The first man was from the earth
and made of dust;
the second man is from heaven.

About our brother Apollos: I strongly urged him to come to you with the brothers, but he was not at all willing to come now. However, he will come when he has an opportunity.

So when I planned this, was I irresponsible? Or what I plan, do I plan in a purely human way so that I say “Yes, yes” and “No, no” simultaneously?

For the Son of God, Jesus Christ, who was preached among you by us—by me and Silvanus and Timothy—did not become “Yes and no”; on the contrary, a final “Yes” has come in Him.

I call on God as a witness, on my life, that it was to spare you that I did not come to Corinth.

I wrote for this purpose: to test your character to see if you are obedient in everything.

When I came to Troas to preach the gospel of Christ, the Lord opened a door for me.

For if what was fading away was glorious, what endures will be even more glorious.

We are not like Moses, who used to put a veil over his face so that the Israelites could not stare at the end of what was fading away,

And He died for all so that those who live should no longer live for themselves, but for the One who died for them and was raised.

That is, in Christ, God was reconciling the world to Himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and He has committed the message of reconciliation to us.

Therefore, dear friends, since we have such promises, let us cleanse ourselves from every impurity of the flesh and spirit, completing our sanctification in the fear of God.

So even though I wrote to you, it was not because of the one who did wrong, or because of the one who was wronged, but in order that your diligence for us might be made plain to you in the sight of God.

For this reason we have been comforted.

In addition to our comfort, we rejoiced even more over the joy Titus had, because his spirit was refreshed by all of you.

For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ: Though He was rich, for your sake He became poor, so that by His poverty you might become rich.

But now finish the task as well, that just as there was eagerness to desire it, so there may also be a completion from what you have.

And not only that, but he was also appointed by the churches to accompany us with this gift that is being administered by us for the glory of the Lord Himself and to show our eagerness to help.

When I was present with you and in need, I did not burden anyone, for the brothers who came from Macedonia supplied my needs. I have kept myself, and will keep myself, from burdening you in any way.

Three times I was beaten with rods by the Romans.
Once I was stoned by my enemies.
Three times I was shipwrecked.
I have spent a night and a day
in the open sea.

so I was let down in a basket through a window in the wall and escaped his hands.

I know a man in Christ who was caught up into the third heaven 14 years ago. Whether he was in the body or out of the body, I don’t know, God knows.

was caught up into paradise. He heard inexpressible words, which a man is not allowed to speak.

especially because of the extraordinary revelations. Therefore, so that I would not exalt myself, a thorn in the flesh was given to me, a messenger of Satan to torment me so I would not exalt myself.

I gave a warning when I was present the second time, and now I give a warning while I am absent to those who sinned before and to all the rest: If I come again, I will not be lenient,

In fact, He was crucified in weakness, but He lives by God’s power. For we also are weak in Him, yet toward you we will live with Him by God’s power.

For I did not receive it from a human source and I was not taught it, but it came by a revelation from Jesus Christ.

I advanced in Judaism beyond many contemporaries among my people, because I was extremely zealous for the traditions of my ancestors.

But when God, who from my birth set me apart and called me by His grace, was pleased

But not even Titus who was with me, though he was a Greek, was compelled to be circumcised.

On the contrary, they saw that I had been entrusted with the gospel for the uncircumcised, just as Peter was for the circumcised,

since the One at work in Peter for an apostleship to the circumcised was also at work in me for the Gentiles.

Then the rest of the Jews joined his hypocrisy, so that even Barnabas was carried away by their hypocrisy.

You foolish Galatians! Who has hypnotized you, before whose eyes Jesus Christ was vividly portrayed as crucified?

Did you suffer so much for nothing—if in fact it was for nothing?

Just as Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him for righteousness,

The purpose was that the blessing of Abraham would come to the Gentiles by Christ Jesus, so that we could receive the promised Spirit through faith.

And I say this: The law, which came 430 years later, does not revoke a covenant that was previously ratified by God and cancel the promise.

Why then was the law given? It was added because of transgressions until the Seed to whom the promise was made would come. The law was put into effect through angels by means of a mediator.

Is the law therefore contrary to God’s promises? Absolutely not! For if a law had been given that was able to give life, then righteousness would certainly be by the law.

Before this faith came, we were confined under the law, imprisoned until the coming faith was revealed.

The law, then, was our guardian until Christ, so that we could be justified by faith.

But since that faith has come, we are no longer under a guardian,

You did not despise or reject me though my physical condition was a trial for you. On the contrary, you received me as an angel of God, as Christ Jesus Himself.

But the one by the slave was born according to the impulse of the flesh, while the one by the free woman was born as the result of a promise.

The mystery was made known to me by revelation, as I have briefly written above.

This was not made known to people in other generations as it is now revealed to His holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit:

I was made a servant of this gospel by the gift of God’s grace that was given to me by the working of His power.

This grace was given to me—the least of all the saints—to proclaim to the Gentiles the incalculable riches of the Messiah,

Now grace was given to each one of us according to the measure of the Messiah’s gift.

since he has been longing for all of you and was distressed because you heard that he was sick.

Indeed, he was so sick that he nearly died. However, God had mercy on him, and not only on him but also on me, so that I would not have one grief on top of another.

because he came close to death for the work of Christ, risking his life to make up what was lacking in your ministry to me.

But everything that was a gain to me, I have considered to be a loss because of Christ.

For everything was created by Him,
in heaven and on earth,
the visible and the invisible,
whether thrones or dominions
or rulers or authorities—
all things have been created through Him and for Him.

For God was pleased to have
all His fullness dwell in Him,

I have become its servant, according to God’s administration that was given to me for you, to make God’s message fully known,

He erased the certificate of debt, with its obligations, that was against us and opposed to us, and has taken it out of the way by nailing it to the cross.

These are a shadow of what was to come; the substance is the Messiah.

For you yourselves know, brothers, that our visit with you was not without result.

Therefore, when we could no longer stand it, we thought it was better to be left alone in Athens.

in that day when He comes to be glorified by His saints and to be admired by all those who have believed, because our testimony among you was believed.

Don’t you remember that when I was still with you I told you about this?

Finally, brothers, pray for us that the Lord’s message may spread rapidly and be honored, just as it was with you,

based on the glorious gospel of the blessed God, which was entrusted to me.

one who was formerly a blasphemer, a persecutor, and an arrogant man. But I received mercy because I acted out of ignorance in unbelief.

For this I was appointed a herald, an apostle (I am telling the truth; I am not lying), and a teacher of the Gentiles in faith and truth.

For Adam was created first, then Eve.

And Adam was not deceived, but the woman was deceived and transgressed.

And most certainly, the mystery of godliness is great:

He was manifested in the flesh,
vindicated in the Spirit,
seen by angels,
preached among the nations,
believed on in the world,
taken up in glory.

Do not neglect the gift that is in you; it was given to you through prophecy, with the laying on of hands by the council of elders.

He has saved us and called us
with a holy calling,
not according to our works,
but according to His own purpose and grace,
which was given to us in Christ Jesus
before time began.

For this gospel I was appointed a herald, apostle, and teacher,

May the Lord grant mercy to the household of Onesiphorus, because he often refreshed me and was not ashamed of my chains.

On the contrary, when he was in Rome, he diligently searched for me and found me.

But they will not make further progress, for their lack of understanding will be clear to all, as theirs was also.

But the Lord stood with me and strengthened me, so that the proclamation might be fully made through me and all the Gentiles might hear. So I was rescued from the lion’s mouth.

In His own time He has revealed His message in the proclamation that I was entrusted with by the command of God our Savior:

The reason I left you in Crete was to set right what was left undone and, as I directed you, to appoint elders in every town:

Once he was useless to you, but now he is useful both to you and to me.

For perhaps this is why he was separated from you for a brief time, so that you might get him back permanently,

For if the message spoken through angels was legally binding and every transgression and disobedience received a just punishment,

how will we escape if we neglect such a great salvation? It was first spoken by the Lord and was confirmed to us by those who heard Him.

For in bringing many sons to glory, it was entirely appropriate that God—all things exist for Him and through Him—should make the source of their salvation perfect through sufferings.

For since He Himself was tested and has suffered, He is able to help those who are tested.

He was faithful to the One who appointed Him, just as Moses was in all God’s household.

Moses was faithful as a servant in all God’s household, as a testimony to what would be said in the future.

But Christ was faithful as a Son over His household. And we are that household if we hold on to the courage and the confidence of our hope.

for 40 years.
Therefore I was provoked with that generation
and said, “They always go astray in their hearts,
and they have not known My ways.”

For who heard and rebelled? Wasn’t it really all who came out of Egypt under Moses?

And who was He provoked with for 40 years? Was it not with those who sinned, whose bodies fell in the wilderness?

No one takes this honor on himself; instead, a person is called by God, just as Aaron was.

During His earthly life, He offered prayers and appeals with loud cries and tears to the One who was able to save Him from death, and He was heard because of His reverence.

After He was perfected, He became the source of eternal salvation for all who obey Him,

and He was declared by God a high priest in the order of Melchizedek.

Now consider how great this man was—even Abraham the patriarch gave a tenth of the plunder to him!

for he was still within his ancestor when Melchizedek met him.

If then, perfection came through the Levitical priesthood (for under it the people received the law), what further need was there for another priest to appear, said to be in the order of Melchizedek and not in the order of Aaron?

So the previous command is annulled because it was weak and unprofitable

For every high priest is appointed to offer gifts and sacrifices; therefore it was necessary for this priest also to have something to offer.

These serve as a copy and shadow of the heavenly things, as Moses was warned when he was about to complete the tabernacle. For God said, Be careful that you make everything according to the pattern that was shown to you on the mountain.