But when God, who had set me apart even from my mother’s womb and called me through His grace, was pleased

I was still unknown by sight to the churches of Judea which were in Christ;

It was because of a revelation that I went up; and I submitted to them the gospel which I preach among the Gentiles, but I did so in private to those who were of reputation, for fear that I might be running, or had run, in vain.

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

But it was because of the false brethren secretly brought in, who had sneaked in to spy out our liberty which we have in Christ Jesus, in order to bring us into bondage.

They only asked us to remember the poor—the very thing I also was eager to do.

The rest of the Jews joined him in hypocrisy, with the result that even Barnabas was carried away by their hypocrisy.

You foolish Galatians, who has bewitched you, before whose eyes Jesus Christ was publicly portrayed as crucified?

Did you suffer so many things in vain—if indeed it was in vain?

Even so Abraham believed God, and it was reckoned to him as righteousness.

Why the Law then? It was added because of transgressions, having been ordained through angels by the agency of a mediator, until the seed would come to whom the promise had been made.

Is the Law then contrary to the promises of God? May it never be! For if a law had been given which was able to impart life, then righteousness would indeed have been based on law.

But before faith came, we were kept in custody under the law, being shut up to the faith which was later to be revealed.

but you know that it was because of a bodily illness that I preached the gospel to you the first time;

and that which was a trial to you in my bodily condition you did not despise or loathe, but you received me as an angel of God, as Christ Jesus Himself.

But the son by the bondwoman was born according to the flesh, and the son by the free woman through the promise.

But as at that time he who was born according to the flesh persecuted him who was born according to the Spirit, so it is now also.

It was for freedom that Christ set us free; therefore keep standing firm and do not be subject again to a yoke of slavery.

if indeed you have heard of the stewardship of God’s grace which was given to me for you;

that by revelation there was made known to me the mystery, as I wrote before in brief.

which in other generations was not made known to the sons of men, as it has now been revealed to His holy apostles and prophets in the Spirit;

of which I was made a minister, according to the gift of God’s grace which was given to me according to the working of His power.

To me, the very least of all saints, this grace was given, to preach to the Gentiles the unfathomable riches of Christ,

This was in accordance with the eternal purpose which He carried out in Christ Jesus our Lord,

But to each one of us grace was given according to the measure of Christ’s gift.

Have this attitude in yourselves which was also in Christ Jesus,

because he was longing for you all and was distressed because you had heard that he was sick.

For indeed he was sick to the point of death, but God had mercy on him, and not on him only but also on me, so that I would not have sorrow upon sorrow.

because he came close to death for the work of Christ, risking his life to complete what was deficient in your service to me.

Not that I have already obtained it or have already become perfect, but I press on so that I may lay hold of that for which also I was laid hold of by Christ Jesus.

For it was the Father’s good pleasure for all the fullness to dwell in Him,

if indeed you continue in the faith firmly established and steadfast, and not moved away from the hope of the gospel that you have heard, which was proclaimed in all creation under heaven, and of which I, Paul, was made a minister.

Of this church I was made a minister according to the stewardship from God bestowed on me for your benefit, so that I might fully carry out the preaching of the word of God,

having canceled out the certificate of debt consisting of decrees against us, which was hostile to us; and He has taken it out of the way, having nailed it to the cross.

For you yourselves know, brethren, that our coming to you was not in vain,

when He comes to be glorified in His saints on that day, and to be marveled at among all who have believed—for our testimony to you was believed.

Do you not remember that while I was still with you, I was telling you these things?

It was for this He called you through our gospel, that you may gain the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ.

even though I was formerly a blasphemer and a persecutor and a violent aggressor. Yet I was shown mercy because I acted ignorantly in unbelief;

and the grace of our Lord was more than abundant, with the faith and love which are found in Christ Jesus.

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

For it was Adam who was first created, and then Eve.

And it was not Adam who was deceived, but the woman being deceived, fell into transgression.

By common confession, great is the mystery of godliness:
He who was revealed in the flesh,
Was vindicated in the Spirit,
Seen by angels,
Proclaimed among the nations,
Believed on in the world,
Taken up in glory.

Do not neglect the spiritual gift within you, which was bestowed on you through prophetic utterance with the laying on of hands by the presbytery.

who 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 granted us in Christ Jesus from all eternity,

for which I was appointed a preacher and an apostle and a teacher.

The Lord grant mercy to the house of Onesiphorus, for he often refreshed me and was not ashamed of my chains;

but when he was in Rome, he eagerly searched for me and found me—

But they will not make further progress; for their folly will be obvious to all, just as Jannes’s and Jambres’s folly was also.

But the Lord stood with me and strengthened me, so that through me the proclamation might be fully accomplished, and that all the Gentiles might hear; and I was rescued out of the lion’s mouth.

but at the proper time manifested, even His word, in the proclamation with which I was entrusted according to the commandment of God our Savior,

who formerly was useless to you, but now is useful both to you and to me.

For perhaps he was for this reason separated from you for a while, that you would have him back forever,

how will we escape if we neglect so great a salvation? After it was at the first spoken through the Lord, it was confirmed to us by those who heard,

But we do see Him who was made for a little while lower than the angels, namely, Jesus, because of the suffering of death crowned with glory and honor, so that by the grace of God He might taste death for everyone.

For it was fitting for Him, for whom are all things, and through whom are all things, in bringing many sons to glory, to perfect the author of their salvation through sufferings.

For since He Himself was tempted in that which He has suffered, He is able to come to the aid of those who are tempted.

He was faithful to Him who appointed Him, as Moses also was in all His house.

Now Moses was faithful in all His house as a servant, for a testimony of those things which were to be spoken later;

but Christ was faithful as a Son over His house—whose house we are, if we hold fast our confidence and the boast of our hope firm until the end.

“Therefore I was angry with this generation,
And said, ‘They always go astray in their heart,
And they did not know My ways’;

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

For indeed we have had good news preached to us, just as they also; but the word they heard did not profit them, because it was not united by faith in those who heard.

And no one takes the honor to himself, but receives it when he is called by God, even as Aaron was.

In the days of His flesh, He offered up both prayers and supplications with loud crying and tears to the One able to save Him from death, and He was heard because of His piety.

Although He was a Son, He learned obedience from the things which He suffered.

For this Melchizedek, king of Salem, priest of the Most High God, who met Abraham as he was returning from the slaughter of the kings and blessed him,

to whom also Abraham apportioned a tenth part of all the spoils, was first of all, by the translation of his name, king of righteousness, and then also king of Salem, which is king of peace.

Now observe how great this man was to whom Abraham, the patriarch, gave a tenth of the choicest spoils.

for he was still in the loins of his father when Melchizedek met him.

Now if perfection was through the Levitical priesthood (for on the basis of it the people received the Law), what further need was there for another priest to arise according to the order of Melchizedek, and not be designated according to the order of Aaron?

For it is evident that our Lord was descended from Judah, a tribe with reference to which Moses spoke nothing concerning priests.

And inasmuch as it was not without an oath

For it was fitting for us to have such a high priest, holy, innocent, undefiled, separated from sinners and exalted above the heavens;

who serve a copy and shadow of the heavenly things, just as Moses was warned by God when he was about to erect the tabernacle; for, “See,” He says, “that you make all things according to the pattern which was shown you on the mountain.”

For there was a tabernacle prepared, the outer one, in which were the lampstand and the table and the sacred bread; this is called the holy place.

Behind the second veil there was a tabernacle which is called the Holy of Holies,

having a golden altar of incense and the ark of the covenant covered on all sides with gold, in which was a golden jar holding the manna, and Aaron’s rod which budded, and the tables of the covenant;

Therefore even the first covenant was not inaugurated without blood.

Therefore it was necessary for the copies of the things in the heavens to be cleansed with these, but the heavenly things themselves with better sacrifices than these.

nor was it that He would offer Himself often, as the high priest enters the holy place year by year with blood that is not his own.

How much severer punishment do you think he will deserve who has trampled under foot the Son of God, and has regarded as unclean the blood of the covenant by which he was sanctified, and has insulted the Spirit of grace?

For you have need of endurance, so that when you have done the will of God, you may receive what was promised.

By faith we understand that the worlds were prepared by the word of God, so that what is seen was not made out of things which are visible.

By faith Abel offered to God a better sacrifice than Cain, through which he obtained the testimony that he was righteous, God testifying about his gifts, and through faith, though he is dead, he still speaks.

By faith Enoch was taken up so that he would not see death; and he was not found because God took him up; for he obtained the witness that before his being taken up he was pleasing to God.

By faith Abraham, when he was called, obeyed by going out to a place which he was to receive for an inheritance; and he went out, not knowing where he was going.

for he was looking for the city which has foundations, whose architect and builder is God.

Therefore there was born even of one man, and him as good as dead at that, as many descendants as the stars of heaven in number, and innumerable as the sand which is by the seashore.

By faith Abraham, when he was tested, offered up Isaac, and he who had received the promises was offering up his only begotten son;

it was he to whom it was said, “In Isaac your descendants shall be called.”

By faith Jacob, as he was dying, blessed each of the sons of Joseph, and worshiped, leaning on the top of his staff.

By faith Joseph, when he was dying, made mention of the exodus of the sons of Israel, and gave orders concerning his bones.

By faith Moses, when he was born, was hidden for three months by his parents, because they saw he was a beautiful child; and they were not afraid of the king’s edict.

considering the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures of Egypt; for he was looking to the reward.

(men of whom the world was not worthy), wandering in deserts and mountains and caves and holes in the ground.

And all these, having gained approval through their faith, did not receive what was promised,

For you know that even afterwards, when he desired to inherit the blessing, he was rejected, for he found no place for repentance, though he sought for it with tears.

and to the blast of a trumpet and the sound of words which sound was such that those who heard begged that no further word be spoken to them.