I do not want to seem as though I am trying to terrify you with my letters,

Nor do we boast beyond certain limits in the work done by others, but we hope that as your faith continues to grow, our work may be greatly expanded among you according to our limits,

so that we may preach the gospel in the regions that lie beyond you, and not boast of work already done in another person's area.

I wish that you would be patient with me in a little foolishness, but indeed you are being patient with me!

But I am afraid that just as the serpent deceived Eve by his treachery, your minds may be led astray from a sincere and pure devotion to Christ.

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.

As the truth of Christ is in me, this boasting of mine will not be stopped in the regions of Achaia.

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.

I say again, let no one think that I am a fool. But if you do, then at least accept me as a fool, so that I too may boast a little.

(To my disgrace I must say that we were too weak for that!) But whatever anyone else dares to boast about (I am speaking foolishly), I also dare to boast about the same thing.

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 have been on journeys many times, in dangers from rivers, in dangers from robbers, in dangers from my own countrymen, in dangers from Gentiles, in dangers in the city, in dangers in the wilderness, in dangers at sea, in dangers from false brothers,

Apart from other things, there is the daily pressure on me of my anxious concern for all the churches.

If I must boast, I will boast about the things that show my weakness.

In Damascus, the governor under King Aretas was guarding the city of Damascus in order to arrest me,

On behalf of such an individual I will boast, but on my own behalf I will not boast, except about my weaknesses.

For even if I wish to boast, I will not be a fool, for I would be telling the truth, but I refrain from this so that no one may regard me beyond what he sees in me or what he hears from me,

even because of the extraordinary character of the revelations. Therefore, so that I would not become arrogant, a thorn in the flesh was given to me, a messenger of Satan to trouble me -- so that I would not become arrogant.

I asked the Lord three times about this, that it would depart from me.

But he said to me, "My grace is enough for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." So then, I will boast most gladly about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may reside in me.

I have become a fool. You yourselves forced me to do it, for I should have been commended by you. For I lack nothing in comparison to those "super-apostles," even though I am nothing.

For how were you treated worse than the other churches, except that I myself was not a burden to you? Forgive me this injustice!

But be that as it may, I have not burdened you. Yet because I was a crafty person, I took you in by deceit!

For I am afraid that somehow when I come I will not find you what I wish, and you will find me not what you wish. I am afraid that somehow there may be quarreling, jealousy, intense anger, selfish ambition, slander, gossip, arrogance, and disorder.

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.

since you are demanding proof that Christ is speaking through me. He is not weak toward you but is powerful among you.

Now we pray to God that you may not do anything wrong, not so that we may appear to have passed the test, but so that you may do what is right even if we may appear to have failed the test.

For we rejoice whenever we are weak, but you are strong. And we pray for this: that you may become fully qualified.

Because of this I am writing these things while absent, so that when I arrive I may not have to deal harshly with you by using my authority -- the Lord gave it to me for building up, not for tearing down!

and all the brothers with me, to the churches of Galatia.

For you have heard of my former way of life in Judaism, how I was savagely persecuting the church of God and trying to destroy it.

I was advancing in Judaism beyond many of my contemporaries in my nation, and was extremely zealous for the traditions of my ancestors.

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

to reveal his Son in me so that I could preach him among the Gentiles, I did not go to ask advice from any human being,

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.

So they glorified God because of me.

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

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.

yet we know that no one is justified by the works of the law but by the faithfulness of Jesus Christ. And we have come to believe in Christ Jesus, so that we may be justified by the faithfulness of Christ and not by the works of the law, because by the works of the law no one will be justified.

For through the law I died to the law so that I may live to God.

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.

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

I fear for you that my work for you may have been in vain.

I beg you, brothers and sisters, become like me, because I have become like you. You have done me no wrong!

and though my physical condition put you to the test, you did not despise or reject me. Instead, you welcomed me as though I were an angel of God, as though I were Christ Jesus himself!

Where then is your sense of happiness now? For I testify about you that if it were possible, you would have pulled out your eyes and given them to me!

My children -- I am again undergoing birth pains until Christ is formed in you!

I wish I could be with you now and change my tone of voice, because I am perplexed about you.

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

These things may be treated as an allegory, for these women represent two covenants. One is from Mount Sinai bearing children for slavery; this is Hagar.

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.

See what big letters I make as I write to you with my own hand!

But may I never boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, through which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world.

From now on let no one cause me trouble, for I bear the marks of Jesus on my body.

For he chose us in Christ before the foundation of the world that we may be holy and unblemished in his sight in love.

I do not cease to give thanks for you when I remember you in my prayers.

I pray that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give you spiritual wisdom and revelation in your growing knowledge of him,

-- since the eyes of your heart have been enlightened -- so that you may know what is the hope of his calling, what is the wealth of his glorious inheritance in the saints,

For we are his workmanship, having been created in Christ Jesus for good works that God prepared beforehand so we may do them.

if indeed you have heard of the stewardship of God's grace that was given to me for you,

that by revelation the divine secret was made known to me, as I wrote before briefly.

When reading this, you will be able to understand my insight into this secret of Christ.

I became a servant of this gospel according to the gift of God's grace that was given to me by the exercise of his power.

To me -- less than the least of all the saints -- this grace was given, to proclaim to the Gentiles the unfathomable riches of Christ

I pray that according to the wealth of his glory he may grant you to be strengthened with power through his Spirit in the inner person,

that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith, so that, because you have been rooted and grounded in love,

you may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth,

and thus to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, so that you may be filled up to all the fullness of God.

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.

so that he may present the church to himself as glorious -- not having a stain or wrinkle, or any such blemish, but holy and blameless.

"that it may go well with you and that you will live a long time on the earth."

Clothe yourselves with the full armor of God so that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil.

For this reason, take up the full armor of God so that you may be able to stand your ground on the evil day, and having done everything, to stand.

Pray for me also, that I may be given the message when I begin to speak -- that I may confidently make known the mystery of the gospel,

for which I am an ambassador in chains. Pray that I may be able to speak boldly as I ought to speak.

Tychicus, my dear brother and faithful servant in the Lord, will make everything known to you, so that you too may know about my circumstances, how I am doing.

I have sent him to you for this very purpose, that you may know our circumstances and that he may encourage your hearts.

I thank my God every time I remember you.

I always pray with joy in my every prayer for all of you

For it is right for me to think this about all of you, because I have you in my heart, since both in my imprisonment and in the defense and confirmation of the gospel all of you became partners in God's grace together with me.

For God is my witness that I long for all of you with the affection of Christ Jesus.

And I pray this, that your love may abound even more and more in knowledge and every kind of insight

I want you to know, brothers and sisters, that my situation has actually turned out to advance the gospel:

and most of the brothers and sisters, having confidence in the Lord because of my imprisonment, now more than ever dare to speak the word fearlessly.

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

for I know that this will turn out for my deliverance through your prayers and the help of the Spirit of Jesus Christ.

My confident hope is that I will in no way be ashamed but that with complete boldness, even now as always, Christ will be exalted in my body, whether I live or die.

For to me, living is Christ and dying is gain.

Now if I am to go on living in the body, this will mean productive work for me, yet I don't know which I prefer:

so that what you can be proud of may increase because of me in Christ Jesus, when I come back to you.

since you are encountering the same conflict that you saw me face and now hear that I am facing.

complete my joy and be of the same mind, by having the same love, being united in spirit, and having one purpose.

So then, my dear friends, just as you have always obeyed, not only in my presence but even more in my absence, continue working out your salvation with awe and reverence,

so that you may be blameless and pure, children of God without blemish though you live in a crooked and perverse society, in which you shine as lights in the world

And in the same way you also should be glad and rejoice together with me.

Now I hope in the Lord Jesus to send Timothy to you soon, so that I too may be encouraged by hearing news about you.

But you know his qualifications, that like a son working with his father, he served with me in advancing the gospel.