For I want you to know this secret, brothers, so you will not become conceited: Part of the Israelites have become [spiritually] insensitive [to God], [and will remain that way] until the fullness of the Gentiles occurs. [Note: As with verse 12, concerning the Jews, "fullness" here may mean either a large or the complete number of Gentiles who will be saved].

For [our] rulers are not a threat to [the person doing] a good deed, but to [the person doing] an evil one. So, do you want to avoid having to be afraid of the authorities? Then do what is good and you will be commended by them [generally].

For everyone has heard about your obedience [to the truth], and [because of this], I am very happy over you. But I want you to be wise about what is good and innocent about what is evil.

So, as it is written [Jer. 9:23f], "The person who [wants to] boast, let him boast about the Lord."

[Now] you already have all you want! You have already become wealthy! You have begun to rule as kings without our help! How I wish that you had [really] begun to rule as kings, so that we also could rule with you!

But I will come to you soon, if the Lord wants me to. Then I will determine not [only] what these arrogant people are saying, but how much power they have.

Which do you [really] want? Shall I come to you with a rod [of discipline], or lovingly, and with a spirit of gentleness?

I now want to reply to the matters you people wrote me about. It is [a] good [idea] for a man not to get married. [Note: The words "to get married" here are "to touch" in the Greek and probably refer to sexual relations within marriage. This advice, not a prohibition, is further explained in verses 26-35].

But if you should marry, you have not sinned. And if a virgin girl marries, she has not sinned. Yet those individuals [who do marry] will have troubles in this life, and I want to spare you of that.

But I want you to be free from worry. The man who is not married is concerned about the affairs of the Lord [and] how to please the Lord.

But if any man thinks he is [being tempted to] behave improperly toward his virgin [fiancee], and she is past prime [marriageable] age, and feels the need [to get married] [Note: The Greek says "and so it has to be"], he should do what he wants; they should get married --- that man has not sinned.

A wife is bound [i.e., to stay married] for as long as her husband is alive. But if her husband dies, she is free to be married to anyone she wants; [but it must be] only in the Lord [i.e., he must be a faithful Christian].

I now want to reply to the matter of idolatrous sacrifices [which you wrote to me about]. We know that we all possess knowledge. [Note: This may be a statement posed to Paul by the Corinthians, who seemed quite preoccupied with "knowledge"]. Knowledge [only] makes people arrogant, while love builds them up [spiritually].

But pay attention [to this], so that somehow this liberty of yours [i.e., to eat whatever you want to] does not become an occasion over which weak people could fall [away from God].

My defense to those people who [want to] examine my credentials is this:

For I want you to be [fully] aware, brothers, that our forefathers were all under the cloud, and all of them passed [safely] through the [Red] Sea. [Note: This refers to God guiding the Israelites through the desert during the daytime by a cloud moving along above them . See Ex. 13:21-22].

[Certainly not!] But I am saying that the Gentile sacrifices are [really] offered to evil spirits and not to God. And I do not want you to have fellowship with evil spirits.

that is, for the sake of the other person's conscience, not your own. For why should my freedom [to eat what I want] be judged [as wrong] by another person's conscience? [Note: The questions in this and the following verse may mean, "it is not worth eating questionable things, if doing so would bring criticism from a weak brother"].

But I want you to know that Christ is the [spiritual] head [i.e., authority] over every man; and the man is the [spiritual] head over the woman [Note: The Greek words for "woman" and "wife" are the same. "Wife" is obviously meant by the context]; and God is the head over Christ.

Now concerning spiritual [i.e., supernatural] gifts, brothers, I want you to be [fully] knowledgeable.

And if they want to find out about something, they should ask their own husbands at home [i.e., instead of asking someone else in the assembly and thereby suggesting insubordination to their husbands]. For it is a shame for a woman to speak in the assembly. [See verse 34].

Now, brothers, I want to remind you of the good news which I preached to you. You received it; you are standing firm in it;

But God gives it the [kind of] body He wants [it to have], so each seed gets its own plant.

For we want you to know, brothers, about the trouble that we experienced in Asia. [See I Cor. 16:19]. We were under a heavy burden [which was] more than we could stand, even to the point of despairing of life.

For we do not have [the right to] rule over your faith [i.e., to dictate concerning your personal relationship with God], but we want to work with you for your happiness. For you are [already] standing firm in your faith. [Note: This whole narrative alludes to some unresolved problems still existing there in Corinth].

But if anyone has caused grief, he has not done it to me [only], but to nearly all of you [or, "only partially to all of you"] for I do not want to overstate the case.

Now, brothers, we want you to know about the favor God has given to the churches in Macedonia.

So, now finish doing it also, so that just as you were eager to want to, you will also [be eager to] finish it, according to your ability.

[Now] I do not want to appear to be trying to scare you by my letters.

But what I am doing, I will continue to do, so that I can cut off the opportunity from those who want an occasion [to receive financial support for themselves because of my example of receiving it]. They want to boast [that they are preaching] on the same terms as I do. [Note: Paul's argument seems to be that one reason for his foregoing financial support was so those "super apostles" in Corinth (see verse 5) would not be able to use his example to wrongfully exact financial support from the church].

Now, this is the third time I have been ready to come to you, and I will not be a [financial] burden to you. For I do not want your possessions but you yourselves, because children should not [have to] save up for their parents, but parents for their children.

For I am afraid that somehow, when I come [to you], I might not find you the way I want you to be, and you might not find me the way you want me to be. I am afraid there might be quarrelling, jealousy, angry outbursts, factious spirits, slander, gossip, arrogance and [other] disturbances [there].

Now, it is fine for someone to want to seek you out anytime, if it is for a good purpose, and not just when I am around [to be impressed].

For what your body wants is in conflict with what the Holy Spirit wants [for you], and what the Holy Spirit wants conflicts with what your body wants, for these [two desires] are contrary to one another, so that you do not [always] do what you [really] want to.

But, if you are led by [what] the Holy Spirit [wants you to do], you are not under [obligation to meet the requirements of] the law of Moses.

Those who attempt to make a good impression by trying to force you to be circumcised really want only to avoid being persecuted for their commitment to Christ.

For not even those who practice circumcision comply with [the requirements of] the law of Moses, yet they want you to be circumcised so they can take credit for this physical evidence [of your compliance with the law of Moses].

But the last thing I want to do is brag [about such things]. For [if I had any bragging to do at all], it would be about [salvation through] the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, for it is through Him that this [sinful] world has been crucified [i.e., died] as far as I am concerned and I have been crucified [i.e., died] as far as it is concerned.

It is in [fellowship with] Christ that we [Jewish Christians] also were selected as [God's] inheritance [i.e., to receive His never ending blessings], having been predetermined according to the plan of God, who works out everything in harmony with what He wants.

Therefore, do not be foolish, but understand what the Lord wants you to do.

Do not serve them only when you are being watched, just to gain their approval, but as slaves of Christ, doing what God wants from your heart.

Now I want you to know, brothers, that the things that happened to me have resulted in the advancement [of the influence] of the Gospel rather [than hindering it],

[I also want to hear] that you are not being frightened by those who oppose you, which [opposition] is proof that they will be destroyed, but that you will be saved, and this will [all] be done by God.

I want to know Christ [as Savior] and to experience the power [produced] by His resurrection, and to share in His sufferings and become like Him in His death,

So, this is why, since the day we heard about these things, we do not stop praying for you and requesting that you people be filled [by God] with the knowledge of what He wants [for your lives], and with spiritual wisdom and understanding.

I want you to know how much I am struggling for you [Note: This probably refers to the great effort Paul was exerting in prayer, preaching, etc.], and for those at Laodicia [Note: This was a town ten miles west of Colosse], and for all those who have never met me in person.

Epaphras, who is one of you [See 1:7; 4:9], a slave of Christ Jesus, sends you his greetings. He always struggles in his prayers on your behalf so that you will remain mature and be fully convinced [that you are living] by all that God wants [for your life].

But we want you to be informed, brothers, concerning those who have fallen asleep [in death] so that you do not grieve, as other people do [i.e., the unsaved], who have no hope.

Thank [God] for everything, for this is what God wants for you in [the fellowship of] Christ Jesus.

For even when we were with you, we gave you this order: If any person does not [want to] work, he should not [get to] eat.

As I urged you to do when I was leaving Macedonia [See Acts 20:1ff], I want you to remain in Ephesus in order to urge certain people not to teach a different [i.e., false] doctrine,

They want to be teachers of the law of Moses, even though they do not understand what they are saying or what they are affirming with [such] confidence.

who wants all people to be saved and come to a [full] knowledge of the truth.

Therefore, I want the men to pray in every place [i.e., in all worship assemblies. See verses 1-2], lifting up holy hands without being angry or argumentative. [Note: This passage stresses both the physical and spiritual aspects of prayer].

I also want the women to dress themselves in proper clothing, with modesty and discretion, not with [elaborately] braided hair, or gold [ornaments], or pearls, or expensive clothing,

But refuse [to put] younger widows [on the list. See verse 9], because when they become restless for sensual pleasure, contrary to [their commitment to] Christ, they want to get married [again].

Therefore, I want the younger widows to get married, have children and manage their homes, so that they do not give the enemy [i.e., non-Christians] an opportunity for speaking against [the church].

But those people who want to get rich fall into temptation and a trap and into many foolish and harmful desires, which plunge people into ruin and [spiritual] destruction.

In fact, everyone who wants to live a godly life in [the service of] Christ will be persecuted.

For the time will come when people will not tolerate sound teaching, but will assemble to themselves teachers who will satisfy what their "itching ears" want to hear.

This saying is trustworthy and I want you [in your teaching] to affirm these things with confidence, so that those people who have trusted God will be careful to devote themselves to doing good deeds. These things [i.e., just mentioned] are good and profitable for people [to do].

But I did not want to do anything without your permission, so that your goodness [of heart] would not be shown out of a feeling of obligation, but out of willingness.

We do not want you people to be [spiritually] slack, but to imitate those who will inherit [God's] promises because of their faith and patience.

Therefore, when Christ came into the world, He said [to God], [Psa. 40:6-8 LXX], "You did not want an [animal] sacrifice and an offering, but you prepared a body for me [to sacrifice].

Then I said, 'Look, I have come to do what you want, O God, [just as] it is written in the scroll of the book [about me].'"

[After] saying the above, "You did not want, nor were you pleased, with [peace] sacrifices and [meal] offerings and whole burnt offerings and sin offerings," [although] these are offered according to the law of Moses,

He then said, "Look, I have come to do what you want." [So], Christ takes away the first [i.e., the animal and grain sacrifices] in order to establish the second [i.e., the sacrifice of Himself].

For you need to be steadfast so that, after you have done what God wants, you will receive the promise [of an inheritance. See 9:15].

Pray for us [continually]. We are convinced that we [i.e., the writer of Hebrews] have a clear conscience [i.e., regarding our relationship to you] and we want to behave properly in every way.

I want you people to know that our brother Timothy has been released [from prison ?]. If he comes [to me] soon, I will bring him with me when I visit you.

You people desire something and yet do not have it, [so] you murder [to get it]. You are envious [of what someone has] and [yet] are not able to obtain it, [so] you fight and quarrel [over it]. You do not have [what you want] because you do not ask [God for it].

Instead, you should be saying, "If it is what the Lord wants, we will live and do this or that."

For [Psalm 39:12 says], "The person who loves [his] life and wants to have happy days, should avoid saying anything bad or deceptive.

So then, you should no longer live the rest of your lives [to satisfy] the sinful desires of your body, but to do what God wants.

If someone's gift is speaking, he should [be sure to] say only what God wants him to. If a person's gift is serving, he should do so by the strength provided by God [who supplies all such gifts]. This is so that, in using all gifts, God may be honored through Jesus Christ, to whom belongs honor and power forever and ever. May it be so.

You should serve as shepherds of God's flock [i.e., the church], among whom you minister, providing careful oversight [of the people], not because you feel forced to, but because you want to, as this is in accordance with the way God wants it to be. Do not [serve as elders] simply out of a desire for the income you receive, but because your heart is in it.

This is now, my dearly loved ones, the second letter I am writing to you; in both of them, as a reminder, I want to stir up your sincere thoughts

The Lord is not slow about keeping His promise, like some people are, but is [simply] being patient with you, since He does not want anyone to be destroyed, but He wants everyone to repent [i.e., change their hearts and lives].

And this is the message we heard from Him, and [now want to] announce to you: God is light [i.e. righteousness] and in His [very nature] there is no trace of darkness [i.e., evil].

And the world, with its [physical and material] desires, is passing away, but the person who does what God wants will continue to live forever.

I had many things [I wanted] to write you about, but I do not want to do it with pen and ink,

But, I want to remind you, [even] though you already know the stories about how the Lord delivered His people from Egyptian [bondage], and then [later] destroyed those who did not believe [in Him].

"And to the person who has victory [in the Christian life], and who continues to do what I want until the end [of his life], I will give him authority over the nations [Note: This probably refers to a spiritual reign with Christ during the Christian age. See 20:4].

And in those days people will be looking for death, but they will not find it; and they will want to die, but death will elude them.

And if anyone wants to harm them, fire will come out of their mouths and consume their enemies. And if anyone tries to harm them, he must be killed in the same way.

These witnesses have the authority to shut the sky up so that it does not rain during the time they are prophesying. And they have the authority to turn the waters into blood, and to strike the earth with every kind of plague whenever they want to.

The person who is doing wrong should continue to do wrong [if he wants to]; and the person who is [morally] filthy should continue to be [morally] filthy [if he wants to]; and the person who does what is right should continue to do right [if he wants to]; and the person who is living a holy life should continue to live holy [if he wants to]."

And the Holy Spirit and the bride [i.e., the church. See 21:9] say, "Come!" And the person who hears [this] should say "Come." And the person who is [spiritually] thirsty should come; [and] whoever wants to should come and drink the water of life without having to pay for it.