but is under the control of guardians and trustees, until the time appointed by his father.

Now, however, when you have come to know God, or rather to be known by God, how is it that you are beginning to turn back to those weak and beggarly externalities, eager to be in bondage to them again?

These men are courting your favor to no good purpose. They want to isolate you, so that you will be courting their favor.

O my little children, of whom I travail again in birth until Christ be formed within you!

How I wish I could be with you now, that I might change my tone; for I am perplexed about you.

Tell me, you who wish to be subject to the Law, why do you not listen to the Law?

For it is written that Abraham had two sons, one by the slave woman and one by the free woman;

but while the son by the slave woman was born according to the flesh, the son by the free woman was born in fulfilment of a promise.

but just as in old times the son born by the flesh used to persecute the son born by the power of the Spirit, so also it is now.

But what does the Scripture say? Send away the slave-woman and her son; for the slave's son shall not be heir along with the son of the free woman.

stand firm then, and do not be again entangled in a yoke of bondage.

Listen to me! I, Paul, declare to you that if you are to continue to follow the rite of circumcision, Christ will be no profit to you.

If you are being justified by law, you are cut off from Christ; you are fallen away from grace.

But we are not, for we through the Spirit are eagerly waiting by faith for a hope of righteousness (a hope well founded);

As for me, I am fully trusting you in the Lord that you will be no otherwise minded; but he who is trying to unsettle you will have to bear his punishment, whoever he may be.

But I, brothers, if I "still preach circumcision," why am I still persecuted? Then surely the stumbling-block of the Cross has ceased to be an obstacle!

But if you are always biting and devouring one another, take heed lest you be utterly consumed one by another.

This is my meaning. Let your steps be guided by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh.

But if you are habitually led by the Spirit you are not under law.

If we are living by the Spirit, let us also keep step in the Spirit.

Even if any one should be overtaken in a fault, brothers, you that are spiritual ought, in a gentle spirit, to restore such a one, each one of you looking to himself, lest you too be tempted.

Ever be bearing one another's burdens, and so be fulfilling the law of Christ.

If a man fancies himself to be somebody when he is really nobody he is deceiving himself.

Let each one test his own work, and he will then have something to be proud of by comparing himself with himself, and not with any one else;

Be not deceived. God is not mocked. Whatever a man sows, that will he also reap.

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

Those who are trying to compel you to be circumcised are such as wish to make a fair show in the flesh, only that they may not suffer persecution for the cross of Christ.

Even those who are being circumcised, are not themselves keeping the Law, but they want you to be circumcised so that they may glory in your flesh.

On all who will govern their lives by this rule and on the Israel of God may peace and mercy rest.

May the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit, brothers. Amen.

Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God, to the saints who are in Ephesus and to the faithful in Christ Jesus,

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in every spiritual blessing in the heavenly realms in Christ.

Even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world to be holy and without blemish in his sight.

for the government of the fulness of the ages, that all things in heaven and earth are alike should be gathered up in Christ, as Head.

that we who first hoped in Christ should be for the praise of his glory.

and that the eyes of your heart may be flooded with light so that you may understand what is the hope of his calling, what the wealth of the glory of his inheritance in the saints,

And among them we all once passed our lives, indulging the passions of our flesh, carrying out the dictates of our senses and temperament, and were by nature the children of wrath like all the rest.

even while we were dead in our trespasses, made us live together with Christ (it is by grace you have been saved).

in order that he might show to the ages to come the amazing riches of his grace by his goodness to us in Christ Jesus.

For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is God's gift.

Do not forget then, that you Gentiles in the flesh, who are called "uncircumcision" by the "circumcision" made in flesh by man's hand,

Thus he reconciled us both in one body to God by his cross, on which he slew our enmity.

You have heard how by direct revelation the secret truth was made known to me, as I have already briefly written you.

By reading what I have written, you can judge of my insight into that secret truth of Christ

which was not disclosed to the sons of men in former generations, as it has now been revealed by the Spirit to his holy apostles and prophets,

It is of this gospel I became a minister according to the gift of the power of the grace of God, bestowed on me by the energy of his power.

in order that now his manifold wisdom should, through the church, be made known to the principalities and powers in the heavenly sphere,

praying him to grant you according to the riches of his glory to be strengthened with might by his Spirit in your inmost being;

that Christ may make his home in your hearts through your faith; that you may be so deeply rooted and so firmly grounded in love,

that you may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is "the breadth," "the length," "the depth," and "the height,"

and may know the love of Christ which transcends all knowing, so that you may be filled with all the "plenitude" of God.

to him be the glory in the church and in Christ Jesus, to all generations, world without end, Amen.

So we shall no longer be children, tossed up and down, and blown about by every wind of teaching, tricked by the craft of men in the snares of misleading error;

From him the whole body (knit together and compacted by all its joints) makes continual growth of the body so as to build itself up in love, through the energy of his bounteous provision, according to the need of each several part.

and to be made new in the spirit of your mind,

"Be angry and sin not"; let not the sun go down upon your anger.

and be kind to one another, tender-hearted, forgiving one another, even as God in Christ has forgiven you.

For be well assured that no one guilty of fornication or impurity or covetousness which is idolatry, has any heritage in the kingdom of Christ and of God.

For it is a shame even to speak of the things that are done by such men in secret;

but all these things, when exposed, are by the light made manifest, and what is made manifest is light.

Buy up opportunity, for the times are evil.

For this reason do not be thoughtless, but learn to know what the Lord's will is.

Do not be drunk with wine, in which is riotous living, but drink deep in the Spirit,

in order that after cleansing her in the bath of baptism, he might sanctify her by his word,

For this cause shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife, and they two shall be one flesh.

that it may be well with you, and that you may live long on the earth.

Slaves, be obedient to those who are your earthly masters, with reverence and humility, in singleness of heart as if to Christ himself;

because you know that whatever good any man does, the same shall he receive from the Lord, whether he be slave or free man.

Finally, my brothers, let your hearts be strengthened in the Lord, and in the power of his might.

Put on all the panoply of God, so that you may be able to stand your ground against the stratagems of the devil.

Therefore take up the panoply of God, so that when the evil day comes you may be able to withstand them, and having overthrown them all, to stand your ground.

And take up to cover you the shield of faith, with which you will be able to quench all the flaming darts of the Evil One.

and for me, that utterance may be given me to open my mouth boldly, and to make known the mystery of the gospel for which I am an ambassador,

May grace be with all who love our Lord Jesus Christ with sincerity.

It is but just that I should be thus mindful of you all, because I have you in my heart, and because in these fetters of mine and in my defense and confirmation of the gospel you are all my fellow partners in the privilege.

for testing things that differ, so that you may be pure and blameless until the day of Christ,

So it is my keen expectation and hope that I shall never feel ashamed, but that with fearless courage, now as hither to, Christ may be magnified in my body, whether by my life or by my death.

But now, if life in the flesh, if this be the fruit of my toil??hat to choose I do not know,

but am in a quandary between the two. I am perplexed. I have a strong desire to break camp and to be with Christ, which is far better;

And because I am convinced of this, I know that I shall live, and go on working side by side with you all for your progress and joy in the faith,

and in no way terrorized by its enemies. For you fearlessness is a clear indication of coming ruin for them, but of salvation for you at the hands of God.

I entreat you to make my joy overflow by living in harmony; possessing the same love, and with one soul united in one purpose.

Do nothing out of strife, nothing out of vanity, but let each one in true humility consider the others to be of more account than himself.

Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus,

who, though from the beginning he had the nature of God, did not reckon equality with God something to be forcibly retained,

but emptied himself of his glory by taking the form of a slave, when he was born in the likeness of men.

holding out a message of life. Thus it will be my boast at the day of Christ that I have not run in vain, or toiled for nothing.

Nay, even if my life is to be poured out as a libation upon the sacrifice and service of you faith,

Now I hope in the Lord Jesus to send Timothy to you before long, so that I may be of good comfort when I learn the news concerning you.

and be found in him; not having my own righteousness of the Law, but that alone which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which comes from God, founded upon faith.

I long to know him in the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of his sufferings, by sharing the likeness of his death;

if by any means I might attain to the resurrection from the dead!

if only we guide our steps by the standards we have already attained.

Brothers, be comrades in imitating me, and study those whose life and walk is according to the pattern I have set you.

who will change the fashion of the body of our abasement into the likeness of his glorious body by the energy with which he is able even to subject all things to himself.

Euodia I entreat, and I entreat Syntyche, to be of the same mind of the Lord;

Let your reasonableness be recognized by every one. The Lord is near you.

Do not worry about anything; but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God;

Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is worthy of reverence, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is of good repute, if virtue is anything, if honor is anything, be always thinking about these.

Put in practise also what you have learned and received and heard and seen in me; and the God of peace shall be with you.