while by the proof afforded by this ministration they glorify God for your obedience to your profession in regard to the gospel of Christ, and for the liberality of your contribution in regard to them and in regard to all;

while with supplication for you they long after you on account of the exceeding grace of God to you.

Thanks be to God for his unspeakable gift.

For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh,

(for the weapons of our warfare are not fleshly, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds,)

For even if I should boast still more highly of our authority, which the Lord gave us for building you up, and not pulling you down, I should not be put to shame;

For his letters, saith one, are weighty and strong; but his bodily presence is weak, and his speech contemptible.

For we do not venture to reckon ourselves among, or compare ourselves with, some of those who commend themselves; but they, measuring themselves among themselves, and comparing themselves with themselves, are not wise.

For we do not stretch ourselves beyond our measure, as though we reached not to you; (for as far as even to you did we come, in the gospel of Christ;)

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

For I am jealous over you with a godly jealousy; for I espoused you to one husband, to present you as a pure virgin to Christ;

but I fear, lest by any means, as the serpent beguiled Eve by his subtlety, so your minds should be corrupted from singleheartedness toward Christ.

For if he that cometh preacheth another Jesus, whom we did not preach, or if ye receive another spirit, which ye did not receive, or another gospel, which ye did not accept, well might ye bear with it.

For I suppose that I am in no respect behind the very foremost apostles.

and when I was present with you, and in want, I was a charge to no one; (for the brethren, when they came from Macedonia, supplied my wants;) and in every thing I kept myself and will keep myself from being burdensome to you.

But what I do, that I will continue to do, that I may cut off occasion from those who wish for an occasion, in order that in the matter of which they boast they may be found even as we.

For such are false apostles, deceitful workmen, transforming themselves into apostles of Christ.

And no wonder; for even Satan transformeth himself into an angel of light.

For ye bear with fools gladly, seeing ye yourselves are wise;

for ye bear with it, if one brings you into bondage, if one devours you, if one takes from you, if one exalts himself, if one smites you on the face.

Besides the other troubles, there is that which presseth upon me daily, the anxiety for all the churches.

The God and Father of the Lord Jesus, who is blessed for evermore, knoweth that I am not lying.

It is indeed not expedient for me to boast; I will come to visions and revelations of the Lord.

that he was caught up into paradise, and heard unspeakable words, which it is not lawful for a man to utter.

For if I should desire to boast, I should not be a fool; for I should say the truth; but I forbear, lest any one should think of me above what he seeth me to be, or what he heareth from me.

and he said to me, My grace is sufficient for thee; for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather boast in my weaknesses, that the strength of Christ may abide upon me.

Therefore I take pleasure in weaknesses, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses in behalf of Christ; for when I am weak, then am I strong.

I have become a fool; it is ye that compelled me. For I ought to have been commended by you; for in nothing was I behind the very foremost apostles, though I am nothing.

For what is there in which ye were at disadvantage when compared with other churches, except that I myself was not a charge to you? Forgive me this wrong.

Behold, I am ready to come to you this third time, and I will not be a charge to you; for I seek not yours, but you. For the children ought not to lay up for the parents, but the parents for the children.

And I will very gladly spend and be spent for your souls; though the more I love you, the less I am loved.

Have ye been thinking this long time that we are defending ourselves to you? It is before God in Christ that we are speaking; but all things, beloved, for your edification.

For I fear, lest, when I come, I shall not find you such as I would, and lest I too shall be found by you such as ye would not; lest there be wranglings, envying, wraths, rivalries, backbitings, whisperings, swellings, tumults;

For though he was crucified through weakness, yet he liveth through the power of God; for we also are weak in him, but we shall live together with him by the power of God toward you.

For we have no power against the truth, but for the truth.

For we are glad, when we are weak, and ye are strong; this also we pray for, even your perfection.

For this cause I write these things while absent, that when present I may not use sharpness, according to the power which the Lord gave 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 God our Father;

to whom be the glory for ever and ever! Amen.

For do I now seek the favor of men, or of God? Or am I endeavoring to please men? If I were still pleasing men, I should not be the servant of Christ.

for I did not receive it from man nor was I taught it by any man, but it was revealed to me by Jesus Christ.

For ye have heard of my conduct formerly in Judaism; that beyond measure I persecuted the church of God, and was destroying it,

and made progress in Judaism beyond many of the same age with me in my nation, being more exceedingly zealous for the traditions of my fathers.

to whom not even for an hour did we yield by the required subjection, that the truth of the gospel might still remain with you.

But from those who were reputed to be somewhatwhatever they were, it matters not to me, (God accepteth no mans person,) for to me those in reputation communicated nothing new.

(for he who wrought for Peter in behalf of the apostleship to the circumcised, wrought also for me in behalf of the gentiles,)

But when Cephas came to Antioch, I withstood him to the face; for he was condemned.

For before certain persons came from James, he used to eat with the gentiles; but when they came, he withdrew, and separated himself, fearing those who were of the circumcision.

but knowing that a man is not accepted as righteous by the works of the Law, but by faith in Christ Jesus, we also have believed in Christ Jesus, that we might be accepted as righteous by faith in Christ, and not by the works of the Law; for by the works of the Law shall no flesh be accepted as righteous.

But while seeking to be accepted as righteous in Christ, we ourselves also are found sinners, is Christ therefore a minister of sin? Far be it!

For if I again build up what I pulled down, I make myself a transgressor.

For I through the Law died to the Law, that I might live to God.

I have been crucified with Christ, and no longer do I live, but Christ liveth in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live in faith in the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.

I do not set aside the grace of God; for if righteousness come through the Law, then did Christ die for nought.

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

But further, that through the observance of the Law no one is accepted as righteous with God is evident; for "the righteous shall live by faith."

Christ redeemed us from the curse of the Law, having become a curse for us; for it is written, "Cursed is every one that is hanged on a beam of wood,"

And what I mean is this; that a covenant that was before ratified by God, the Law, which came four hundred and thirty years after, cannot annul, so as to make void the promise;

for if the inheritance cometh from the Law, it ceaseth to be the consequence of the promise; but to Abraham God gave it by promise.

Is then the Law against the promises of God? Far be it! For if a law had been given which was able to give life, righteousness would indeed have been by the Law;

For ye are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus;

for as many of you as were baptized into Christ, did put on Christ.

There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is no male and female; for ye are all one in Christ Jesus;

I fear for you, lest I may have bestowed upon you labor in vain.

Brethren, I beseech you, become as I am, for I also have become as ye are; ye injured me in nothing.

How great then was your boasting of happiness! for I bear you witness, that if possible, ye would have plucked out your eyes, and have given them to me.

They show a zeal for you, but not in honesty; yea, they wish to exclude you, that ye may be zealous for them.

I could wish indeed to be present with you now, and to change my tone, for I am in perplexity about you.

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

Which things are written allegorically; for these women are two covenants; the one from Mount Sinai, who beareth children into bondage, which is Hagar;

for the word Hagar is Mount Sinai in Arabia; and she corresponds to the Jerusalem now existing, for she is in bondage with her children;

but the Jerusalem that is above is free, and she is our mother.

For it is written: "Rejoice, thou barren that bearest not; break forth and cry, thou that travailest not; for many are the children of the desolate one, rather than of her who hath the husband."

But what saith the scripture? "Cast out the bondwoman and her son; for the son of the bondwoman shall not be heir with the son of the freewoman."

Stand firm in the liberty with which Christ made us free, and be not again bound fast to the yoke of bondage.

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

For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision availeth anything, nor uncircumcision; but faith working by love.

But as for me, brethren, if I still preach circumcision, why do I still suffer persecution? Then hath the cross ceased to be a stumblingblock.

For ye, brethren, were called to liberty; only use not your liberty for an occasion to the flesh, but by your love serve one another.

For the whole Law is fulfilled in one commandment, even in this "Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself."

For the flesh hath desires against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; and these oppose one another, that ye may not do the things that ye would.

For if a man thinketh himself to be something, when he is nothing, he deceiveth himself.

But let each one prove his own work, and then will he have his ground for boasting in himself alone, and not in comparison with another;

for every one must bear his own load.

Be not deceived; God is not mocked; for whatever a man soweth, that shall he also reap;

for he that soweth to his flesh, shall of the flesh reap corruption; but he that soweth to the Spirit, shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting.

And let us not be fainthearted in welldoing; for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not.

As many as desire to make a fair show in the flesh, these are constraining you to be circumcised, only that they may not suffer persecution for the cross of Christ.

For not even do they who become circumcised themselves keep the Law; but they desire to have you circumcised, that they may glory in your flesh.

For neither is circumcision anything, nor uncircumcision, but a new creation.

Henceforth let no one trouble me; for I bear the marks of Jesus on my body.

having in love predestinated us for himself to be adopted as sons through Jesus Christ, according to the good pleasure of his will,

in reference to the dispensation of the fullness of the times, to gather for himself into one all things in Christ, the things which are in the heavens, and the things on the earth; even in him,

For this cause I also, having heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus, and of your love to all the saints,

do not cease to give thanks for you, making mention of you in my prayers;

far above all rule, and authority, and power, and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this world, but also in that which is to come;

For by grace ye have been saved, through faith; and this is not of yourselves; it is the gift of God;

For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God before prepared that we should walk in them.

For it is he who is our peace, who made both one, and broke down the middle wall of partition between us, that is, the enmity;

for through him we both have our access in one Spirit to the Father.