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,

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.

Therefore I am content with weaknesses, with insults, with troubles, with persecutions and difficulties for the sake of Christ, for whenever I am weak, then I am strong.

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!

Look, for the third time I am ready to come to you, and I will not be a burden to you, because I do not want your possessions, but you. For children should not have to save up for their parents, but parents for their children.

Now I will most gladly spend and be spent for your lives! If I love you more, am I to be loved less?

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.

For indeed he was crucified by reason of weakness, but he lives because of God's power. For we also are weak in him, but we will live together with him, because of God's power toward you.

For we cannot do anything against the truth, but only for the sake of the truth.

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!

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

For I did not receive it or learn it from any human source; instead I received it by a revelation of Jesus Christ.

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 we did not surrender to them even for a moment, in order that the truth of the gospel would remain with you.

(for he who empowered Peter for his apostleship to the circumcised also empowered me for my apostleship to the Gentiles)

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.

I do not set aside God's grace, because if righteousness could come through the law, then Christ died for nothing!

Have you suffered so many things for nothing? -- if indeed it was for nothing.

For all who rely on doing the works of the law are under a curse, because it is written, "Cursed is everyone who does not keep on doing everything written in the book of the law."

Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us (because it is written, "Cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree")

What I am saying is this: The law that came four hundred thirty years later does not cancel a covenant previously ratified by God, so as to invalidate the promise.

For if the inheritance is based on the law, it is no longer based on the promise, but God graciously gave it to Abraham through the promise.

Now an intermediary is not for one party alone, but God is one.

Is the law therefore opposed to the promises of God? Absolutely not! For if a law had been given that was able to give life, then righteousness would certainly have come by the law.

For in Christ Jesus you are all sons of God through faith.

For all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ.

There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female -- for all of you are one in Christ Jesus.

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

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!

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

However, it is good to be sought eagerly for a good purpose at all times, and not only when I am present with you.

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

But one, the son by the slave woman, was born by natural descent, while the other, the son by the free woman, was born through the promise.

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.

Now Hagar represents Mount Sinai in Arabia and corresponds to the present Jerusalem, for she is in slavery with her children.

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

For it is written: "Rejoice, O barren woman who does not bear children; break forth and shout, you who have no birth pains, because the children of the desolate woman are more numerous than those of the woman who has a husband."

But what does the scripture say? "Throw out the slave woman and her son, for the son of the slave woman will not share the inheritance with the son" of the free woman.

Therefore, brothers and sisters, we are not children of the slave woman but of the free woman.

For freedom Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not be subject again to the yoke of slavery.

For through the Spirit, by faith, we wait expectantly for the hope of righteousness.

For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision carries any weight -- the only thing that matters is faith working through love.

I wish those agitators would go so far as to castrate themselves!

For you were called to freedom, brothers and sisters; only do not use your freedom as an opportunity to indulge your flesh, but through love serve one another.

For the whole law can be summed up in a single commandment, namely, "You must love your neighbor as yourself."

For the flesh has desires that are opposed to the Spirit, and the Spirit has desires that are opposed to the flesh, for these are in opposition to each other, so that you cannot do what you want.

For if anyone thinks he is something when he is nothing, he deceives himself.

For each one will carry his own load.

Do not be deceived. God will not be made a fool. For a person will reap what he sows,

So we must not grow weary in doing good, for in due time we will reap, if we do not give up.

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.

For neither circumcision nor uncircumcision counts for anything; the only thing that matters is a new creation!

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.

For this reason, because I have heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for all the saints,

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

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

For by grace you are saved through faith, and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God;

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

But now in Christ Jesus you who used to be far away have been brought near by the blood of Christ.

For he is our peace, the one who made both groups into one and who destroyed the middle wall of partition, the hostility,

And he came and preached peace to you who were far off and peace to those who were near,

For this reason I, Paul, the prisoner of Christ Jesus for the sake of you Gentiles --

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

and to enlighten everyone about God's secret plan -- a secret that has been hidden for ages in God who has created all things.

For this reason I ask you not to lose heart because of what I am suffering for you, which is your glory.

For this reason I kneel before the Father,

Now to him who by the power that is working within us is able to do far beyond all that we ask or think,

I, therefore, the prisoner for the Lord, urge you to live worthily of the calling with which you have been called,

to equip the saints for the work of ministry, that is, to build up the body of Christ,

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

Therefore, having laid aside falsehood, each one of you speak the truth with his neighbor, for we are members of one another.

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.

And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption.

and live in love, just as Christ also loved us and gave himself for us, a sacrificial and fragrant offering to God.

But among you there must not be either sexual immorality, impurity of any kind, or greed, as these are not fitting for the saints.

For you can be confident of this one thing: that no person who is immoral, impure, or greedy (such a person is an idolater) has any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and God.

Let nobody deceive you with empty words, for because of these things God's wrath comes on the sons of disobedience.

for you were at one time darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of the light --

for the fruit of the light consists in all goodness, righteousness, and truth --

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

For everything made evident is light, and for this reason it says: "Awake, O sleeper! Rise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you!"

For this reason do not be foolish, but be wise by understanding what the Lord's will is.

always giving thanks to God the Father for each other in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ,

and submitting to one another out of reverence for Christ.

Husbands, love your wives just as Christ loved the church and gave himself for her

For no one has ever hated his own body but he feeds it and takes care of it, just as Christ also does the church,

for we are members of his body.

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

Children, obey your parents in the Lord for this is right.

Slaves, obey your human masters with fear and trembling, in the sincerity of your heart as to Christ,

because you know that each person, whether slave or free, if he does something good, this will be rewarded by the Lord.

For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world rulers of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavens.

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.