But with Him it is always "Yes," for, as many as the promises of God may be, through Him they are always "Yes." This is why our "Amen" through Him is for the glory of God when spoken by us.

This is the very thing I wrote you, that when I did come I might not be made sad by the very people who ought to make me glad, for I had confidence in you all that my gladness would be gladness to you all.

To a man like that, this censure by the majority has been sufficient punishment,

For this is why I wrote you, to see if you would stand the test, to see if you would be obedient in everything.

why should not this spiritual service be attended with much greater splendor?

Besides, their minds were made dull; for to this day that same veil remains unlifted, whenever they read the Old Covenant; because it is only through union with Christ that it is removed.

Indeed, to this very day, whenever Moses is read, a veil hangs over their hearts,

So, because I hold a place in this ministry and that because I have had God's mercy shown me, I never give up.

In their case, the god of this world has blinded the eyes of the unbelievers, to keep the glorious light of the good news of Christ, who is the likeness of God, from dawning upon them.

But I am keeping this jewel in an earthen jar, to prove that its surpassing power is God's, not mine.

For this slight and momentary sorrow continues to accumulate for me a solid and eternal glory far beyond any comparison,

For I know that if this earthly tent in which I live is taken down, I have a building in heaven which comes from God, a house not built by human hands but eternal.

For in this one I am sighing, because I long to put on, like a robe, my heavenly body, my future home,

Now it is God Himself who has put the finishing touches on me for this change, because He has given me the Spirit as the first installment of future bliss.

So from this moment on, I do not estimate anybody by the standard of outward appearances. Although I once did estimate Christ by this standard, I do not do so any longer.

This has all originated with God, for He through Christ has reconciled me to Himself and has given me the ministry of reconciliation.

For it was through Christ that God was reconciling the world to Himself instead of debiting men's offenses against them, and He has committed to me the message of this reconciliation.

I do not mean this for your condemnation, because, as I have said before, you have such a place in my heart that I would live with you or die with you.

For see what this very sorrow, suffered in accordance with the will of God, has done for you! How earnest it has made you, how concerned to clear yourselves, how indignant, how alarmed, how much it made you long to see me, how loyal to me, how determined to punish the offender! At every point you have cleared yourselves in the matter.

So, although I did write to you, it was not for the offender's sake, nor for the offended party's sake, but in the sight of God for the sake of having your enthusiasm for me made perfectly clear to you. This is why I am so comforted.

with earnest entreaty, they kept on begging me for the favor of sharing in this service that is being rendered to God's people.

so that I insisted that Titus, as he had formerly commenced it, should bring to completion this gracious contribution among you too.

Yes, just as you are growing rich in everything else, in faith, expression, knowledge, perfect enthusiasm, and the love inspired in you by us, you must see to it that you grow rich in this gracious contribution too.

I am not saying this in the spirit of a command, but I am simply trying to test the genuineness of your love by the enthusiasm of others.

Now I will give you my opinion on this matter. For this is for your interest, because you were not only the first to do anything about it, but the first to want to do so; you started it a year ago.

Not only that, but he has been selected by the churches to travel with me for this gracious contribution which is being raised by me, so that it may turn out for the glory of the Lord and a proof of my readiness to serve.

I am arranging it so that no one can blame me in the matter of this munificent fund that is being handled by me.

It is really superfluous for me to write to you about this service which is being rendered to God's people,

But I send the brothers that in this matter my boasting of you may not turn out to be an idle boasting, that you all may be ready, as I have told them you will be,

Now this is the way it is: Whoever sows sparingly will reap sparingly too, but whoever sows bountifully will reap bountifully too.

Because the service rendered by this sacred offering is not only fully supplying the needs of God's people, but it is also running over with many thanks to God for it.

For through the test you get by doing this service you will continue praising God for your fidelity to your confession of the good news of Christ, and for the liberality of your contributions to them and all others;

For though I do still live the life of a physical human creature, I am not waging this war in accordance with physical human standards,

Such people should consider this: When I arrive for action I shall do exactly what I said I would in my letters when far away.

But the truth of Christ in me, this boasting of mine shall never be stopped in the boundaries of Greece.

But when I talk in this boastful confidence, I am not talking in accordance with the way the Lord talked, but just as a fool talks.

Yes, I know that this man -- whether in or out of the body, I do not know, but God knows --

On behalf of this man with such an experience I will boast, but on behalf of myself personally I will boast only about my weaknesses.

Three times I begged the Lord about this to make it go away and leave me,

In what respect, then, were you inferior to the rest of the churches, except for the fact that I, and I only, never received from you any financial support? Please forgive me this wrong.

Are you thinking all this time that I am defending myself to you? It is in the very presence of God and as one who is in union with Christ that I am speaking. And it is all for building you up, beloved, for I am apprehensive that, somehow or other, when I come I shall find you not as I want to find you, and that you may find me not as you want to find me.

This is my third visit to you. Any charge preferred must be sustained by the evidence of two or three witnesses.

I am glad to be consciously weak, if you are really strong. This is my continual prayer, the perfecting of your characters.

This is why I am writing this while far away from you, that when I do come, I may not have to deal harshly with you in accordance with the authority which the Lord has given me, for building you up, not for tearing you down.

In writing you this, I swear before God, I am telling you the solemn truth.

The rest of the Jewish Christians, too, joined him in this pretense so that even Barnabas was influenced to join them in their pretense.

I want to ask you only this one thing: Did you receive the Spirit by doing what the law commands, or by believing the message you heard?

I mean this: The law which was given four hundred and thirty years later could not annul the contract which had already been ratified by God, so as to cancel the promise.

But before this faith came, we were kept locked up under the law, in preparation for the faith which was to be unveiled.

But now that this faith has come, we are no longer in the charge of the attendant.

I mean this: As long as the heir is under age he is not a whit better off than a slave, although he is heir of all the property,

This is spoken as an allegory. For these women are two covenants, one coming from Mount Sinai, bearing children that are to be slaves;

This is the freedom with which Christ has made us free. So keep on standing in it, and stop letting your necks be fastened in the yoke of slavery again.

I mean this: Practice living by the Spirit and then by no means will you gratify the cravings of your lower nature.

Practice bearing one another's burdens, and in this way carry out the law of Christ.

Now peace and mercy be on all who walk by this rule; that is, on the true Israel of God.

Let nobody trouble me after this, for I carry on my body the scars that mark me as Jesus' slave.

This is why I myself, since I have heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus and in all His people,

far above every other government, authority, power, and dominion, yea, far above every other title that can be conferred, not only in this world but in the world to come.

in which you once lived in accordance with the spirit of this present world, and the mighty prince of the air, who is always at work in the disobedient, among whom all of us, we Jews as well as you heathen,

This is why I, Paul, a prisoner of Christ Jesus for the sake of the heathen --

By reading this you will be able to understand my insight into the secret about the Christ --

yes, on me, the very least of all His people, this unmerited favor was bestowed -- that I might preach as good news to the heathen the boundless riches of Christ,

and to make clear how is to be carried out the trusteeship of this secret which has for ages been hidden away in God, the Creator of all things,

For this reason I kneel before the Father,

Concerning this the Scripture says: "He led a host of captives, when He went up on high, and granted gifts to men."

So I mean this and now testify to it in the name of the Lord: You must now stop living as the heathen usually do, in the frivolity of their minds,

But this is not the way you have learned what Christ means,

This is the way married men ought to love their wives, as they do their own bodies. The married man who loves his wife is really loving himself,

This is a great secret; I mean this about Christ and the church.

Children, obey your parents, for this is right.

"You must honor your father and mother" -- this is the first commandment, with a promise to make it good

For our contest is not with human foes alone, but with the rulers, authorities, and cosmic powers of this dark world; that is, with the spirit-forces of evil challenging us in the heavenly contest.

For I am certain of this very thing, that He who began the good work in you will go on until the day of Jesus Christ to complete it.

And I have a right to think this way about you, because I always have you in my heart, whether shut up in prison or out defending and vindicating the good news, for you are sharers with me of God's favor.

in this way it has become well known throughout the Imperial Guard and to all the rest here that I am a prisoner in the service of Christ,

the former are preaching Christ from the motive of rivalry, not in sincerity, supposing that this is making it harder for me to bear my imprisonment.

for I know that through your prayers and a bountiful supply of the Spirit of Jesus Christ this will turn out for my spiritual welfare,

Now since I am certain of this, I know that I shall stay on and stay by you all to promote the progress of your faith

This is why God has highly exalted Him, and given Him the name that is above every other name,

So let us all who are mature have this attitude. If you have a different attitude, God will make it clear to you.

because of your hope of what is laid up for you in heaven. Long ago you heard of this hope through the message of the good news

This is why, ever since I heard of it, I have never ceased praying for you and asking God to fill you, through full wisdom and spiritual insight, with a clear knowledge of His will,

and that through Him He might reconcile to Himself all things on earth or in heaven, making this peace through the blood He shed On His cross.

to whom God has chosen to make known how glorious are the riches of this open secret among the heathen, namely, Christ in you the hope of your glorification.

For this I am toiling and struggling by His active energy which is mightily working in me.

I am saying this to keep anyone from misleading you by persuasive arguments.

In this new relation there is no Greek and Jew, no circumcised and uncircumcised, no barbarian, Scythian, slave and freeman, but Christ is everything and in us all.

Let the peace that Christ can give keep on acting as umpire in your hearts, for you were called to this state as members of one body. And practice being thankful.

You married women must continue to live in subordination to your husbands, for this is your Christian duty.

Children, practice obedience to your parents in everything, for this is acceptable in Christians.

You must persevere in prayer and by this means stay wide awake when you give thanks.

When this letter has been read to you, have it read to the church at Laodicea too, and see to it that you too read the one that is coming from Laodicea.

This farewell greeting is in my own hand, from Paul. Remember that I am still a prisoner. Spiritual blessing be with you.

so that none of you might be deceived amid these difficulties. For you knew yourselves that this is our appointed lot,

this is the very reason, namely, through your faith, brothers, that I have been encouraged about you, in spite of all my distresses and crushing difficulties,

Now, brothers, we ask and beg you, in the face of our union with the Lord Jesus, as you once received from us how you ought to live so as to please God -- as indeed you are living -- to continue to live this life better and better.

that no one should do wrong and defraud his brother in this matter, because the Lord takes vengeance for all such things, as we told you before and solemnly warned you.

So whoever rejects this teaching is rejecting not man but God who continues to put His Spirit in you.

So continue encouraging one another with this truth.