For He has made Him who knew no sin, to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.

But working together, we also call on you not to receive the grace of God in vain.

but in everything commending ourselves as God's servants, in much patience, in troubles, in emergencies, in distresses,

in the Word of Truth, in the power of God, through the weapons of righteousness on the right hand and on the left,

through glory and dishonor, through evil report and good report; as deceivers and yet true;

And what agreement does a temple of God have with idols? For you are the temple of the living God, as God has said, "I will dwell in them and walk among them; and I will be their God, and they shall be My people."

Then having these promises, dearly beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all defilements of flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God.

Now I rejoice, not that you were grieved, but that you grieved to repentance. For you were grieved according to God, so that you might suffer loss by nothing in us.

For the grief according to God works repentance to salvation, not to be regretted, but the grief of the world works out death.

For behold this same thing (you being grieved according to God); how much it worked out earnestness in you; but also defense; but also indignation; but also fear; but also desire; but also zeal; but also vengeance! In everything you approved yourselves to be clear in the matter.

Then, though I wrote to you, it was not on account of the one who did wrong, nor on account of the one who suffered wrong, but for the sake of revealing our earnestness on your behalf, for you before God.

And, brothers, we make known to you the grace of God which has been given among the churches of Macedonia;

And not as we hoped, but first they gave themselves to the Lord, and to us through the will of God,

But thanks be to God, who put the same earnest care into the heart of Titus for you.

Each one, as he purposes in his heart, let him give; not of grief, or of necessity, for God loves a cheerful giver.

And God is able to make all grace abound toward you, that in everything, always having all self-sufficiency, you may abound to every good work;

you being enriched in everything to all generosity, which works out thanksgiving to God through us.

For the ministry of this service not only supplies the things lacking of the saints, but also multiplying through many thanksgivings to God,

through the proof of this ministry they glorify God for your freely expressed submission to the gospel of Christ, and the generosity of the fellowship toward them and toward all,

and in their prayer for you, who long after you, because of the exceeding grace of God on you.

Thanks be to God for His unspeakable free gift.

For the weapons of our warfare are not fleshly, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strongholds,

pulling down imaginations and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought into the obedience of Christ;

But we will not boast beyond measure, but according to the measure of the rule which the God of measure distributed to us, to reach even to you.

Or did I commit sin in humbling myself that you might be exalted, because I preached the gospel of God to you without charge?

Why? Because I do not love you? God knows.

But what I do, that I will do, so that I may cut off occasion from those who desire occasion; so that in the thing in which they boast, they may be found even as we.

The God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who is blessed forever, knows that I do not lie.

I know a man in Christ fourteen years before (whether in the body, I do not know; or outside of the body, I do not know; God knows) such a one was caught up to the third Heaven.

And I know such a man (whether in the body, or outside of the body, I do not know; God knows),

Again, do you think we are defending ourselves to you? We speak before God in Christ, but we do all things, dearly beloved, for your building up.

lest in my coming again my God will humble me with you; and I shall mourn many who have already sinned, and not repenting over the uncleanness, and fornication, and lustfulness which they have practiced.

for even if He was crucified out of weakness, yet He lives by the power of God. For indeed even we are weak in Him, but we shall live with Him by the power of God toward you),

But I pray to God for you not to do evil, none. And not that we may appear approved, but that you should do the good things, though we are deemed to be reprobates.

Finally, brothers, rejoice. Perfect yourselves; encourage yourselves; mind the same thing; be at peace. And the God of love and peace will be with you.

May the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all. Amen.

Paul, an apostle (not from men, nor through man, but through Jesus Christ and God the Father, who raised Him from the dead),

Grace be to you, and peace from God the Father and from our Lord Jesus Christ,

who gave Himself for our sins, that He might deliver us from this present evil world according to the will of God and our Father,

For now do I persuade men, or God? Or do I seek to please men? For if I yet pleased men, I would not be a servant of Christ.

For you heard my manner of life when I was in Judaism, that I persecuted the church of God with surpassing zeal, and ravaged it.

But when it pleased God, who separated me from my mother's womb, and having called me by His grace,

And what I write to you, behold, before God, I do not lie.

And they glorified God in me.

But from those who seemed to be something (what kind they were then does not matter to me; God does not accept the face of man), for those seeming important conferred nothing to me.

For through the Law I died to the law, that I might live to God.

I have been crucified with Christ, and I live; yet no longer I, but Christ lives in me. And that life I now live in the flesh, I live by faith toward the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself on my behalf.

I do not set aside the grace of God, for if righteousness is through law, then Christ died without cause.

Even as Abraham believed God, and it was counted to him for righteousness.

And the Scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the nations through faith, preached the gospel before to Abraham, saying, "In you shall all nations be blessed."

But that no one is justified by the Law in the sight of God is clear, for, "The just shall live by faith."

And I say this, A covenant having been ratified by God in Christ, the Law (coming into being four hundred and thirty years after) does not annul the promise, so as to abolish it.

For if the inheritance is of Law, it is no more of promise; but God gave it to Abraham by way of promise.

But the Mediator is not a mediator of one, but God is one.

Is the Law then against the promises of God? Let it not be said! For if a law had been given which could have given life, indeed righteousness would have been out of Law.

For you are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus.

But when the fullness of the time came, God sent forth His Son, coming into being out of a woman, having come under Law,

And because you are sons, God has sent forth the Spirit of His Son into your hearts, crying, Abba, Father.

So that you are no longer a slave, but a son; and if a son, also an heir of God through Christ.

But then, indeed, not knowing God, you served as slaves to those not by nature being gods.

But now, knowing God, but rather are known by God, how do you turn again to the weak and beggarly elements to which you again desire to slave anew?

and you did not despise my temptation in my flesh, nor did you spurn it. But you received me as an angel of God, as Christ Jesus.

But it is good to be zealous always in a good thing, and not only in my being present with you.

I wish that those causing you to doubt will cut themselves off.

envyings, murders, drunkennesses, revelings, and things like these; of which I tell you before, as I also said before, that they who do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God.

But let him who is taught in the Word share with the one teaching in all good things.

Do not be deceived, God is not mocked. For whatever a man sows, that he also will reap.

So then as we have time, let us work good toward all, especially toward those of the household of faith.

And as many as walk according to this rule, peace and mercy be upon them and upon the Israel of God.

Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God, to the saints who are in Ephesus, and faithful in Christ Jesus.

Grace be to you, and peace from God our Father and from the Lord Jesus Christ.

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenlies in Christ;

having predestined us to the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the good pleasure of His will,

having made known to us the mystery of His will, according to His good pleasure which He purposed in Himself,

that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give to you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him,

But God, who is rich in mercy, for His great love with which He loved us

For by grace you are saved through faith, and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God,

For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to good works, which God has before ordained that we should walk in them.

and that at that time you were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope, and without God in the world.

and so that He might reconcile both to God in one body by the cross, having slain the enmity in Himself.

Now therefore you are no longer strangers and foreigners, but fellow citizens with the saints, and of the household of God,

in whom you also are built together for a dwelling place of God through the Spirit.

if you have heard of the dispensation of the grace of God which is given to me toward you,

Of this gospel I was made a minister, according to the gift of the grace of God given to me by the effectual working of His power.

and to bring to light what is the fellowship of the mystery which from eternity has been hidden in God, who created all things by Jesus Christ;

so that now to the rulers and powers in the heavenlies might be known by the church the manifold wisdom of God,

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

one God and Father of all, who is above all and through all and in you all.

And this until we all come into the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a full-grown man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ;

having the understanding darkened, being alienated from the life of God through the ignorance that is in them, because of the blindness of their heart.

And you should put on the new man, who according to God was created in righteousness and true holiness.

Let him who stole steal no more, but rather let him labor, working with his hands the thing which is good, so that he may have something to give to him who needs.

Let not any filthy word go out of your mouth, but if any is good to building up in respect of need, that it may give grace to the ones hearing.

And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you are sealed until the day of redemption.

And be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ's sake has forgiven you.

Therefore be followers of God, as dear children.

And walk in love, as Christ also has loved us, and has given Himself for us as an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet smelling savor.

For you know this, that no fornicator, or unclean person, or covetous one (who is an idolater), has any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God.

Let no man deceive you with vain words, for because of these things the wrath of God comes upon the children of disobedience.

always giving thanks for all things to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ,