And God is able to make all grace overflow to you so that because you have enough of everything in every way at all times, you will overflow in every good work.

because the service of this ministry is not only providing for the needs of the saints but is also overflowing with many thanks to God.

Through the evidence of this service they will glorify God because of your obedience to your confession in the gospel of Christ and the generosity of your sharing with them and with everyone.

And in their prayers on your behalf they long for you because of the extraordinary grace God has shown to you.

because some say, "His letters are weighty and forceful, but his physical presence is weak and his speech is of no account."

For we were not overextending ourselves, as though we did not reach as far as you, because we were the first to reach as far as you with the gospel about Christ.

For I am jealous for you with godly jealousy, because I promised you in marriage to one husband, to present you as a pure virgin to Christ.

Or did I commit a sin by humbling myself so that you could be exalted, because I proclaimed the gospel of God to you free of charge?

Why? Because I do not love you? God knows I do!

even because of the extraordinary character of the revelations. Therefore, so that I would not become arrogant, a thorn in the flesh was given to me, a messenger of Satan to trouble me -- so that I would not become arrogant.

Look, for the third time I am ready to come to you, and I will not be a burden to you, because I do not want your possessions, but you. For children should not have to save up for their parents, but parents for their children.

But be that as it may, I have not burdened you. Yet because I was a crafty person, I took you in by deceit!

For indeed he was crucified by reason of weakness, but he lives because of God's power. For we also are weak in him, but we will live together with him, because of God's power toward you.

Because of this I am writing these things while absent, so that when I arrive I may not have to deal harshly with you by using my authority -- the Lord gave it to me for building up, not for tearing down!

So they glorified God because of me.

I went there because of a revelation and presented to them the gospel that I preach among the Gentiles. But I did so only in a private meeting with the influential people, to make sure that I was not running -- or had not run -- in vain.

Now this matter arose because of the false brothers with false pretenses who slipped in unnoticed to spy on our freedom that we have in Christ Jesus, to make us slaves.

But when Cephas came to Antioch, I opposed him to his face, because he had clearly done wrong.

Until certain people came from James, he had been eating with the Gentiles. But when they arrived, he stopped doing this and separated himself because he was afraid of those who were pro-circumcision.

yet we know that no one is justified by the works of the law but by the faithfulness of Jesus Christ. And we have come to believe in Christ Jesus, so that we may be justified by the faithfulness of Christ and not by the works of the law, because by the works of the law no one will be justified.

I have been crucified with Christ, and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me. So the life I now live in the body, I live because of the faithfulness of the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.

I do not set aside God's grace, because if righteousness could come through the law, then Christ died for nothing!

For all who rely on doing the works of the law are under a curse, because it is written, "Cursed is everyone who does not keep on doing everything written in the book of the law."

Now it is clear no one is justified before God by the law, because the righteous one will live by faith.

Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us (because it is written, "Cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree")

Why then was the law given? It was added because of transgressions, until the arrival of the descendant to whom the promise had been made. It was administered through angels by an intermediary.

But the scripture imprisoned everything and everyone under sin so that the promise could be given -- because of the faithfulness of Jesus Christ -- to those who believe.

And because you are sons, God sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, who calls "Abba! Father!"

I beg you, brothers and sisters, become like me, because I have become like you. You have done me no wrong!

But you know it was because of a physical illness that I first proclaimed the gospel to you,

I wish I could be with you now and change my tone of voice, because I am perplexed about you.

For it is written: "Rejoice, O barren woman who does not bear children; break forth and shout, you who have no birth pains, because the children of the desolate woman are more numerous than those of the woman who has a husband."

because the person who sows to his own flesh will reap corruption from the flesh, but the one who sows to the Spirit will reap eternal life from the Spirit.

For this reason, because I have heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for all the saints,

But God, being rich in mercy, because of his great love with which he loved us,

because you have been built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the cornerstone.

in whom we have boldness and confident access to God because of Christ's faithfulness.

For this reason I ask you not to lose heart because of what I am suffering for you, which is your glory.

that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith, so that, because you have been rooted and grounded in love,

They are darkened in their understanding, being alienated from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them due to the hardness of their hearts.

Because they are callous, they have given themselves over to indecency for the practice of every kind of impurity with greediness.

Let nobody deceive you with empty words, for because of these things God's wrath comes on the sons of disobedience.

taking advantage of every opportunity, because the days are evil.

because the husband is the head of the wife as also Christ is the head of the church -- he himself being the savior of the body.

because you know that each person, whether slave or free, if he does something good, this will be rewarded by the Lord.

Masters, treat your slaves the same way, giving up the use of threats, because you know that both you and they have the same master in heaven, and there is no favoritism with him.

because of your participation in the gospel from the first day until now.

For it is right for me to think this about all of you, because I have you in my heart, since both in my imprisonment and in the defense and confirmation of the gospel all of you became partners in God's grace together with me.

and most of the brothers and sisters, having confidence in the Lord because of my imprisonment, now more than ever dare to speak the word fearlessly.

The latter do so from love because they know that I am placed here for the defense of the gospel.

The former proclaim Christ from selfish ambition, not sincerely, because they think they can cause trouble for me in my imprisonment.

I feel torn between the two, because I have a desire to depart and be with Christ, which is better by far,

so that what you can be proud of may increase because of me in Christ Jesus, when I come back to you.

Indeed, he greatly missed all of you and was distressed because you heard that he had been ill.

since it was because of the work of Christ that he almost died. He risked his life so that he could make up for your inability to serve me.

But these assets I have come to regard as liabilities because of Christ.

and be found in him, not because I have my own righteousness derived from the law, but because I have the righteousness that comes by way of Christ's faithfulness -- a righteousness from God that is in fact based on Christ's faithfulness.

I have great joy in the Lord because now at last you have again expressed your concern for me. (Now I know you were concerned before but had no opportunity to do anything.)

I am not saying this because I am in need, for I have learned to be content in any circumstance.

I do not say this because I am seeking a gift. Rather, I seek the credit that abounds to your account.

For I have received everything, and I have plenty. I have all I need because I received from Epaphroditus what you sent -- a fragrant offering, an acceptable sacrifice, very pleasing to God.

Because of these things the wrath of God is coming on the sons of disobedience.

because you know that you will receive your inheritance from the Lord as the reward. Serve the Lord Christ.

Masters, treat your slaves with justice and fairness, because you know that you also have a master in heaven.

because we recall in the presence of our God and Father your work of faith and labor of love and endurance of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ.

with such affection for you we were happy to share with you not only the gospel of God but also our own lives, because you had become dear to us.

For you became imitators, brothers and sisters, of God's churches in Christ Jesus that are in Judea, because you too suffered the same things from your own countrymen as they in fact did from the Jews,

because they hinder us from speaking to the Gentiles so that they may be saved. Thus they constantly fill up their measure of sins, but wrath has come upon them completely.

For how can we thank God enough for you, for all the joy we feel because of you before our God?

In this matter no one should violate the rights of his brother or take advantage of him, because the Lord is the avenger in all these cases, as we also told you earlier and warned you solemnly.

and to esteem them most highly in love because of their work. Be at peace among yourselves.

We ought to thank God always for you, brothers and sisters, and rightly so, because your faith flourishes more and more and the love of each one of you all for one another is ever greater.

and with every kind of evil deception directed against those who are perishing, because they found no place in their hearts for the truth so as to be saved.

But we ought to thank God always for you, brothers and sisters loved by the Lord, because God chose you from the beginning for salvation through sanctification by the Spirit and faith in the truth.

For you know yourselves how you must imitate us, because we did not behave without discipline among you,

It was not because we do not have that right, but to give ourselves as an example for you to imitate.

I am grateful to the one who has strengthened me, Christ Jesus our Lord, because he considered me faithful in putting me into ministry,

even though I was formerly a blasphemer and a persecutor, and an arrogant man. But I was treated with mercy because I acted ignorantly in unbelief,

And Adam was not deceived, but the woman, because she was fully deceived, fell into transgression.

in case I am delayed, to let you know how people ought to conduct themselves in the household of God, because it is the church of the living God, the support and bulwark of the truth.

In fact this is why we work hard and struggle, because we have set our hope on the living God, who is the Savior of all people, especially of believers.

Let no one look down on you because you are young, but set an example for the believers in your speech, conduct, love, faithfulness, and purity.

Be conscientious about how you live and what you teach. Persevere in this, because by doing so you will save both yourself and those who listen to you.

But do not accept younger widows on the list, because their passions may lead them away from Christ and they will desire to marry,

Because of this I remind you to rekindle God's gift that you possess through the laying on of my hands.

Because of this, in fact, I suffer as I do. But I am not ashamed, because I know the one in whom my faith is set and I am convinced that he is able to protect what has been entrusted to me until that day.

May the Lord grant mercy to the family of Onesiphorus, because he often refreshed me and was not ashamed of my imprisonment.

But avoid profane chatter, because those occupied with it will stray further and further into ungodliness,

But reject foolish and ignorant controversies, because you know they breed infighting.

For there will be a time when people will not tolerate sound teaching. Instead, following their own desires, they will accumulate teachers for themselves, because they have an insatiable curiosity to hear new things.

Only Luke is with me. Get Mark and bring him with you, because he is a great help to me in ministry.

You be on guard against him too, because he vehemently opposed our words.

who must be silenced because they mislead whole families by teaching for dishonest gain what ought not to be taught.

and a sound message that cannot be criticized, so that any opponent will be at a loss, because he has nothing evil to say about us.

But avoid foolish controversies, genealogies, quarrels, and fights about the law, because they are useless and empty.

because I hear of your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for all the saints.

I have had great joy and encouragement because of your love, for the hearts of the saints have been refreshed through you, brother.

Since I was confident that you would obey, I wrote to you, because I knew that you would do even more than what I am asking you to do.

but we see Jesus, who was made lower than the angels for a little while, now crowned with glory and honor because he suffered death, so that by God's grace he would experience death on behalf of everyone.

So we see that they could not enter because of unbelief.