While our minds are not on the things which are seen, but on the things which are not seen: for the things which are seen are for a time; but the things which are not seen are eternal.

For truly, we who are in this tent do give out cries of weariness, for the weight of care which is on us; not because we are desiring to be free from the body, but so that we may have our new body, and death may be overcome by life.

For it is the love of Christ which is moving us; because we are of the opinion that if one was put to death for all, then all have undergone death;

It is not our feelings to you which are narrow, but yours to us.

For which cause, Come out from among them, and be separate, says the Lord, and let no unclean thing come near you; and I will take you for myself,

And not by his coming only, but by the comfort which he had in you, while he gave us word of your desire, your sorrow, your care for me; so that I was still more glad.

For the sorrow which God gives is the cause of salvation through a change of heart, in which there is no reason for grief: but the sorrow of the world is a cause of death.

For I was not put to shame in anything in which I may have made clear to him my pride in you; but as we said nothing to you but what was true, so the good things which I said to Titus about you were seen by him to be true.

And now we give you news, brothers, about the grace of God which has been given to the churches of Macedonia;

But so that things may be equal; that from those things of which you have more than enough at the present time their need may be helped, and that if you are in any need they may be a help to you in the same way, making things equal.

And not only so, but he was marked out by the churches to go with us in the grace of this giving which we have undertaken to the glory of the Lord and to make clear that our mind was ready:

And so that no man might be able to say anything against us in the business of this giving which has been put into our hands:

And we have sent with them our brother, whose ready spirit has been made clear to us at times and in ways without number, but it is now all the more so because of the certain faith which he has in you.

Make clear then to them, as representatives of the churches, the quality of your love, and that the things which we have said about you are true.

So it seemed to me wise for the brothers to go before, and see that the amount which you had undertaken to give was ready, so that it might be a cause for praise, and not as if we were making profit out of you.

For when, through this work of giving, they see what you are, they give glory to God for the way in which you have given yourselves to the good news of Christ, and for the wealth of your giving to them and to all;

While their hearts go out to you in love and in prayer for you, because of the great grace of God which is in you.

Praise be to God for what he has given, which words have no power to say.

Yes, I make my request to you, so that when I am with you I may not have to make use of the authority which may be needed against some to whom we seem to be walking after the flesh.

(For the arms with which we are fighting are not those of the flesh, but are strong before God for the destruction of high places);

Putting an end to reasonings, and every high thing which is lifted up against the knowledge of God, and causing every thought to come under the authority of Christ;

Give attention to the things which are before you. If any man seems to himself to be Christ's, let him keep in mind that we are as much Christ's as he is.

For though I might take pride in our authority (which the Lord gave for building you up, and not for your destruction), it will not be a cause of shame to me:

We will not give glory to ourselves in over-great measure, but after the measure of the rule which God has given us, a measure which comes even to you.

Not taking credit to ourselves for what is not our business, that is, for the work of others; but having hope that, with the growth of your faith, we may get the credit for an increase which is the effect of our work,

For if anyone comes preaching another Jesus from the one whose preachers we are, or if you have got a different spirit, or a different sort of good news from those which came to you, how well you put up with these things.

In addition to all the other things, there is that which comes on me every day, the care of all the churches.

If I have to take credit to myself, I will do so in the things in which I am feeble.

The God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, to whom be praise for ever, is witness that the things which I say are true.

How he was taken up into Paradise, and words came to his ears which may not be said, and which man is not able to say.

For what is there in which you were made less than the other churches, but in the one thing that I was not a trouble to you? Let me have forgiveness for this wrong.

And that when I come again, my God may put me to shame among you, and I may have grief for those who have done wrong before and have had no regret for their unclean ways, and for the evil desires of the flesh to which they have given way.

For this cause I am writing these things while I am away, so that there may be need for me, when I am present, to make use of sharp measures, by the authority which the Lord has given me for building up and not for destruction.

Which is not another sort: only there are some who give you trouble, desiring to make changes in the good news of Christ.

But even if we, or an angel from heaven, were to be a preacher to you of good news other than that which we have given you, let there be a curse on him.

As we have said before, so say I now again, If any man is a preacher to you of any good news other than that which has been given to you, let there be a curse on him.

Because I say to you, my brothers, that the good news of which I was the preacher is not man's.

Now God is witness that the things which I am writing to you are true.

And the churches of Judaea which were in Christ still had no knowledge of my face or person:

Only it came to their ears that he who at one time was cruel to us is now preaching the faith which before had been attacked by him;

And I went up by revelation; and I put before them the good news which I was preaching among the Gentiles, but privately before those who were of good name, so that the work which I was or had been doing might not be without effect.

And that because of the false brothers let in secretly, who came searching out our free condition which we have in Christ Jesus, so that they might make servants of us;

When they saw the grace which was given to me, James and Cephas and John, who had the name of being pillars, gave to me and Barnabas their right hands as friends so that we might go to the Gentiles, and they to the circumcision;

Only it was their desire that we would give thought to the poor; which very thing I had much in mind to do.

For if I put up again those things which I gave to destruction, I am seen to be a wrongdoer.

I have been put to death on the cross with Christ; still I am living; no longer I, but Christ is living in me; and that life which I now am living in the flesh I am living by faith, the faith of the Son of God, who in love for me, gave himself up for me.

For all who are of the works of the law are under a curse: because it is said in the Writings, A curse is on everyone who does not keep on doing all the things which are ordered in the book of the law.

So that on the Gentiles might come the blessing of Abraham in Christ Jesus; in order that we through faith might have the Spirit which God had undertaken to give.

Now to Abraham were the undertakings given, and to his seed. He says not, And to seeds, as of a great number; but as of one, he says, And to your seed, which is Christ.

Now this I say: The law, which came four hundred and thirty years after, does not put an end to the agreement made before by God, so as to make the undertaking without effect.

Is the law then against the words of God? in no way; because if there had been a law which was able to give life, truly righteousness would have been by the law.

However, the holy Writings have put all things under sin, so that that for which God gave the undertaking, based on faith in Jesus Christ, might be given to those who have such faith.

But before faith came, we were kept in prison under the law, waiting for the revelation of the faith which was to come.

Which things have a secret sense; because these women are the two agreements; one from the mountain of Sinai, giving birth to servants, which is Hagar.

Now this Hagar is the mountain Sinai in Arabia, and is the image of the Jerusalem which now is: which is a servant with her children.

But the Jerusalem on high is free, which is our mother.

For the flesh has desires against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; because these are opposite the one to the other; so that you may not do the things which you have a mind to do.

Now the works of the flesh are clear, which are these: evil desire, unclean things, wrong use of the senses,

Envy, uncontrolled drinking and feasting, and such things: of which I give you word clearly, even as I did in the past, that they who do such things will have no part in the kingdom of God.

See the size of the handwriting which I myself have made use of in writing to you.

But far be it from me to have glory in anything, but only in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, through which this world has come to an end on the cross for me, and I for it.

To the praise of the glory of his grace, which he freely gave to us in the Loved One:

Which he gave us in full measure in all wisdom and care;

Having made clear to us the secret of his purpose, in agreement with the design which he had in mind, to put into his hands

Which is the first-fruit of our heritage, till God gets back that which is his, to the praise of his glory.

For this cause I, having had news of the faith in the Lord Jesus which is among you, and which you make clear to all the saints,

By which he made Christ come back from the dead, and gave him a place at his right hand in heaven,

Far over all rule and authority and power and every name which is named, not only in the present order, but in that which is to come:

Which is his body, the full measure of him in whom all things are made complete.

In which you were living in the past, after the ways of this present world, doing the pleasure of the lord of the power of the air, the spirit who is now working in those who go against the purpose of God;

But God, being full of mercy, through the great love which he had for us,

For by his act we were given existence in Christ Jesus to do those good works which God before made ready for us so that we might do them.

Having in his flesh put an end to that which made the division between us, even the law with its rules and orders, so that he might make in himself, of the two, one new man, so making peace;

If that ordering of the grace of God has come to your knowledge, which was given to me for you,

By the reading of which you will be clear about my knowledge of the secret of Christ;

Which in other generations was not given to the sons of men, but the revelation of it has now been made to his holy Apostles and prophets in the Spirit;

Which is that the Gentiles have a part in the heritage, and in the same body, and in the same hope in Christ through the good news,

Of which I was made a preacher, through that grace of God which was given to me in the measure of the working of his power.

And make all men see what is the ordering of the secret which from the first has been kept in God who made all things;

Which is seen in his eternal purpose in Christ Jesus our Lord:

For this reason it is my prayer that you may not become feeble because of my troubles for you, which are your glory.

And to have knowledge of the love of Christ which is outside all knowledge, so that you may be made complete as God himself is complete.

Now to him who is able to do in full measure more than all our desires or thoughts, through the power which is working in us,

I then, the prisoner in the Lord, make this request from my heart, that you will see that your behaviour is a credit to the position which God's purpose has given you,

This I say, then, and give witness in the Lord, that you are to go no longer in the way of the Gentiles whose minds are turned to that which has no profit,

For this was not the teaching of Christ which was given to you;

That you are to put away, in relation to your earlier way of life, the old man, which has become evil by love of deceit;

And put on the new man, to which God has given life, in righteousness and a true and holy way of living.

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.

(Because the fruit of the light is in all righteousness and in everything which is good and true),

And have no company with the works of the dark, which give no fruit, but make their true quality clear;

For the things which are done by them in secret it is shame even to put into words.

But all things, when their true quality is seen, are made clear by the light: because everything which is made clear is light.

And do not take overmuch wine by which one may be overcome, but be full of the Spirit;

Give honour to your father and mother (which is the first rule having a reward),

And take salvation for your head-dress and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God:

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.

Being full of the fruits of righteousness, which are through Jesus Christ, to the glory and praise of God.

I am in a hard position between the two, having a desire to go away and be with Christ, which is very much better:

Having no fear of those who are against you; which is a clear sign of their destruction, but of your salvation, and that from God;