Being conscious that a man does not get righteousness by the works of the law, but through faith in Jesus Christ, we had faith in Christ Jesus, so that we might get righteousness by faith in Christ, and not by the works of the law: because by the works of the law will no flesh get righteousness.

Why, if I am now rebuilding that structure of sin which I had demolished, I am thereby constituting myself a transgressor;

O senseless Galatians, who has bewitched you ??you who had Jesus Christ the crucified placarded before your very eyes?

Have you had all that experience for nothing (if it has really gone for nothing)?

Even as Abraham had faith in God, and it was put to his account as righteousness.

So those who have faith are blessed with Abraham, who had faith.

So that on the Gentiles might come the blessing of Abraham in Christ Jesus; in order that we through faith might have the Spirit which God had undertaken to give.

I mean that the Covenant which God had already formally made is not abrogated by the Law which was given four hundred and thirty years later--so as to annul the promise.

Why, then, the Law [what was its purpose]? It was added [after the promise to Abraham, to reveal to people their guilt] because of transgressions [that is, to make people conscious of the sinfulness of sin], and [the Law] was ordained through angels and delivered to Israel by the hand of a mediator [Moses, the mediator between God and Israel, to be in effect] until the Seed would come to whom the promise had been made.

Is the law then against the promises of God? God forbid: for if there had been a law given which could have given life, verily righteousness should have been by the law.

Thus the law had become our guardian until Christ, so that we could be declared righteous by faith.

(for all of you who had yourselves baptized into Christ have taken on the character of Christ).

But when [in God’s plan] the proper time had fully come, God sent His Son, born of a woman, born under the [regulations of the] Law,

But at that time, when you did not know [the true] God and were unacquainted with Him, you [Gentiles] were slaves to those [pagan] things which by [their very] nature were not and could not be gods at all.

But you are aware [I am sure] that when I first came preaching the Gospel [message] to you, I had a physical handicap.

and yet the bodily infirmity which was such a trial to you, you did not regard with contempt or loathing, but you received me as if I had been an angel of God or Christ Jesus Himself!

Where is then the blessedness ye spake of? for I bear you record, that, if it had been possible, ye would have plucked out your own eyes, and have given them to me.

For it is written, that Abraham had two sons, the one by a bondmaid, the other by a freewoman.

But the child of the slave woman was born according to the flesh and had an ordinary birth, while the son of the free woman was born in fulfillment of the promise.

For it is in the Writings, You who have never given birth, be glad; give cries of joy, you who have had no birth-pains; for the children of her who has been given up by her husband are more than those of the woman who has a husband.

But as in those days he who had birth after the flesh was cruel to him who had birth after the Spirit, even so it is now.

This ready belief did not come from him who had made you his.

But, brothers, if I were still preaching [that a person had] to be circumcised, why am I being persecuted? [Note: Paul's argument seems to be "I must not be preaching circumcision since I am being persecuted by those who believe in it"]. [If I preached that a person had to be circumcised] then my preaching that Christ died on the cross would not be such an offense [to those who believe in it].

envying, murder, drunkenness, carousing, and similar things. I am warning you, as I had warned you before: Those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God!

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.

according as he had chosen us in him through love, before the foundation of the world was laid, that we should be saints, and without blame before him, through love.

He made known to us the mystery of His will according to His good pleasure, which He purposed in Christ,

so to order it in the fulness of the ages that all things in heaven and earth alike should be gathered up in Christ ??11 in the Christ in whom we have had our heritage allotted us (as was decreed in the design of him who carries out everything according to the counsel of his will),

In Him also we have received an inheritance [a destiny—we were claimed by God as His own], having been predestined (chosen, appointed beforehand) according to the purpose of Him who works everything in agreement with the counsel and design of His will,

to the end that we should be unto the praise of his glory, we who had before hoped in Christ:

And you, too, by your union with him, after you had heard the Message of the Truth, the Good News of your Salvation--you believed in him and were sealed as his by receiving the holy Spirit, which he had promised.

For this cause I, having had news of the faith in the Lord Jesus which is among you, and which you make clear to all the saints,

who were dead in trespasses and sins, Wherein ye formerly walked, according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the sons of disobedience: Among whom also we all had our conversation in time past,

Among whom also we all had our conversation in times past in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind; and were by nature the children of wrath, even as others.

But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love that He had for us,

For it is by grace you have been saved, as you had faith; it is not your doing but God's gift,

For we [Christians] are the product of God's workmanship, [re-] created in [fellowship with] Christ Jesus for [the purpose of] doing good deeds. God had previously determined that this should be our practice.

remember that at that time you were separated from Christ [excluded from any relationship with Him], alienated from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers to the covenants of promise [with no share in the sacred Messianic promise and without knowledge of God’s agreements], having no hope [in His promise] and [living] in the world without God.

And when, upon the cross, he had destroyed their mutual enmity, he sought by means of his cross to reconcile them both to God, united in one Body.

Which, in other generations, had not been made known unto the sons of men, as it hath, now, been revealed by his holy apostles and prophets, in Spirit; -

And to bring to light - what is the administration of the sacred secret which had been hidden away from the ages in God, who did all things create:

Such was the eternal purpose which He had formed in Christ Jesus our Lord,

There is but one body and but one Spirit, as also when you were called you had one and the same hope held out to you.

(Now this expression, “He ascended,” what does it mean except that He also had previously descended [from the heights of heaven] into the lower parts of the earth?

Who no longer having had feeling delivered themselves to licentiousness, to the work of all uncleanness in overreaching.

And be kind to one another, full of pity, having forgiveness for one another, even as God in Christ had forgiveness for you.

And be living in love, even as Christ had love for you, and gave himself up for us, an offering to God for a perfume of a sweet smell.

Husbands, have love for your wives, even as Christ had love for the church, and gave himself for it;

For no man ever had hate for his flesh; but he gives it food and takes care of it, even as Christ does for the church;

Let it not be in acts of eye-service as if you had but to please men, but as Christ's bondservants who are doing God's will from the heart.

Because of the share that you have had in spreading the Good News, from the first day that you received it until now.

According as it is right in me to have this regard in behalf of you all, - because ye have had me in your hearts, both in my bonds and in the defence and confirmation of the glad-message, all of you being, joint partakers of my favour.

For you have had the privilege granted you on behalf of Christ--not only to believe in Him, but also to suffer on His behalf;

having the same struggle that you saw I had and now hear that I have.

You should have the same attitude toward one another that Christ Jesus had,

Although from the beginning He had the nature of God He did not reckon His equality with God a treasure to be tightly grasped.

Instead He emptied Himself
by assuming the form of a slave,
taking on the likeness of men.
And when He had come as a man
in His external form,

After He was found in [terms of His] outward appearance as a man [for a divinely-appointed time], He humbled Himself [still further] by becoming obedient [to the Father] to the point of death, even death on a cross.

as you hold out [i.e., offer to people] the message of [never ending] life. Then I will have something to boast about on the day of Christ's [return, See 1:6], that I had not run the race for nothing nor had worked for nothing.

But ye know the proof I have had of him, that as son with a father he served with me in the gospel.

however I thought it necessary to send you Epaphroditus my brother, my collegue in the ministry, and my fellow-soldier, whom you had sent to supply my wants:

For he longed after you all, and was full of heaviness, because that ye had heard that he had been sick.

For indeed he was sick nigh unto death: but God had mercy on him; and not on him only, but on me also, lest I should have sorrow upon sorrow.

Finally, my brothers, rejoice in [your relationship to] the Lord. It does not trouble me to write the same things to you again, because you will be safer if I do. [Note: These "same things" may refer to warnings against false teachers which Paul had either spoken to them or written about previously].

although I once also had confidence in the flesh. If anyone else thinks he has grounds for confidence in the flesh, I have more:

But whatever former things were gains to me [as I thought then], these things [once regarded as advancements in merit] I have come to consider as loss [absolutely worthless] for the sake of Christ [and the purpose which He has given my life].

Not as though I had already attained, either were already perfect: but I follow after, if that I may apprehend that for which also I am apprehended of Christ Jesus.

I rejoiced greatly in the Lord, that now at last you have renewed your concern for me; indeed, you were concerned about me before, but you had no opportunity to show it.

Howbeit ye did well that ye had fellowship with my affliction.

And ye yourselves also know, ye Philippians, that in the beginning of the gospel, when I departed from Macedonia, no church had fellowship with me in the matter of giving and receiving but ye only;

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.

Which has come to you; and which in all the world is giving fruit and increase, as it has done in you from the day when it came to your ears and you had true knowledge of the grace of God;

For this reason, we, from the day when we had word of it, keep on in prayer for you, that you may be full of the knowledge of his purpose, with all wisdom and experience of the Spirit,

The sacred secret which had been hidden away from the ages and from the generations, but, now, hath been made manifest unto his saints -

Since you have had the messiah, even Jesus the Lord, brought to you, lead your life in him,

In whom you had a circumcision not made with hands, in the putting off of the body of the flesh, in the circumcision of Christ;

[When he] had disarmed the rulers and the authorities, he made a display of [them] in public, triumphing over them by it.

among whom you had your conversation, when you followed their practices.

Being gentle to one another and having forgiveness for one another, if anyone has done wrong to his brother, even as the Lord had forgiveness for you:

Slaves, always obey your earthly masters, not only when their eyes are on you, as if you had but to please men, but giving them ungrudging service, in your reverence for the Master.

For, he that acteth unrighteously, shall get back what he had unrighteously done, and there is no respect of persons;

Aristarchus, my fellow-prisoner, wishes to be remembered to you, and so does Barnabas' cousin Mark. (About him you have had instructions; if he comes to see you, make him welcome.)

And you followed the pattern set you by us and by the Master, after you had received the Message amid severe persecution, and yet with the joy which the Holy Spirit gives,

For from you the word of the Lord was proclaimed not only in Macedonia and Achaia, but your faith with respect to God went into every place, so that we had no need to say any thing;

For they themselves shew of us what manner of entering in we had unto you, and how ye turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God;

For ye know yourselves, brethren, our entering in which we had to you, that it has not been in vain;

But even after that we had suffered before, and were shamefully entreated, as ye know, at Philippi, we were bold in our God to speak unto you the gospel of God with much contention.

but as God had judged us worthy to be intrusted with the gospel, so we speak, not as pleasing men, but God, who tries our hearts.

For we never used flattering speech, as you know, or had greedy motives—God is our witness—

we never sought honour from men, from you or from anybody else, though as apostles of Christ we had the power of claiming to be men of weight;

But we became gentle in your midst, - as though, a nursing mother, had been cherishing her own children:

Thus, yearning over you, we had found our delight in having imparted to you not only the glad tidings of God, but our own lives also, because ye had become beloved of us.

This, too, is a reason why we, on our part, are continually thanking God--because, in receiving the teaching that you had from us, you accepted it, not as the teaching of man, but as what it really is--the teaching of God, which is even now doing its work within you who believe in Christ.

For you, brothers, followed the example of God's churches in Judea that are in union with Christ Jesus, for you in your turn had to bear the same ill-treatment from your neighbors as they did from the Jews,

But we, my brothers, being away from you for a short time, in body but not in heart, had all the more desire to see your face;

For this cause I also, when I could no longer forbear, sent that I might know your faith, lest by any means the tempter had tempted you, and our labor should be in vain.

But now when Timotheus was come to us from you, and had brought us the good tidings of your faith and love, and that ye have good remembrance of us always, longing to see us, as we also to see you:

Therefore, brethren, had we consolation in you, in all our adversity, and necessity through your faith.

For we say this to you by [the authority of] the word of the Lord [Note: Paul was either quoting what Jesus had previously said, or was giving a revelation he had received from the Lord. See I Cor. 14:37], that we [Christians] who are [still] alive, who are left [on earth] when the Lord returns, will certainly not precede those who have fallen asleep. [Note: The point Paul is making is that the living will not be "changed" (I Cor. 15:51-52) and taken to heaven before the dead are raised].

At his coming, when he will have glory in his saints, and will be a cause of wonder in all those who had faith (because our witness among you had effect) in that day.