And how are they to preach unless they are sent? As it is written, "How timely is the arrival of those who proclaim the good news."

But I ask, have they not heard? Yes, they have: Their voice has gone out to all the earth, and their words to the ends of the world.

"Lord, they have killed your prophets, they have demolished your altars; I alone am left and they are seeking my life!"

let their eyes be darkened so that they may not see, and make their backs bend continually."

I ask then, they did not stumble into an irrevocable fall, did they? Absolutely not! But by their transgression salvation has come to the Gentiles, to make Israel jealous.

Granted! They were broken off because of their unbelief, but you stand by faith. Do not be arrogant, but fear!

And even they -- if they do not continue in their unbelief -- will be grafted in, for God is able to graft them in again.

In regard to the gospel they are enemies for your sake, but in regard to election they are dearly loved for the sake of the fathers.

so they too have now been disobedient in order that, by the mercy shown to you, they too may now receive mercy.

For they were pleased to do this, and indeed they are indebted to the Jerusalem saints. For if the Gentiles have shared in their spiritual things, they are obligated also to minister to them in material things.

Greet Andronicus and Junia, my compatriots and my fellow prisoners. They are well known to the apostles, and they were in Christ before me.

For these are the kind who do not serve our Lord Christ, but their own appetites. By their smooth talk and flattery they deceive the minds of the naive.

None of the rulers of this age understood it. If they had known it, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory.

The unbeliever does not receive the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him. And he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually discerned.

But if they do not have self-control, let them get married. For it is better to marry than to burn with sexual desire.

For the unbelieving husband is sanctified because of the wife, and the unbelieving wife because of her husband. Otherwise your children are unclean, but now they are holy.

those who use the world as though they were not using it to the full. For the present shape of this world is passing away.

Each competitor must exercise self-control in everything. They do it to receive a perishable crown, but we an imperishable one.

and all drank the same spiritual drink. For they were all drinking from the spiritual rock that followed them, and the rock was Christ.

But God was not pleased with most of them, for they were cut down in the wilderness.

These things happened as examples for us, so that we will not crave evil things as they did.

just as I also try to please everyone in all things. I do not seek my own benefit, but the benefit of many, so that they may be saved.

If they were all the same member, where would the body be?

Not all are apostles, are they? Not all are prophets, are they? Not all are teachers, are they? Not all perform miracles, do they?

Not all have gifts of healing, do they? Not all speak in tongues, do they? Not all interpret, do they?

Love never ends. But if there are prophecies, they will be set aside; if there are tongues, they will cease; if there is knowledge, it will be set aside.

It is similar for lifeless things that make a sound, like a flute or harp. Unless they make a distinction in the notes, how can what is played on the flute or harp be understood?

It is written in the law: "By people with strange tongues and by the lips of strangers I will speak to this people, yet not even in this way will they listen to me," says the Lord.

So if the whole church comes together and all speak in tongues, and unbelievers or uninformed people enter, will they not say that you have lost your minds?

the women should be silent in the churches, for they are not permitted to speak. Rather, let them be in submission, as in fact the law says.

If they want to find out about something, they should ask their husbands at home, because it is disgraceful for a woman to speak in church.

Whether then it was I or they, this is the way we preach and this is the way you believed.

Otherwise, what will those do who are baptized for the dead? If the dead are not raised at all, then why are they baptized for them?

But someone will say, "How are the dead raised? With what kind of body will they come?"

And if it seems advisable that I should go also, they will go with me.

Now, brothers and sisters, you know about the household of Stephanus, that as the first converts of Achaia, they devoted themselves to ministry for the saints. I urge you

I was glad about the arrival of Stephanus, Fortunatus, and Achaicus because they have supplied the fellowship with you that I lacked.

For they refreshed my spirit and yours. So then, recognize people like this.

But their minds were closed. For to this very day, the same veil remains when they hear the old covenant read. It has not been removed because only in Christ is it taken away.

among whom the god of this age has blinded the minds of those who do not believe so they would not see the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God.

And what mutual agreement does the temple of God have with idols? For we are the temple of the living God, just as God said, "I will live in them and will walk among them, and I will be their God, and they will be my people."

For I testify, they gave according to their means and beyond their means. They did so voluntarily,

And they did this not just as we had hoped, but they gave themselves first to the Lord and to us by the will of God.

If there is any question about Titus, he is my partner and fellow worker among you; if there is any question about our brothers, they are messengers of the churches, a glory to Christ.

Through the evidence of this service they will glorify God because of your obedience to your confession in the gospel of Christ and the generosity of your sharing with them and with everyone.

And in their prayers on your behalf they long for you because of the extraordinary grace God has shown to you.

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.

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.

Are they Hebrews? So am I. Are they Israelites? So am I. Are they descendants of Abraham? So am I.

Are they servants of Christ? (I am talking like I am out of my mind!) I am even more so: with much greater labors, with far more imprisonments, with more severe beatings, facing death many times.

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.

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

So they glorified God because of me.

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.

On the contrary, when they saw that I was entrusted with the gospel to the uncircumcised just as Peter was to the circumcised

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.

They requested only that we remember the poor, the very thing I also was eager to do.

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 when I saw that they were not behaving consistently with the truth of the gospel, I said to Cephas in front of them all, "If you, although you are a Jew, live like a Gentile and not like a Jew, how can you try to force the Gentiles to live like Jews?"

They court you eagerly, but for no good purpose; they want to exclude you, so that you would seek them eagerly.

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.

They are darkened in their understanding, being alienated from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them due to the hardness of their hearts.

Because they are callous, they have given themselves over to indecency for the practice of every kind of impurity with greediness.

For the things they do in secret are shameful even to mention.

Masters, treat your slaves the same way, giving up the use of threats, because you know that both you and they have the same master in heaven, and there is no favoritism with him.

The latter do so from love because they know that I am placed here for the defense of the gospel.

The former proclaim Christ from selfish ambition, not sincerely, because they think they can cause trouble for me in my imprisonment.

For many live, about whom I have often told you, and now, with tears, I tell you that they are the enemies of the cross of Christ.

Their end is destruction, their god is the belly, they exult in their shame, and they think about earthly things.

Yes, I say also to you, true companion, help them. They have struggled together in the gospel ministry along with me and Clement and my other coworkers, whose names are in the book of life.

My goal is that their hearts, having been knit together in love, may be encouraged, and that they may have all the riches that assurance brings in their understanding of the knowledge of the mystery of God, namely, Christ,

These are all destined to perish with use, founded as they are on human commands and teachings.

Even though they have the appearance of wisdom with their self-imposed worship and false humility achieved by an unsparing treatment of the body -- a wisdom with no true value -- they in reality result in fleshly indulgence.

Fathers, do not provoke your children, so they will not become disheartened.

Slaves, obey your earthly masters in every respect, not only when they are watching -- like those who are strictly people-pleasers -- but with a sincere heart, fearing the Lord.

I sent him with Onesimus, the faithful and dear brother, who is one of you. They will tell you about everything here.

And Jesus who is called Justus also sends greetings. In terms of Jewish converts, these are the only fellow workers for the kingdom of God, and they have been a comfort to me.

For you became imitators, brothers and sisters, of God's churches in Christ Jesus that are in Judea, because you too suffered the same things from your own countrymen as they in fact did from the Jews,

who killed both the Lord Jesus and the prophets and persecuted us severely. They are displeasing to God and are opposed to all people,

because they hinder us from speaking to the Gentiles so that they may be saved. Thus they constantly fill up their measure of sins, but wrath has come upon them completely.

Now when they are saying, "There is peace and security," then sudden destruction comes on them, like labor pains on a pregnant woman, and they will surely not escape.

They will undergo the penalty of eternal destruction, away from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of his strength,

and with every kind of evil deception directed against those who are perishing, because they found no place in their hearts for the truth so as to be saved.

Consequently God sends on them a deluding influence so that they will believe what is false.

But we command you, brothers and sisters, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, to keep away from any brother who lives an undisciplined life and not according to the tradition they received from us.

They want to be teachers of the law, but they do not understand what they are saying or the things they insist on so confidently.

And these also must be tested first and then let them serve as deacons if they are found blameless.

They will prohibit marriage and require abstinence from foods that God created to be received with thanksgiving by those who believe and know the truth.

But if a widow has children or grandchildren, they should first learn to fulfill their duty toward their own household and so repay their parents what is owed them. For this is what pleases God.

Reinforce these commands, so that they will be beyond reproach.

But do not accept younger widows on the list, because their passions may lead them away from Christ and they will desire to marry,

And besides that, going around from house to house they learn to be lazy, and they are not only lazy, but also gossips and busybodies, talking about things they should not.

The sins of some people are obvious, going before them into judgment, but for others, they show up later.

In this way they will save up a treasure for themselves as a firm foundation for the future and so lay hold of what is truly life.

So I endure all things for the sake of those chosen by God, that they too may obtain salvation in Christ Jesus and its eternal glory.

They have strayed from the truth by saying that the resurrection has already occurred, and they are undermining some people's faith.

But reject foolish and ignorant controversies, because you know they breed infighting.

and they will come to their senses and escape the devil's trap where they are held captive to do his will.

They will maintain the outward appearance of religion but will have repudiated its power. So avoid people like these.