At any rate, whether I or they have done most, such is what we preach, such is what you believed.

But this will happen to each in the right order--Christ having been the first to rise, and afterwards Christ's people rising at His return.

for it is right for Him to reign until He has put all the enemies under His feet.

awake up, as is right, and sin not; for certain have an ignorance of God; for shame to you I say it.

Now concerning the collection for the [needy] saints [whom you wrote me about]: You people also should do what I directed the churches in Galatia to do.

For I do not wish to see you right now just in passing, but I hope to remain with you for some time [later on], if the Lord permits.

See then that he has the honour which is right. But send him on his way in peace, so that he may come to me: for I am looking for him with the brothers.

Now concerning our brother Apollos, I strongly urged him to visit you with the other brothers, but he was not inclined to do so just now. However, he will visit you when the time is right.

I Paul write this salutation with my own hand.

For we write none other things unto you, than what ye read or acknowledge; and I trust ye shall acknowledge even to the end;

And, indeed, you have already partly acknowledged it about us--that you have a right to be proud of us, as we shall be proud of you, on the Day of our Lord Jesus.

For we do not have [the right to] rule over your faith [i.e., to dictate concerning your personal relationship with God], but we want to work with you for your happiness. For you are [already] standing firm in your faith. [Note: This whole narrative alludes to some unresolved problems still existing there in Corinth].

And I wrote this same unto you, lest, when I came, I should have sorrow from them of whom I ought to rejoice; having confidence in you all, that my joy is the joy of you all.

For out of much affliction and anguish of heart I wrote unto you with many tears; not that ye should be grieved, but that ye might know the love which I have more abundantly unto you.

So that now, on the other hand, it is right for him to have forgiveness and comfort from you, for fear that his sorrow may be over-great.

For to this end also did I write, that I might know the proof of you, whether ye be obedient in all things.

Do we seem to be again attempting to put ourselves in the right? or have we need, as some have, of letters of approval to you or from you?

Ye are our epistle written in our hearts, known and read of all men:

For if the ministry that brings condemnation [the old covenant, the Law] has glory, how much more does glory overflow in the ministry that brings righteousness [the new covenant which declares believers free of guilt and sets them apart for God’s special purpose]!

But [in fact] their minds were hardened [for they had lost the ability to understand]; for until this very day at the reading of the old covenant the same veil remains unlifted, because it is removed [only] in Christ.

But even unto this day, when Moses is read, the vail is upon their heart.

And we have given up the secret things of shame, not walking in false ways, and not making use of the word of God with deceit; but by the revelation of what is true, as before God, we have the approval of every man's sense of right and wrong.

Yet we have the same spirit of faith as he had, who wrote in Scripture, “I believed, therefore I spoke.” We also believe, therefore we also speak,

Having in mind, then, the fear of the Lord, we put these things before men, but God sees our hearts; and it is my hope that we may seem right in your eyes.

If we are out of our mind [just unstable fanatics as some critics say], it is for God; if we are in our right mind, it is for your benefit.

He made Christ who knew no sin to [judicially] be sin on our behalf, so that in Him we would become the righteousness of God [that is, we would be made acceptable to Him and placed in a right relationship with Him by His gracious lovingkindness].

For he says, "At the right time I heard you, and on a day of salvation I helped you." Listen, now is really the "right time"! Now is the "day of salvation"!

By the word of truth, by the power of God, by the armour of righteousness on the right hand and on the left,

Do not be unequally bound together with unbelievers [do not make mismatched alliances with them, inconsistent with your faith]. For what partnership can righteousness have with lawlessness? Or what fellowship can light have with darkness?

See how the very fact that you were made sorry from a godly motive has produced earnestness in you! [It produced] a desire to vindicate yourselves [i.e., by making amends for your wrongdoing]; an attitude of just anger [i.e., toward the wrongdoers]; a sense of fear [i.e., a fear of God for doing wrong]; an eager desire [i.e., to do the right thing]; a zeal [i.e., to correct problems]; and an attitude of avenging [i.e., that punished the wrongdoer]. You demonstrated in everything [you did] that you were pure [i.e., innocent] in this matter. [Note: This whole description of their conduct appears to be a reference to the incident mentioned in 2:1-11].

Wherefore, though I wrote unto you, I did it not for his cause that had done the wrong, nor for his cause that suffered wrong, but that our care for you in the sight of God might appear unto you.

providing right things, not only before the Lord, but also before men;

So let them have proof of how you can love, and of my reasons for being proud of you; it will be a proof read by the churches.

For as touching the ministering to the saints, it is superfluous for me to write to you:

For if he that cometh to you preach another Jesus than him whom we preached, or if ye receive another spirit than that which ye have received, either another gospel than that ye have received; ye might right well have been content.

But though I be rude in speech, yet not in knowledge; but we have been throughly made manifest among you in all things.

So it is no surprise if his servants also masquerade as ministers for doing right, whose doom shall be in accordance with what they do.

To return to what I was saying. Let no one suppose that I am foolish. Or if you must, at any rate make allowance for me as being foolish, in order that I, as well as they, may boast a little.

Three times I was beaten with a rod. Once I received a stoning. Three times I suffered shipwreck. A night and a day I spent adrift in the open sea.

If it is right to boast, I will boast of the things of my weakness.

was snatched away to Paradise and heard things that cannot be expressed in words, things that no human being has a right even to mention.

As for this, three times have I besought the Lord to rid me of him;

It is foolish of me to write all this, but you have compelled me to do so. Why, you ought to have been my vindicators; for in no respect have I been inferior to these superlatively great Apostles, even though in myself I am nothing.

It may seem to you that all this time we have been attempting to put ourselves in the right; but we are saying these things before God in Christ. For all things, dear brothers, are for your profit.

I told you before, and foretell you, as if I were present, the second time; and being absent now I write to them which heretofore have sinned, and to all other, that, if I come again, I will not spare:

But we pray to God that ye may do nothing evil; not that we may appear approved, but that ye may do what is right, and we be as reprobates.

For we [apostles] have no power [to act] against the truth, but [only] for the truth. [Note: Paul here alludes to his gifts and ministry being intended only to promote what was right according to God's truth].

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.

Finally, brothers and sisters, rejoice, set things right, be encouraged, agree with one another, live in peace, and the God of love and peace will be with you.

For you have heard of my former conduct in Judaism, how furiously I used to persecute the church of God, and how I kept seeking to root it out;

nor did I go up to Jerusalem to see those who were apostles before me, but right away I departed to Arabia, and then returned to Damascus.

Now the things which I write unto you, behold, before God, I lie not.

From those leaders I gained nothing new. Whether they were men of importance or not, matters nothing to me--God recognizes no external distinctions. To me, at any rate, the leaders imparted nothing new.

but on the contrary seeing that I was intrusted with the gospel of the uncircumcision, as Peter was of the circumcision,??8 for he that operated in Peter for the apostleship of the circumcision, operated also in me for the gentiles,??9 and knowing the grace given me, James and Cephas and John, who were manifest pillars, gave to me and Barnabas the right hand of fellowship that we should go to the gentiles and they to the circumcision;

And when James, Cephas, and John, who seemed to be pillars, perceived the grace that was given unto me, they gave to me and Barnabas the right hands of fellowship; that we should go unto the heathen, and they unto the circumcision.

But when I saw that they went not the right way after the truth of the gospel, I said unto Peter, before all men, "If thou, being a Jew, livest after the manner of the gentiles, and not as do the Jews: why causest thou the gentiles to live as do the Jews?"

yet we know that a man is not justified [and placed in right standing with God] by works of the Law, but [only] through faith in [God’s beloved Son,] Christ Jesus. And even we [as Jews] have believed in Christ Jesus, so that we may be justified by faith in Christ and not by works of the Law. By observing the Law no one will ever be justified [declared free of the guilt of sin and its penalty].

But if, while we seek to be justified in Christ [by faith], we ourselves are found to be sinners, does that make Christ an advocate or promoter of our sin? Certainly not!

For if I try to build up again what I had already destroyed [i.e., by returning to depend on compliance with the law of Moses to become right with God, after having rejected this system by trusting in Christ to save me], I would certainly be guilty of sin.

[In doing this] I am not trying to disregard God's unearned favor, for if a person could become right with God by [perfect obedience to the requirements of] the law of Moses, then Christ died for nothing.

O you foolish and thoughtless and superficial Galatians, who has bewitched you [that you would act like this], to whom—right before your very eyes—Jesus Christ was publicly portrayed as crucified [in the gospel message]?

[An example of this is] Abraham, who believed God's [promise] and [because of such faith] he was considered right with God.

The Scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, proclaimed the good news [of the Savior] to Abraham in advance [with this promise], saying, “In you shall all the nations be blessed.”

For all who seek to be right with God by trying to meet all the requirements of the law of Moses are under a curse [from God], because it is written [Deut. 27:26], "Every person is cursed [i.e., cut off from God] who does not continue to obey all of the requirements written in the law of Moses."

Now it is clear that no one is justified [that is, declared free of the guilt of sin and its penalty, and placed in right standing] before God by the Law, for “The righteous (the just, the upright) shall live by faith.”

now if the right to the inheritance be from the law, it is no longer founded upon the promise; altho' God made a donation of it to Abraham by promise.

Is the Law then contrary to the promises of God? Certainly not! For if a system of law had been given which could impart life, then righteousness (right standing with God) would actually have been based on law.

with the result that the Law has become our tutor and our disciplinarian to guide us to Christ, so that we may be justified [that is, declared free of the guilt of sin and its penalty, and placed in right standing with God] by faith.

And if you are Christ's, then you are Abraham's seed, and yours is the heritage by the right of God's undertaking given to Abraham.

But at that time, having no knowledge of God, you were servants to those who by right are no gods:

But it is right to be zealous at all times in what is right, and not only when I am present with you --

I would like to be with you right now and change my tone of voice, because I don’t know what to do about you.

What does the Scripture say about this matter? [It says, Gen. 21:10-12], "Get rid of the slave woman [Hagar], with her son [Ishmael]; for the son of the slave woman [Ishmael] will not inherit [what God promised to Abraham and his descendants], along with the son of the free woman [i.e., Isaac]."

Look, I Paul am telling you that, if you revert to [the practice of] circumcision [i.e., the Jewish rite of identity, signifying the responsibility to observe the law of Moses], then Christ's [sacrifice] will be of no value to you.

You have been severed from Christ, if you seek to be justified [that is, declared free of the guilt of sin and its penalty, and placed in right standing with God] through the Law; you have fallen from grace [for you have lost your grasp on God’s unmerited favor and blessing].

For we [not relying on the Law but] through the [strength and power of the Holy] Spirit, by faith, are waiting [confidently] for the hope of righteousness [the completion of our salvation].

envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like; with respect to which, I tell you now, as I also told you in times past, that those who practice such things shall riot inherit the kingdom of God.

Brothers, if anyone is caught in any sin, you who are spiritual [that is, you who are responsive to the guidance of the Spirit] are to restore such a person in a spirit of gentleness [not with a sense of superiority or self-righteousness], keeping a watchful eye on yourself, so that you are not tempted as well.

Let us not grow weary or become discouraged in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap, if we do not give in.

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"].

See with how large letters I write unto you with mine own hand.

Even these men who are circumcised do not themselves keep the Law; yet they want you to be circumcised, so that they may boast of your observance of the rite.

Which he wrought in Christ, when he raised him from the dead, and set him at his own right hand in the heavenly places,

remember that at that time you were separated from Christ [excluded from any relationship with Him], alienated from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers to the covenants of promise [with no share in the sacred Messianic promise and without knowledge of God’s agreements], having no hope [in His promise] and [living] in the world without God.

How that by revelation he made known unto me the mystery; (as I wrote afore in few words,

Whereby, when ye read, ye may understand my knowledge in the mystery of Christ)

and put on the new self which has been created in the likeness of God, which fruits in right and holy living inspired by the truth.

But evil acts of the flesh and all unclean things, or desire for others' property, let it not even be named among you, as is right for saints;

And let there be no low behaviour, or foolish talk, or words said in sport, which are not right, but in place of them the giving of praise.

Do not be turned from the right way by foolish words; for because of these things the punishment of God comes on those who do not put themselves under him.

(for the product of light consists of everything good and right and true).

And be not drunken with wine, wherein is riot, but be filled with the Spirit;

Even so it is right for husbands to have love for their wives as for their bodies. He who has love for his wife has love for himself:

Children, obey your parents in the Lord: for this is right.

With right good will, be faithful to your duty as service rendered to the Lord and not to man.

You well know that whatever right thing any one does, he will receive a requital for it from the Lord, whether he is a slave or a free man.

So stand firm and hold your ground, having tightened the wide band of truth (personal integrity, moral courage) around your waist and having put on the breastplate of righteousness (an upright heart),

Pray also for me, so that, when I begin to speak, the right words will come to me. Then I will boldly make known the secret of the gospel,

For which I am a representative in chains, and that I may say without fear the things which it is right for me to say.

I am convinced and confident of this very thing, that He who has begun a good work in you will [continue to] perfect and complete it until the day of Christ Jesus [the time of His return].