lest anyone should say that you were baptized in my name.

For consider your calling, brothers, that not many [were] wise according to human standards, not many [were] powerful, not many [were] well born.

and my speech and my preaching [were] not with the persuasiveness of wisdom, but with a demonstration of the Spirit and power,

I gave you milk to drink, not solid food, for you were not yet able [to eat it]. But now you are still not able,

But some have become arrogant, as [if] I were not coming to you.

For [although I] am absent in body but present in spirit, I have already passed judgment on the one who has done this in this way, as [if I] were present.

And some of you were these [things], but you were washed, but you were sanctified, but you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus and by the Spirit of our God.

For you were bought at a price; therefore glorify God with your body.

Were you called [while] a slave? Do not let it be a concern to you. But if indeed you are able to become free, rather make use of [it].

You were bought at a price; do not become slaves of men.

For I do not want you to be ignorant, brothers, that our fathers were all under the cloud and all went through the sea,

and all were baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea,

But God was not pleased with the majority of them, for they were struck down in the desert.

nor put Christ to the test, as some of them tested [him], and were destroyed by snakes,

nor grumble, just as some of them grumbled, and were destroyed by the destroyer.

But if we were evaluating ourselves, we would not be judged.

You know that when you were pagans, you were led astray to the speechless idols, however you were led.

For by one Spirit we were all baptized into one body, whether Jews or Greeks, whether slaves or free [persons], and all were made to drink one Spirit.

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

And if they all were one member, where [would] the body [be]?

and last of all, as it were to one born at the wrong time, he appeared also to me.

For we do not want you to be ignorant, brothers, concerning our affliction that happened in the [province of] Asia, that we were burdened to an extraordinary degree, beyond [our] strength, so that we were in despair even of living.

But if the ministry of death in letters carved on stone came with glory, so that the sons of Israel were not able to look intently into the face of Moses because of the glory of his face, which was transitory,

But their minds were hardened. For until this very day, the same veil remains upon the reading of the old covenant, not being uncovered, because it is done away with in Christ.

Therefore we are ambassadors on behalf of Christ, as [if] God were imploring [you] through us. We beg [you] on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God.

For even [when] we arrived in Macedonia, our body had no rest, but we were afflicted in every [way]--quarrels outside, fears within.

now I rejoice, not that you were grieved, but that you were grieved to repentance. For you were grieved according to [the will of] God, so that you suffered loss in no way through us.

so that I do not want to appear as if I were terrifying you by my letters,

Are they servants of Christ?--I am speaking as though I were beside myself--I [am] more so, with far greater labors, with far more imprisonments, with beatings to a much greater degree, in [danger of] death many times.

For am I now making an appeal to people or [to] God? Or am I seeking to please people? If I were still trying to please people, I would not be a slave of Christ.

nor did I go up to Jerusalem to those [who were] apostles before me, but I went away to Arabia and I returned again to Damascus.

and they were only hearing, "The one formerly persecuting us is now proclaiming the faith that formerly he was attempting to destroy,"

and they were glorifying God because of me.

But from those {who were influential} (whatever they were, [it makes] no difference to me, {God does not show partiality})--for those who were influential added nothing to me.

For before certain people came from James, he used to eat with the Gentiles, but when they came, he withdrew and separated himself, [because he] was afraid of those [who were] of the circumcision,

But when I saw that they were not being straightforward with the truth of the gospel, I said to Cephas in the presence of [them] all, "If you, [although you] are a Jew, live like a Gentile and not like a Jew, how can you try to compel the Gentiles to live like Jews?"

Now to Abraham and to his descendant the promises were spoken. It does not say, "and to descendants," as concerning many, but as concerning one, "and to your descendant," who is Christ.

But before faith came, we were detained under the law, imprisoned until the coming faith was revealed.

for as many [of you] as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ.

So also we, when we were children, we were enslaved under the elemental spirits of the world.

But at that time [when you] did not know God, you were enslaved to the things which by nature are not gods.

You were running well. Who hindered you from obeying the truth?

For you were called to freedom, brothers. Only do not let your freedom [become] an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another.

in whom also we were chosen, having been predestined according to the purpose of the One who works all [things] according to the counsel of his will,

in whom also you, when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, in whom also when you believed you were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit,

And you, {although you were dead} in your trespasses and sins,

among whom also we all formerly lived in the desires of our flesh, doing the will of the flesh and of the mind, and we were children of wrath by nature, as also the rest of [them] were.

that you were at that time apart from Christ, alienated from the citizenship of Israel, and strangers to the covenants of promise, not having hope, and without God in the world.

But now in Christ Jesus you, the ones who once were far away, have become near by the blood of Christ.

And coming, he proclaimed the good news of peace to you who were far away and peace to the ones who were near,

Therefore I, the prisoner in the Lord, exhort you to live in a manner worthy of the calling with which you were called:

one body and one Spirit (just as also you were called with one hope of your calling),

if indeed you have heard [about] him, and you were taught by him (just as truth is in Jesus),

and do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption.

for you were formerly darkness, but now [you are] light in the Lord. Live like children of light

But whatever [things] were gain to me, these [things] I have considered loss because of Christ.

But I rejoiced in the Lord greatly that now at last {you have renewed your concern for me}, for whom also you were thinking, but you had no opportunity [to express it].

because all [things] in the heavens and on the earth were created by him, things visible and things invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or powers, all [things] were created through him and for him,

And {although you were formerly alienated} and enemies in attitude, because of your evil deeds,

firmly rooted and built up in him and established in the faith, just as you were taught, abounding with thankfulness.

in whom also you were circumcised with a circumcision not made by hands, by the removal of the body of the flesh, by the circumcision of Christ,

having been buried with him in baptism, in which also you were raised together with [him] through faith in the working of God, who raised him from the dead.

And {although you were dead} in the trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, he made you alive together with him, having forgiven us all our trespasses,

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

But [when] we were made orphans by separation from you, brothers, for {a short time} (in face, not in heart), [we were] even more eager with great desire to see your face,

for indeed when we were with you we told you beforehand that we were about to be afflicted, just as indeed it happened, and you know.

Do you not remember that [while] we were still with you, we were saying these [things] to you?

So then, brothers, stand firm and hold fast to the traditions which you were taught, whether by [spoken] word or by letter from us.

nor did we eat bread from anyone without paying, but with toil and labor, [we were] working night and day in order not to be a burden to any of you,

For even when we were with you, we used to command this to you: that if anyone does not want to work, neither should he eat.

Fight the good fight of the faith; take hold of the eternal life to which you were called, and confessed the good confession in the presence of many witnesses.

For we also were once foolish, disobedient, led astray, enslaved to various desires and pleasures, spending our lives in wickedness and envy, despicable, hating one another.

and could set free these who through fear of death were subject to slavery throughout all their lives.

For who, [when they] heard [it], were disobedient? Surely [it was] not all who went out from Egypt through Moses?

And to whom did he swear [they would] not enter into his rest, except those who were disobedient?

And [so] we see that they were not able to enter because of unbelief.

{For we also have had the good news proclaimed to us}, just as those also [did], but the message {they heard} did not benefit them, [because they] were not united with those who heard [it] in faith.

And indeed many {have become} priests, because they were prevented by death from continuing [in office],

Now if he were on earth, he would not even be a priest, [because there] are those who offer the gifts according to the law,

For a tent was prepared, the first [one], in which [were] the lampstand and the table and the presentation of the loaves, which is called the holy place.

containing the golden incense altar and the ark of the covenant covered on all sides with gold, in which [were] a golden jar containing the manna and the rod of Aaron that budded and the tablets of the covenant.

And above it [were] the cherubim of glory overshadowing the mercy seat, about which it is not now [possible] to speak in detail.

which [was] a symbol for the present time, in which both the gifts and sacrifices which were offered were not able to perfect the worshiper with respect to the conscience,

But remember the former days in which, [after you] were enlightened, you endured a great struggle with sufferings,

sometimes being publicly exposed both to insults and to afflictions, and sometimes becoming sharers with those who were treated in this way.

For by this the people of old were approved.

By faith we understand the worlds were created by the word of God, in order that what is seen did not come into existence from what is visible.

And therefore these were fathered from one man, and [he] being as good as dead, as the stars of heaven in number and like the innumerable sand by the shore of the sea.

These all died in faith without receiving the promises, but seeing them from a distance and welcoming [them], and admitting that they were strangers and temporary residents on the earth.

By faith also Isaac blessed Jacob and Esau concerning things that were going to happen.

By faith Moses, [when he] was born, was hidden for three months by his parents, because they saw the child [was] handsome, and they were not afraid of the edict of the king.

By faith they crossed the Red Sea as if on dry land; the Egyptians, {when they made the attempt}, were drowned.

By faith Rahab the prostitute did not perish with those who were disobedient, [because she] welcomed the spies in peace.

extinguished the effectiveness of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, were made strong from weakness, became mighty in battle, put to flight enemy battle lines.

Women received back their dead by resurrection. But others were tortured, not accepting release, in order that they might gain a better resurrection.

They were stoned, they were sawed in two, they died by murder with a sword, they wandered about in sheepskins, in goatskins, impoverished, afflicted, mistreated,

And [although they] all were approved through their faith, they did not receive what was promised,

Remember the prisoners, as [though you were] fellow-prisoners; [remember] the mistreated, as [though] [you] yourselves also are being [mistreated] in the body.

Behold, the wages that were held back by you from the workers who reap your fields cry out, and the cries of the reapers have come to the ears of the Lord of hosts.

to whom it was revealed that they were serving not themselves but you with reference to the same [things] which now have been announced to you through those who proclaimed the gospel to you by the Holy Spirit sent from heaven, {things into which} angels desire to look.