The first man was of the earth, earthly; the second man was the Lord from heaven.

As concerning brother Apollos, I besought him much that he would come to you with the brethren; but it was not at all his wish to come at this time: but he will come when he can find a good opportunity.

I rejoice in the arrival of Stephanas, and Fortunatus, and Achaicus; because what was lacking from you, they have supplied.

And in this confidence I was intending to come unto you a second time, that ye might receive a second blessing;

But as sure as God is true, our word to you was not yea and nay.

For the Son of God, Jesus Christ, who was preached among you by us??y me and Silvanus and Timotheus??as not yea and nay, but there was yea in him;

But when I came to Troas to preach the Gospel of Christ, though a door was opened unto me by the Lord,

For if the ministry of death in letters graven on stone, was attended with glory, so that the children of Israel could not keep their eyes fixed upon the countenance of Moses, because of the glory of his countenance, though [soon] evanescent;

For that which was glorious hath no glory, comparatively, because of the glory which excelleth.

For if that which was abolished came in a glorious manner, much more is that which remaineth glorious.

namely, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing to them their offences: and hath committed to us the word of reconciliation.

Therefore we were comforted in your consolation; and exceeding abundantly the more rejoiced we in the joy of Titus, because his spirit was refreshed by you all.

For ye know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that for your sake he became poor though he was rich, that ye by his poverty should be made rich.

Now then accomplish also the doing it, that as there was a readiness to will, so there may be also to perform out of that which ye have.

and not only so, but who was chosen by the churches as my fellow-traveller with this charity, ministered by us to the glory of the same Lord, and [to shew] your ready mind.

And when I was with you, and in want, I was burdensome to no man; for my want the brethren who came from Macedonia supplied; and on every occasion I have kept myself from being burdensome, and will keep myself.

and through a window in a basket I was let down by the wall, and escaped out of his hands.

I knew a man in Christ above fourteen years ago, (whether in the body I know not, or whether out of the body I know not: God knoweth;) such a one was caught up unto the third heavens.

that he was caught up into paradise, and heard ineffable words, which it is not permitted to man to speak.

And that I might not be lifted up above measure by the transcendent greatness of the revelations, there was given me a thorn in the flesh, the angel Satan, to buffet me, that I might not be lifted up above measure.

But admit it, I was not burdensome to you: but being crafty, I caught you with guile.

I have told you before, and I repeat it, as when I was present the second time, and now absent, I write to those who have sinned already, and to all the rest, that if I come again, I will not spare you:

For though he was crucified in weakness, yet he liveth by the power of God: for we also are weak in him, but we shall live with him by the power of God [displayed] towards you.

But I give you to understand, brethren, that the gospel which was preached by me is not a merely human ministry.

For I neither received it from man, nor was taught, but by immediate revelation from Jesus Christ.

and I was personally unknown to the churches of Judea, which are in Christ:

And even Titus, who was with me, though a Greek, was not compelled to be circumcised:

but contrariwise when they saw that I was entrusted with the gospel to the uncircumcision, as Peter was to the circumcision:

And when they knew the grace which was bestowed on me, James and Cephas and John, who appeared to be the pillars [of the church], gave unto me and Barnabas the right hand of fellowship, that we should go unto the Gentiles, and they to the circumcision:

But when Peter came to Antioch I withstood him to his face, because he was blameable.

And the other Jews were guilty of the same dissimulation with him, so that even Barnabas was carried away by their hypocrisy.

as Abraham believed in God, and it was imputed to him for righteousness.

Now this I say, the covenant confirmed of God to Christ, the law, which was given three hundred and thirty years after, cannot disannul, so as to vacate the promise.

To what end then was the law given? It was given on account of transgressions, until that seed should come to whom the promise was made, being delivered through the ministry of angels into the hand of a mediator.

Is the law then contrary to the promises of God? God forbid. For if there had been a law given which was capable of procuring life, verily righteousness would have been by the law.

Wherefore the law was our conductor, as of children, to Christ, that we might be justified by faith.

But when faith was come, we were no longer under a paedagogue.

but when the fulness of time was come, God sent forth his Son born of a woman, born under the law,

And my temptation, which was in my flesh, ye despised not, nor rejected with disgust; but as an angel of God ye received me, even as Christ Jesus himself.

What then was your blessedness, for I bear witness to you that, if it were possible, ye would have plucked out your eyes, and given them to me.

Now the son of the bond-maid was born after the flesh, but that by the free woman was by promise.

For it is written, "Rejoice, thou barren who bearest not, cry out and shout for joy, thou that travailest not, for more are the children of her that was desolate, than of her which had an husband."

But as then he that was born after the flesh persecuted him that was born after the Spirit, even so is it now.

if so be, that ye have heard of the dispensation of the grace of God which was given to me for you:

which in other generations was not made known to the children of men, as it hath been now revealed to his holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit;

of which I am made a minister, according to the gift of the grace of God, which was given unto me by the effectual working of his power.

and to make all men see what the communication of that mystery means, which was hid from the beginning in God, who created all things by Jesus Christ:

Let the same sentiment of mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus:

For indeed he greatly longed after you all, and was very sorry that ye had heard that he had been sick.

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

for in the work of Christ he was nigh unto death indifferent about life, that he might afford me that service which it was not in your power to render me.

of which I am a minister, according to the dispensation of God, which was given me for you to fulfil the ministry of the word of God??26 the mystery which was hid from ages and from generations, but is now unveiled to his saints;

and hath blotted out the handwriting in ordinances that was against us, which was the obstacle to us, and took it from the midst, nailing it to the cross;

FOR ye yourselves, brethren, know our entrance in to you, that it was not in vain.

when he shall come to be glorified in his saints, and to be admired by all those who believe; because our testimony was believed among you in that day.

that ye be not hastily agitated with apprehension, nor troubled, neither by spirit, nor by discourse, nor by letter, as coming from us, as though the day of the Lord was instantly approaching.

Do ye not remember that when I was yet with you, I told you these things?

who was before a blasphemer, and a persecutor, and insolently violent, But I was admitted to mercy, for I did it ignorantly in unbelief;

For Adam was first formed, Eve afterwards.

And Adam was not deceived, but the woman being deceived, by transgression fell.

And confessedly great is the mystery of godliness: God was manifested in the flesh, justified by the Spirit, seen of angels, preached among the Gentiles, believed on in the world, received up into glory.

Neglect not the gift which is in thee, which was given thee by prophecy, with imposition of the hands of the presbytery.

recalling to my memory the unfeigned faith which was in thee, which dwelt first in thy grandmother Lois, and in thy mother Eunice; and I am persuaded that [it is] in thee also.

who hath saved us, and called us with an holy calling, not according to our works, but according to his own purpose and grace, which was given us in Christ Jesus before time had a beginning;

The Lord grant mercy unto the household of Onesiphorus because he frequently was a refreshment to my soul, and was not ashamed of my chain:

but, when he was at Rome, he sought me out diligently, and found me.

Remember that Jesus Christ of the seed of David was raised from the dead, according to my gospel:

But they shall not proceed to the uttermost; for their infatuation shall be evident to all men, as theirs also was.

but the Lord stood by me, and strengthened me, that by me the preaching might be fully discharged, and that all the Gentiles might hear; and I was snatched out of the lion's mouth.

For to this end perhaps was he separated from thee for a season, that thou mightest receive him for ever;

For if the discourse spoken by angels was confirmed, and every transgression and disobedience received a just punishment as its due,

how shall we escape if we neglect so great salvation, which, commencing at the beginning to be spoken by the Lord, was confirmed unto us by those who had heard him;

who was faithful to him who appointed him, as Moses also was in all his house.

And Moses indeed was faithful in all that house of his as a servant, to bear testimony of the things which should be after spoken;

Wherefore I was provoked against that generation, and said, They are always deluded in heart, and they have not known my ways:

But against whom was he incensed forty years? Was it not against those who had sinned, whose corpses fell in the wilderness?

And no man assumes to himself this honour, but he who is called of God, even as Aaron was.

who in the days of his flesh, with strong crying and tears, having offered up prayers and supplications to him who was able to save him from death, and being heard for his reverential awe,

though he was a son, he learned obedience from the things which he suffered:

that by two immutable things, in which it was impossible for God to lie, we might have strong consolation, who have fled for refuge to lay hold on the hope set before us;

For he was as yet in the loins of his father when Melchisedec met him.

If therefore there was perfection by the Levitical priesthood (for under that the people had the law given to them), what farther need was there that another priest should arise after the order of Melchisedec, and not be called after the order of Aaron?

who was not made such by the law of a carnal commandment, but by the power of a life indissoluble.

For the law led to no perfection, but was an introduction to a better hope, by which we draw nigh unto God.

Moreover, forasmuch as he was not [made priest] without an oath,

For such an high-priest was suitable to us, holy, inoffensive, spotless, separate from sinners, and made higher than the heavens:

who perform the service after the figure and shadow of things in the heavens, as Moses was divinely instructed, when he was about to finish the tabernacle. "For see," saith God, "that thou make all things according to the model shewed thee on the mount."

For the tabernacle was prepared; the first part, in which was both the candlestick, and the table, and the shew-bread, which is called the holy.

But behind the second vail was the tabernacle, called the holy of holies:

the Holy Ghost thus signifying, that the way into the holies was not yet made manifest, whilst the first tabernacle held its station;

Wherefore also that first testament was not consecrated without blood.

There was a necessity therefore that the representations of the things in heaven should be purified by these; but the celestial things themselves with better sacrifices than these.

Any man who treated the law of Moses with neglect, was put to death, without mercy, on the deposition of two or three witnesses:

by how much, think ye, shall he be counted worthy of more condign punishment who hath trampled on the Son of God, and regarded the blood of his testament, by which he was sanctified, as an unclean thing, and hath treated the gracious Spirit contumeliously?

By faith Abel offered unto God a sacrifice of more excellence than Cain, by which he received a testimony that he was a righteous man, God bearing witness upon his gifts: and by this, though dead, he still speaketh.

By faith Enoch was translated, so as not to see death; and was not found, because God had translated him: for before his translation he was recorded to have been acceptable to God.

By faith Abraham, called to go forth unto a place which he should in future obtain as an heritage, obeyed; and he went forth, not knowing whither he was going.

By faith also that very Sarah, who was barren, received ability for the conception of seed, and past the usual time of life brought forth a child, because she accounted that he who promised it, would be true to his promise.

reasoning that God was able to raise him up again, even from the dead; from whence also figuratively he had received him.

By faith Moses, after he was born, was hid three months by his parents, because they saw the child singularly beautiful; and they were not intimidated by the command of the king.