Or is he speaking purely for our sakes? Assuredly for our sakes. This word was written for us, because the ploughman needs to plough in hope, and the thresher to thresh in the hope of getting a share in the crop.

If others share this right over you, why not we all the more? We did not avail ourselves of it, you say? No, we do not mind any privations if we can only avoid putting any obstacle in the way of the gospel of Christ.

Only, I have not availed myself of any of these rights, and I am not writing in order to secure any such provision for myself. I would die sooner than let anyone deprive me of this, my source of pride.

And my reward? This, that I can preach the gospel free of charge, that I can refrain from insisting on all my rights as a preacher of the gospel.

For I would have you know this, my brothers, that while our fathers all lived under the cloud, all crossed through the sea,

Now this took place as a warning for us, to keep us from craving for evil as they craved.

But if someone tells you, 'This was sacrificial meat,' then do not eat it; you must consider the man who told you, and also take conscience into account ??29 his conscience, I mean, not your own; for why should one's own freedom be called in question by someone else's conscience?

But I would like you to understand this: Christ is the head of every man, man is the head of woman, and God is the head of Christ.

If anyone presumes to raise objections on this point ??well, I acknowledge no other mode of worship, and neither do the churches of God.

But this makes it impossible for you to eat the 'Lord's' supper when you hold your gatherings.

What! have you no houses to eat and drink in? Do you think you can show disrespect to the church of God and put the poor to shame? What can I say to you? Commend you? Not for this.

and after thanking God he broke it, saying, 'This means my body broken for you; do this in memory of me.'

In the same way he took the cup after supper, saying, 'This cup means the new covenant ratified by my blood; as often as you drink it, do it in memory of me.'

For as often as you eat this loaf and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord's death until he comes.

So with yourselves; since your heart is set on possessing 'spirits,' make the edification of the church your aim in this desire to excel.

It is written in the Law, By men of alien tongues and by the lips of aliens I will speak to this People; but even so, they will not listen to me, saith the Lord.

You challenge this rule? Pray, did God's word start from you? Are you the only people it has reached?

Anyone who disregards this will be himself disregarded.

after that, he was seen by over five hundred brothers all at once, the majority of whom survive to this day, though some have died;

and finally he was seen by myself, by this so-called 'abortion' of an apostle.

Ah, if in this life we have nothing but a mere hope in Christ, we are of all men to be pitied most!

Make no mistake about this: 'bad company is the ruin of good character.'

Get back to your sober senses and avoid sin, for some of you ??and I say this to your shame ??some of you are insensible to God.

I tell you this, my brothers, flesh and blood cannot inherit the Realm of God, nor can the perishing inherit the imperishable.

For this perishing body must be invested with the imperishable, and this mortal body invested with immortality;

and when this mortal body has been invested with immortality, then the saying of Scripture will be realized, Death is swallowed up in victory.

I do not care about seeing you at this moment merely in the by-going; my hope is to stay among you for some time, with the Lord's permission.

I ask this favour of you, my brothers. The household of Stephanas, you know, was the first to be reaped in Achaia, and they have laid themselves out to serve the saints.

I Paul write this salutation with my own hand.

Relying on this I meant to visit you first, to let you have a double delight;

This censure from the majority is severe enough for the individual in question,

to the one a deadly fragrance that makes for death, to the other a vital fragrance that makes for life. And who is qualified for this career?

Besides, their minds were dulled, for to this very day, when the Old Testament is read aloud, the same veil hangs. Veiled from them the fact that the glory fades in Christ!

Yes, down to this day, whenever Moses is read aloud, the veil rests on their heart;

But we all mirror the glory of the Lord with face unveiled, and so we are being transformed into the same likeness as himself, passing from one glory to another ??for this comes of the Lord the Spirit.

Hence, as I hold this ministry by God's mercy to me, I never lose heart in it;

there the god of this world has blinded the minds of unbelievers, to prevent them seeing the light thrown by the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the likeness of God.

But I possess this treasure in a frail vessel of earth, to show that the transcending power belongs to God, not to myself;

I know that if this earthly tent of mine is taken down, I get a home from God, made by no human hands, eternal in the heavens.

It makes me sigh indeed, this yearning to be under the cover of my heavenly habitation,

I do sigh within this tent of mine with heavy anxiety ??not that I want to be stripped, no, but to be under the cover of the other, to have my mortal element absorbed by life.

I am prepared for this change by God, who has given me the Spirit as its pledge and instalment.

and in this confidence I would fain get away from the body and reside with the Lord.

This is not 'recommending myself to you again'; it is giving you an incentive to be proud of me, which you can use against men who are proud of externals instead of the inward reality.

Once convinced of this, then, I estimate no one by what is external; even though I once estimated Christ by what is external, I no longer estimate him thus.

I am not saying this to condemn you. Condemn you? Why, I repeat, you are in my very heart, and you will be there in death and life alike.

See what this pain divine has done for you, how serious it has made you, how keen to clear yourselves, how indignant, how alarmed, how eager for me, how determined, how relentless! You have shown in every way that you were honest in the business.

This has led me to ask Titus to complete the arrangements for the same gracious contribution among yourselves, as it was he who started it.

Now then, you are to the front in everything, in faith, in utterance, in knowledge, in all zeal, and in love for us ??do come to the front in this gracious enterprise as well.

But I will tell you what I think about it; it is to your interest to go on with this enterprise, for you started it last year, you were the first not merely to do anything but to want to do anything.

This does not mean that other people are to be relieved and you to suffer:

besides, he has been appointed by the churches to travel with me on the business of administering this fund to the glory of the Lord. His appointment has my full consent,

for I want to take precautions against any risk of suspicion in connection with the administration of this charity;

Along with them I am also sending our brother: I have had ample proof of his keen interest on many occasions, and it is specially keen on this occasion, as he has absolute confidence in you.

Indeed it is quite superfluous for me to be writing to you about this charitable service to the saints;

At the same time I am sending these brothers just in case my pride in you should prove an empty boast in this particular instance; I want you to be "all ready," as I have been telling them that you would be,

Mark this: he who sows sparingly will reap sparingly, and he who sows generously will reap a generous harvest.

for the service rendered by this fund does more than supply the wants of the saints, it overflows with many a cry of thanks to God.

This service shows what you are, it makes men praise God for the way you have come under the gospel of Christ which you confess, and for the generosity of your contributions to themselves and to all;

Look at this obvious fact. So-and-so is perfectly sure he 'belongs to Christ'? Well then, let him understand, on second thoughts, that I 'belong to Christ' as much as he does.

By the truth of Christ within me, I am going to make this my pride and boast unchecked throughout the regions of Achaia!

(What I am now going to say is not inspired by the Lord: I am in the role of a 'fool,' now, on this business of boasting.

I am quite ashamed to say I was not equal to that sort of thing! But let them vaunt as they please, I am equal to them (mind, this is the role of a fool!).

Ministers of Christ? yes perhaps, but not as much as I am (I am mad to talk like this!), with all my labours, with all my lashes, with all my time in prison ??a record longer far than theirs. I have been often at the point of death;

There is nothing to be gained by this sort of thing, but as I am obliged to boast, I will go on to visions and revelations of the Lord.

this man was caught up to paradise and heard sacred secrets which no human lips can repeat.

Now this is playing the fool! But you forced me to it, instead of coming forward yourselves and vouching for me. That was what I deserved; for, 'nobody' as I am, I am not one whit inferior to these precious 'apostles.'

Where were you inferior to the rest of the churches? ??unless in this, that your apostle did not choose to make himself a burden to you. Pray pardon me this terrible wrong!

You think all this time I am defending myself to you? No, I am speaking in Christ before the presence of God, and speaking every word, beloved, in order to build you up.

This will be my third visit to you: every case is to be decided on the evidence of two or of three witnesses.

I am astonished you are hastily shifting like this, deserting Him who called you by Christ's grace and going over to another gospel.

My point is this: the Law which arose four hundred and thirty years later does not repeal a will previously ratified by God, so as to cancel the Promise.

Before this faith came, we were confined by the Law and kept in custody, with the prospect of the faith that was to be revealed;

What I mean is this. As long as an heir is under age, there is no difference between him and a servant, though he is lord of all the property;

would that I could be with you at this moment, and alter my tone, for I am at my wits' end about you!

Now this is an allegory. The women are two covenants. One comes from mount Sinai, bearing children for servitude; that is Hagar,

I insist on this again to everyone who gets circumcised, that he is obliged to carry out the whole of the Law.

On all who will be guided by this rule, may peace and mercy rest, even upon the Israel of God.

Let no one interfere with me after this, for I bear branded on my body the owner's stamp of Jesus.

above all the angelic Rulers, Authorities, Powers, and Lords, above every Name that is to be named not only in this age but in the age to come ??22 he has put everything under his feet and set him as head over everything for the church,

in which you moved as you followed the course of this world, under the sway of the prince of the air ??the spirit which is at present active within those sons of disobedience

and in him you are yourselves built into this to form a habitation for God in the Spirit.

For this reason I Paul, I whom Jesus has made a prisoner for the sake of you Gentiles ??2 for surely you have heard how the grace of God which was vouchsafed me in your interests has ordered it,

how the divine secret was disclosed to me by a revelation (if you read what I have already written briefly about this,

less than the least of all saints as I am, this grace was vouchsafed me, that I should bring the Gentiles the gospel of the fathomless wealth of Christ

For this reason, then, I kneel before the Father

Be sure of this, that no one guilty of sexual vice or impurity or lust (that is, an idolater) possesses any inheritance in the realm of Christ and God.

This is a profound symbol, I mean as regards Christ and the church.

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

for what you have contributed to the gospel from the very first day down to this moment;

of this I am confident, that he who has begun the good work in you will go on completing it until the day of Jesus Christ.

It is only natural for me to be thinking of you all in this way, for alike in my prison and as I defend and vindicate the gospel, I bear in mind how you all share with me in the grace divine.

The outcome of all this, I know, will be my release, as you continue to pray for me, and as I am provided with the Spirit of Jesus Christ ??20 my eager desire and hope being that I may never feel ashamed but that now as ever I may do honour to Christ in my own person by fearless courage. Whether that means life or death, no matter!

for it is God who in his goodwill enables you to will this and to achieve it.

Well then, my brothers, rejoice in the Lord. I am repeating this word 'rejoice' in my letter, but that does not tire me and it is the safe course for you. ??2 Beware of these dogs, these wicked workmen, the incision-party!

Not that I have already attained this or am already perfect, but I press forward to appropriate it, because I have been appropriated myself by Christ Jesus.

Brothers, I for one do not consider myself to have appropriated this; my one thought is, by forgetting what lies behind me and straining to what lies before me,

For all those of our number who are mature, this must be the point of view; God will reveal that to any of you who look at things differently.

So then, my brothers, for whom I cherish love and longing, my joy and crown, this is how you must stand firm in the Lord, O my beloved.

It is not the money I am anxious for; what I am anxious for is the interest that accumulates in this way to your divine credit!