For I am jealous over you with a godly jealousy: for I espoused 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 the simplicity that is in Christ.

For if he that cometh preacheth another Jesus, whom we have not preached, or if ye receive another spirit, which ye have not received, or another gospel, which ye have not accepted, ye might well bear with him.

But though I be rude in speech, yet not in knowledge; but we have been throughly made manifest among you in all things.

Have I committed an offence in abasing myself that ye might be exalted, because I have preached to you the gospel of God freely?

I robbed other churches, taking wages of them that I might minister unto you;

And when I was with you and ran short [financially], I did not burden any of you; for what I needed was fully supplied by the brothers (Silas and Timothy) who came from Macedonia (the church at Philippi). So I kept myself from being a burden to you in any way, and will continue to do so.

Nevertheless what I do, that will I do to cut away occasion from them which desire occasion, that they might be found like unto us in that wherein they rejoice:

Again I say, lest any one should think me to be mad; and if not so indeed, as mad do ye receive me that I might also boast myself some little.

What I am now saying, I do not say by the Lord's command, but as a fool in his folly might, in this reckless boasting.

For ye bear with the mad willingly, being wise.

Are they the ministers of Christ? (I speak as a mad man,) I am more; in labors more abundantly, in stripes more abundantly, in prisons more frequently, in deaths often;

Thrice was I scourged with rods, once was I stoned, thrice suffered I shipwreck, I have made a night and day in the deep;

Who is weak, and I do not feel [his] weakness? Who is made to sin, and I am not on fire [with sorrow and concern]?

If I must boast, I will boast of the things that reveal my weakness [the things by which I am made weak in the eyes of my opponents].

I might glory in being the man; but I will not glory in any thing relating to myself, unless it be my sufferings.

For if I had a desire to take credit to myself, it would not be foolish, for I would be saying what is true: but I will not, for fear that I might seem to any man more than he sees me to be, or has word from me that I am.

And that I might not be exalted by the exceeding greatness of the revelations, there was given to me a thorn for the flesh, a messenger of Satan that he might buffet me, that I might not be exalted.

For this thing I besought the Lord thrice, that it might depart from me.

And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.

And therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, and in straits for the sake of Christ: for when I am thus weak, then am I made strong.

I have become foolish [i.e., by my boasting], but you made me do it [i.e., in order to vindicate myself]. For I should have been commended by you [i.e., for my effective ministry there in Corinth], because I was not inferior in any way to those "super apostles" [See 11:5], even though I am nothing.

For what is there wherein ye were made inferior to the rest of the churches, except it be that I myself was not a burden to you? forgive me this wrong.

Remember, this is the third time that I have made every preparation to come to see you, and I shall refuse to be a burden to you; I want, not your money, but you. It is not the duty of children to put by for their parents, but of parents to put by for their children.

For I fear lest perhaps coming I find you not such as I wish, and that I be found by you such as ye do not wish: lest there might be strifes, jealousies, angers, contentions, evil speakings, whisperings, puffings up, disturbances;

This is the third time that I am coming to you. From the mouth of two or three witnesses will every word be made certain.

And verily, though it came of weakness that he was crucified, yet liveth he through the power of God: and we no doubt are weak in him; but we shall live with him, by the might of God among you.

Now we pray to God that you may not do wrong, not that we may appear to have met the test, but that you may do what is right, even though we may seem to have failed.

For we are glad when we are feeble and you are strong: and this is our prayer, even that you may be made complete.

Henceforth, brethren, rejoice; be made perfect, be comforted, be of the same mind, be at peace, and the God of the love and peace shall be with you;

Paul, an Apostle (not from men, and not through man, but through Jesus Christ, and God the Father, who made him come back from the dead),

Who gave himself for our sins, that he might deliver us from this present evil world, according to the will of God and our Father:

For I want you to know, believers, that the gospel which was preached by me is not man’s gospel [it is not a human invention, patterned after any human concept].

I, at least, did not receive it from man, nor was I taught it, but it came to me through a revelation made by Jesus Christ.

For ye have heard of my manner of life in time past in the Jews religion, how that beyond measure I persecuted the church of God, and made havoc of it:

and made progress in Judaism beyond many of the same age with me in my nation, being more exceedingly zealous for the traditions of my fathers.

To reveal his Son in me, that I might preach him among the heathen; immediately I conferred not with flesh and blood:

But [on this trip] I did not see any of the other apostles except James, the Lord's brother. [Note: This "James" was not one of the original twelve apostles. See Matt. 10:2-4].

but they only heard say, He that once persecuted us now preacheth the faith of which he once made havoc;

which made them praise God for me.

and I went up by revelation, and did submit to them the good news that I preach among the nations, and privately to those esteemed, lest in vain I might run or did run;

But not even Titus who was with me, being a Greek, was made to undergo circumcision:

And that because of false brethren unawares brought in, who came in privily to spy out our liberty which we have in Christ Jesus, that they might bring us into bondage:

To whom we gave place by subjection, no, not for an hour; that the truth of the gospel might continue with you.

But from those who were of high reputation (whatever they were—in terms of individual importance—makes no difference to me; God shows no partiality—He is not impressed with the positions that people hold nor does He recognize distinctions such as fame or power)—well, those who were of reputation contributed nothing to me [that is, they had nothing to add to my gospel message nor did they impose any new requirements on me].

But, quite the opposite, when they saw that I had been made responsible for preaching the good news to those without circumcision, even as Peter had been for those of the circumcision

When they saw the grace which was given to me, James and Cephas and John, who had the name of being pillars, gave to me and Barnabas their right hands as friends so that we might go to the Gentiles, and they to the circumcision;

They asked only [one thing], that we remember the poor, the very thing I was also eager to do.

But when Cephas came to Antioch, I made a protest against him to his face, because he was clearly in the wrong.

For before certain men came from James, he did take food with the Gentiles: but when they came, he went back and made himself separate, fearing those who were of the circumcision.

Knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law, but by the faith of Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Jesus Christ, that we might be justified by the faith of Christ, and not by the works of the law: for by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified.

But, if while we were trying to be made right with God through a relationship with Christ, we were discovered to still be sinners [by acting like unsaved Gentiles], does that mean Christ is responsible for our sin? Of course not.

For I through the law am dead to the law, that I might live unto God.

O foolish Galatians, by what strange powers have you been tricked, to whom it was made clear that Jesus Christ was put to death on the cross?

Are ye so foolish? having begun in the Spirit, are ye now made perfect by the flesh?

So then those who are people of faith [whether Jew or Gentile] are blessed and favored by God [and declared free of the guilt of sin and its penalty, and placed in right standing with Him] along with Abraham, the believer.

For all who seek to be right with God by trying to meet all the requirements of the law of Moses are under a curse [from God], because it is written [Deut. 27:26], "Every person is cursed [i.e., cut off from God] who does not continue to obey all of the requirements written in the law of Moses."

Now it is evident that no person can be made right with God by [obeying all the requirements of] the law of Moses for [Hab. 2:4 says], "The righteous person will obtain life by [his] faith [in God]."

Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us: for it is written, Cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree:

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

Brethren, even a covenant made by a man--to borrow an illustration from daily life--when once formally sanctioned is not liable to be set aside or added to.

Now to Abraham and his seed were the promises made. He saith not, And to seeds, as of many; but as of one, And to thy seed, which is Christ.

I mean that the Covenant which God had already formally made is not abrogated by the Law which was given four hundred and thirty years later--so as to annul the promise.

now if the right to the inheritance be from the law, it is no longer founded upon the promise; altho' God made a donation of it to Abraham by promise.

Wherefore then serveth the law? It was added because of transgressions, till the seed should come to whom the promise was made; and it was ordained by angels in the hand of a mediator.

But the scripture hath concluded all under sin, that the promise by faith of Jesus Christ might be given to them that believe.

But before faith [in Christ] became available, we [Jews] were kept in bondage under [condemnation for not obeying perfectly] the law of Moses. [This condition existed] until the faith [i.e., the Gospel message] was made known [to people].

Wherefore the law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith.

And if you belong to Christ, then you are real descendants of Abraham, and heirs in accordance with the promise made to him.

But when the fulness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law,

To redeem them that were under the law, that we might receive the adoption of sons.

So you are no longer a slave, but a son; and if a son, then an heir, made so by God.

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

but still you did not scorn the test my illness made of you, nor did you spurn me for it; on the contrary, you welcomed me as an angel of God, as Christ Jesus Himself.

They zealously affect you, but not well; yea, they would exclude you, that ye might affect them.

Now it is fine for you to be made much of honestly and all the time ??not simply when I can be with you.

How I wish I could be with you now, that I might change my tone; for I am perplexed about you.

For it is written that Abraham had two sons; one of the maid servant, and one of the free woman.

But he that was of the maid servant was born according to flesh, and he that was of the free woman through the promise.

(for the word Hagar stands for Mt. Sinai in Arabia and represents the present Jerusalem who with her children is in bondage.)

Now, brothers, you [Christians] are children of the promise [made to Abraham. See 3:29] just like Isaac, [Abraham's son] was.

But what says the scripture? Cast out the maid servant and her son; for the son of the maid servant shall not inherit with the son of the free woman.

So then, brethren, we are not maid servant's children, but children of the free woman.

Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free, and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage.

You people who propose to be made upright by law have finished with Christ; you have lost your hold upon God's favor.

For we are waiting for the hope [to be fulfilled] of being made right with God by [the power of] the Holy Spirit.

This ready belief did not come from him who had made you his.

I feel persuaded in the Lord that you will not go wrong. But he who unsettles you will have to meet his doom, no matter who he is.

But as for me, brothers, if I am still preaching circumcision [as I had done before I met Christ; and as some accuse me of doing now, as necessary for salvation], why am I still being persecuted [by Jews]? In that case the stumbling block of the cross [to unbelieving Jews] has been abolished.

I wish those who are disturbing you might also get themselves castrated!

For all the law is made complete in one word, even in this, Have love for your neighbour as for yourself.

But, if you are led by [what] the Holy Spirit [wants you to do], you are not under [obligation to meet the requirements of] the law of Moses.

Be not tricked; God is not made sport of: for whatever seed a man puts in, that will he get back as grain.

See the size of the handwriting which I myself have made use of in writing to you.

For they themselves which are circumcised keep not the law: but desire to have you circumcised that they might rejoice in your flesh.

even as, in His love, He chose us as His own in Christ before the creation of the world, that we might be holy and without blemish in His presence.

To the praise of the glory of his grace, wherein he hath made us accepted in the beloved.

which he made to abound toward us in all wisdom and prudence,

Having made known unto us the mystery of his will, according to his good pleasure which he hath purposed in himself:

That in the dispensation of the fulness of times he might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven, and which are on earth; even in him: