I beg you to put yourselves under leaders like these, and under anyone who cooperates with you, and labors hard.

If anyone [there] does not love the Lord, he deserves to be cut off from God. O Lord, come [back soon].

For our boasting is this, the testimony of our consciousness, that in simplicity and purity of God, not in fleshly wisdom, but in the grace of God, we turned back in the world, and more eminently to you.

And by way of Corinth to go into Macedonia, and from there to come back again to you, so that you might send me on my way to Judaea.

But I have judged this with myself, not to come back to you in grief.

Therefore I urge you to reinstate him in your affections and reaffirm your love for him.

Having then such a hope, we keep nothing back,

Nay, their minds were made dull; for to this very day during the reading of the book of the ancient Covenant, the same veil remains unlifted, because it is only in Christ that it is to be abolished.

But we all, with unveiled face giving back as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as from the Lord who is the Spirit.

Because we are certain that he who made the Lord Jesus come back from the dead, will do the same for us, and will give us a place in his glory with you.

For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, in order that each one may receive back the [things] through the body according to what he has done, whether good or bad.

And that he underwent death for all, so that the living might no longer be living to themselves, but to him who underwent death for them and came back from the dead.

So we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were making His appeal through us; we [as Christ’s representatives] plead with you on behalf of Christ to be reconciled to God.

Working together with Him, we strongly urge you not to receive God’s grace in vain [by turning away from sound doctrine and His merciful kindness].

We are speaking freely to you, Corinthians [we are keeping nothing back], and our heart is opened wide.

We are not holding back [our affections] from you, but you are holding back your affections [from us].

Now to give me back payment of the same sort (I am talking as to my children), let your hearts be wide open to me.

[Note: The following section seems to pick up where 6:13 left off]. Make room for us in your hearts. We have not wronged or injured anyone, nor have we taken advantage of anyone.

yet I am glad now, not because you were hurt and made sorry, but because your sorrow led to repentance [and you turned back to God]; for you felt a grief such as God meant you to feel, so that you might not suffer loss in anything on our account.

For [you can look back and] see what an earnestness and authentic concern this godly sorrow has produced in you: what vindication of yourselves [against charges that you tolerate sin], what indignation [at sin], what fear [of offending God], what longing [for righteousness and justice], what passion [to do what is right], what readiness to punish [those who sin and those who tolerate sin]! At every point you have proved yourselves to be innocent in the matter.

For I have before made clear to those of Macedonia my pride in your ready mind, saying to them that Achaia has been ready for a year back; and a great number have been moved to do the same by your example.

I thought it necessary therefore to beg the brethren that they would come to you, and complete beforehand your fore-announced blessing, that this may be ready thus as blessing, and not as got out of you.

I beg you that when I am present I will not need to be bold with the confidence by which I plan to challenge certain people who think we are behaving in an unspiritual way.

I have knowledge of a man in Christ, fourteen years back (if he was in the body, or out of the body, I am not able to say, but God only), who was taken up to the third heaven.

However, if I wanted to boast, I would not be a fool, because I would be telling the truth. But I will hold back, so that no one will think more of me than what he sees or hears from me.

For I am afraid that perhaps, when I come, I may find that you are not what I want you to be, and, on the other hand, that you may find that I am what you do not want me to be. I am afraid that I may find quarreling, jealousy, ill-feeling, rivalry, slandering, back-biting, self-assertion, and disorder.

and that when I come back my God may humiliate me before you, and I may have to mourn over many who have kept on in their old sins and have never repented of the impurity, immorality, and sensuality in which they have indulged.

I have already warned those who have sinned in the past and all the rest as well, and I warn them now even though I am absent [from you] as I did when I was with you the second time, that if I come back I will not spare anyone,

Paul, an Apostle (not from men, and not through man, but through Jesus Christ, and God the Father, who made him come back from the dead),

Nor did I [even] go up to Jerusalem to those who were apostles before me; but I went to Arabia and stayed awhile, and afterward returned once more to Damascus.

For [certain] false brothers, who were secretly brought in to observe us practicing our liberty in Christ Jesus [i.e., by not having Titus circumcised], attempted to place us [back] under the bondage [of Mosaic law keeping].

For before that certain came from James, he ate with the Gentiles; but when they came, he drew back and separated himself, fearing them that were of the circumcision.

For as many as are of the works of the law are under the curse: for it is written, Cursed is every one that continueth not in all things which are written in the book of the law to do them.

Christ bought us back from the curse [caused by our not obeying all the requirements] of the law of Moses; He became a curse for us [by dying on the cross], for it is written [Deut. 21:23], "Every one who hangs on a tree [i.e., a cross] is cursed [i.e., cut off from God]."

so that He could buy back [from Satan] those who were [still] under [obligation to] the law of Moses, and that we could become adopted children.

but now that ye have come to know God, or rather to be known by God, how turn ye back again to the weak and beggarly rudiments, whereunto ye desire to be in bondage over again?

Believers, I beg of you, become as I am [free from the bondage of Jewish ritualism and ordinances], for I have become as you are [a Gentile]. You did me no wrong [when I first came to you; do not do it now].

You were running well; who kept you back from obedience to the truth?

for every one must carry his own pack load.

Be not tricked; God is not made sport of: for whatever seed a man puts in, that will he get back as grain.

See what big letters I make as I write to you with my own hand!

May the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ be praised, for He has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly realms in [fellowship with] Christ. [Note: The term "heavenly realms" is used somewhat differently throughout this book. Here it refers to Christians as part of the church on earth].

In [fellowship with] Christ we have redemption [i.e., we have been bought back from Satan] through His blood, and have forgiveness of sins according to the abundance of God's unearned favor,

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

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

So that we came back from death with him, and are seated with him in the heavens, in Christ Jesus;

Therefore I beg you not to be disheartened at the sufferings that I am undergoing for your sakes; for they redound to your honor.

and beg him out of his wealth of glory to strengthen you mightily through his Spirit in your inner nature

So I, the prisoner for the Lord, appeal to you to live a life worthy of the calling to which you have been called [that is, to live a life that exhibits godly character, moral courage, personal integrity, and mature behavior—a life that expresses gratitude to God for your salvation],

that we may no longer be children, tossed back and forth and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, in craftiness, after the wiles of error;

[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.

so that what you can be proud of may increase because of me in Christ Jesus, when I come back to you.

However, I thought it necessary to send back to you Epaphroditus, [who has been] my brother and companion and fellow soldier, who was also sent as your messenger to take care of my needs.

That I may have knowledge of him, and of the power of his coming back from the dead, and a part with him in his pains, becoming like him in his death;

I beg Euodia and Syntyche that they be of the same mind in the Lord.

And I intreat thee also, true yokefellow, help those women which laboured with me in the gospel, with Clement also, and with other my fellowlabourers, whose names are in the book of life.

through whom we receive redemption [i.e., are bought back from Satan], which is the forgiveness of [our] sins.

and through [the intervention of] the Son to reconcile all things to Himself, making peace [with believers] through the blood of His cross; through Him, [I say,] whether things on earth or things in heaven.

Having been put to death with him in baptism, by which you came to life again with him, through faith in the working of God, who made him come back from the dead.

Lie not to one another, having put off the old man with big deeds;

For the one who does wrong will receive back whatever wrong he has done, and there is no partiality.

Waiting for his Son from heaven, who came back from the dead, even Jesus, our Saviour from the wrath to come.

For we resolved to come to see you??, Paul, did so again and again??ut Satan held us back.

For what is [the basis of] our hope, or joy, or crown of honor in the presence of the Lord Jesus when He comes back? [Note: By "crown" Paul alludes to the laurel wreath awarded to the victor in an athletic contest]. Will it not be you people?

That, no one, might be shrinking back in these tribulations. For ye, yourselves, know, that, hereunto, are we appointed;

But now that Timothy has come back to us from [his visit with] you, and has brought us good news of your [steadfast] faith and [the warmth of your] love, and [reported] that you always think kindly of us and treasure your memories of us, longing to see us just as we long to see you,

For what thanksgiving can we render back, unto God, concerning you, on occasion of all the joy wherewith we rejoice, for your sakes, before our God? -

so that He may strengthen your hearts to be faultless in purity in the sight of God, when our Lord Jesus comes back with all His consecrated ones.

For the rest, then, brethren, we beg you and exhort you in the Lord Jesus, even as ye have received from us how ye ought to walk and please God, even as ye also do walk, that ye would abound still more.

as you are practicing it toward all the brothers all over Macedonia. We beg you, brothers, to continue to live better and better;

For if we have faith that Jesus underwent death and came back again, even so those who are sleeping will come again with him by God's power.

For on the Lord's own authority we say that those of us who may be left behind and are still living when the Lord comes back, will have no advantage at all over those who have fallen asleep.

But we beg you, brethren, to know those who labour among you, and take the lead among you in the Lord, and admonish you,

We beg you, brothers, warn the idlers, cheer up the despondent, keep hold of the weak, be patient with everybody.

See to it that no one pays back evil for evil to anyone, but always pursue good toward one another and toward all [people].

May God Himself, who gave you peace, consecrate your whole being. May you be safely kept, spirit, soul, and body, so as to be blameless when our Lord Jesus Christ comes back.

since it is a righteous thing with God to give back to those troubling you -- trouble,

Now we beg you, brethren, by the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our gathering together to him,

And now it is clear to you what is keeping back his revelation till the time comes for him to be seen.

For the secret of evil is even now at work: but there is one who is keeping back the evil till he is taken out of the way.

I beg you, as I did when I was on my way into Macedonia, to remain at Ephesus; that you may instruct certain people there not to teach new and strange doctrines,

and if any widow have children or grandchildren, let them learn first to their own house to show piety, and to give back a recompense to the parents, for this is right and acceptable before God.

For many of them are all ready turned back, and are gone after Satan.

Keep in mind Jesus Christ, of the seed of David, who came back from the dead, as my good news gives witness:

Men whose ideas are all false, who say that the coming back from the dead has even now taken place, overturning the faith of some.

they may come to their senses again and escape the snare of the devil, as they are brought back to life by God to do his will.

and while they retain the outward form of religion, they will not allow it to influence them. Turn your back on such men as these.

Luke, alone is with me. Receiving, Mark, back, bring him with thyself, for he is very useful to me for ministering;

Alexander the coppersmith did me great harm; [but that is no concern of mine, for] the Lord will repay him according to his actions.

Urge bond-servants to be subject to their own masters in everything, to be pleasing and not talk back,

not keeping back anything, but showing forth all good faith; that they may adorn the teaching of our Savior God in all things.

He gave Himself up for us, to buy us back from [enslavement to] all [kinds of] wickedness and to purify for Himself a group of people who belong to Him and who are eager to do good deeds.

Knowing such to be turned back, and he sins, being self-condemned.

yet for love's sake I rather beg, being such a one as Paul, the aged, but also a prisoner of Jesus Christ.

I beg you for my child, whom I have become the father of in my chains, Onesimus,

he who was once worthless to you, but now useful to you and to me; whom I sent back to you.

whom I have sent back to thee in his own person, that is, my very heart:

Whom I wanted to keep back for myself, so that in thy behalf he might serve me in the bonds of the good-news.

Perhaps it was for this reason that he was separated from you for a while, so that you would have him back forever,

If then you consider me to be a partner [in the faith], welcome him [back] as [you would] me.