For consider how much diligence this very thing—this grieving as God wills—has produced in you: what a desire to clear yourselves, what indignation, what fear, what deep longing, what zeal, what justice! In every way you showed yourselves to be pure in this matter.

So even though I wrote to you, it was not because of the one who did wrong, or because of the one who was wronged, but in order that your diligence for us might be made plain to you in the sight of God.

We want you to know, brothers, about the grace of God granted to the churches of Macedonia:

and not just as we had hoped. Instead, they gave themselves especially to the Lord, then to us by God’s will.

Thanks be to God who put the same concern for you into the heart of Titus.

Each person should do as he has decided in his heart—not reluctantly or out of necessity, for God loves a cheerful giver.

And God is able to make every grace overflow to you, so that in every way, always having everything you need, you may excel in every good work.

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

For the ministry of this service is not only supplying the needs of the saints, but is also overflowing in many acts of thanksgiving to God.

They will glorify God for your obedience to the confession of the gospel of Christ, and for your generosity in sharing with them and with others through the proof provided by this service.

And they will have deep affection for you in their prayers on your behalf because of the surpassing grace of God in you.

Thanks be to God for His indescribable gift.

since the weapons of our warfare are not worldly, but are powerful through God for the demolition of strongholds. We demolish arguments

and every high-minded thing that is raised up against the knowledge of God, taking every thought captive to obey Christ.

We, however, will not boast beyond measure but according to the measure of the area of ministry that God has assigned to us, which reaches even to you.

Or did I commit a sin by humbling myself so that you might be exalted, because I preached the gospel of God to you free of charge?

Why? Because I don’t love you? God knows I do!

But I will continue to do what I am doing, in order to deny the opportunity of those who want an opportunity to be regarded just as our equals in what they boast about.

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

I know a man in Christ who was caught up into the third heaven 14 years ago. Whether he was in the body or out of the body, I don’t know, God knows.

I know that this man—whether in the body or out of the body I don’t know, God knows—

You have thought all along that we were defending ourselves to you. No, in the sight of God we are speaking in Christ, and everything, dear friends, is for building you up.

I fear that when I come my God will again humiliate me in your presence, and I will grieve for many who sinned before and have not repented of the moral impurity, sexual immorality, and promiscuity they practiced.

In fact, He was crucified in weakness, but He lives by God’s power. For we also are weak in Him, yet toward you we will live with Him by God’s power.

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.

Finally, brothers, rejoice. Become mature, be encouraged, be of the same mind, be at peace, and the God of love and peace will be with you.

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

Paul, an apostle—not from men or by man, but by Jesus Christ and God the Father who raised Him from the dead—

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

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

For am I now trying to win the favor of people, or God? Or am I striving to please people? If I were still trying to please people, I would not be a slave of Christ.

For you have heard about my former way of life in Judaism: I persecuted God’s church to an extreme degree and tried to destroy it.

But when God, who from my birth set me apart and called me by His grace, was pleased

Then after three years I did go up to Jerusalem to get to know Cephas, and I stayed with him 15 days.

Now I am not lying in what I write to you. God is my witness.

And they glorified God because of me.

Now from those recognized as important (what they really were makes no difference to me; God does not show favoritism)—they added nothing to me.

For through the law I have died to the law, so that I might live for God. I have been crucified with Christ

and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me.

I do not set aside the grace of God, for if righteousness comes through the law, then Christ died for nothing.

So then, does God supply you with the Spirit and work miracles among you by the works of the law or by hearing with faith?

Just as Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him for righteousness,

Now the Scripture saw in advance that God would justify the Gentiles by faith and told the good news ahead of time to Abraham, saying, All the nations will be blessed through you.

Now it is clear that no one is justified before God by the law, because the righteous will live by faith.

And I say this: The law, which came 430 years later, does not revoke a covenant that was previously ratified by God and cancel the promise.

For if the inheritance is from the law, it is no longer from the promise; but God granted it to Abraham through the promise.

Now a mediator is not for just one person, but God is one.

Is the law therefore contrary to God’s promises? Absolutely not! For if a law had been given that was able to give life, then righteousness would certainly be by the law.

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

When the time came to completion, God sent His Son, born of a woman, born under the law,

And because you are sons, God has sent the Spirit of His Son into our hearts, crying, “Abba, Father!”

So you are no longer a slave but a son, and if a son, then an heir through God.

But in the past, when you didn’t know God, you were enslaved to things that by nature are not gods.

But now, since you know God, or rather have become known by God, how can you turn back again to the weak and bankrupt elemental forces? Do you want to be enslaved to them all over again?

You did not despise or reject me though my physical condition was a trial for you. On the contrary, you received me as an angel of God, as Christ Jesus Himself.

They are enthusiastic about you, but not for any good. Instead, they want to isolate you so you will be enthusiastic about them.

Now it is always good to be enthusiastic about good—and not just when I am with you.

Take note! I, Paul, tell you that if you get yourselves circumcised, Christ will not benefit you at all.

I wish those who are disturbing you might also get themselves castrated!

envy, drunkenness, carousing, and anything similar. I tell you about these things in advance—as I told you before—that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.

Don’t be deceived: God is not mocked. For whatever a man sows he will also reap,

So we must not get tired of doing good, for we will reap at the proper time if we don’t give up.

Therefore, as we have opportunity, we must work for the good of all, especially for those who belong to the household of faith.

Those who want to make a good impression in the flesh are the ones who would compel you to be circumcised—but only to avoid being persecuted for the cross of Christ.

May peace come to all those who follow this standard, and mercy to the Israel of God!

Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by God’s will:

To the faithful saints in Christ Jesus at Ephesus.

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

Praise the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavens.

He made known to us the mystery of His will, according to His good pleasure that He planned in Him

I pray that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, would give you a spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him.

But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love that He had for us,

For you are saved by grace through faith, and this is not from yourselves; it is God’s gift—

For we are His creation, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared ahead of time so that we should walk in them.

At that time you were without the Messiah, excluded from the citizenship of Israel, and foreigners to the covenants of the promise, without hope and without God in the world.

He did this so that He might reconcile both to God in one body through the cross and put the hostility to death by it.

When the Messiah came, He proclaimed the good news of peace to you who were far away and peace to those who were near.

So then you are no longer foreigners and strangers, but fellow citizens with the saints, and members of God’s household,

You also are being built together for God’s dwelling in the Spirit.

you have heard, haven’t you, about the administration of God’s grace that He gave to me for you?

I was made a servant of this gospel by the gift of God’s grace that was given to me by the working of His power.

and to shed light for all about the administration of the mystery hidden for ages in God who created all things.

This is so God’s multi-faceted wisdom may now be made known through the church to the rulers and authorities in the heavens.

may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the length and width, height and depth of God’s love,

and to know the Messiah’s love that surpasses knowledge, so you may be filled with all the fullness of God.

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

until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of God’s Son, growing into a mature man with a stature measured by Christ’s fullness.

They are darkened in their understanding, excluded from the life of God, because of the ignorance that is in them and because of the hardness of their hearts.

you put on the new self, the one created according to God’s likeness in righteousness and purity of the truth.

No foul language is to come from your mouth, but only what is good for building up someone in need, so that it gives grace to those who hear.

And don’t grieve God’s Holy Spirit. You were sealed by Him for the day of redemption.

And be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving one another, just as God also forgave you in Christ.

Therefore, be imitators of God, as dearly loved children.

And walk in love, as the Messiah also loved us and gave Himself for us, a sacrificial and fragrant offering to God.

For know and recognize this: Every sexually immoral or impure or greedy person, who is an idolater, does not have an inheritance in the kingdom of the Messiah and of God.

Let no one deceive you with empty arguments, for God’s wrath is coming on the disobedient because of these things.

for what makes everything clear is light. Therefore it is said:

Get up, sleeper, and rise up from the dead,
and the Messiah will shine on you.

And don’t get drunk with wine, which leads to reckless actions, but be filled by the Spirit:

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

Don’t work only while being watched, in order to please men, but as slaves of Christ, do God’s will from your heart.

Serve with a good attitude, as to the Lord and not to men,