Remember this: The person who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and the person who sows generously will also reap generously.

Now the One who provides seed for the sower and bread for food will provide and multiply your seed and increase the harvest of your righteousness.

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.

I beg you that when I am present I will not need to be bold with the confidence by which I plan to challenge certain people who think we are behaving in an unspiritual way.

Such a person should consider this: What we are in the words of our letters when absent, we will be in actions when present.

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.

We are not bragging beyond measure about other people’s labors. But we have the hope that as your faith increases, our area of ministry will be greatly enlarged,

When I was present with you and in need, I did not burden anyone, for the brothers who came from Macedonia supplied my needs. I have kept myself, and will keep myself, from burdening you in any way.

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

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.

So it is no great thing if his servants also disguise themselves as servants of righteousness. Their destiny will be according to their works.

Since many boast in an unspiritual way, I will also boast.

If boasting is necessary, I will boast about my weaknesses.

Boasting is necessary. It is not profitable, but I will move on to visions and revelations of the Lord.

I will boast about this person, but not about myself, except of my weaknesses.

For if I want to boast, I will not be a fool, because I will be telling the truth. But I will spare you, so that no one can credit me with something beyond what he sees in me or hears from me,

But He said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for power is perfected in weakness.” Therefore, I will most gladly boast all the more about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may reside in me.

Now I am ready to come to you this third time. I will not burden you, for I am not seeking what is yours, but you. For children are not obligated to save up for their parents, but parents for their children.

I will most gladly spend and be spent for you. If I love you more, am I to be loved less?

For I fear that perhaps when I come I will not find you to be what I want, and I may not be found by you to be what you want; there may be quarreling, jealousy, outbursts of anger, selfish ambitions, slander, gossip, arrogance, and disorder.

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.

This is the third time I am coming to you. Every fact must be established by the testimony of two or three witnesses.

I gave a warning when I was present the second time, and now I give a warning while I am absent to those who sinned before and to all the rest: If I come again, I will not be lenient,

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.

And I hope you will recognize that we do not fail the test.

This is why I am writing these things while absent, that when I am there I will not use severity, in keeping with the authority the Lord gave me for building up and not for tearing down.

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.

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

know that no one is justified by the works of the law but by faith in Jesus Christ. And we have believed in Christ Jesus so that we might be justified by faith in Christ and not by the works of the law, because by the works of the law no human being will be justified.

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.

But the law is not based on faith; instead, the one who does these things will live by them.

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

But what does the Scripture say?

Drive out the slave and her son, for the son of the slave will never be a coheir with the son of the free woman.

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

I have confidence in the Lord you will not accept any other view. But whoever it is that is confusing you will pay the penalty.

But if you bite and devour one another, watch out, or you will be consumed by one another.

I say then, walk by the Spirit and you will not carry out the desire of the flesh.

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.

Carry one another’s burdens; in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ.

But each person should examine his own work, and then he will have a reason for boasting in himself alone, and not in respect to someone else.

For each person will have to carry his own load.

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

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

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

But as for me, I will never boast about anything except the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ. The world has been crucified to me through the cross, and I to the world.

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

To the faithful saints in Christ Jesus at Ephesus.

He predestined us to be adopted through Jesus Christ for Himself, according to His favor and will,

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

We have also received an inheritance in Him, predestined according to the purpose of the One who works out everything in agreement with the decision of His will,

Then we will no longer be little children, tossed by the waves and blown around by every wind of teaching, by human cunning with cleverness in the techniques of deceit.

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.

So don’t be foolish, but understand what the Lord’s will is.

For this reason a man will leave
his father and mother
and be joined to his wife,
and the two will become one flesh.

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

knowing that whatever good each one does, slave or free, he will receive this back from the Lord.

In every situation take the shield of faith,
and with it you will be able to extinguish
all the flaming arrows of the evil one.

Tychicus, our dearly loved brother and faithful servant in the Lord, will tell you all the news about me so that you may be informed.

I am sure of this, that He who started a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.

And I pray this: that your love will keep on growing in knowledge and every kind of discernment,

To be sure, some preach Christ out of envy and strife, but others out of good will.

What does it matter? Just that in every way, whether out of false motives or true, Christ is proclaimed. And in this I rejoice. Yes, and I will rejoice

because I know this will lead to my deliverance through your prayers and help from the Spirit of Jesus Christ.

My eager expectation and hope is that I will not be ashamed about anything, but that now as always, with all boldness, Christ will be highly honored in my body, whether by life or by death.

Since I am persuaded of this, I know that I will remain and continue with all of you for your progress and joy in the faith,

Just one thing: Live your life in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ. Then, whether I come and see you or am absent, I will hear about you that you are standing firm in one spirit, with one mind, working side by side for the faith that comes from the gospel,

For it is God who is working in you, enabling you both to desire and to work out His good purpose.

For I have no one else like-minded who will genuinely care about your interests;

I am convinced in the Lord that I myself will also come quickly.

assuming that I will somehow reach the resurrection from among the dead.

Therefore, all who are mature should think this way. And if you think differently about anything, God will reveal this also to you.

He will transform the body of our humble condition into the likeness of His glorious body, by the power that enables Him to subject everything to Himself.

Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice!

And the peace of God, which surpasses every thought, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.

Do what you have learned and received and heard and seen in me, and the God of peace will be with you.

And my God will supply all your needs according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus.

Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by God’s will, and Timothy our brother:

For this reason also, since the day we heard this, we haven’t stopped praying for you. We are asking that you may be filled with the knowledge of His will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding,

I am saying this so that no one will deceive you with persuasive arguments.

When the Messiah, who is your life, is revealed, then you also will be revealed with Him in glory.

knowing that you will receive the reward of an inheritance from the Lord. You serve the Lord Christ.

For the wrongdoer will be paid back for whatever wrong he has done, and there is no favoritism.

>

Tychicus, our dearly loved brother, faithful servant, and fellow slave in the Lord, will tell you all the news about me.

He is with Onesimus, a faithful and dearly loved brother, who is one of you. They will tell you about everything here.

so that no one will be shaken by these persecutions. For you yourselves know that we are appointed to this.

For this is God’s will, your sanctification: that you abstain from sexual immorality,

We do not want you to be uninformed, brothers, concerning those who are asleep, so that you will not grieve like the rest, who have no hope.

Since we believe that Jesus died and rose again, in the same way God will bring with Him those who have fallen asleep through Jesus.

For we say this to you by a revelation from the Lord: We who are still alive at the Lord’s coming will certainly have no advantage over those who have fallen asleep.

For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the archangel’s voice, and with the trumpet of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first.

Then we who are still alive will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air and so we will always be with the Lord.

For you yourselves know very well that the Day of the Lord will come just like a thief in the night.

When they say, “Peace and security,” then sudden destruction comes on them, like labor pains come on a pregnant woman, and they will not escape.

who died for us, so that whether we are awake or asleep, we will live together with Him.

Give thanks in everything,
for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.

He who calls you is faithful, who also will do it.

It is a clear evidence of God’s righteous judgment that you will be counted worthy of God’s kingdom, for which you also are suffering,

and to reward with rest you who are afflicted, along with us. This will take place at the revelation of the Lord Jesus from heaven with His powerful angels,

These will pay the penalty of eternal destruction from the Lord’s presence and from His glorious strength