For we are the aroma of Christ to God among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing,

For we are not like the majority who peddle the word of God, but as from pure motives--but as from God--we speak before God in Christ.

Are we beginning to commend ourselves again? Or [do we], like some, need letters of recommendation to you or from you?

You are our letter, inscribed on our hearts, known and read by all people,

revealing that you are a letter of Christ, delivered by us, inscribed not with ink but with the Spirit of the living God, not on stone tablets but on tablets of human hearts.

Not that we are adequate in ourselves to consider anything as from ourselves, but our adequacy [is] from God,

And we all, with unveiled face, reflecting the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory into glory, just as from the Lord, the Spirit.

But if indeed our gospel is veiled, it is veiled among those who are perishing,

We are afflicted in every [way], but not crushed; perplexed, but not despairing;

For we who are alive [are] continually being handed over to death because of Jesus, in order that the life of Jesus may also be revealed in our mortal flesh.

For all [these things] {are for your sake}, in order that the grace that is increasing through the many may cause thanksgiving to abound to the glory of God.

[because] we are not looking at what is seen, but what is not seen. For what is seen [is] temporary, but what is not seen [is] eternal.

For indeed we who are in this tent groan, being burdened {for this reason, that} we do not want to be unclothed, but to be clothed, in order that what is mortal may be swallowed up by life.

Therefore, [although we are] always confident and know that [while we] are at home in the body we are absent from the Lord--

so we are confident and prefer rather to be absent from the body and to be at home with the Lord.

Therefore, [because we] know the fear of the Lord, we are attempting to persuade people, but we are revealed to God, and I hope to be revealed in your consciences.

We are not commending ourselves to you again, but are giving you an opportunity to boast about us, in order that you may have [an answer] for those who boast in appearance and not in heart.

For if we are out of our senses, [it is] for God; if we are of sound mind, [it is] for you.

And all these [things] [are] from God, who has reconciled us to himself through Christ, and who has given us the ministry of reconciliation,

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.

Now [because we] are fellow workers, we also urge you not to receive the grace of God in vain.

[We are] giving no one an occasion for taking offense in anything, in order that our ministry will not have fault found [with it],

You are not restricted by us, but you are restricted in your affections.

And what agreement [does the] temple of God [have] with idols? For we are the temple of the living God, just as God said, "I will live in them and will walk about [among them], and I will be their God and they will be my people."

I do not say [this] {to condemn you}, because I have already said that you are in our hearts, so that we die together and we live together.

[We are] trying to avoid this, lest anyone should find fault with us in this abundant gift that is being administered by us.

For we are taking into consideration what is honorable not only before the Lord, but also before people.

And we are sending with them our brother whom we have tested many times in many [things] that he is diligent, but now much more diligent [because of his] great confidence in you.

If [there is a question] concerning Titus, [he is] my partner and fellow worker for you. If [there is a question concerning] our brothers, [they are] messengers of the churches, the glory of Christ.

and [they are] longing for you in their prayers for you, because of the surpassing grace of God to you.

For [although we] are living in the flesh, we do not wage war according to the flesh,

for the weapons of our warfare [are] not merely human, but powerful to God for the tearing down of fortresses, tearing down arguments

And {we are ready} to punish all disobedience, whenever your obedience is completed.

You are looking at things according to appearance. If anyone is convinced he himself is Christ's, he should consider this concerning himself again: that just as Christ himself [is], so also [are] we.

because it is said, "His letters [are] severe and powerful, but his bodily presence [is] weak and his speech is of no account."

Let such a person consider this: that what we are in word by letters [when we] are absent, [we will] also [be] in {actions} [when we] are present.

For we are not overextending ourselves, as [if we] had not reached you, because we have reached even as far as you with the gospel of Christ,

so that we may proclaim the gospel in the regions that lie beyond you, [and] not boast in the things accomplished in the [area] assigned to someone else.

I wish that you would put up with me {in something a little foolish}--but indeed you are putting up with me.

But what I am doing, I will also do, in order that I may remove the opportunity of those who want an opportunity, that they may be found just as also we [are] in what they are boasting about.

For such people [are] false apostles, deceitful workers, disguising themselves as apostles of Christ.

Since many are boasting according to human standards, I also will boast.

For [because you] are wise, you put up with foolish people gladly!

Are they Hebrews? I [am] also! Are they Israelites? I [am] also! Are they descendants of Abraham? I [am] also!

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 in what respect are you made worse off} more than the rest of the churches, except that I myself was not a burden to you? Forgive me this wrong!

Behold, this third [time] I am ready to come to you, and I will not be a burden [to you]. For I am not seeking your possessions, but you. For children are not obligated to save up for their parents, but parents for their children.

Have you been thinking all this time that we are defending ourselves to you? We are speaking in Christ before God, and all [these things], dear friends, [are] for your edification.

since you are demanding proof that Christ, who [is] not weak toward you, but is powerful among you, is speaking in me.

For indeed, he was crucified because of weakness, but he lives because of the power of God. For we also are weak in him, but we will live together with him because of the power of God toward you.

Test yourselves [to see] if you are in the faith. Examine yourselves! Or do you not recognize regarding yourselves that Jesus Christ [is] in you, unless you are unqualified?

And I hope that you will recognize that we are not unqualified!

Now we pray to God that you not do wrong in any way, not that we are seen as approved, but that you do what is good, even [though] we are [seen] as though unqualified.

For we are not able [to do] anything against the truth, but rather [only] for the truth.

For we rejoice whenever we are weak, but you are strong, and we pray for this: your maturity.

I am astonished that you are turning away so quickly from the one who called you by the grace of Christ to a different gospel,

not that [there] is a different [gospel], except there are some who are disturbing you and wanting to distort the gospel of Christ.

but I was unknown {in person} to the churches of Judea [that are] in Christ,

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?"

We [are] Jews by nature and not sinners from among the Gentiles,

Are you so foolish? Having begun by the Spirit, are you now trying to be made complete by the flesh?

then understand that the ones {who have faith}, these are sons of Abraham.

So then, the ones [who have] faith are blessed together with Abraham who believed.

For as many as are of the works of the law are under a curse, for it is written, "Cursed [is] everyone who does not abide by all [the things] that are written in the book of the law to do them."

But [after] faith has come, we are no longer under a guardian.

For you are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus,

There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.

And if you [are] Christ's, then you are descendants of Abraham, heirs according to the promise.

And because you are sons, God sent out the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, crying out, "Abba! (Father!),"

so that you are no longer a slave but a son, and if a son, also an heir through God.

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

Tell me, [you] who are wanting to be under the law, do you not understand the law?

which [things] are spoken allegorically, for these [women] are two covenants, one from Mount Sinai, bearing [children] for slavery, who is Hagar.

For it is written, "Rejoice, O barren woman, who does not give birth to [children]; burst out and shout, [you] who do not have birth pains, because many [are] the children of the desolate [woman], even more than [those of] the one who has a husband."

But you, brothers, are children of the promise, just as Isaac.

Therefore, brothers, we are not children of the female slave but of the free woman.

You are estranged from Christ, [you] who are attempting to be justified by the law; you have fallen from grace.

I wish that the ones who are disturbing you would also {castrate themselves}!

But if you bite and devour one another, watch out [that] you are not consumed by one another.

For the flesh desires against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh, for these are in opposition to one another, so that whatever you want, you may not do these [things].

But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law.

Now the deeds of the flesh are evident, which are sexual immorality, impurity, licentiousness,

Brothers, even if a person is caught in some trespass, you [who are] spiritual restore such a person in a spirit of humility, looking out for yourself, lest you also be tempted.

As many as are wanting to make a good showing in the flesh, these are attempting to compel you to be circumcised, only so that they will not be persecuted for the cross of Christ.

For not even those who are circumcised observe the law themselves, but they want you to be circumcised in order that they may boast in your flesh.

Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, to the saints who are in Ephesus and faithful in Christ Jesus:

(the eyes of your hearts having been enlightened), so that you may know what is the hope of his calling, what [are] the riches of the glory of his inheritance among the saints,

and we being dead in trespasses, he made [us] alive together with Christ (by grace you are saved),

For by grace you are saved through faith, and this [is] not from yourselves, [it is] the gift of God;

For we are his creation, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, so that we may walk in them.

Consequently, therefore, you are no longer strangers and foreigners, but you are fellow citizens of the saints and members of the household of God,

in whom you also are built up together into a dwelling place of God in [the] Spirit.

[that] the Gentiles are fellow heirs, and fellow members of the body, and fellow sharers of the promise in Christ Jesus through the gospel,

Therefore I ask [you] not to be discouraged at my afflictions on behalf of you, which are your glory.

But speaking the truth in love, we are to grow into him [with reference to] all [things], who is the head, Christ,

Therefore, putting aside the lie, speak truth each one of you with his neighbor, because we are members of one another.

and obscenity, and foolish talk, or coarse jesting (which [are] not proper), but rather thanksgiving.

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

but all [things] exposed by the light are made visible,

making the most of the time because the days are evil.