And Isaiah is very bold and says, "I was found by those who did not seek me; I became known to those who did not ask for me."

What then? What Israel was searching for, this it did not obtain. But the elect obtained [it], and the rest were hardened,

For whatever was written beforehand was written for our instruction, in order that through patient endurance and through the encouragement of the scriptures we may have hope.

but just as it is written, "[Those] to whom [it was] not announced concerning him will see, and [those] who have not heard will understand."

For this reason also I was hindered many [times] from coming to you,

I give thanks to my God always concerning you, because of the grace of God which was given to you in Christ Jesus,

Has Christ been divided? Paul was not crucified for you, was he? Or were you baptized in the name of Paul?

For since, in the wisdom of God, the world through its wisdom did not know God, God was pleased through the foolishness of preaching to save those who believe.

And I, brothers, was not able to speak to you as to spiritual [people], but as to fleshly [people], as to infants in Christ.

I planted, Apollos watered, but God was causing [it] to grow.

Was anyone called [after] being circumcised? He must not undo his circumcision. Was anyone called in uncircumcision? He must not become circumcised.

Each one in the calling in which he was called--in this he should remain.

Each one in [the situation] in which he was called, brothers--in this he should remain with God.

and all drank the same spiritual drink. For they drank from the spiritual rock that followed [them], and the rock was Christ.

But God was not pleased with the majority of them, for they were struck down in the desert.

For indeed man was not created for the sake of the woman, but woman for the sake of the man.

For I received from the Lord what I also passed on to you, that the Lord Jesus, on the night in which he was betrayed, took bread,

When I was a child, I spoke like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I set aside the things of a child.

and that he was buried, and that he was raised up on the third day according to the scriptures,

Now concerning Apollos our brother, I urged him many [times] that he should come to you with the brothers, and he was not at all willing that he should come now, but he will come whenever he has [an] opportunity.

And with this confidence, I was wanting to come to you previously, in order that you may have a second proof of my goodwill,

Therefore, [when I] was wanting [to do] this, perhaps then was I making use of vacillation? Or was I deciding what I was deciding according to the flesh, in order that with me my "yes" may be "yes" and my "no" [may be] "no" [at the same time]?

For the Son of God, Jesus Christ, the one who was proclaimed among you by us, by me and Silvanus and Timothy, did not become "yes" and "no," but has become "yes" in him.

Now [when I] arrived in Troas for the gospel of Christ and a door was opened for me by the Lord,

But if the ministry of death in letters carved on stone came with glory, so that the sons of Israel were not able to look intently into the face of Moses because of the glory of his face, which was transitory,

For if [there was] glory in the ministry of condemnation, by much more will the ministry of righteousness overflow with glory.

For if what was transitory [came] with glory, by much more what remains [is] with glory.

and not as Moses used to place a veil over his face, in order that the sons of Israel would not stare at the end of what was transitory.

And he died for all, in order that those who live should no longer live for themselves, but for the one who died for them and was raised.

namely, that God was in Christ reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation.

and not only by his coming, but also by the comfort [with] which he was comforted among you, [because he] reported to us your longing, your mourning, your zeal for me, so that I rejoiced even more.

Consequently, even if I wrote to you, it was not because of the one who did wrong or because of the one who had been wronged, but in order that your diligence {on our behalf} might be revealed to you before God.

For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that [although he] was rich, for your sake he became poor, in order that you, by his poverty, may become rich.

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].

But I am sending the brothers in order that our boasting about you would not prove to be empty in this case, so that you may be prepared just as I was saying,

Therefore I considered [it] necessary to urge the brothers that they should go on ahead to you and make arrangements in advance for your generous gift that was promised previously, so this would be prepared as a generous gift and not as grudgingly granted.

And [when I] was present with you and was in need, I did not burden anyone, for the brothers who came from Macedonia supplied my need, and in everything I kept myself from being a burden to you, and will keep [myself from being a burden].

Three times I was beaten with rods. Once I received a stoning. Three times I was shipwrecked. A day and a night I have spent in the deep water.

In Damascus, the governor under King Aretas was guarding the city of the Damascenes in order to take me into custody,

and I was lowered through a window through the wall in a rope-basket, and I escaped his hands.

I know a man in Christ fourteen years ago--whether in the body I do not know, or outside the body I do not know, God knows--such a man was caught up to the third heaven,

that he was caught up to paradise and heard words not to be spoken, which [it is] not permitted for a person to speak.

even because of the extraordinary degree of the revelations. Therefore, so that I would not exalt myself, a thorn in the flesh was given to me, a messenger of Satan, in order that it would torment me so that I would not exalt myself.

{For in what respect are you made worse off} more than the rest of the churches, except that I myself was not a burden to you? Forgive me this wrong!

But let [it] be. I have not been a burden to you, but [because I] was crafty, I took you by cunning.

I have already said when was present the second time, and [although I] am absent now also say in advance to those who sinned previously and to all the rest, that if I come again I will not spare [anyone],

For indeed, he was crucified because of weakness, but he lives because of the power of God. For we also are weak in him, but we will live together with him because of the power of God toward you.

For neither did I receive it from man, nor was I taught [it], but [I received it] through a revelation of Jesus Christ.

For you have heard about my former way of life in Judaism, that to an extraordinary degree I was persecuting the church of God, and trying to destroy it,

and was progressing in Judaism beyond many contemporaries in my nation, [because] I was a far more zealous adherent of the traditions handed down by my forefathers.

But when the one who set me apart from my mother's womb and called [me] by his grace was pleased

but I was unknown {in person} to the churches of Judea [that are] in Christ,

and they were only hearing, "The one formerly persecuting us is now proclaiming the faith that formerly he was attempting to destroy,"

Now I went up [there] because of a revelation and laid out to them the gospel that I preach among the Gentiles, but in private to the influential people, lest somehow I was running, or had run, in vain.

But not even Titus [who was] with me, [although] he was a Greek, was compelled to be circumcised.

Now [this was] because of the false brothers secretly brought in, who slipped in to spy out our freedom that we have in Christ Jesus, in order that they might enslave us,

(for the one who was at work through Peter for [his] apostleship to the circumcision was at work also through me for the Gentiles),

[They asked] only that we should remember the poor, the very thing I was also eager to do.

But when Cephas came to Antioch, I opposed [him] to his face, because he was condemned.

For before certain people came from James, he used to eat with the Gentiles, but when they came, he withdrew and separated himself, [because he] was afraid of those [who were] of the circumcision,

and the rest of the Jews also joined in [this] hypocrisy with him, so that even Barnabas was carried away with them in [their] hypocrisy.

O foolish Galatians, who has bewitched you, before whose eyes Jesus Christ was publicly portrayed [as] having been crucified?

Have you suffered so many [things] for nothing--if indeed also [it was] for nothing?

Just as Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him for righteousness,

Why then the law? It was added on account of transgressions, until the descendant should come to whom it had been promised, having been ordered through angels by the hand of a mediator.

Therefore [is] the law opposed to the promises of God? May it never be! For if a law had been given that was able to give life, certainly righteousness would have been from the law.

But before faith came, we were detained under the law, imprisoned until the coming faith was revealed.

And you did not despise or disdain [what was] a trial for you in my flesh, but you welcomed me like an angel of God, like Christ Jesus.

But the one by the female slave was born according to human descent, and the one by the free woman through the promise,

According to revelation the mystery was made known to me, just as I wrote beforehand in brief,

(which in other generations was not made known to the sons of men as it has now been revealed to his holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit):

To me, the least of all the saints, was given this grace: to proclaim the good news of the fathomless riches of Christ to the Gentiles,

Now to each one of us was given this grace, according to the measure of Christ's gift.

Think this in yourselves which [was] also in Christ Jesus,

because he was longing for all of you and was distressed because you had heard that he was sick.

For indeed he was sick, coming near to death, but God had mercy on him and not [on] him only, but also [on] me, so that I would not have grief upon grief.

Not that I have already received [this], or [have] already been made perfect, but I press on if indeed I may lay hold of [that] for which also I was laid hold of by Christ.

because he was well pleased [for] all the fullness to dwell in him,

if indeed you remain in the faith, established and steadfast and not shifted away from the hope of the gospel that you heard, which was proclaimed in all creation under heaven, of which I, Paul, became a minister.

of which I became a minister, according to God's stewardship which was given to me for you, to complete the word of God,

having destroyed the certificate of indebtedness in ordinances against us, which was hostile to us, and removed it out of the way [by] nailing it to the cross.

For [you] yourselves know, brothers, our reception with you, that it was not in vain,

whenever he should come to be glorified on that day by his saints and to be marveled at by all who believe, because our testimony was believed among you,

Finally, brothers, pray for us, that the word of the Lord may progress and be honored, just as also [it was] with you,

according to the glorious gospel of the blessed God that I was entrusted with.

[although I] was formerly a blasphemer and a persecutor and a violent man, but I was shown mercy because I acted ignorantly in unbelief,

But because of this I was shown mercy, in order that in me foremost, Christ Jesus might demonstrate his total patience, for an example for those who are going to believe in him for eternal life.

for which I was appointed a herald and an apostle--I am speaking the truth, [I am] not lying--a teacher of the Gentiles in faith and truth.

For Adam was formed first, then Eve,

and Adam was not deceived, but the woman, [because she] was deceived, came into transgression.

And most certainly, great is the mystery of godliness: Who was revealed in the flesh, was vindicated by the Spirit, was seen by angels, was proclaimed among the Gentiles, was believed on in the world, was taken up in glory.

Do not neglect the gift [that is] in you, that was granted to you through prophecy with the laying on of hands by the council of elders.

who saved us and called [us] with a holy calling, not according to our works but according to his own purpose and grace that was given to us in Christ Jesus {before time began},

for which I was appointed a proclaimer and an apostle and a teacher,

May the Lord grant mercy to the household of Onesiphorus, because he refreshed me many times, and was not ashamed of my imprisonment,

but [when he] was in Rome, he diligently sought me and found [me].

But they will not progress to a greater extent, for their folly will be quite evident to everyone, as also the [folly] of those [two] was.

Erastus remained in Corinth, but Trophimus I left behind in Miletus [because he] was sick.

but at the proper time has disclosed his message in the proclamation [with] which I was entrusted according to the command of God our Savior,

Once he [was] useless to you, but now [he is] useful to you and to me,