For we who are in this 'tent' sigh under our burden, unwilling to take it off, yet wishing to put our heavenly body over it, so that all that is mortal may be absorbed in Life.

And he who has prepared us for this change is God, who has also given us his Spirit as a pledge.

And in this confidence we would gladly leave our home in the body, and make our home with the Lord.

For ourselves, then, from this time forward, we refuse to regard any one from the world's standpoint. Even if we once thought of Christ from the standpoint of the world, yet now we do so no longer.

But all this is the work of God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ, and gave us the Ministry of Reconciliation--

To proclaim that God, in Christ, was reconciling the world to himself, not reckoning men's offenses against them, and that he had entrusted us with the Message of this reconciliation.

I am not saying this to condemn you. Indeed, I have already said that you are in our very heart, to live and die together.

So, then, even though I did write to you, it was not for the sake of the wrong-doer, or of the man who was wronged, but to make you conscious, in the sight of God, of your own earnest care for us. And it is this that has encouraged us.

In addition to the encouragement that this gave us, we were made far happier still by the happiness of Titus for his heart has been cheered by you all.

And this led us to urge upon Titus that, as he had started the work for you, he should also see to the completion of this expression of your love.

And, remembering how you excel in everything--in faith, in teaching, in knowledge, in unfailing earnestness, and in the affection that we have awakened in you--I ask you to excel also in this expression of your love.

I am only making suggestions on this matter; for this is the best course for you, since you were a year before others, not only in taking action, but also in showing your readiness to do so.

And not only that, but he has been elected by the Churches to accompany us on our journey, in Keynesian with this expression of your love, which we are personally administering to the honor of the Lord, and to show our deep interest.

What we are specially guarding against is that any fault should be found with us in regard to our administration of this charitable fund;

So my reason for sending our Brothers is to prevent what we said about you from proving, in this particular matter, an empty boast, and to enable you to be as well prepared as I have been saying that you are.

For the rendering of a public service such as this, not only relieves the needs of your fellow-Christians, but also results in the offering to God of many a thanksgiving.

I say this, that it may not seem as if I were trying to overawe you by my letters.

Let such a man be assured of this--that our words in our letters show us to be, when absent, just what our deeds will show us to be, when present.

Though I am no trained orator, yet I am not without knowledge; indeed we made this perfectly clear to you in every way.

As surely as I know anything of the Truth of Christ, this boast, as far as I am concerned, shall not be stopped in any part of Greece.

Men of this stamp are false apostles, treacherous workers, disguising themselves as Apostles of Christ!

Are they 'Servants of Christ'? Though it is madness to talk like this, I am more so than they! I have had more of toil, more of imprisonment! I have been flogged times without number. I have been often at death's door.

I know a man in union with Christ, who, fourteen years ago-- whether in the body or out of the body I do not know; God knows-- was caught up (this man of whom I am speaking) to the third Heaven.

And I know that this man--whether in the body or separated from the body I do not know; God knows--

It was for this reason, and to prevent my thinking too highly of myself, that a thorn was sent to pierce my flesh--an instrument of Satan to discipline me--so that I should not think too highly of myself.

About this I three times entreated the Lord, praying that it might leave me.

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.

Have you all this time been fancying that it is to you that we are making our defense? No, it is in the sight of God, and in union with Christ, that we are speaking. And all this, dear friends, is to build up your characters;

Put yourselves to the proof, to see whether you are holding to the Faith. Test yourselves. Surely you recognize this fact about yourselves--that Jesus Christ is in you! Unless indeed you cannot stand the test!

This is my reason for writing as I am now doing, while I am away from you, so that, when I am with you, I may not act harshly in the exercise of the authority which the Lord gave me--and gave me for building up and not for pulling down.

May God, our Father, and the Lord Jesus Christ, bless you and give you peace. For Christ, to rescue us from this present wicked age,

Is this, I ask, trying to conciliate men, or God? Am I seeking to please men? If I were still trying to please men, I should not be a servant of Christ.

It was in obedience to a revelation that I went; and I laid before the Apostles the Good News that I am proclaiming among the Gentiles. I did this privately before those who are thought highly of, for fear that I might possibly be taking, or might have already taken, a course which would prove useless.

He who supplies you abundantly with his Spirit and endows you with such powers--does he do this as the result of obedience to Law? or as the result of your having listened with faith?

And this he did that the blessing given to Abraham might be extended to the Gentiles through their union with Jesus Christ; that so, through our faith, we also might receive the promised gift of the Spirit.

My point is this--An agreement already confirmed by God cannot be canceled by the Law, which came four hundred and thirty years later, so as to cause the promise to be set aside.

My point is this--As long as the heir is under age, there is no difference between him and a slave, though he is master of the whole estate.

And so is it with us; when we were under age, as it were, we were slaves to the puerile teaching of this world;

This story may be taken as an allegory. The women stand for two Covenants. One Covenant, given from Mount Sinai, produces a race of slaves and is represented by Hagar

Indeed, the whole Law has been summed up in this one precept- -'Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thou dost thyself.'

This is what I have to say--Let your steps be guided by the Spirit, and then you will never gratify the cravings of your earthly nature.

May all who rule their conduct by this principle find peace and mercy--they who are the Israel of God.

All this accords with the loving-kindness which God lavished upon us, accompanied by countless gifts of wisdom and discernment,

In him, I say, for by our union with him we became God's Heritage, having from the first been destined for this in the intention of him who, in all that happens, is carrying out his own fixed purpose;

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

And, by reading what I have written, you will be able to judge how far I understand this hidden purpose of God in Christ.

Of this Good News I became a minister, in virtue of the charge with which God entrusted me in the exercise of his power--

Yes, to me, who am less than the least of all Christ's People, was this charge entrusted!--to tell the Gentiles the Good News of the boundless wealth to be found in the Christ,

For this reason, then, I kneel before the Father--

Now surely this 'going up' must imply that he had already gone down into the world beneath.

And this shall continue, until we all attain to that unity which is given by faith and by a fuller knowledge of the Son of God; until we reach the ideal man--the full standard of the perfection of the Christ.

This, then, as one in union with the Lord, I say to you and urge upon you: Do not continue to live such purposeless lives as the Gentiles live,

For of this you may be sure--that no one who is unchaste or impure or greedy of gain (for to be greedy of gain is idolatry) has any place awaiting him in the kingdom of the Christ and God.

'For this cause a man shall leave his father and mother, and be united to his wife; and the man and his wife shall become one.'

In this there is a profound truth--I am speaking of Christ and his Church.

'Honor thy father and mother'--this is the first Commandment with a promise--'

Pray in spirit at all times. Be intent upon this, with unwearying perseverance and supplication for all Christ's People- -

For of this I am confident, that he who began a good work in you will complete it in readiness for the Day of Jesus Christ.

And what I pray for is this--that your love may grow yet stronger and stronger, with increasing knowledge and all discernment,

And besides this, most of our Brothers have gained confidence in the Lord through my chains, and now venture with far greater freedom to speak of God's Message fearlessly.

Yes, and I will rejoice, for I know that, through your prayers and through a rich supply of the Spirit of Jesus Christ, 'all this will make for my Salvation.'

And this will fulfil my earnest expectation and hope that I shall have no cause for shame, but that, with unfailing courage, now as hitherto, Christ will be honored in my body, whether by my life or by my death,

But what if the life here in the body--if this brings me fruit from my labors? Then which to choose I cannot tell! I am sorely perplexed either way!

My own desire is to depart and be with Christ, for this would be far better.

Yes, I am confident that this is so, and therefore I am sure that I shall stay, and stay near you all, to promote your progress and joy in the Faith;

Without ever shrinking from your opponents. To them this will be a sign of their Destruction and of your Salvation--a sign from God.

For I, Brothers, do not regard myself as having yet laid hold of it. But this one thing I do--forgetting what lies behind, and straining every nerve for that which lies in front,

Who, by the exercise of his power to bring everything into subjection to himself, will make this body that we have in our humiliation like to that body which he has in his Glory.

Do not think that I am saying this under the pressure of want. For I, however I am placed, have learned to be independent of circumstances.

On account of the hope which awaits its fulfillment in Heaven. Of this hope you heard long ago in the true Message of the Good News which reached you--

And therefore we, from the very day that we heard this, have never ceased praying for you, or asking that you may possess that deeper knowledge of the will of God, which comes through all true spiritual wisdom and insight.

This is the Christ whom we proclaim, warning every one, and instructing every one, with all the wisdom that we possess, in the hope of bringing every one into God's presence perfected by union with Christ.

I say this to prevent any one from deceiving you by plausible arguments.

Take care there is not some one who will carry you away by his 'philosophy'--a hollow sham!--following, as it does, mere human traditions, and dealing with puerile questions of this world, and not with Christ.

Since, with Christ, you became dead to the puerile teaching of this world, why do you submit, as though your life were still that of the world,

And when this letter has been read to you, see that it is also read before the Church at Laodicea, and that you yourselves read the letter which will be forwarded from there.

Give this message to Archippus--'Take care to discharge to the best of your ability the office to which you were appointed in the Master's Cause.'

I, Paul, add this greeting in my own handwriting. Remember these chains of mine. God's blessing be with you.

This, too, is a reason why we, on our part, are continually thanking God--because, in receiving the teaching that you had from us, you accepted it, not as the teaching of man, but as what it really is--the teaching of God, which is even now doing its work within you who believe in Christ.

For this is God's purpose--that you should be pure; abstaining from all immorality;

Therefore he who disregards this warning disregards, not man, but God who gives you his Holy Spirit.

And indeed you do act in this spirit towards all the Brethren throughout Macedonia. Yet, Brothers, we urge you to still further efforts.

This we tell you on the authority of the Lord--that those of us who are still living at the Coming of the Lord will not anticipate those who have passed to their rest.

Under all circumstances give thanks to God. For this is his will for you as made known in Christ Jesus.

I adjure you in the Lord's name to have this letter read to all the Brethren.

So much is this the case that we ourselves speak with pride, before the Churches of God, of the patience and faith which you have shown, in spite of all the persecutions and troubles that you are enduring.

With this in view, our constant prayer for you is that our God may count you worthy of the Call that you have received, and by his power make perfect your delight in all goodness and the efforts that have resulted from your faith.

Do not you remember how, when I was with you, I used to speak to you of all this?

To this you were called by the Good News which we brought you, to attain to the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ.

This was not because we had not a right to receive support, but our object was to give you a pattern for you to copy.

If any one disregards what we have said in this letter, mark that man and avoid his company, that he may feel ashamed.

I, Paul, add this greeting in my own handwriting. It is my signature to every letter. This is how I write.

This, then, is the charge that I lay upon you, Timothy, my Child, in accordance with what was predicted of you--Fight the good fight in the spirit of those predictions,

with faith, and with a clear conscience; and it is because they have thrust this aside, that, as regards the Faith, some have wrecked their lives.

This will be good and acceptable in the eyes of God, our Savior,

who gave himself as a ransom on behalf of all men. This must be our testimony, as opportunities present themselves;

and it was for this that I was myself appointed a Herald and an Apostle (I am telling the simple truth and no lie)--a Teacher of the Gentiles in the Faith and Truth.

I am writing this to you, though I hope that I shall come to see you before long;

Put all this before the Brethren, and you will be a good servant of Christ Jesus, sustained by the precepts of the Faith and of that Good Teaching by which you have guided your life.

Look to yourself as well as to your teaching. Persevere in this, for your doing so will mean Salvation for yourself as well as for your hearers.