Now the one who prepared us for this very purpose is God, who gave us the Spirit as a down payment.

We are not trying to commend ourselves to you again, but are giving you an opportunity to be proud of us, so that you may be able to answer those who take pride in outward appearance and not in what is in the heart.

And he died for all so that those who live should no longer live for themselves but for him who died for them and was raised.

And all these things are from God who reconciled us to himself through Christ, and who has given us the ministry of reconciliation.

God made the one who did not know sin to be sin for us, so that in him we would become the righteousness of God.

as unknown, and yet well-known; as dying and yet -- see! -- we continue to live; as those who are scourged and yet not executed;

Do not become partners with those who do not believe, for what partnership is there between righteousness and lawlessness, or what fellowship does light have with darkness?

But God, who encourages the downhearted, encouraged us by the arrival of Titus.

So then, even though I wrote to you, it was not on account of the one who did wrong, or on account of the one who was wronged, but to reveal to you your eagerness on our behalf before God.

as it is written: "The one who gathered much did not have too much, and the one who gathered little did not have too little."

But thanks be to God who put in the heart of Titus the same devotion I have for you,

And we are sending along with him the brother who is praised by all the churches for his work in spreading the gospel.

And we are sending with them our brother whom we have tested many times and found eager in many matters, but who now is much more eager than ever because of the great confidence he has in you.

My point is this: The person who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and the person who sows generously will also reap generously.

Now God who provides seed for the sower and bread for food will provide and multiply your supply of seed and will cause the harvest of your righteousness to grow.

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!) --

now I ask that when I am present I may not have to be bold with the confidence that (I expect) I will dare to use against some who consider us to be behaving according to human standards.

For we would not dare to classify or compare ourselves with some of those who recommend themselves. But when they measure themselves by themselves and compare themselves with themselves, they are without understanding.

But the one who boasts must boast in the Lord.

For it is not the person who commends himself who is approved, but the person the Lord commends.

When I was with you and was in need, I was not a burden to anyone, for the brothers who came from Macedonia fully supplied my needs. I kept myself from being a burden to you in any way, and will continue to do so.

And what I am doing I will continue to do, so that I may eliminate any opportunity for those who want a chance to be regarded as our equals in the things they boast about.

Who is weak, and I am not weak? Who is led into sin, and I do not burn with indignation?

The God and Father of the Lord Jesus, who is blessed forever, knows I am not lying.

I know a man in Christ who fourteen years ago (whether in the body or out of the body I do not know, God knows) was caught up to the third heaven.

I am afraid that when I come again, my God may humiliate me before you, and I will grieve for many of those who previously sinned and have not repented of the impurity, sexual immorality, and licentiousness that they have practiced.

I said before when I was present the second time and now, though absent, I say again to those who sinned previously and to all the rest, that if I come again, I will not spare anyone,

From Paul, an apostle (not from men, nor by human agency, but by Jesus Christ and God the Father who raised him from the dead)

who gave himself for our sins to rescue us from this present evil age according to the will of our God and Father,

to whom be glory forever and ever! Amen.

I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting the one who called you by the grace of Christ and are following a different gospel --

not that there really is another gospel, but there are some who are disturbing you and wanting to distort the gospel of Christ.

But when the one who set me apart from birth and called me by his grace was pleased

nor did I go up to Jerusalem to see those who were apostles before me, but right away I departed to Arabia, and then returned to Damascus.

They were only hearing, "The one who once persecuted us is now proclaiming the good news of the faith he once tried to destroy."

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

Now this matter arose because of the false brothers with false pretenses who slipped in unnoticed to spy on our freedom that we have in Christ Jesus, to make us slaves.

But from those who were influential (whatever they were makes no difference to me; God shows no favoritism between people) -- those influential leaders added nothing to my message.

(for he who empowered Peter for his apostleship to the circumcised also empowered me for my apostleship to the Gentiles)

and when James, Cephas, and John, who had a reputation as pillars, recognized the grace that had been given to me, they gave to Barnabas and me the right hand of fellowship, agreeing that we would go to the Gentiles and they to the circumcised.

Until certain people came from James, he had been eating with the Gentiles. But when they arrived, he stopped doing this and separated himself because he was afraid of those who were pro-circumcision.

But if while seeking to be justified in Christ we ourselves have also been found to be sinners, is Christ then one who encourages sin? Absolutely not!

But if I build up again those things I once destroyed, I demonstrate that I am one who breaks God's law.

I have been crucified with Christ, and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me. So the life I now live in the body, I live because of the faithfulness of the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.

You foolish Galatians! Who has cast a spell on you? Before your eyes Jesus Christ was vividly portrayed as crucified!

so then, understand that those who believe are the sons of Abraham.

So then those who believe are blessed along with Abraham the believer.

For all who rely on doing the works of the law are under a curse, because it is written, "Cursed is everyone who does not keep on doing everything written in the book of the law."

But the law is not based on faith, but the one who does the works of the law will live by them.

Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us (because it is written, "Cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree")

Now the promises were spoken to Abraham and to his descendant. Scripture does not say, "and to the descendants," referring to many, but "and to your descendant," referring to one, who is Christ.

Why then was the law given? It was added because of transgressions, until the arrival of the descendant to whom the promise had been made. It was administered through angels by an intermediary.

But the scripture imprisoned everything and everyone under sin so that the promise could be given -- because of the faithfulness of Jesus Christ -- to those who believe.

For all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ.

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

And because you are sons, God sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, who calls "Abba! Father!"

Tell me, you who want to be under the law, do you not understand the law?

For it is written: "Rejoice, O barren woman who does not bear children; break forth and shout, you who have no birth pains, because the children of the desolate woman are more numerous than those of the woman who has a husband."

And I testify again to every man who lets himself be circumcised that he is obligated to obey the whole law.

You who are trying to be declared righteous by the law have been alienated from Christ; you have fallen away from grace!

You were running well; who prevented you from obeying the truth?

This persuasion does not come from the one who calls you!

I am confident in the Lord that you will accept no other view. But the one who is confusing you will pay the penalty, whoever he may be.

envying, murder, drunkenness, carousing, and similar things. I am warning you, as I had warned you before: Those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God!

Now those who belong to Christ have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.

Brothers and sisters, if a person is discovered in some sin, you who are spiritual restore such a person in a spirit of gentleness. Pay close attention to yourselves, so that you are not tempted too.

Now the one who receives instruction in the word must share all good things with the one who teaches it.

because the person who sows to his own flesh will reap corruption from the flesh, but the one who sows to the Spirit will reap eternal life from the Spirit.

So then, whenever we have an opportunity, let us do good to all people, and especially to those who belong to the family of faith.

Those who want to make a good showing in external matters are trying to force you to be circumcised. They do so only to avoid being persecuted for the cross of Christ.

For those who are circumcised do not obey the law themselves, but they want you to be circumcised so that they can boast about your flesh.

And all who will behave in accordance with this rule, peace and mercy be on them, and on the Israel of God.

Blessed is the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly realms in Christ.

In Christ we too have been claimed as God's own possession, since we were predestined according to the one purpose of him who accomplishes all things according to the counsel of his will

so that we, who were the first to set our hope on Christ, would be to the praise of his glory.

who is the down payment of our inheritance, until the redemption of God's own possession, to the praise of his glory.

and what is the incomparable greatness of his power toward us who believe, as displayed in the exercise of his immense strength.

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

among whom all of us also formerly lived out our lives in the cravings of our flesh, indulging the desires of the flesh and the mind, and were by nature children of wrath even as the rest

Therefore remember that formerly you, the Gentiles in the flesh -- who are called "uncircumcision" by the so-called "circumcision" that is performed on the body by human hands --

But now in Christ Jesus you who used to be far away have been brought near by the blood of Christ.

For he is our peace, the one who made both groups into one and who destroyed the middle wall of partition, the hostility,

And he came and preached peace to you who were far off and peace to those who were near,

in whom you also are being built together into a dwelling place of God in the Spirit.

and to enlighten everyone about God's secret plan -- a secret that has been hidden for ages in God who has created all things.

in whom we have boldness and confident access to God because of Christ's faithfulness.

from whom every family in heaven and on the earth is named.

Now to him who by the power that is working within us is able to do far beyond all that we ask or think,

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

He, the very one who descended, is also the one who ascended above all the heavens, in order to fill all things.

It was he who gave some as apostles, some as prophets, some as evangelists, and some as pastors and teachers,

So we are no longer to be children, tossed back and forth by waves and carried about by every wind of teaching by the trickery of people who craftily carry out their deceitful schemes.

But practicing the truth in love, we will in all things grow up into Christ, who is the head.

You were taught with reference to your former way of life to lay aside the old man who is being corrupted in accordance with deceitful desires,

and to put on the new man who has been created in God's image -- in righteousness and holiness that comes from truth.

The one who steals must steal no longer; rather he must labor, doing good with his own hands, so that he may have something to share with the one who has need.

You must let no unwholesome word come out of your mouth, but only what is beneficial for the building up of the one in need, that it may give grace to those who hear.

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

For you can be confident of this one thing: that no person who is immoral, impure, or greedy (such a person is an idolater) has any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and God.

In the same way husbands ought to love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself.