At the present time, your surplus fills their need, so that their surplus may fill your need. In this way things are fair.

Thank God, he puts the same devotion to you that I feel into Titus' heart,

For he received indeed the entreaty, but, being full of zeal, he went of his own accord to you;

and not only so, but is also chosen by the assemblies as our fellow-traveller with this grace, ministered by us to the glory of the Lord himself, and a witness of our readiness;

Whether any inquire about Titus, he is my partner and my fellow-worker to you-ward, or our brethren, they are the messengers of the churches, they are the glory of Christ.

With reference, indeed, to the Fund for your fellow-Christians, it is quite superfluous for me to say anything to you.

But I send the brothers so that our pride in you may not have a fall in this matter, but you may be all ready as I have told them you will;

Otherwise, if any Macedonians were to come with me, and find you unprepared, we--to say nothing of you--should feel ashamed of our present confidence.

Therefore I thought it necessary to urge these brothers to go to you in advance and to arrange ahead of time the generous contribution you had promised, so this may be ready as a generous gift and not as something you feel forced to do.

But in the Writings it says, He who puts in only a small number of seeds, will get in the same; and he who puts them in from a full hand, will have produce in full measure from them.

And God is able to give you all grace in full measure; so that ever having enough of all things, you may be full of every good work:

For the rendering of a public service such as this, not only relieves the needs of your fellow-Christians, but also results in the offering to God of many a thanksgiving.

and in their supplication for you, full of ardent desire for you, on account of the exceeding grace of God which is upon you.

Now I, Paul, appeal to you personally by the meekness and gentleness of Christ (I who am meek when present among you, but am full of courage toward you when away!) --

I make this request so that I do not have to be bold when I am present [with you], and feel compelled to speak in an authoritative tone to some people [there] who think we are living by worldly standards.

and being in readiness to avenge all disobedience, when your obedience shall be made full.

If, however, I were to boast more loudly of our Apostolic authority, which the Lord has given us that we may build you up, not pull you down, I should have no reason to feel ashamed.

for I feel a divine jealousy on your behalf; I betrothed you as a chaste maiden to present you to your one husband Christ,

But I suppose that I fall nothing short of the very chief apostles.

I say again, Let no man think me a fool; if otherwise, yet as a fool receive me, that I may boast myself a little.

What I am now saying, I do not say by the Lord's command, but as a fool in his folly might, in this reckless boasting.

I am ashamed to admit it, but we have been too weak for that. Whatever anyone else dares to claim I am talking like a fool I can claim it, too.

Are they ministers of Christ? (I speak as a fool) I am more; in labours more abundant, in stripes above measure, in prisons more frequent, in deaths oft.

Three times I have been beaten with Roman rods, once I have been stoned, three times I have been shipwrecked, once for full four and twenty hours I was floating on the open sea.

Who is weak, and I do not feel [his] weakness? Who is made to sin, and I am not on fire [with sorrow and concern]?

For though I would desire to glory, I shall not be a fool; for I will say the truth: but now I forbear, lest any man should think of me above that which he seeth me to be, or that he heareth of me.

I am become a fool in glorying; ye have compelled me: for I ought to have been commended of you: for in nothing am I behind the very chiefest apostles, though I be nothing.

But be that as it may, I did not burden you myself; nevertheless, crafty fellow that I am, I took you in by deceit.

I urged Titus [i.e., to go to you to arrange for the special offering. See 8:6], and I sent the brother with him. [See 8:18]. Did Titus take any [financial] advantage of you? Do we not [both] have the same attitude [in this matter]? Do we not [both] follow the same procedures?

For though it is true that He was crucified through weakness, yet He now lives through the power of God. We also are weak, sharing His weakness, but with Him we shall be full of life to deal with you through the power of God.

Test yourselves to see if you are in the faith. Examine yourselves. Or do you yourselves not recognize that Jesus Christ is in you?—unless you fail the test.

I hope, however, that ye shall come to know, that, we, fail not in the testing!

Now we pray to God that you do nothing wrong—not that we may appear to pass the test, but that you may do what is right, even though we may appear to fail.

(Fail or succeed, I cannot work against the truth but for it!)

For we are glad when we are weak and ye are strong. And this also we pray for, your full qualification.

Recognizing the charge entrusted to me, James, Peter, and John, who were regarded as pillars of the Church, openly acknowledged Barnabas and me as fellow-workers, agreeing that we should go to the Gentiles, and they to the Jews.

As soon as I saw that they were not walking uprightly in the spirit of the Good News, I said to Peter, before them all, "If you, though you are a Jew, live as a Gentile does, and not as a Jew, how can you make the Gentiles follow Jewish customs?

So then those who are of faith have a part in the blessing of Abraham who was full of faith.

But when the time was full come, God sent his son - born of a woman, and made bond unto the law -

to redeem those who were under the law, so that we may be adopted as sons with full rights.

For it is written, "Rejoice, you childless woman, who cannot give birth to any children! Break into song and shout, you who feel no pains of childbirth! For the children of the deserted woman are more numerous than the children of the woman who has a husband."

Listen to me! I, Paul, declare to you that if you are to continue to follow the rite of circumcision, Christ will be no profit to you.

ye were freed from the Christ, ye who in law are declared righteous; from the grace ye fell away;

For my part I have strong confidence in you in the Lord that you will adopt my view of the matter. But the man--be he who he may--who is troubling you, will have to bear the full weight of the judgement to be pronounced on him.

For the entire Law has been obeyed when you have kept the single precept, which says, "You are to love your fellow man equally with yourself."

But, if you follow the guidance of the Spirit, you are not subject to Law.

Now you know full well the doings of our lower natures. Fornication, impurity, indecency, idol-worship, sorcery;

If we live by the Spirit, we must also follow the Spirit.

Let us not be full of self-glory, making one another angry, having envy of one another.

Brethren, if anybody be detected in any misconduct, you who are spiritual should restore such a one in a spirit of meekness. And let each of you keep watch over himself, lest he also fall into temptation.

of one another the burdens bear ye, and so fill up the law of the Christ,

Do not be deceived. God will not be made a fool. For a person will reap what he sows,

And all those who follow this rule, peace and mercy [be] on them and on the Israel of God.

Which he gave us in full measure in all wisdom and care;

the same in himself to have it declared when the time were full come: that all things, both the things which are in heaven, and also the things which are in earth, should be gathered together, even in Christ. That is to say, in him

The Spirit is the guarantee [the first installment, the pledge, a foretaste] of our inheritance until the redemption of God’s own [purchased] possession [His believers], to the praise of His glory.

that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, would give you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the full knowledge of him,

And that having the eyes of your heart full of light, you may have knowledge of what is the hope of his purpose, what is the wealth of the glory of his heritage in the saints,

which is His body, the fullness of Him who fills and completes all things in all [believers].

But God, being full of mercy, through the great love which he had for us,

That in the time to come he might make clear the full wealth of his grace in his mercy to us in Christ Jesus:

So then ye are no more strangers and sojourners, but ye are fellow-citizens with the saints, and of the household of God,

to wit , that the Gentiles are fellow-heirs, and fellow-members of the body, and fellow-partakers of the promise in Christ Jesus through the gospel,

and enlighten all men upon the new order of that divine secret which God the Creator of all concealed from eternity ??10 intending to let the full sweep of the divine wisdom be disclosed now by the church to the angelic Rulers and Authorities in the heavenly sphere,

And to understand--though it surpasses all understanding--the love of the Christ; and so be filled to the full with God himself.

Now to him who is able to do in full measure more than all our desires or thoughts, through the power which is working in us,

But each one of us is granted his own grace, as determined by the full measure of Christ's gift.

He that descended is the same also that ascended up far above all heavens, that he might fill all things.)

[and He did this] to fully equip and perfect the saints (God’s people) for works of service, to build up the body of Christ [the church];

until we all arrive at the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, at the full-grown man, at the measure of the stature of the fulness of the Christ;

But saying true words in love, may come to full growth in him, who is the head, even Christ;

From Him the whole body [the church, in all its various parts], joined and knitted firmly together by what every joint supplies, when each part is working properly, causes the body to grow and mature, building itself up in [unselfish] love.

who, having ceased to feel, themselves did give up to the lasciviousness, for the working of all uncleanness in greediness;

For this reason, laying aside falsehood, every one of you should speak the truth to his fellow man; for we are, as it were, parts of one another.

Do not let unwholesome [foul, profane, worthless, vulgar] words ever come out of your mouth, but only such speech as is good for building up others, according to the need and the occasion, so that it will be a blessing to those who hear [you speak].

And be kind to one another, full of pity, having forgiveness for one another, even as God in Christ had forgiveness for you.

Therefore become imitators of God [copy Him and follow His example], as well-beloved children [imitate their father];

Do not let anyone deceive you with empty words, for because of such things, the wrath of God will fall upon people who are disobedient [to Him].

Be not ye therefore fellow-partakers with them;

And do not take overmuch wine by which one may be overcome, but be full of the Spirit;

And might take it for himself, a church full of glory, not having one mark or fold or any such thing; but that it might be holy and complete.

Put on the full armor of God, so that you may be able to stand against the stratagems of the devil,

Because of this, take up the full armor of God, in order that you may be able to resist in the evil day, and having done everything, to stand.

for which I am an embassador, tho' in chains: that I may duely represent it to the full.

Always, in every prayer that I offer for you all--my prayers are full of joy--

I am convinced and confident of this very thing, that He who has begun a good work in you will [continue to] perfect and complete it until the day of Christ Jesus [the time of His return].

according as it is righteous for me to think this in behalf of you all, because of my having you in the heart, both in my bonds, and in the defence and confirmation of the good news, all of you being fellow-partakers with me of grace.

And this I pray, that your love may abound yet more and more in full knowledge and all intelligence,

Being full of the fruits of righteousness, which are through Jesus Christ, to the glory and praise of God.

For I have known that this shall fall out to me for salvation, through your supplication, and the supply of the Spirit of Christ Jesus,

in fulfilment of my eager expectation and hope that I shall never have reason to feel ashamed, but that by my perfect freedom of speech Christ will be glorified in me, now as always, either by my life or by my death.

I feel torn between the two, because I have a desire to depart and be with Christ, which is better by far,

And of this I feel assured, that I shall remain and continue among you all for your advancement and joy in the faith,

make full my joy, that ye be of the same mind, having the same love, being of one accord, of one mind;

And so, when Jesus' name is called, the knees of everyone should fall, wherever they're residing.

For I do not have anyone else [i.e., as a fellow-worker] who thinks the same way I do, and who will genuinely care for your [spiritual and material] needs.

And I am confident, as one who trusts in the Lord Jesus, that before long I myself shall follow.

But I counted it necessary to send to you Epaphroditus, my brother and fellow-worker and fellow-soldier, and your messenger and minister to my need;

For he longed after you all, and was full of heaviness, because that ye had heard that he had been sick.

Therefore, I am especially eager to send him so that you may have the joy of seeing him again, and so that I may feel relieved.