If the whole body were an eye, where were the hearing? If the whole body were hearing, where were the smelling?

And, if they were all one member, where were the body?

For we do not wish you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning our tribulation which befell us in Asia; that we were exceedingly weighed down beyond our power, insomuch that we despaired even of life:

But their minds were unimpressible; for until this day upon the reading of the old covenant the same veil remains unlifted; which in Christ is done away.

For whether we were beside ourselves, it was to God; or whether we are of sober mind, it is for you.

On behalf of Christ, therefore, we are ambassadors, as though God were beseeching through us, we entreat you on behalf of Christ, be ye reconciled to God

For even when we came into Macedonia, our flesh had no relief; but we were in tribulation on every side; without were fightings, within were fears.

Now I rejoice, not that ye were made sorry, but that ye were made sorry unto repentance; for ye were made sorry after a godly manner, that in nothing ye might receive damage from us.

For, behold this very thing??hat ye were made sorry after a godly manner??hat diligence it wrought in you; yea, what defense of yourselves; yea, what indignation; yea, what fear; yea what earnest desire; yea, what zeal; yea, what avenging! In everything ye proved yourselves to be pure in the matter.

I speak by way of dishonor, as though we were weak; but in whatever anyone is bold (I speak in foolishness), I also am bold.

Truly the signs of an apostle were wrought out among you in all patience, by signs and wonders and mighty works.

For what is there in which ye were made inferior to the rest of the assemblies, except that I myself was not burdensome to you? forgive me this wrong!

For am I now seeking the favor of men, or of God? Or am I seeking to please men? If still I were pleasing men, I should not be Christ's servant.

neither went I up to Jerusalem to those who were apostles before me, but I went away into Arabia, and again returned to Damascus.

and I was unknown by face to the assemblies of Judaea, which were in Christ;

but they were only hearing, "He who was once persecuting us now proclaims the faith which once he was destroying."

And they were glorifying God in me.

But from those reputed to be something (whatever they were, it matters not to me: God does not accept man's person): to me, in fact, those of repute added nothing;

And, perceiving the grace which was given to me, James and Cephas and John, who were reputed to be pillars, gave to me and Barnabas right-hands of fellowship, that we should go to the gentiles, and they to the circumcision;

But, when I saw that they were not walking uprightly according to the truth of the Gospel, I said to Cephas in presence of them all, "If you, being a Jew, live as do the gentiles, and not as the Jews, how do you compel the gentiles to live as do the Jews?"

But, if while seeking to be justified in Christ, we ourselves also were found sinners, is, then, Christ a minister of sin? It could not be!

Now to Abraham were the promises spoken, and to his Seed. He saith not, "And to seeds," as of many; but as of One, "and to your Seed"; which is Christ.

But, before the faith came, we were kept guarded under law, being shut up to the faith about to be revealed.

for as many of you as were immersed into Christ, did put on Christ.

So we also, when we were children, were held in bondage under the elements of the world.

Ye were separated from Christ, whoever of you are being justified by law; ye fell out of grace;

Ye were running well; who hindered you, that ye should not obey the truth,

For ye were called to freedom, brethren; only use not your freedom for an occasion to the flesh, but through love serve one another;

in Whom we also were made a heritage, having been predestinated according to the purpose of Him Who worketh all things after the counsel of His own will;

You also did He make alive, when ye were dead in your trespasses and sins,

among whom we also all once lived in the desires of our flesh, doing the will of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, even as the rest;

even when we were dead in our offenses, made us alive with Christ (by grace ye have been saved),

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

But now, in Christ Jesus, ye who were once afar off were made nigh in the blood of Christ.

and, coming, He proclaimed the Gospel of peace to you who were afar off, and peace to those who were near;

I, therefore, the prisoner in the Lord exhort you to walk worthily of the calling with which ye were called,

There is one body, and one Spirit, even as also ye were called in one hope of your calling;

if, indeed, ye heard Him, and were taught in Him, as truth is in Jesus;

And grieve not the Holy Spirit of God, in Whom ye were sealed unto the day of redemption.

for ye were once darkness, but now are ye light in the Lord; walk as children of light

But what things were gain to me, these I accounted loss for Christ.

But I rejoiced in the Lord greatly, that now at length ye revived your thought in my behalf, for whom ye were taking thought, but ye lacked opportunity.

because in Him were all things created, in the heavens, and upon the earth, the visible and the invisible, whether thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers??ll things have been created through Him, and for Him;

having been rooted and being built up in Him, and being established in the faith as ye were taught, abounding with thanksgiving.

in Whom ye were also circumcised with a circumcision not made with hand, in the putting off of the body of the flesh, in the circumcision of Christ;

having been buried with Him in your immersion, in which ye were also raised with Him through faith in the working of God, Who raised Him from the dead;

If, therefore, ye were raised up with Christ, seek the things above, where Christ is, seated on the right hand of God.

in which things ye also formerly walked, when ye were living in these things.

And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, unto which also ye were called in one body; and become thankful.

so, being affectionately desirous of you, we were well pleased to impart to you, not only the Gospel of God, but also our own souls, because ye became dear to us.

Wherefore, when no longer able to endure it, we were well pleased to be left behind at Athens alone,

For even when we were with you, we told you beforehand, "We are about to suffer tribulation"; even as also it came to pass, and ye know.

But, Timothy having just now come to us from you, and having brought us good tidings of your faith and love, and that ye have good remembrance of us at all times, longing to see us, as we also to see you??7 for this reason, brethren, we were comforted over you, in all our tribulation and distress, through your faith;

So, then, brethren, stand fast, and hold the instructions which ye were taught, whether through speech, or through letter of ours.

For ye yourselves know that ye should imitate us; because we were not disorderly among you;

For, even when we were with you, this we commanded you, "If anyone is not willing to work, neither let him eat."

Fight the good fight of the faith, lay hold on the eternal life, to which you were called, and confessed a good confession before many witnesses.

But do you abide in the, things which you learned and were assured of; knowing from whom you learned them;

For we also were once foolish, disobedient, deceived, serving manifold desires and pleasures, living in malice and envy, hateful, and hating one another.

and might release all those who, through fear of death, were all their lifetime subject to bondage.

And to whom did He swear, that they should not enter into His rest, but to those who were disbelieving?

And we see that they were not able to enter in because of unbelief.

For we who believed do enter into rest, even as He said, "As I swore in My wrath, they shall not enter into My rest; although the works were finished from the founding of a world."

For as to those who were once enlightened, and tasted of the heavenly gift, and became partakers of the Holy Spirit,

If, therefore, He were on earth, He would not be a priest, since there are those offering the gifts according to the law,

For a tabernacle was prepared; the first, in which were both the lamp-stand and the table, and the show-bread, which, indeed, is called "Holy;"

But call to remembrance the former days, in which, after ye were enlightened, ye endured a great conflict of sufferings;

partly, indeed, when ye were made a spectacle both with reproaches and tribulations; and partly, when ye became partakers with those who were so used;

for in this the elders were well reported of.

These all died according to faith, not having obtained the promises, but having seen them from afar, and having greeted them, and having confessed that they were strangers and sojourners on the earth.

By faith Moses, when born, was hidden three months by his parents, because they saw that he was a comely child; and they were not afraid of the king's command.

By faith they passed through the Red Sea as by dry land, which the Egyptians, making an attempt to do, were swallowed up.

quenched the power of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, from weakness were made strong, became mighty in war, put to flight armies of aliens.

Women received their dead by a resurrection; and others were tortured, not accepting the redemption, that they might obtain a better resurrection.

they were stoned, they were sawn asunder, they were tempted, they perished in the slaughter of the sword; they went about in sheep-skins, in goat-skins, being destitute, suffering tribulation, maltreated

For they, indeed, for a few days were chastening us, according to what seemed good to them; but He for our profit, that we may partake of His holiness.

Be not carried away by manifold and strange teachings; for it is good that the heart be established with grace, not with foods, in which those who occupied themselves were not profited.

Do they not blaspheme the worthy name by which ye were called?

to whom it was revealed that, not to themselves, but to you they were ministering them; which things now were reported to you through those who proclaimed the Gospel to you by the Holy Spirit sent forth from Heaven; into which things angels desire to look carefully.

knowing that, not with perishable things, with silver or gold, were ye redeemed from your vain course of life handed down from your fathers;

and "a stone of stumbling, and rock of offense"; who stumble, being disobedient to the word, to which also they were appointed.

who once were not a people, but are now God's people; who had not obtained mercy, but now have obtained mercy.

For to this were ye called, because Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example, that ye should follow His steps;

Who Himself bore our sins in His own body on the tree, that we, having died to sins, might live to righteousness; by Whose bruise ye were healed.

For, as sheep, ye were going astray; but now ye returned to the Shepherd and Overseer of your souls.

For thus, in former times, the holy women also, who hoped in God, were wont to adorn themselves, submitting themselves to their own husbands;

not returning evil for evil, or reviling for reviling; but, on the contrary, blessing; because to this end ye were called, that ye might inherit a blessing.

who were once disobedient, when the long-suffering of God was waiting in the days of Noah, while an ark was being prepared, entering into which, a few, that is, eight, souls were saved through water;

and this voice we heard borne from Heaven, when we were with Him in the holy mount.

and delivered righteous Lot, distressed by the conduct of those who were impious in lasciviousness,

leaving the right way, they were led astray, having followed the way of Balaam, the son of Beor, who loved the wages of unrighteousness,

For it were better for them not to have fully known the way of righteousness, than, having known it, to turn back from the holy commandment delivered to them.

and saying, "Where is the promise of His coming? for, from the day the fathers fell asleep, all things remain as they were from the beginning of the creation."

For this escapes them willingly, that there were heavens of old, and an earth set together out of water, and through water, by the word of God:

They went out from among us, but they were not of us; for if they had been of us, they would have continued with us; but they went out, that they might be made manifest, that they are not all of us.

not as Cain who was of the evil one, and slew his brother. And wherefore did he slay him? Because his own works were evil, and his brother's righteous.

For there crept in stealthily certain men, who of old were set forth for this condemnation, ungodly men, changing the grace of our God into lasciviousness; and denying the only Master and our Lord Jesus Christ.

that they were wont to say to you: "In the last time there will be mockers, walking according to their own ungodly desires."

And His head and hair were white as white wool, as snow; and His eyes were as a flame of fire;

Become watchful, and strengthen the things that remain, which were about to die; for I have not found your works complete before My God.