This will be my third visit to you. [Deut. 19:15 says], "Every matter should be settled by the testimony of two or three witnesses."

I have said before, and say beforehand, as being present the second; and being away now I write to them having sinned before, and to all the rest, that, if I should come again, I will not spare:

And my prayer to God is that you may do no evil; not in order that I may appear approved, but that you may do what is noble, though I should seem unable to abide the proof.

Therefore I write these things being absent, lest being present I should use sharpness, according to the power which the Lord hath given me to edification, and not to destruction.

who gave himself for our sins, so that he should deliver us out of the present evil world, according to the will of our God and Father;

But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach to you a gospel other than what we have preached to you, a curse be on him!

I repeat what I have already said: If any person preaches to you a "gospel" other than what you have already received [from us apostles], he should be cut off from God's [salvation].

Think you that I am now trying to conciliate men or God? Or am I "seeking to please men"? If I were still seeking to please men, I should not be a slave of Christ.

for to declare his son by me, that I should preach him among the heathen: Immediately I commended not of the matter with flesh and blood,

(I went up at that time in obedience to a revelation). And I laid before them the gospel which I am wont to preach among the Gentiles. I did this privately before those in authority, lest by any means I should be running, or should already have run, in vain.

But they did not insist that even my companion Titus, although he was a Greek, should be circumcised,

But we refused to yield for a single instant to their claims; we were determined that the truth of the gospel should hold good for you.

On the contrary, when they saw that I had been intrusted with the good news for the heathen, just as Peter had been intrusted with it for the Jews??8 for he who actuated Peter to be an apostle to the Jews also actuated me to be one to the heathen??9 and when they recognized the favor God had shown me, James, Cephas, and John, who were regarded as pillars of the church, pledged Barnabas and me their co-operation, with the understanding that we should work among the heathen and they among the Jews.

and when they recognized the grace which had been given to me, James and Cephas and John, then thought to be pillars, gave to Barnabas and to me the right hand of fellowship. They agreed that we should go to the Gentiles and they to the Jews.

They stipulated only that we should remember the poor, which very thing indeed I was quite eager to do.

But when I saw that they were not straightforward about the truth of the good news, I said to Cephas, right before them all, "If you live like a heathen, and not like a Jew, though you are a Jew yourself, why should you try to make the heathen live like Jews?"

For if seeking to be justified by Christ, we also ourselves should be found sinners, is Christ then a minister of sin? God forbid.

For if I [or anyone else should] rebuild [through word or by practice] what I once tore down [the belief that observing the Law is essential for salvation], I prove myself to be a transgressor.

For I through the law am dead to the law, that I should live unto God.

O foolish Galatians, who hath bewitched you, that ye should not obey the truth, before whose eyes Jesus Christ hath been evidently set forth, crucified among you?

You should know, then, that people who have faith are [truly] God's children.

And this I say, that the covenant, that was confirmed before of God in Christ, the law, which was four hundred and thirty years after, cannot disannul, that it should make the promise of none effect.

To what purpose, then, was the Law? It was imposed later for the sake of transgressions, until the "Offspring" should come to whom the promise had been made. It was arranged through angels by the hand of a mediator.

Is the law then against the promises of God? God forbid: for if there had been a law given which could have given life, verily righteousness should have been by the law.

but the scripture has shut up all things under sin, that the promise, on the principle of faith of Jesus Christ, should be given to those that believe.

Before the coming of the faith, however, under law, were we being kept in ward, being shut up unto the faith which should afterwards, be revealed.

I am afraid of you - lest by any means, in vain, I should have toiled for you!

They are jealous over you amiss. Yea they intend to exclude you, that ye should be fervent to them ward.

but it is just you should cultivate my affection for you upon all proper occasions, and not only when I am present with you.

My children, for whom I again travail until Christ should be formed in you,

and I should wish to be present with you now, and change my voice, for I am perplexed as to you.

For it is written [Isa. 40:1], "[Woman] you should be happy that you have not had children. Cry over your inability to experience the pain of childbirth. For the deserted woman has had more children than the one with a husband."

Ye did run well; who did hinder you that ye should not obey the truth?

For you, my brothers, were called to freedom; only do not let your freedom become an opportunity for the sinful nature (worldliness, selfishness), but through love serve and seek the best for one another.

For the whole law of Moses can be fulfilled by [obeying this] one requirement [Lev. 19:18]: "You should love your neighbor the way you love yourself."

For, the flesh, coveted against the Spirit, but, the Spirit, against the flesh, - for, these, unto one another, are opposed, lest, whatsoever things ye chance to desire, these, ye should be doing!

If we live in Spirit, we should also march in Spirit.

We should avoid foolish pride as well as provoking or envying one another.

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.

But each person should examine his own work, and then he will have a reason for boasting in himself alone, and not in respect to someone else.

For each person should shoulder the responsibility of his own work load.

He, however, who is being taught in the message, should always share with his instructor in all the good things which he possesses.

Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatever a man should sow, that also shall he reap.

But we should not lose heart in well-doing, for in due season we shall reap, if we do not faint.

So then, we should do the right thing toward every person whenever we have the opportunity, and especially toward people who are part of God's family [i.e., those making up "the faith"].

As many as desire to make a fair shew in the flesh, they constrain you to be circumcised; only lest they should suffer persecution for the cross of Christ.

God forbid that I should glory in anything except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, upon which the world has been crucified to me and I have been crucified to the world.

From now on no one should harass me [about such matters] for I carry around on my body the scars [left there in my service] for Christ.

just as [in His love] He chose us in Christ [actually selected us for Himself as His own] before the foundation of the world, so that we would be holy [that is, consecrated, set apart for Him, purpose-driven] and blameless in His sight. In love

And ordained us before unto himself that we should be chosen before, through Jesus Christ, to be heirs unto himself according to the pleasure of his will,

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.

being enlightened in the eyes of your heart, so that ye should know what is the hope of his calling, and what the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints,

Not from works, lest anyone should boast.

For we are His workmanship [His own master work, a work of art], created in Christ Jesus [reborn from above—spiritually transformed, renewed, ready to be used] for good works, which God prepared [for us] beforehand [taking paths which He set], so that we would walk in them [living the good life which He prearranged and made ready for us].

So, you Gentiles by birth should remember what you once were. You are called "Uncircumcision" by those who are called "Circumcision" [i.e., the Jews], (which refers to a physical procedure performed by people).

which in other generations was not made known to men, as it is now revealed to his holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit; that the Gentiles should be co-heirs,

That they who are of the nations should be joint heirs, and a joint body, and joint partakers of the promise in Christ Jesus through means of the glad-message, -

To me, who am less than the least of all saints, has this grace been given, that I should proclaim among the Gentiles the gospel of the unsearchable riches of Christ;

and should make all men see the new dispensation of that secret purpose, hidden from eternity in the God who founded the universe,

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

[and He did this] to fully equip and perfect the saints (God’s people) for works of service, to build up the body of Christ [the church];

till we should all attain the unity of the faith and knowledge of God's Son, reaching maturity, reaching the full measure of development which belongs to the fulness of Christ ??14 instead of remaining immature, blown from our course and swayed by every passing wind of doctrine, by the adroitness of men who are dexterous in devising error;

that we should be no longer children, fluctuating, and carried about with every empty doctrine, by men vers'd in sleight and the crafty arts of deceit:

But [instead], we should speak [and practice] truth in a loving way, so that we can, in all respects, grow up [spiritually] into [union with] Christ, who is the head [i.e., of His body, the church].

Therefore, I say this and testify in the Lord: You should no longer walk as the Gentiles walk, in the futility of their thoughts.

that you should lay aside your former mode of life the old man destroyed by deceitful desires,

And you should put on the new man, who according to God was created in righteousness and true holiness.

So then, put away lying and [Zech 8:16], "Each one should speak truthfully with his neighbor," because we are parts of one another [i.e., in the one body].

The person who has stolen must stop doing it; instead, he should work hard, doing something worthwhile with his own hands, so that he can have [money] to share with the person who needs it.

No foul language is to come from your mouth, but only what is good for building up someone in need, so that it gives grace to those who hear.

So, as dearly loved children, you people should [try to] be like God.

And live a life of love, following the example of the Christ, who loved you and gave himself for you as 'an offering and a sacrifice to God, that should be fragrant and acceptable.'

But sexual immorality and any impurity or greed should not even be heard of among you, as is proper for saints.

there must be no indecency, silly talk or suggestive jesting, for they are unbecoming. There should be thanksgiving instead.

For you [should] know this for certain: No sexually immoral or [morally] impure person, or greedy person, who is [the same as] an idol worshiper, has any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and God.

Wives, you should submit to your own husbands, as you would to the Lord.

Now as the church submits to Christ, so wives are to submit to their husbands in everything.

Husbands, you should love your wives just as Christ also loved the church, and gave up His life for her,

That, he, might present, unto himself, the assembly, all glorious, not having spot or wrinkle or any of such things, but that she should be holy and blameless;

Even so husbands should and are morally obligated to love their own wives as [being in a sense] their own bodies. He who loves his own wife loves himself.

But as for you individually, you must each one of you love his own wife exactly as if she were yourself; and the wife, on her part, should reverence her husband.

Children, you should obey your parents in the Lord [i.e., as part of your Christian responsibility], for this is the right thing to do.

Slaves, you should obey those who are your earthly masters, out of reverence and eagerness to please them, with a sincere heart, as you would [obey] Christ.

[because you] know that each one of you, whatever good he should do, this he will receive back from the Lord, whether slave or free.

And you masters should treat your slaves the same way; do not threaten them, knowing that God, who is both their Master and yours, is in heaven and He does not respect any particular person [over another].

You people should put on the full armor of God, so that you will be able to withstand the devil's schemes.

So, you people should stand firm [in the faith], with the belt of truth firmly buckled around you, and with the "flack jacket" of righteousness on your chest.

For this I am an ambassador in chains. Pray that I might be bold enough in Him to speak as I should.

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.

that ye might accept things most excellent, that ye might be pure and such as should hurt no man's conscience, until the day of Christ;

Howbeit, I am minded, brethren, that ye should be, getting to know, that, the things which relate unto myself, rather, unto an advancement of the glad-message, have fallen out,

So, what [should I think about the situation]? Just this: I am happy and will continue to be happy that, in every way, Christ is being preached, [regardless of] whether it is in pretense or with sincerity.

Now if I live on in the flesh, this means fruitful work for me; and I don’t know which one I should choose.

but for your sakes it is more necessary that I should still live on in the body.

Only conduct yourselves in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ so that -- whether I come and see you or whether I remain absent -- I should hear that you are standing firm in one spirit, with one mind, by contending side by side for the faith of the gospel,

For unto you it is given, that not only ye should believe on Christ: but also suffer for his sake,

Instead of being motivated by selfish ambition or vanity, each of you should, in humility, be moved to treat one another as more important than yourself.

Everyone should look out not only for his own interests, but also for the interests of others.

You should have the same attitude toward one another that Christ Jesus had,