for he not only complied with the exhortation, but being more forward he went to you of his own accord.

(and not only so, but he was also chosen by the churches to accompany us with this grace, which is administered by us for the glory of the same Lord, and to shew your readiness of mind:)

Now concerning the relief intended for the saints, it is superfluous for me to write to you:

for I know your readiness of mind, which I boast of concerning you to the Macedonians, that Achaia was ready a year ago; and your zeal hath excited many.

Let every one give as he chuses in his own heart; not with reluctance, or constraint: for God loveth a chearful giver.

(as it is written, "He hath dispersed, he hath given to the poor, his righteousness continueth for ever."

And may He, who supplieth seed to the sower, and giveth bread for food, furnish and multiply your sowing, and increase the fruits of your bounty:)

For the ministration of this service not only supplieth the wants of the saints, but aboundeth also, through many thanksgivings, to the glory of God.

(While from the experience of this ministration they glorify God for your professed subjection to the gospel of Christ, and the liberality of your communication to them, and to all men.)

And in their prayer for you, who long after you because of the transcendent grace of God towards you.

Thanks be to God for his inexpressible gift!

For though we are in the flesh, we do not carry on our war according to the flesh:

(for the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the demolishing of bulwarks:)

For though I should boast yet more of our authority, (which the Lord hath given us for edification, and not for your destruction) I should not be ashamed:

for his letters, say they, are weighty and powerful, but his bodily presence is weak, and his speech contemptible.

For we presume not to number, or compare ourselves with some who recommend themselves: but they measuring themselves by themselves, and comparing themselves with themselves, are void of understanding.

For we do not stretch ourselves beyond measure, as though we were not commissioned to come unto you; for we have reached even to you also in preaching the gospel of Christ.

to preach the gospel in places beyond you; and not to boast in another's province of things ready prepared for us.

For not he that commendeth himself is approved, but he whom the Lord commendeth.

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

For if he, that cometh to you, preacheth another Jesus, whom we have not preached; or if ye receive another Spirit which ye have not received, or another gospel which ye have not embraced, ye might indeed bear with him.

For I think I was not inferior to the very chiefest apostles: and if I am unskilled in speech,

I trespassed on other churches, receiving maintenance from them for your service.

And when I was present among you, and in want, I was chargeable to no one. For the brethren that came from Macedonia supplied my want: and in every thing I have kept myself from being burdensome to you, and so I will keep myself.

For such are false apostles, deceitful workers, transformed into apostles of Christ.

And no wonder: for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light.

For ye bear with fools willingly, being yourselves so wise:

And the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who is blessed for ever, knoweth that I lye not.

For though I should incline to boast, I shall not be a fool; for I should speak truth. But I forbear least any one should think of me above what he seeth me to be, or heareth from me.

For this I besought the Lord thrice, that it might depart from me.

And He said unto me, "My grace is sufficient for thee: for my power is manifested in thy weakness." With the greatest pleasure therefore will I glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.

And therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, and in straits for the sake of Christ: for when I am thus weak, then am I made strong.

Am I become vain in boasting? ye have forced me to it: for I ought to have been recommended by you, as I have in nothing fallen short of the very chiefest of the apostles, though in myself I am nothing.

For what is it that ye were inferior in to the rest of the churches, unless it be that I myself was not burdensome to you?--- Forgive me this injury.

Behold, the third time I am ready to come to you, and I will not be burdensome to you: for I seek not your substance, but your selves. For children are not expected to lay up for the parents, but the parents for the children.

And I will with the greatest pleasure spend and be spent for your souls; even though the more I love you, the less I should be loved.

Do ye then think that we are making apologies to you? No, we speak before God in Christ: and all, my beloved, for your edification.

For I am afraid least when I come, I should not find you such as I could wish, and I should be found to you such as ye would not: least there should be contentions, emulations, animosities, strifes, thwartings, whisperings, swellings, tumults: and least,

when I come again, my God should humble me among you, and I should be grieved for many of those who have sinned heretofore, and have not repented of the impurity, and fornication, and lewdness which they have practised.

For if He was crucified as from weakness, yet He now liveth by the power of God: for we also are weak in Him, but shall live with Him by the power of God manifested to you.

For we can do nothing against the truth, but for the truth.

For we rejoice when we exert not our power, and when ye are strong: as this is what we wish, even your perfection.

Therefore I write these things while absent, that when present I may not use severity, according to the power which the Lord hath given me for edification, and not for destruction.

who gave himself for our sins, that He might deliver us from the present evil world, according to the will of our God and Father:

to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen.

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 neither received it, nor was taught it by man, but by the revelation of Jesus Christ.

For ye have heard of my conversation formerly in Judaism, that I outragiously persecuted the church of God, and laid it waste:

and I made a proficiency in Judaism above many of the same age with me in my own nation, being excessively zealous for the traditions of my fathers.

to whom we yielded no submission, not even for an hour; that the truth of the gospel might continue with you.

And as to those who seemed to be men of note, whatever they were, it is all one to me, (God accepteth no man's person) for even these eminent persons added nothing more to me.

(for He who wrought effectually in Peter as to the apostleship of the circumcision, wrought effectually also in me as to the gentiles:)

For before certain men came from James, he did eat with the gentiles; but when they were come, he withdrew and separated himself, fearing those of the circumcision.

knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law, but by faith in Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Christ Jesus, that we might be justified by faith in Christ, and not by the works of the law: for by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified.

God forbid. And if I build again the same things which I demolished, I shew myself a transgressor: for I through the law am dead to the law,

I am crucified with Christ; yet I live, though no longer I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me, and gave up himself for me.

I do not frustate the grace of God: for if righteousness be by the law, then Christ died in vain.

As Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness:

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

And that by the law no one is justified before God is evident; for it is written "The just shall live by faith:"

Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, having been made a curse for us: for it is written, "Cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree:"

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

Is the law then contrary to the promises of God? not at all: for if a law had been given, which could have confered life, certainly righteousness would have been by the law.

For ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus.

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

and there is neither Jew nor Greek, those is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female; for ye are all one in Christ Jesus.

so that I am afraid for you, least I have indeed bestowed upon you labour in vain.

Brethren, I beseech you, be as I am; for I also was as ye are: and ye have not injured me at all.

and my temptation which was in my flesh ye despised not, nor rejected me for it; but received me as an angel of God, even as Christ Jesus.

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

And am I become your enemy for telling you the truth?

They are zealous for you, but not as they ought: for they would exclude us, that ye may be zealous for them:

till Christ be formed in you, I should be glad to be present with you even now, and to change my voice; for I am in doubt about you.

Which things are figurative; for these persons are emblems of the two covenants, the one from mount Sinai, bringing forth children unto bondage, which is Hagar: for this name Hagar,

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."

But what saith the scripture? "Cast out the servant and her son: for the son of the servant shall not inherit with the son of the free-woman."

For we through the Spirit wait for the hope of righteousness by faith.

For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision availeth any thing, nor uncircumcision, but faith which worketh by love.

And I, brethren, if I still preach circumcision, why am I still persecuted by the Jews? for then the offence of the cross is ceased.

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

For all the law is fulfilled in one precept, even in this, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.

for the flesh desireth things contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit things contrary to the flesh: and these are opposite to each other; so that ye do not those things which ye would.

For if any one thinketh that he is something, when he is nothing, he deceiveth himself.

For every one shall bear his own burthen.

Be not deceived, God is not to be mocked: for whatever a man soweth, that shall he also reap.

And let us not be weary in doing good: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not.

They, who want to make a fair appearance in the flesh, would constrain you to be circumcised; only that they may not be persecuted for the cross of Christ.

For they, who are circumcised, do not themselves keep the law: but they would have you circumcised, that they may glory in your flesh.

For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision availeth any thing, nor uncircumcision, but being created anew.

For the future, let no one give me uneasiness: for I bear in my body the marks of the Lord Jesus.

and your love to all the saints, cease not to give thanks for you, making mention of you in my prayers;

hath made us alive in Christ, even when we were dead in trespasses, (for by grace ye are saved) and hath raised us up together,

For by grace ye are saved, through faith: and this not of yourselves; it is the gift of God: not by works, that no one may boast:

for we are his workmanship,

created in Christ Jesus unto good works, for which God before prepared us, that we might walk in them.

For He is our peace, who hath made both one, and removed the wall of partition from between us;

having abolished in his flesh the enmity, even the law of commandments contained in ordinances, that He might form the two into one new man, in Himself, so making peace;

For through Him we both have access by one Spirit to the Father.

in whom ye also are built up together for an habitation of God by the Spirit.

For this cause I Paul am the prisoner of Jesus Christ for the sake of you Gentiles: