Tell me, you that desire to be under the law, don't you 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 answers to the Jerusalem that exists now, for she is in bondage with her children.

But the Jerusalem that is above is free, which is the mother of us all.

For it is written, "Rejoice, you barren who don't bear. Break forth and shout, you that don't 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.

Yes, I testify again to every man who receives circumcision, that he is a debtor to do the whole law.

You were running well! Who interfered with you that you should not obey the truth?

I have confidence toward you in the Lord that you will think no other way. But he who troubles you will bear his judgment, whoever he is.

I wish that those who disturb you would cut themselves off.

But if you bite and devour one another, be careful that you don't consume one another.

For the flesh lusts against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; and these are contrary to one another, that you may not do the things that you desire.

envyings, murders, drunkenness, orgies, and things like these; of which I forewarn you, even as I also forewarned you, that those who practice such things will not inherit the Kingdom of God.

Brothers, even if a man is caught in some fault, you who are spiritual must restore such a one in a spirit of gentleness; looking to yourself so that you also aren't tempted.

Don't be deceived. God is not mocked, for whatever a man sows, that he will also reap.

As many as desire to look good in the flesh, they compel you to be circumcised; only that they may not be persecuted for the cross of Christ.

For even they who receive circumcision don't keep the law themselves, but they desire to have you circumcised, that they may boast in your flesh.

even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we would be holy and without blemish before him in love;

to the end that we should be to the praise of his glory, we who had before hoped in Christ:

that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give to you a spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of him;

having the eyes of your hearts enlightened, that you may know what is the hope of his calling, and what are the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints,

and what is the exceeding greatness of his power toward us who believe, according to that working of the strength of his might

far above all rule, and authority, and power, and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this age, but also in that which is to come.

that in the ages to come he might show the exceeding riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus;

for by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God,

not of works, that no one would boast.

For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared before that we would walk in them.

Therefore remember that once you, the Gentiles in the flesh, who are called "uncircumcision" by that which is called "circumcision," (in the flesh, made by hands);

that you were at that time separate from Christ, alienated from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers from the covenants of the promise, having no hope and without God in the world.

having abolished in the flesh the hostility, the law of commandments contained in ordinances, that he might create in himself one new man of the two, making peace;

if it is so that you have heard of the administration of that grace of God which was given me toward you;

how that by revelation the mystery was made known to me, as I wrote before in few words,

that the Gentiles are fellow heirs, and fellow members of the body, and fellow partakers of his promise in Christ Jesus through the Good News,

of which I was made a servant, according to the gift of that grace of God which was given me according to the working of his power.

to the intent that now through the assembly the manifold wisdom of God might be made known to the principalities and the powers in the heavenly places,

Therefore I ask that you may not lose heart at my troubles for you, which are your glory.

that he would grant you, according to the riches of his glory, that you may be strengthened with power through his Spirit in the inward man;

that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; to the end that you, being rooted and grounded in love,

and to know Christ's love which surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.

Now to him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us,

Now this, "He ascended," what is it but that he also first descended into the lower parts of the earth?

He who descended is the one who also ascended far above all the heavens, that he might fill all things.

that we may no longer be children, tossed back and forth and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, in craftiness, after the wiles of error;

from whom all the body, being fitted and knit together through that which every joint supplies, according to the working in measure of each individual part, makes the body increase to the building up of itself in love.

This I say therefore, and testify in the Lord, that you no longer walk as the rest of the Gentiles also walk, in the futility of their mind,

being darkened in their understanding, alienated from the life of God, because of the ignorance that is in them, because of the hardening of their hearts;

But you did not learn Christ that way;

that you put away, as concerning your former way of life, the old man, that grows corrupt after the lusts of deceit;

and that you be renewed in the spirit of your mind,

Let him who stole steal no more; but rather let him labor, working with his hands the thing that is good, that he may have something to give to him who has need.

Let no corrupt speech proceed out of your mouth, but such as is good for building up as the need may be, that it may give grace to those who hear.

Know this for sure, that no sexually immoral person, nor unclean person, nor covetous man, who is an idolater, has any inheritance in the Kingdom of Christ and God.

But all things, when they are reproved, are revealed by the light, for everything that reveals is light.

that he might sanctify it, having cleansed it by the washing of water with the word,

that he might present the assembly to himself gloriously, not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish.

Nevertheless each of you must also love his own wife even as himself; and let the wife see that she respects her husband.

"that it may be well with you, and you may live long on the earth."

knowing that whatever good thing each one does, he will receive the same again from the Lord, whether he is bound or free.

You masters, do the same things to them, and give up threatening, knowing that he who is both their Master and yours is in heaven, and there is no partiality with him.

Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.

Therefore, put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and, having done all, to stand.

on my behalf, that utterance may be given to me in opening my mouth, to make known with boldness the mystery of the Good News,

for which I am an ambassador in chains; that in it I may speak boldly, as I ought to speak.

But that you also may know my affairs, how I am doing, Tychicus, the beloved brother and faithful servant in the Lord, will make known to you all things;

whom I have sent to you for this very purpose, that you may know our state, and that he may comfort your hearts.

being confident of this very thing, that he who began a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ.

This I pray, that your love may abound yet more and more in knowledge and all discernment;

so that you may approve the things that are excellent; that you may be sincere and without offense to the day of Christ;

Now I desire to have you know, brothers, that the things which happened to me have turned out rather to the progress of the Good News;

so that it became evident to the whole palace guard, and to all the rest, that my bonds are in Christ;

and that most of the brothers in the Lord, being confident through my bonds, are more abundantly bold to speak the word of God without fear.

The former insincerely preach Christ from selfish ambition, thinking that they add affliction to my chains;

but the latter out of love, knowing that I am appointed for the defense of the Good News.

What does it matter? Only that in every way, whether in pretense or in truth, Christ is proclaimed. I rejoice in this, yes, and will rejoice.

For I know that this will turn out to my salvation, through your supplication and the supply of the Spirit of Jesus Christ,

according to my earnest expectation and hope, that I will in no way be disappointed, but with all boldness, as always, now also Christ will be magnified in my body, whether by life, or by death.

Having this confidence, I know that I will remain, yes, and remain with you all, for your progress and joy in the faith,

that your rejoicing may abound in Christ Jesus in me through my presence with you again.

Only let your way of life be worthy of the Good News of Christ, that, whether I come and see you or am absent, I may hear of your state, that you stand firm in one spirit, with one soul striving for the faith of the Good News;

and in nothing frightened by the adversaries, which is for them a proof of destruction, but to you of salvation, and that from God.

that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, those on earth, and those under the earth,

and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

that you may become blameless and harmless, children of God without blemish in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, among whom you are seen as lights in the world,

holding up the word of life; that I may have something to boast in the day of Christ, that I didn't run in vain nor labor in vain.

But I hope in the Lord Jesus to send Timothy to you soon, that I also may be cheered up when I know how you are doing.

But you know the proof of him, that, as a child serves a father, so he served with me in furtherance of the Good News.

But I trust in the Lord that I myself also will come shortly.

since he longed for you all, and was very troubled, because you had heard that he was sick.

For indeed he was sick, nearly to death, but God had mercy on him; and not on him only, but on me also, that I might not have sorrow on sorrow.

I have sent him therefore the more diligently, that, when you see him again, you may rejoice, and that I may be the less sorrowful.

because for the work of Christ he came near to death, risking his life to supply that which was lacking in your service toward me.

though I myself might have confidence even in the flesh. If any other man thinks that he has confidence in the flesh, I yet more:

Yes most certainly, and I count all things to be loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus, my Lord, for whom I suffered the loss of all things, and count them nothing but refuse, that I may gain Christ

and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own, that which is of the law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which is from God by faith;

that I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, becoming conformed to his death;

Not that I have already obtained, or am already made perfect; but I press on, if it is so that I may take hold of that for which also I was taken hold of by Christ Jesus.

Let us therefore, as many as are perfect, think this way. If in anything you think otherwise, God will also reveal that to you.

Nevertheless, to the extent that we have already attained, let us walk by the same rule. Let us be of the same mind.

But I rejoice in the Lord greatly, that now at length you have revived your thought for me; in which you did indeed take thought, but you lacked opportunity.

Not that I speak in respect to lack, for I have learned in whatever state I am, to be content in it.