Therefore we are truly ambitious, whether being present or absent, to be well pleasing unto him.

Therefore, since we know the fear of the Lord [and understand the importance of obedience and worship], we persuade people [to be reconciled to Him]. But we are plainly known to God [He knows everything about us]; and I hope that we are plainly known also in your consciences [your God-given discernment].

For the love of Christ overmasters us, the conclusion at which we have arrived being this--that One having died for all, His death was their death,

Therefore, if any one is in union with Christ, he is a new being! His old life has passed away; a new life has begun!

He made Christ who knew no sin to [judicially] be sin on our behalf, so that in Him we would become the righteousness of God [that is, we would be made acceptable to Him and placed in a right relationship with Him by His gracious lovingkindness].

And being also co-laborers we exhort you not to receive the grace of God in vain,??2 for he says, In an acceptable time I heard you, and in a day of salvation I helped you; behold, now is an acceptable time, behold, now is a day of salvation,??3 giving no offense in any thing, that the ministry may not be blamed,

To keep my ministry from being found fault with, I am trying not to put a single hindrance in anybody's way.

In a clean heart, in knowledge, in long waiting, in being kind, in the Holy Spirit, in true love,

as unknown yet recognized;
as dying and look—we live;
as being disciplined yet not killed;

As being grieved, and always rejoicing; as poor, and making many rich; as having nothing, and possessing all things.

For, indeed, coming into Macedonia, our flesh had no rest, but being troubled in every way, with fightings on the outside, and fears on the inside.

In fact, if I did pain you by that letter, I do not regret it. I did regret it when I discovered that my letter had pained you even for the time being,

For, behold, this same thing, your being grieved according to God, how much diligence it wrought in you, but what excusing of yourselves, but what indignation, but what fear, but what ardent desire, but what zeal, but what vengeance: in every way ye have proved yourselves to be pure in the matter.

So then, if also I wrote to you, it was not for the sake of him that injured, nor for the sake of him that was injured, but for the sake of our diligent zeal for you being manifested to you before God.

How while they were undergoing every sort of trouble, and were in the greatest need, they took all the greater joy in being able to give freely to the needs of others.

With earnest entreaty they begged from us the favour of being allowed to share in the service now being rendered to God's people.

For ye know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that for your sakes he, being rich, became poor, in order that ye by his poverty might be enriched.

in this I only advise you: it being for your credit, since you have not only begun to execute it, but you were the first that form'd the design a year ago.

but by equality: your abundance being a supply at this present time for their want, that their abundance also may become a supply for your want; that there may be equality:

For indeed he accepted the exhortation; but being more forward, of his own accord he went unto you.

And not only [this], but he was also chosen by the churches [as] our traveling companion together with this gift that is being administered by us to the glory of the Lord himself and [to show] our readiness [to help].

[We are] trying to avoid this, lest anyone should find fault with us in this abundant gift that is being administered by us.

I aim at being above reproach not only from God but also from men.

and we sent with them our brother, whom we proved in many things many times being diligent, and now much more diligent, by the great confidence that is toward you,

Therefore, show these men, in the sight of the churches, the proof of your love and our reason for being proud of you.

As to the services which are being rendered to God's people, it is really unnecessary for me to write to you.

But I have sent the brothers [See 8:18, 22], so that our boasting about you being prepared will not prove to be empty words.

otherwise, if any Macedonians come with me and find you unprepared, we—to say nothing of yourselves—will be humiliated for being so confident.

Therefore I think it necessary to urge the Brothers to go to you in advance, and to complete the arrangements for the gift, which you have already promised, so that it may be ready, as a gift, before I come, and not look as if it were being given under pressure.

and God is able to make every charitable gift redound to your advantage; that being always sufficiently supply'd in every thing, you may excel in every good work:

Being enriched in every thing to all bountifulness, which causeth through us thanksgiving to God.

Now I Paul myself beseech you by the meekness and gentleness of Christ, who in presence am base among you, but being absent am bold toward you:

and I beseech you, that, being present, I may not have courage, with the confidence with which I reckon to be bold against certain reckoning us as walking according to the flesh;

For though we live as human beings, we do not wage war according to human standards,

and being in readiness to avenge all disobedience, when your obedience shall be made full.

This one -- let him reckon thus: that such as we are in word, through letters, being absent, such also, being present, we are in deed.

not boasting of things unmeasured in the labors of others, but having a hope, your faith being increased, that we shall be magnified among you according to our rule abundantly,

I wish that you would be patient with me in a little foolishness, but indeed you are being patient with me!

I robbed other churches, having received support for your ministry, and being present with you and being destitute, I burdened no one;

And when I was present with you, and wanted, I was chargeable to no man: for that which was lacking to me the brethren which came from Macedonia supplied: and in all things I have kept myself from being burdensome unto you, and so will I keep myself.

But I will persist in the same line of conduct in order to cut the ground from under the feet of those who desire an opportunity of getting themselves recognized as being on a level with us in the matters about which they boast.

For such the falsely sent, crafty workers, being transformed into the sent of Christ.

To return to what I was saying. Let no one suppose that I am foolish. Or if you must, at any rate make allowance for me as being foolish, in order that I, as well as they, may boast a little.

For ye bear with the foolish gladly, being wise yourselves .

Are they ministers of Christ? (I speak as being beside myself) I above measure so; in labours exceedingly abundant, in stripes to excess, in prisons exceedingly abundant, in deaths oft.

Who is weak without me being weak, too? Who is caused to stumble without me becoming indignant?

The God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the one being blessed forever, knows that I lie not.

In Damascus the governor under king Aretas, kept the city of the Damascenes with a guard, being determined to apprehend me.

And being let down in a basket from the wall through a window, I got free from his hands.

I have known a man in Christ, fourteen years ago -- whether in the body I have not known, whether out of the body I have not known, God hath known -- such an one being caught away unto the third heaven;

And I know that this man?? do not know whether it was in the body or out of it, God knows??4 was caught up into Paradise, and heard things that must not be told, which no human being can repeat.

God knows--was caught up into Paradise and heard unspeakable things which no human being is permitted to repeat.

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 desire to boast, I shall not be foolish. For I will speak the truth. But I spare, lest anyone should think of me as being beyond what he sees me, or hears of me;

Because of the surpassing greatness and extraordinary nature of the revelations [which I received from God], for this reason, to keep me from thinking of myself as important, a thorn in the flesh was given to me, a messenger of Satan, to torment and harass me—to keep me from exalting myself!

So I take pleasure in being feeble, in unkind words, in needs, in cruel attacks, in troubles, on account of Christ: for when I am feeble, then am I strong.

Truly, I endured [opposition] patiently, while showing evidence of being an apostle among you. I performed [supernatural] signs, and wonders and powerful miracles.

But be it so, I did not burden you: nevertheless, being crafty, I caught you with guile.

I told you before, and foretell you, as if I were present, the second time; and being absent now I write to them which heretofore have sinned, and to all other, that, if I come again, I will not spare:

For we [apostles] have no power [to act] against the truth, but [only] for the truth. [Note: Paul here alludes to his gifts and ministry being intended only to promote what was right according to God's truth].

Therefore I write these things being absent, lest being present I should use sharpness, according to the power which the Lord hath given me to edification, and not to destruction.

[It also comes from] all of the brothers who are with me [and is being sent] to the churches of Galatia [i.e., Iconium, Derbe, Lystra and Antioch of Pisidia].

I am surprised that you are being so quickly turned away from him whose word came to you in the grace of Christ, to good news of a different sort;

owing to nothing but your being practised upon by some, who would overturn the gospel of Christ.

And profited in the Jews' religion above many my equals in mine own nation, being more exceedingly zealous of the traditions of my fathers.

But when God who gave me being and called me by his grace,

to reveal His Son in me so that I might preach Him among the Gentiles [as the good news—the way of salvation], I did not immediately consult with anyone [for guidance regarding God’s call and His revelation to me].

I went up [to Jerusalem] because of a [divine] revelation, and I put before them the gospel which I preach among the Gentiles. But I did so in private before those of reputation, for fear that I might be running or had run [the course of my ministry] in vain.

But neither Titus, who was with me, being a Greek, was compelled to be circumcised:

and that because of incomers, being false brethren, which came in among others to spy out our liberty which we have in Christ Jesus, that they might bring us into bondage.

But from those who were conspicuous as being somewhat whatsoever they were, it makes no difference to me: God does not accept man's person; for to me those who were conspicuous communicated nothing;

and recognising the grace given to me, James and Cephas and John, who were conspicuous as being pillars, gave to me and Barnabas the right hands of fellowship, that we should go to the nations, and they to the circumcision;

For before certain came from James, he ate with the nations: and when they came, he drew down, and separated himself, being afraid of them of the circumcision.

But when I saw that they walked not uprightly according to the truth of the gospel, I said unto Peter before them all, If thou, being a Jew, livest after the manner of Gentiles, and not as do the Jews, why compellest thou the Gentiles to live as do the Jews?

We being Jews by nature, and not sinners of the Gentiles,

yet we know that a man is not justified [and placed in right standing with God] by works of the Law, but [only] through faith in [God’s beloved Son,] Christ Jesus. And even we [as Jews] have believed in Christ Jesus, so that we may be justified by faith in Christ and not by works of the Law. By observing the Law no one will ever be justified [declared free of the guilt of sin and its penalty].

For if I [or anyone else should] rebuild [through word or by practice] what I once tore down [the belief that observing the Law is essential for salvation], I prove myself to be a transgressor.

I have been crucified [i.e., died] with Christ, and so I am not the one who lives [anymore] but rather, it is Christ who lives in my heart. And [now] my entire life is being lived by trusting in the Son of God [to save and keep me], because He loved me and gave Himself up for me.

You foolish people [of the churches] of Galatia [Note: This was a province in present-day Turkey], who tricked you? Was not Jesus Christ graphically portrayed before you as being put to death on a cross?

Are you so foolish? Having begun by the Spirit, are you now being perfected by the flesh?

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:

And, this, I say - a covenant previously confirmed by God, the law which, after four hundred and thirty years, hath been brought into being, doth not annul, so as to do away with the promise.

Why then the Law? It was added because of transgressions, until the Seed should come to those to whom it had been promised, being ordained through angels in the Mediator's hand.

Now an intermediary does not serve in a situation involving [only] one person. However, God is one [Being].

Then was the law against the promises of God? it could not be so. For if the law was given being able to create life, truly justification would have been by law:

But the words of Scripture represent the whole world as being in bondage to sin, so that the promised blessing, dependent, as it is, upon faith in Jesus Christ, may be given to those who have faith in him.

And before the coming of the faith, under law we were being kept, shut up to the faith about to be revealed,

but now faith being come, we are no longer under a pedagogue.

And I say, so long time as the heir is a babe, he differeth nothing from a servant -- being lord of all,

being under tutors and guardians, 'till the time prefix'd by his father.

But when the fullness of the time came, God sent forth His Son, coming into being out of a woman, having come under Law,

Formerly when you did not know God, you were enslaved to beings that by nature are not gods at all.

but now, knowing God, but rather being known by God, how do ye turn again to the weak and beggarly principles to which ye desire to be again anew in bondage?

so that your enemy have I become, being true to you?

and it is good to be zealously regarded, in what is good, at all times, and not only in my being present with you;

Tell me, ye who are desirous of being under law, do ye not listen to the law?

This is being said as an allegory, for these women represent two covenants. The one woman, Hagar, is from Mount Sinai, and her children are born into slavery.

this Agar answers to the Jerusalem now in being, for she is in servitude with her children:

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

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