I do not urge you to give in order that others may have relief while you are unduly pressed,

But thanks be to God, which put the same earnest care into the heart of Titus for you.

Wherefore shew ye to them, and before the churches, the proof of your love, and of our boasting on your behalf.

For I know the forwardness of your mind, for which I boast of you to them of Macedonia, that Achaia was ready a year ago; and your zeal hath provoked very many.

So my reason for sending our Brothers is to prevent what we said about you from proving, in this particular matter, an empty boast, and to enable you to be as well prepared as I have been saying that you are.

otherwise, if any Macedonians come with me and find you unprepared, we—to say nothing of yourselves—will be humiliated for being so confident.

Moreover, I, Paul, myself, exhort you, through the meekness and considerateness of the Christ, - I who, to look upon, indeed, am lowly toward you, but, absent, am bold towards you; -

I do not want you to think that I am trying to frighten you with my letters.

We, however, will not give way to unlimited boasting, but will confine ourselves to the limits of the sphere to which God limited us, when he permitted us to come as far as Corinth.

It is no strain for me to do this, as it might be for people who had never got so far, for I was the first to come all the way to you with the good news of the Christ.

not boasting of the things not measured, in other men's labours, and having hope -- your faith increasing -- in you to be enlarged, according to our line -- into abundance,

in the places beyond you to proclaim good news, not in another's line in regard to the things made ready, to boast;

For I am jealous over you with godly jealousy: for I have espoused you to one husband, that I may present you as a chaste virgin to Christ.

Yet I fear that it may turn out that, just as the Serpent by his craftiness deceived Eve, so your minds may have lost the loyalty and purity due from you to the Christ.

For I consider myself in no way to be inferior to the preeminent apostles.

Is it a sin that I abased myself in order for you to be exalted, in that I proclaimed God's Good News to you without fee or reward?

I robbed other churches, taking wages of them, to do you service.

For it is a pleasure to you to bear with men of no understanding, since you yourselves are wise.

for you endure it if any one reduces you to servitude, if any one devours you, if any one takes from you, if any one exalts himself against you, if any one beats you in the face.

To my shame, I must say, we have been too weak [in comparison to those pseudo-apostles who take advantage of you].But in whatever anyone else dares to boast—I am speaking foolishly—I also dare to boast.

I know a man who belongs to the Messiah. Fourteen years ago whether in his body or outside of his body, I do not know, but God knows that man was snatched away to the third heaven.

that he was caught away to the paradise, and heard unutterable sayings, that it is not possible for man to speak.

For though I would desire to glory, I shall not be a fool; for I will say the truth: but now I forbear, lest any man should think of me above that which he seeth me to be, or that he heareth of me.

but He has said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you [My lovingkindness and My mercy are more than enough—always available—regardless of the situation]; for [My] power is being perfected [and is completed and shows itself most effectively] in [your] weakness.” Therefore, I will all the more gladly boast in my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ [may completely enfold me and] may dwell in me.

I have become a fool -- boasting; ye -- ye did compel me; for I ought by you to have been commended, for in nothing was I behind the very chiefest apostles -- even if I am nothing.

But I will very gladly spend [my own resources] and be utterly spent for your souls. If I love you greatly, am I to be loved less [by you]?

'tis own'd I did not put you to any charges myself: but was so crafty, as to over-reach you, by others.

I urged Titus [i.e., to go to you to arrange for the special offering. See 8:6], and I sent the brother with him. [See 8:18]. Did Titus take any [financial] advantage of you? Do we not [both] have the same attitude [in this matter]? Do we not [both] follow the same procedures?

For I fear that perhaps when I come I will not find you to be what I want, and I may not be found by you to be what you want; there may be quarreling, jealousy, outbursts of anger, selfish ambitions, slander, gossip, arrogance, and disorder.

I said before, and still say it before I come, as being present for the second time, though I am still away from you, to those who have done wrong before, and to all the others, that if I come again I will not have pity;

seeing that ye seek a proof of Christ that speaketh in me; who to you-ward is not weak, but is powerful in you:

For we are glad when we are weak and you are powerful. And we are also praying for your complete restoration [i.e., to spiritual maturity].

Greet one another with a holy kiss [i.e., to signify affection, yet without sensuality].

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

who to save us from the present wicked world gave himself for our sins at the will of our God and Father.

I am astonished that you people are so quickly abandoning God [i.e., by rejecting His truth], who called you [to Himself] through the unearned favor bestowed [on us] by Christ. [You are turning] to a different "gospel,"

For do I now persuade you to obey men or God? Or do I seek to please men? if I yet pleased men, I should not be the servant of Christ.

For I want you to know, believers, that the gospel which was preached by me is not man’s gospel [it is not a human invention, patterned after any human concept].

nor did I go up to Jerusalem unto those who were apostles before me, but I went away to Arabia, and again returned to Damascus,

Then came I to the regions of Syria and Cilicia;

But of these who seemed to be somewhat, (whatsoever they were, it maketh no matter to me: God accepteth no man's person:) for they who seemed to be somewhat in conference added nothing to me:

and having known the grace that was given to me, James, and Cephas, and John, who were esteemed to be pillars, a right hand of fellowship they did give to me, and to Barnabas, that we to the nations, and they to the circumcision may go,

O senseless Galatians, who has bewitched you; to whom, as before your very eyes, Jesus Christ has been portrayed, crucified among you?

This only wish I to learn from you, Received ye the Spirit from the works of the law, or from the hearing of faith?.

For if the inheritance be of the law, it is no more of promise: but God gave it to Abraham by promise.

Wherefore the law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith.

I fear for you, that perhaps I have labored [to the point of exhaustion] over you in vain.

Become as I am -- because I also am as ye brethren, I beseech you; to me ye did no hurt,

Even though my condition put you to the test, you did not despise or reject me. On the contrary, you welcomed me as if I were an angel of God, or as if I were the Messiah Jesus.

Am I to think, then, that I have become your enemy by telling you the truth?

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.

Now it is fine for you to be made much of honestly and all the time ??not simply when I can be with you.

I wish I could be with you now, and use a different tone with you, for I do not know which way to turn about you.

You were running the race nobly! Who has interfered and caused you to swerve from the truth?

This [deceptive] persuasion is not from Him who called you [to freedom in Christ].

I wish that those causing you to doubt will cut themselves off.

For ye -- to freedom ye were called, brethren, only not the freedom for an occasion to the flesh, but through the love serve ye one another,

But, if you are led by [what] the Holy Spirit [wants you to do], you are not under [obligation to meet the requirements of] the law of Moses.

And let us not get tired of well-doing; for at the right time we will get in the grain, if we do not give way to weariness.

As many as desire to make a fair shew in the flesh, they constrain you to be circumcised; only lest they should suffer persecution for the cross of Christ.

For neither do they that are circumcised themselves keep the law; but they wish you to be circumcised, that they may boast in your flesh.

But far be it from me to boast save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom the world is crucified to me, and I to the world.

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

It is in [fellowship with] Christ that we [Jewish Christians] also were selected as [God's] inheritance [i.e., to receive His never ending blessings], having been predetermined according to the plan of God, who works out everything in harmony with what He wants.

an enlightned understanding, that ye may see what great expectations he has called you to, and what abundant glory it is to the saints to be the lot of his inheritance.

And hath put all things under his feet, and gave him to be the head over all things to the church,

Among whom we all at one time were living in the pleasures of our flesh, giving way to the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and the punishment of God was waiting for us even as for the rest.

and he has raised you up, and caused you to sit in the heavenlies, in Christ Jesus:

And after coming he preached good-news, peace to you, to those far off and to those near,

So then, you [Gentiles] are no longer foreigners and aliens [i.e., to God's promises. See verse 12], but you are fellow-citizens with the saints [i.e., God's holy people], and are part of God's family.

I pray that according to the wealth of his glory he may grant you to be strengthened with power through his Spirit in the inner person,

I therefore, the prisoner in the Lord, beseech you to walk worthily of the calling wherewith ye were called,

Therefore, it says [Psa. 68:18], "When He ascended on high [i.e., to heaven], He led a procession of captured prisoners [behind Him] [Note: This originally referred to God leading His people in triumph over Israel's enemies, but here is applied to Christ], and gave gifts to [various] people."

(But what does "He ascended" mean if not that He also [first] descended to the lower parts of the earth [i.e., to the earth below]? [Note: Of the three principal interpretations given to this verse: a) Christ descended to earth, b) Christ descended to the grave, c) Christ descended to Mary's womb. The first is to be preferred. See John 3:13; 6:38, 62].

This I say therefore, and solemnly declare in Lord, for you to walk no longer as also the other Gentiles walk, in the vanity of their mind,

You have learned to lay aside, with your former manner of living, the old self who was on his way to ruin, as he followed the desires which deceive;

And do not give way to the Evil One.

Let, the stealer, no more, steal, but rather let him be toiling, - working with his hands the thing that is good, that he may have wherewith to be giving away to him that hath need;

and lead lives of love, just as Christ loved you and gave himself up for you to be a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.

Being certain of this, that no man who gives way to the passions of the flesh, no unclean person, or one who has desire for the property of others, or who gives worship to images, has any heritage in the kingdom of Christ and God.

Therefore, do not be foolish, but understand what the Lord wants you to do.

Therefore as the church is subject unto Christ, so let the wives be to their own husbands in every thing.

Put on the complete armor of God, for you to be able to stand against the artifices of the accuser.

above all, take faith as your shield, to enable you to quench all the fire-tipped darts flung by the evil one,

that is why I am sending him to you, to let you know how I am and to encourage your hearts.

Peace be to the brethren, and love with faith, from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

And it is my prayer that your love may be more and more rich in knowledge and all manner of insight, enabling you to have a sense of what is vital,

For you to try things differing; that ye may be pure and not stumbling to the day of Christ;

And I wish you to know, brethren, that the things concerning me, rather to an advancement of the good news have come,

I am convinced of this, and so I know that I shall stay on and serve you all, to help you to develop and to be glad in your faith.

Having the same conflict which ye saw in me, and now hear to be in me.

I entreat you to make my happiness complete--Live together animated by the same spirit and in mutual love, one in heart, animated by one Spirit.

not looking each of you to his own things, but each of you also to the things of others.

Indeed have this way to think in you, that also was in Christ Jesus,

for it is God who in his goodwill enables you to will this and to achieve it.

Finally, my brethren, rejoice in the Lord. To write the same things to you, to me indeed is not grievous, but for you it is safe.

in order to, somehow, be raised out of the dead [i.e., to have never ending life].

[It is] not that I have already arrived at the goal [of spiritual maturity], or have already been made perfectly [righteous], but I am pushing onward in order to take hold of what Christ Jesus took hold of me for [i.e., to receive all that Christ intended for me].

I am pushing onward toward the goal for the prize of the upward call [i.e., to heaven] from God in [fellowship with] Christ.

Not that I speak in respect of want: for I have learned, in whatsoever state I am, therewith to be content.