But God wasn't pleased with most of those people, and so they were struck down in the wilderness.

Let's stop being idolaters, as some of them were. As it is written, "The people sat down to eat and drink and got up to play."

Let's stop sinning sexually, as some of them were doing, and on a single day 23,000 fell dead.

Let's stop putting the Lord to the test, as some of them were doing, and were destroyed by snakes.

You must stop complaining, as some of them were doing, and were annihilated by the destroyer.

These things happened to them to serve as an example, and they were written down as a warning for us in whom the culmination of the ages has been attained.

You know that when you were unbelievers, you were enticed and led astray to worship idols that couldn't even speak.

For by one Spirit all of us Jews and Greeks, slaves and free were baptized into one body and were all privileged to drink from one Spirit.

If the whole body were an eye, where would the sense of hearing be? If the whole body were an ear, where would the sense of smell be?

Now if all of it were one part, there wouldn't be a body, would there?

and finally he was seen by me, as though I were born abnormally late.

Now I urge you, brothers for you know that the members of the family of Stephanas were the first converts in Achaia, and that they have devoted themselves to serving the saints

For we do not want you to be ignorant, brothers, about the suffering we experienced in Asia. We were so crushed beyond our ability to endure that we even despaired of living.

After all, if I were to grieve you, who should make me happy but the person I am making sad?

However, their minds were hardened, for to this day the same veil is still there when they read the old covenant. Only in union with the Messiah is that veil removed.

So if we were crazy, it was for God; if we are sane, it is for you.

Therefore, we are the Messiah's representatives, as though God were pleading through us. We plead on the Messiah's behalf: "Be reconciled to God!"

For even when we came to Macedonia, our bodies had no rest. We suffered in a number of ways. Outwardly there were conflicts, inwardly there were fears.

Now I am happy, not because you had such sorrow, but because your sorrow led you to repent. For you were sorry in a godly way, and so you were not hurt by us in any way.

This is what comforted us. In addition to our own comfort, we were even more delighted at the joy of Titus, because his spirit had been set at rest by all of you.

His affection for you is even greater as he remembers how obedient all of you were and how you welcomed him with fear and trembling.

I am giving you my opinion on this matter because it will be helpful to you. Last year you were not only willing to do something, but had already started to do it.

For it is not as though we were overstepping our limits when we came to you. We were the first to reach you with the gospel of the Messiah.

The signs of an apostle were performed among you with utmost patience signs, wonders, and powerful actions.

How were you treated worse than the other churches, except that I did not bother you for help? Forgive me for this wrong!

Am I now trying to win the approval of people or of God? Or am I trying to please people? If I were still trying to please people, I would not be the Messiah's servant.

nor did I go up to Jerusalem to see those who were apostles before me. Instead, I went away to Arabia and then came back to Damascus.

However, false brothers were secretly brought in. They slipped in to spy on the freedom we have in the Messiah Jesus so that they might enslave us.

Now those who were reputed to be important added nothing to my message. (What sort of people they were makes no difference to me, since God pays no attention to outward appearances.)

So when James, Cephas, and John (who were reputed to be leaders) recognized the grace that had been given me, they gave Barnabas and me the right hand of fellowship, agreeing that we should go to the gentiles and they to the circumcised.

But when I saw that they were not acting consistently with the truth of the gospel, I told Cephas in front of everyone, "Though you are a Jew, you have been living like a gentile and not like a Jew. So how can you insist that the gentiles must live like Jews?"

Now the promises were spoken to Abraham and to his descendant. It doesn't say "descendants," referring to many, but "your descendant," referring to one person, who is the Messiah.

Now before faith came about, we were held in custody and confined under the Law in preparation for the faith that was to be revealed.

Indeed, all of you who were baptized into the Messiah have clothed yourselves with the Messiah.

It was the same way with us. While we were children, we were slaves to the basic principles of the world.

in order to redeem those who were under the Law, and thus to adopt them as his children.

However, in the past, when you did not know God, you were slaves to things that are not really gods at all.

Even though my condition put you to the test, you did not despise or reject me. On the contrary, you welcomed me as if I were an angel of God, or as if I were the Messiah Jesus.

Indeed, I wish I were with you right now so that I could change the tone of my voice, because I am completely baffled by you!

You were running the race beautifully. Who cut in on you and stopped you from obeying the truth?

For you, brothers, were called to freedom. Only do not turn your freedom into an opportunity to gratify your flesh, but through love make it your habit to serve one another.

In the Messiah we were also chosen when we were predestined according to the purpose of the one who does everything that he wills to do,

You, too, have heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation. When you believed in the Messiah, you were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit,

Indeed, all of us once behaved like them in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of our flesh and senses. By nature we were destined for wrath, just like everyone else.

even when we were dead because of our offenses, made us alive together with the Messiah (by grace you have been saved),

So then, remember that at one time you gentiles by birth were called "the uncircumcised" by those who called themselves "the circumcised." They underwent physical circumcision done by human hands.

At that time you were without the Messiah, excluded from citizenship in Israel, and strangers to the covenants of promise. You had no hope and were in the world without God.

But now, in union with the Messiah Jesus, you who once were far away have been brought near by the blood of the Messiah.

He came and proclaimed peace for you who were far away and for you who were near.

There is one body and one Spirit. Likewise, you were called to the one hope of your calling.

Regarding your former way of life, you were taught to strip off your old nature, which is being ruined by its deceptive desires,

Do not grieve the Holy Spirit, by whom you were marked with a seal for the day of redemption.

For once you were darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Live as children of light,

Serve willingly, as if you were serving the Lord and not merely people,

But whatever things were assets to me, these I now consider a loss for the sake of the Messiah.

Now I rejoice in the Lord greatly, because once again you have shown your concern for me. Of course, you were concerned for me but you did not have an opportunity to show it.

For by him all things in heaven and on earth were created, things visible and invisible, whether they are kings, lords, rulers, or powers. All things have been created through him and for him.

You who were once alienated with a hostile attitude, doing evil,

For you have been rooted in him and are being built up and strengthened in the faith, just as you were taught, while you continue to be thankful.

In union with him you were also circumcised with a circumcision performed without human hands by stripping off the corrupt nature by the circumcision performed by the Messiah.

When you were buried with the Messiah in baptism, you were also raised with him through faith in the power of God, who raised him from the dead.

Even when you were dead because of your offenses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made you alive with him when he forgave us all of our offenses,

having erased the charges that were brought against us, along with their obligations that were hostile to us. He took those charges away when he nailed them to the cross.

Let the peace of the Messiah also rule in your hearts, to which you were called in one body, and be thankful.

Whatever you do, work at it wholeheartedly as though you were doing it for the Lord and not merely for people.

for the gospel we brought did not come to you in words only, but also with power, with the Holy Spirit, and with deep conviction. Indeed, you know what kind of people we proved to be while we were with you, acting on your behalf.

As you know, we suffered persecution and were mistreated in Philippi. Yet we were encouraged by our God to tell you his gospel in spite of strong opposition.

even though as apostles of the Messiah we might have made such demands. Instead, we were gentle among you, like a nursing mother tenderly caring for her own children.

We cared so deeply for you that we were determined to share with you not only the gospel of God but our very lives. That is how dear you were to us.

so that no one would be shaken by these persecutions, for which you are aware that we were destined.

In fact, when we were with you, we told you ahead of time that we were going to suffer persecution. And as you know, that is what happened.

So then, brothers, stand firm, and cling to the traditions that you were taught by us, either by word of mouth or by our letter.

While we were with you, we gave this order: "If anyone doesn't want to work, he shouldn't eat."

Never speak harshly to an older man, but appeal to him as if he were your father. Treat younger men like brothers,

Fight the good fight for the faith. Keep holding on to eternal life, to which you were called and about which you gave a good testimony in front of many witnesses.

After all, we ourselves were once foolish, disobedient, and misled. We were slaves to many kinds of lusts and pleasures, spending our days in malice and jealousy. We were despised, and we hated one another.

and might free those who were slaves all their lives because they were terrified by death.

So we see that they were unable to enter because of their unbelief.

because we have had the good news told to us as well as to them. But the message they heard did not help them, because they were not united by faith with those who listened to it.

Now if he were on earth, he would not even be a priest, because other men offer the gifts prescribed by the Law.

For a tent was set up, and in the first part were the lamp stand, the table, and the bread of the Presence. This was called the Holy Place.

which had the gold altar for incense and the Ark of the Covenant completely covered with gold. In it were the gold jar holding the manna, Aaron's staff that had budded, and the Tablets of the Covenant.

Above it were the cherubim of glory overshadowing the place of atonement. (We cannot discuss these things in detail now.)

But you must continue to remember those earlier days, how after you were enlightened you endured a hard and painful struggle.

At times you were made a public spectacle by means of insults and persecutions, while at other times you associated with people who were treated this way.

All these people died having faith. They did not receive the things that were promised, yet they saw them in the distant future and welcomed them, acknowledging that they were strangers and foreigners on earth.

Instead, they were longing for a better country, that is, a heavenly one. That is why God is not ashamed to be called their God, because he has prepared a city for them.

By faith Moses was hidden by his parents for three months after he was born, because they saw that he was a beautiful child and were not afraid of the king's order.

By faith they went through the Red Sea as if it were dry land. When the Egyptians tried to do this, they were drowned.

By faith Rahab the prostitute did not die with those who were disobedient, because she had welcomed the spies with a greeting of peace.

Women received their dead raised back to life. Other people were brutally tortured, but refused to be ransomed, so that they might gain a better resurrection.

They were stoned to death, sawed in half, and killed with swords. They went around in sheepskins and goatskins. They were needy, oppressed, and mistreated.

Continue to remember those in prison as if you were in prison with them, as well as those who are mistreated, since they also are only mortal.

It was revealed to them that they were not serving themselves but you in regard to the things that have now been announced to you by those who brought you the good news through the Holy Spirit sent from heaven. These are things that even the angels desire to look into.

As obedient children, do not be shaped by the desires that used to influence you when you were ignorant.

a stone they stumble over and a rock they trip on." They keep on stumbling because they disobey the word, as they were destined to do.

Once you were not a people, but now you are the people of God. Once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.

This is, in fact, what you were called to do, because: The Messiah also suffered for you and left an example for you to follow in his steps.

You were "like sheep that kept going astray," but now you have returned to the shepherd and overseer of your souls.

Do not pay others back evil for evil or insult for insult. Instead, keep blessing them, because you were called to inherit a blessing.