiving are concerned.

Not that I am looking for an offering, but for fruit which may be put to your credit.

giving thanks to the Father who has qualified you for a share of the inheritance of the saints in light,

For I would have you know how greatly I strive for you, and for them at Laodicea, and for as many as have not seen my face in the flesh;

In the hope that they, being bound to one another by love, and keeping in view the full blessedness of a firm conviction, may be encouraged to strive for a perfect knowledge of God's hidden Truth,

Let no man therefore trouble your consciences about meat and drink: or for a piece of a holy day, as the holy day of the new moon, or of the Sabbath day:

For you died [to this world], and your [new, real] life is hidden with Christ in God.

So treat as dead your physical nature, as far as immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and greed are concerned; for it is really idolatry.

for we can never for a moment before our God forget your energizing faith, your toiling love, and your enduring hope in our Lord Jesus Christ.

for at no time did we come with speech of flattery, (as ye have known,) nor in a pretext for covetousness, (God is witness!)

For another reason too, we, as far as we are concerned, are constantly giving thanks to God; that is, when you received the message you heard from us, you welcomed it not as the message of men but as the message of God, as it really is, which keeps on working in you who believe.

But we, brethren, being taken from you for a short time in presence, not in heart, endeavoured the more abundantly to see your face with great desire.

For, as we believe that Jesus died and rose again, so also we believe that God will bring, with Jesus, those who through him have passed to their rest.

Then we who are alive, who remain, will be snatched away at the same time together with them in the clouds for a meeting with the Lord in the air, and thus we will be together with the Lord always.

But let us, who are of the day, be sober, putting on the breastplate of faith and love; and for an helmet, the hope of salvation.

Because God appointed us not for wrath, but for an acquired possession of salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ, who died for us.

For at the Coming of the Lord there will be great activity on the part of Satan, in the form of all kinds of deceptive miracles, signs, and marvels, as well as of wicked attempts to delude--

for which he called you, through our good-news, for an acquired possession of glory of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Knowing this, that the law is not made for a righteous man, but for the lawless and disobedient, for the ungodly and for sinners, for unholy and profane, for murderers of fathers and murderers of mothers, for manslayers,

Howbeit for this cause I obtained mercy, that in me first Jesus Christ might shew forth all longsuffering, for a pattern to them which should hereafter believe on him to life everlasting.

In my opinion it is right for a woman not to be a teacher, or to have rule over a man, but to be quiet.

Stedfast is the word: If any one the oversight doth long for, a right work he desireth;

for bodily exercise is profitable for a little; but godliness is profitable for all things, having promise of the life which now is, and of that which is to come.

Pay close attention to yourself and to your teaching; persevere in these things, for as you do this you will ensure salvation both for yourself and for those who hear you.

But the younger widows you must not enrol; for as soon as they begin to chafe against the yoke of Christ, they want to marry,

for a root of all the evils is the love of money, which certain longing for did go astray from the faith, and themselves did pierce through with many sorrows;

For, as its appointed time, this will be brought about by the blessed and only Sovereign, the King of kings and Lord of lords,

Do not, therefore, be ashamed of the testimony which we have to bear to our Lord, nor yet of me who am a prisoner for him; but join with me in suffering for the Good News, as far as God enables you.

And though a man strive for a mastery, yet is he not crowned, except he strive lawfully.

But in a great house there are not only vessels of gold and silver, but also of wood and pottery; and some for an honourable use, and others for baser service.

Just as Jannes and Jambres [the court magicians of Egypt] opposed Moses, so these men also oppose the truth, men of depraved mind, unqualified and worthless [as teachers] in regard to the faith.

For a time is coming when they will not tolerate wholesome instruction, but, wanting to have their ears tickled, they will find a multitude of teachers to satisfy their own fancies;

For a bishop must be blameless, as the steward of God; not selfwilled, not soon angry, not given to wine, no striker, not given to filthy lucre;

They profess to know God, but by their actions they disown him. They are degraded and self-willed; and, as far as anything good is concerned, they are utterly worthless.

After a first and second warning reject a divisive man [who promotes heresy and causes dissension—ban him from your fellowship and have nothing more to do with him],

for, as you know, a man of that description has turned aside from the right path and is a sinner self-condemned.

for as I hear of your love and loyalty to the Lord Jesus and to all the saints,

For perhaps he therefore departed for a season, that thou shouldest receive him for ever;

But now, at the end of these days, it has come to us through his Son, to whom he has given all things for a heritage, and through whom he made the order of the generations;

For to which of the messengers said He ever, 'My Son thou art -- I to-day have begotten thee?' and again, 'I will be to him for a father, and he shall be to Me for a son?'

and of the angels, he saith, who employs his angels like the winds, and flames of fire as his ministers."

Unto which indeed of the angels said he ever, "Sit at my right hand until I put thine enemies for a footstool of thy feet?"

You made him for a short [time] lower than the angels; you crowned him with glory and honor;

But we do see Jesus, who was made lower than the angels for a little while [by taking on the limitations of humanity], crowned with glory and honor because of His suffering of death, so that by the grace of God [extended to sinners] He might experience death for [the sins of] everyone.

For, as we all know, He (Christ) does not take hold of [the fallen] angels [to give them a helping hand], but He does take hold of [the fallen] descendants of Abraham [extending to them His hand of deliverance].

for as He himself hath suffered, in being tempted, He is able to succour those that are tempted.

For Jesus has been counted worthy of greater glory than Moses, in so far as he who has built a house has higher honour than the house itself.

And Moses verily was faithful in all his house, as a servant, for a testimony of those things which were to be spoken after;

But beseech one another according to each day, as far as the day is called; lest any of you be hardened by deceit of sin.

For, as we know, when speaking of the seventh day He has used the words, "And God rested on the seventh day from all His works;"

For a man who has entered into his rest, he has also rested from his works, as God did from his own.

For the word of God [is] living and active and sharper than any double-edged sword, and piercing as far as the division of soul and spirit, both joints and marrow, and able to judge the reflections and thoughts of the heart.