He died for all, that those who live should no longer live to themselves, but to him who for their sakes died and rose again.

namely, that God was in Christ reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and having committed to us the word of reconciliation.

For him who knew no sin he made to be sin on our behalf; so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.

Working together, we entreat also that you not receive the grace of God in vain,

We give no occasion of stumbling in anything, that our service may not be blamed,

I say this not to condemn you, for I have said before, that you are in our hearts to die together and live together.

and not by his coming only, but also by the comfort with which he was comforted in you, while he told us of your longing, your mourning, and your zeal for me; so that I rejoiced still more.

For though I made you sorry with my letter, I do not regret it, though I did regret it. For I see that my letter made you sorry, though just for a while.

I now rejoice, not that you were made sorry, but that you were made sorry to repentance. For you were made sorry in a godly way, that you might suffer loss by us in nothing.

For behold, this same thing, that you were made sorry in a godly way, what earnest care it worked in you. Yes, what defense, indignation, fear, longing, zeal, and vengeance. In everything you demonstrated yourselves to be pure in the matter.

So although I wrote to you, I wrote not for his cause that did the wrong, nor for his cause that suffered the wrong, but that your earnest care for us might be revealed in you in the sight of God.

I rejoice that in everything I am of good courage concerning you.

how that in much proof of affliction the abundance of their joy and their deep poverty abounded to the riches of their liberality.

So we urged Titus, that as he made a beginning before, so he would also complete in you this grace.

But as you abound in everything, in faith, utterance, knowledge, all earnestness, and in the love from us that is in you, see that you also abound in this grace.

For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that, though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, that you through his poverty might become rich.

But now complete the doing also, that as there was the readiness to be willing, so there may be the completion also out of your ability.

For this is not that others may be eased and you distressed,

but for equality. Your abundance at this present time supplies their lack, that their abundance also may become a supply for your lack; that there may be equality.

We are avoiding this, that any man should blame us concerning this abundance which is administered by us.

for I know your readiness, of which I boast on your behalf to them of Macedonia, that Achaia has been prepared for a year past. Your zeal has stirred up very many of them.

But I have sent the brothers that our boasting on your behalf may not be in vain in this respect, that, just as I said, you may be prepared,

so that I won't by any means, if there come with me any of Macedonia and find you unprepared, we (to say nothing of you) should be disappointed in this confidence.

I thought it necessary therefore to entreat the brothers that they would go before to you, and arrange ahead of time the generous gift that you promised before, that the same might be ready as a matter of generosity, and not of greediness.

And God is able to make all grace abound to you, that you, always having all sufficiency in everything, may abound to every good work.

For this service of giving that you perform not only makes up for lack among the saints, but abounds also through many thanksgivings to God;

seeing that through the proof given by this service, they glorify God for the obedience of your confession to the Good News of Christ, and for the liberality of your contribution to them and to all;

But I implore you that when I am present I may not have to be bold with the confidence with which I intend on showing against some, who consider us to be walking according to the flesh.

throwing down imaginations and every high thing that is exalted against the knowledge of God, and bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ;

Do you look at things only as they appear in front of your face? If anyone trusts in himself that he is Christ's, let him consider this again with himself, that, even as he is Christ's, so also we are Christ's.

that I may not seem as if I desire to terrify you by my letters.

Let such a person consider this, that what we are in word by letters when we are absent, such are we also in deed when we are present.

not boasting beyond proper limits in other men's labors, but having hope that as your faith grows, we will be abundantly enlarged by you in our sphere of influence,

I wish that you would bear with me in a little foolishness, but indeed you do bear with me.

For I am jealous over you with a godly jealousy. For I married you to one husband, that I might present you as a pure virgin to Christ.

But I am afraid that somehow, as the serpent deceived Eve in his craftiness, so your minds might be corrupted from a sincere and pure devotion to Christ.

For if he who comes preaches another Jesus, whom we did not proclaim, or if you receive a different spirit, which you did not receive, or a different "good news", which you did not accept, you put up with that well enough.

For I reckon that I am not at all behind the very best apostles.

Or did I commit a sin in humbling myself that you might be exalted, because I preached to you God's Good News free of charge?

I robbed other churches, taking wages from them that I might serve you.

But what I do, that I will do, that I may cut off occasion from them that desire an occasion, that in which they boast, they may be found even as we.

I say again, let no one think me foolish. But if so, yet receive me as foolish, that I also may boast a little.

That which I speak, I do not speak according to the Lord, but as in foolishness, in this confidence of boasting.

Seeing that many boast after the flesh, I will also boast.

Besides those things that are outside, there is that which presses on me daily, anxiety for all the churches.

If I must boast, I will boast of the things that concern my weakness.

The God and Father of the Lord Jesus, he who is blessed forevermore, knows that I do not lie.

For if I would desire to boast, I will not be foolish; for I will speak the truth. But I refrain, so that no man may think more of me than that which he sees in me, or hears from me.

By reason of the exceeding greatness of the revelations, that I should not be exalted excessively, there was given to me a thorn in the flesh, a messenger of Satan to torment me, that I should not be exalted excessively.

Concerning this thing, I begged the Lord three times that it might depart from me.

He has said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for power is made perfect in weakness." Most gladly therefore I will rather glory in my weaknesses, that the power of Christ may rest on me.

For what is there in which you were made inferior to the rest of the churches, unless it is that I myself was not a burden to you? Forgive me this wrong.

Have you been thinking all this time that we have been defending ourselves before you? In the sight of God we speak in Christ; and all things, beloved, are for your edifying.

For I am afraid that by any means, when I come, I might find you not the way I want to, and that I might be found by you as you do not desire; that by any means there would be strife, jealousy, outbursts of anger, factions, slander, whisperings, proud thoughts, riots;

that again when I come my God would humble me before you, and I would mourn for many of those who have sinned before now, and not repented of the uncleanness and sexual immorality and lustfulness which they committed.

I have said beforehand, and I do say beforehand, as when I was present the second time, so now, being absent, to those who have sinned before now, and to all the rest, that, if I come again, I will not spare;

seeing that you seek a proof of Christ who speaks in me; who toward you is not weak, but is powerful in you.

Test your own selves, whether you are in the faith. Test your own selves. Or do you not know as to your own selves, that Jesus Christ is in you??unless indeed you are disqualified.

But I hope that you will know that we are not disqualified.

Now we pray to God that you do no evil; not that we may appear approved, but that you may do that which is honorable, though we are as reprobate.

For this cause I write these things while absent, that I may not deal sharply when present, according to the authority which the Lord gave me for building up, and not for tearing down.

who gave himself for our sins, that he might deliver us out of this present evil age, according to the will of our God and Father?

I marvel that you are so quickly deserting him who called you by the grace of Christ to a different "good news";

But even though we, or an angel from heaven, should proclaim to you a "good news" other than that which we preached to you, let him be cursed.

As we have said before, so I now say again: if any man preaches to you a "good news" other than that which you received, let him be cursed.

But I make known to you, brothers, concerning the Good News which was preached by me, that it is not according to man.

to reveal his Son to me, that I might proclaim him among the Gentiles, I did not immediately confer with flesh and blood,

but they only heard: "He who once persecuted us now preaches the faith that he once tried to destroy."

I went up by revelation, and I explained to them the Good News which I proclaim among the Gentiles, but privately before those who were respected, for fear that I might be running, or had run, in vain.

This was because of the false brothers secretly brought in, who stole in to spy out our liberty which we have in Christ Jesus, that they might bring us into bondage;

to whom we gave no place in the way of subjection, not for an hour, that the truth of the Good News might continue with you.

but to the contrary, when they saw that I had been entrusted with the Good News for the uncircumcision, even as Peter with the Good News for the circumcision

and when they perceived the grace that was given to me, James and Cephas and John, they who were reputed to be pillars, gave to me and Barnabas the right hand of fellowship, that we should go to the Gentiles, and they to the circumcised.

And the rest of the Jewish believers joined him in his hypocrisy; so that even Barnabas was carried away with their hypocrisy.

But when I saw that they did not walk uprightly according to the truth of the Good News, I said to Cephas before them all, "If you, being a Jew, live as the Gentiles do, and not as the Jews do, how can you compel the Gentiles to live as the Jews do?

yet knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law but through faith in Jesus Christ, even we believed in Christ Jesus, that we might be justified by faith in Christ, and not by the works of the law, because no flesh will be justified by the works of the law.

For I, through the law, died to the law, that I might live to God.

I have been crucified with Christ, and it is no longer I that live, but Christ living in me. That life which I now live in the flesh, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself up for me.

Know therefore that those who are of faith, the same are children of Abraham.

The Scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, preached the Good News beforehand to Abraham, saying, "In you all the nations will be blessed."

For as many as are of the works of the law are under a curse. For it is written, "Cursed is everyone who does not continue in all things that are written in the book of the law, to do them."

Now that no man is justified by the law before God is evident, for, "The righteous will live by faith."

that the blessing of Abraham might come on the Gentiles through Christ Jesus; that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith.

But the Scriptures imprisoned all things under sin, that the promise by faith in Jesus Christ might be given to those who believe.

So that the law has become our tutor to bring us to Christ, that we might be justified by faith.

But now that faith has come, we are no longer under a tutor.

But I say that so long as the heir is a child, he is no different from a bondservant, though he is lord of all;

that he might redeem those who were under the law, that we might receive the adoption of children.

However at that time, not knowing God, you were in bondage to those who by nature are not gods.

But now that you have come to know God, or rather to be known by God, why do you turn back again to the weak and miserable elemental principles, to which you desire to be in bondage all over again?

I am afraid for you, that I might have wasted my labor for you.

but you know that in physical weakness I preached the Good News to you the first time;

Where was the blessing you enjoyed? For I testify to you that, if possible, you would have plucked out your eyes and given them to me.

They zealously seek you, but for no good purpose; they desire to alienate you, that you may be zealous for them.

Tell me, you that desire to be under the law, do you not listen to the law?

For it is written that Abraham had two sons, one by the handmaid, and one by the free woman.

For this Hagar is Mount Sinai in Arabia, and represents Jerusalem that exists now, for she is in slavery with her children.

But the Jerusalem that is above is free, and she is our mother.

For it is written, "Rejoice, you barren who do not bear. Break forth and shout, you that do not travail. For more are the children of the desolate than of her who has a husband."

Behold, I, Paul, tell you that if you receive circumcision, Christ will profit you nothing.