Brethren, let each one remain with God in that condition in which he was called.

and all drank the same spiritual drink, for they drank from a spiritual rock which followed them; and the rock was Christ.

The cup of blessing which we bless, is it not a participation in the blood of Christ? The bread which we break, is it not a participation in the body of Christ?

If I partake with thankfulness, why am I denounced because of that for which I give thanks?

and when he had given thanks, he broke it and said, "This is my body, which is for you; do this in remembrance of me."

and those parts of the body which we think less honorable we treat with the greater honor, and our unpresentable parts are treated with greater modesty,

Now I would remind you, brethren, of the gospel I preached to you, which you received, in which you stand,

by which also you are saved, if you hold fast the word which I preached to you, unless you believed in vain.

I protest, brethren, by my pride in you which I have in Christ Jesus our Lord, I die every day.

And that which you sow, you do not sow the body which is to be, but a bare grain, perhaps of wheat or of something else.

You know that the household of Stephanas were the first converts in Achaia, and they have devoted themselves to the service of the saints. Now I urge you, brethren,

Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God, and Timothy our brother, to the church of God which is at Corinth, with all the saints who are throughout Achaia:

who comforts us in all our affliction, so that we may be able to comfort those who are in any affliction, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God.

If we are afflicted, it is for your comfort and salvation; and if we are comforted, it is for your comfort, which is effective in the patient enduring of the same sufferings that we suffer.

For we do not want you to be ignorant, brethren, of our affliction which came to us in Asia: that we were burdened beyond measure, above strength, so that we despaired even of life.

Sufficient for such a one is this punishment which was inflicted by the majority,

Now if the ministry that brought death, which was engraved in letters on stone, came with glory, so that the Israelites could not look steadily at the face of Moses because of its glory, fading though it was,

For if what was fading away came with glory, much more is the glory of that which lasts.

while we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are unseen; for the things which are seen are temporary, but the things which are unseen are eternal.

For while we are in this tent, we groan and are burdened, because we do not wish to be unclothed, but to be further clothed, so that what is mortal may be swallowed up by life.

and not only by his coming but also by the comfort with which he was comforted in you, as he told us of your longing, your mourning, your zeal for me, so that I rejoiced still more.

Now, brethren, we want you to know about the grace of God which has been given in the churches of Macedonia,

and not only that, but he has been appointed by the churches to travel with us in this gracious work which we are carrying on, for the glory of the Lord himself and to show our good will.

We intend that no one should blame us about this liberal gift which we are administering,

for I know your readiness, of which I boast about you to the Macedonians, saying that Achaia has been ready since last year; and your zeal has stirred up most of them.

You will be enriched in every way for great generosity, which through us will produce thanksgiving to God.

I beg you that when I am present I may not have to be bold with that confidence by which I intend to be bold against some, who think of us as if we walked according to the flesh.

For even if I boast somewhat further about our authority, which the Lord gave for building you up and not for destroying you, I shall not be put to shame.

I do not wish to seem as if I would terrify you by my letters.

I wish that you would bear with me in a little foolishness; but indeed you are bearing with me.

As the truth of Christ is in me, this boasting of mine will not be stopped in the regions of Achaia.

And what I am doing, I will also continue to do, in order to cut the ground from under those who want an opportunity to be considered equal with us in the things of which they boast.

was caught up to paradise and heard inexpressible things, which a man is not permitted to tell.

For I am afraid that when I come I may not find you what I wish you to be, and you may not find me what you wish me to be; I fear that there may be quarreling, jealousy, outbursts of anger, factions, slander, gossip, arrogance and disorder.

I am afraid that when I come again my God will humble me before you, and I will have to mourn over many of those who sinned before and have not repented of the impurity, immorality, and lewdness which they have practiced.

I write these things while I am absent, in order that when I come I may not have to be severe in my use of the authority which the Lord gave me for building you up, and not for tearing you down.

which is really not another gospel; but there are some who are disturbing you, and want to pervert the gospel of Christ.

For I would have you know, brethren, that the gospel which was preached by me is not according to man.

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

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

What I mean is this: the Law, which came four hundred and thirty years later, does not invalidate a covenant previously ratified by God, so as to nullify the promise.

Is the law then opposed to the promises of God? Certainly not! For if a law had been given which could impart life, then righteousness would indeed have come by the law.

Formerly, when you did not know God, you were slaves to those which by nature are no gods.

I could wish to be present with you now and to change my tone, for I am perplexed about you.

I wish that those who are troubling you would mutilate themselves!

But may it never be that I would boast, except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, through which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world.

to the praise of his glorious grace, which he freely bestowed on us in the Beloved.

which he lavished on us. In all wisdom and insight

he made known to us the mystery of his will according to his good pleasure, which he purposed in Christ,

I pray also that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened, so that you may know what is the hope to which he has called you, what are the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints,

which he worked in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly places,

which is his body, the fullness of him who fills all in all.

in which you formerly walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience.

But God, who is rich in mercy, because of his great love with which he loved us,

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

Therefore remember that formerly you, the Gentiles in the flesh, who are called "Uncircumcision" by the so-called "Circumcision," which is performed in the flesh by human hands

by abolishing in his flesh the hostility, which is the Law of commandments and ordinances, so that he might create in himself one new man out of the two, thus making peace,

and might reconcile them both to God in one body through the cross, by which he put to death the hostility.

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

Of this gospel I was made a minister according to the gift of God's grace which was given me by the working of his power.

and to make plain to everyone the administration of the mystery which for ages has been hidden in God who created all things;

This was according to the eternal purpose which he carried out in Christ Jesus our Lord,

Therefore I ask you not to lose heart at my tribulations for you, which are your glory.

and to know the love of Christ which surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.

I therefore, a prisoner for the Lord, beg you to lead a life worthy of the calling to which you have been called,

You were taught, with regard to your former manner of life, to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful lusts;

And there must be no filthiness and silly talk, or coarse jesting, which are not fitting, but rather let there be thanksgiving.

For the husband is the head of the wife as Christ is the head of the church, his body, of which he is himself the Savior.

"Honor your father and mother" (which is the first commandment with a promise),

in addition to all this, taking up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one.

And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the spirit, which is the word of God.

for which I am an ambassador in chains; that I may declare it boldly, as I ought to speak.

having been filled with the fruit of righteousness which comes through Jesus Christ, to the glory and praise of God.

But if I am to live on in the flesh, this will mean fruitful labor for me. Yet which I shall choose I do not know.

having the same conflict which you saw in me, and now hear to be in me.

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

Therefore God also highly exalted him, and bestowed on him the name which is above every name,

Watch out for the dogs, watch out for the evil workers, watch out for those mutilators of the body.

and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which is through faith in Christthe righteousness that comes from God and is by faith,

Not that I have already obtained this, or have already been made perfect, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me.

But our citizenship is in heaven, from which also we eagerly wait for a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ;

And the peace of God, which passes all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

Not that I seek the gift itself, but I seek for the profit which increases to your account.

because we have heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and of the love which you have for all the saints,

which has come to you, just as in all the world it is bearing fruit and growing, even as it has been doing among you since the day you heard it and understood the grace of God in truth;

if indeed you continue in the faith firmly established and steadfast, and are not moved away from the hope of the gospel that you have heard, which has been proclaimed to every creature under heaven, and of which I, Paul, have become a minister.

Now I rejoice in my sufferings for your sake, and in my flesh I do my share for the sake of his body, which is the church, in filling up what is lacking in Christ's afflictions.

Of this church I became a minister according to the stewardship from God which was given to me for you, to make the word of God fully known,

To them God willed to make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.

For this end I labor, striving with all his energy, which so mightily works within me.

having been buried with him in baptism, in which you were also raised up with him through faith in the working of God, who raised him from the dead.

having canceled the certificate of debt, which stood against us with its decrees. He took what was hostile away from us, nailing it to the cross.

(referring to things which are all destined perish with use), according to human commandments and teachings?

Put to death, therefore, whatever belongs to your earthly nature: sexual immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire and greed, which is idolatry.

and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge in the image of its Creator.

And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity.

Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in the one body. And be thankful.

And pray for us as well, that God may open a door to us for the word, so that we may proclaim the mystery of Christ, for which I am in chains,

Say to Archippus, "See to the ministry which you have received in the Lord, that you may fulfill it."

so that you became an example to all the believers in Macedonia and in Achaia.