Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort;
who comforts us in all our affliction, that we may be able to comfort those who are in any affliction, through the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God.
For as the sufferings of Christ abound to us, even so our comfort also abounds through Christ.
For we don’t desire to have you uninformed, brothers, concerning our affliction which happened to us in Asia, that we were weighed down exceedingly, beyond our power, so much that we despaired even of life.
who delivered us out of so great a death, and does deliver; on whom we have set our hope that he will also still deliver us;
you also helping together on our behalf by your supplication; that, for the gift given to us by means of many, thanks may be given by many persons on your behalf.
For our boasting is this: the testimony of our conscience, that in holiness and sincerity of God, not in fleshly wisdom but in the grace of God we behaved ourselves in the world, and more abundantly toward you.
In this confidence, I was determined to come first to you, that you might have a second benefit;
For however many are the promises of God, in him is the “Yes.” Therefore also through him is the “Amen”, to the glory of God through us.
Now I also forgive whomever you forgive anything. For if indeed I have forgiven anything, I have forgiven that one for your sakes in the presence of Christ,
Now when I came to Troas for the Good News of Christ, and when a door was opened to me in the Lord,
For we are a sweet aroma of Christ to God, in those who are saved, and in those who perish;
to the one a stench from death to death; to the other a sweet aroma from life to life. Who is sufficient for these things?
being revealed that you are a letter of Christ, served by us, written not with ink, but with the Spirit of the living God; not in tablets of stone, but in tablets that are hearts of flesh.
Such confidence we have through Christ toward God;
not that we are sufficient of ourselves, to account anything as from ourselves; but our sufficiency is from God;
who also made us sufficient as servants of a new covenant; not of the letter, but of the Spirit. For the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life.
won’t service of the Spirit be with much more glory?
For if the service of condemnation has glory, the service of righteousness exceeds much more in glory.
For most certainly that which has been made glorious has not been made glorious in this respect, by reason of the glory that surpasses.
For if that which passes away was with glory, much more that which remains is in glory.
But whenever one turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away.
Therefore seeing we have this ministry, even as we obtained mercy, we don’t faint.
For we don’t preach ourselves, but Christ Jesus as Lord, and ourselves as your servants for Jesus’ sake;
But we have this treasure in clay vessels, that the exceeding greatness of the power may be of God, and not from ourselves.
But having the same spirit of faith, according to that which is written, “I believed, and therefore I spoke.” Psalm 116:10 We also believe, and therefore also we speak;
knowing that he who raised the Lord Jesus will raise us also with Jesus, and will present us with you.
For all things are for your sakes, that the grace, being multiplied through the many, may cause the thanksgiving to abound to the glory of God.
For the love of Christ constrains us; because we judge thus, that one died for all, therefore all died.
He died for all, that those who live should no longer live to themselves, but to him who for their sakes died and rose again.
Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old things have passed away. Behold, all things have become new.
But all things are of God, who reconciled us to himself through Jesus Christ, and gave to us the ministry of reconciliation;
namely, that God was in Christ reconciling the world to himself, not reckoning to them their trespasses, and having committed to us the word of reconciliation.
We are therefore ambassadors on behalf of Christ, as though God were entreating by us: we beg you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God.
For him who knew no sin he made to be sin on our behalf; so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.
Working together, we entreat also that you do not receive the grace of God in vain,
for he says, “At an acceptable time I listened to you, in a day of salvation I helped you.” Isaiah 49:8 Behold, now is the acceptable time. Behold, now is the day of salvation.
as sorrowful, yet always rejoicing; as poor, yet making many rich; as having nothing, and yet possessing all things.
Nevertheless, he who comforts the lowly, God, comforted us by the coming of Titus;
Moreover, brothers, we make known to you the grace of God which has been given in the assemblies of Macedonia;
how that in much proof of affliction the abundance of their joy and their deep poverty abounded to the riches of their generosity.
For according to their power, I testify, yes and beyond their power, they gave of their own accord,
begging us with much entreaty to receive this grace and the fellowship in the service to the saints.
This was not as we had expected, but first they gave their own selves to the Lord, and to us through the will of God.
So we urged Titus, that as he had made a beginning before, so he would also complete in you this grace.
But as you abound in everything, in faith, utterance, knowledge, all earnestness, and in your love to us, see that you also abound in this grace.
For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that, though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, that you through his poverty might become rich.
As it is written, “He who gathered much had nothing left over, and he who gathered little had no lack.” Exodus 16:8
We have sent together with him the brother whose praise in the Good News is known throughout all the assemblies.
Not only so, but he was also appointed by the assemblies to travel with us in this grace, which is served by us to the glory of the Lord himself, and to show our readiness.
And God is able to make all grace abound to you, that you, always having all sufficiency in everything, may abound to every good work.
you being enriched in everything to all generosity, which produces through us thanksgiving to God.
For this service of giving that you perform not only makes up for lack among the saints, but abounds also through much giving of thanks to God;
seeing that through the proof given by this service, they glorify God for the obedience of your confession to the Good News of Christ, and for the generosity of your contribution to them and to all;
while they themselves also, with supplication on your behalf, yearn for you by reason of the exceeding grace of God in you.
Now thanks be to God for his unspeakable gift!
Now I Paul, myself, entreat you by the humility and gentleness of Christ; I who in your presence am lowly among you, but being absent am bold toward you.
Yes, I beg you that I may not, when present, show courage with the confidence with which I intend to be bold against some, who consider us to be walking according to the flesh.
For though I should boast somewhat abundantly concerning our authority, (which the Lord gave for building you up, and not for casting you down) I will not be disappointed,
But we will not boast beyond proper limits, but within the boundaries with which God appointed to us, which reach even to you.
For we don’t stretch ourselves too much, as though we didn’t reach to you. For we came even as far as to you with the Good News of Christ,
not boasting beyond proper limits in other men’s labors, but having hope that as your faith grows, we will be abundantly enlarged by you in our sphere of influence,
I wish that you would bear with me in a little foolishness, but indeed you do bear with me.
Or did I commit a sin in humbling myself that you might be exalted, because I preached to you God’s Good News free of charge?
When I was present with you and was in need, I wasn’t a burden on anyone, for the brothers, when they came from Macedonia, supplied the measure of my need. In everything I kept myself from being burdensome to you, and I will continue to do so.
It is doubtless not profitable for me to boast. For I will come to visions and revelations of the Lord.
He has said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Most gladly therefore I will rather glory in my weaknesses, that the power of Christ may rest on me.
Therefore I take pleasure in weaknesses, in injuries, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses, for Christ’s sake. For when I am weak, then am I strong.
For what is there in which you were made inferior to the rest of the assemblies, unless it is that I myself was not a burden to you? Forgive me this wrong.
Again, do you think that we are excusing ourselves to you? In the sight of God we speak in Christ. But all things, beloved, are for your edifying.
For he was crucified through weakness, yet he lives through the power of God. For we also are weak in him, but we will live with him through the power of God toward you.
For this cause I write these things while absent, that I may not deal sharply when present, according to the authority which the Lord gave me for building up, and not for tearing down.
All the saints greet you.
The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, God’s love, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit, be with you all. Amen.
Paul, an apostle (not from men, nor through man, but through Jesus Christ, and God the Father, who raised him from the dead),
and all the brothers who are with me, to the assemblies of Galatia:
Grace to you and peace from God the Father, and our Lord Jesus Christ,
who gave himself for our sins, that he might deliver us out of this present evil age, according to the will of our God and Father—
I marvel that you are so quickly deserting him who called you in the grace of Christ to a different “good news”;
As we have said before, so I now say again: if any man preaches to you any “good news” other than that which you received, let him be cursed.
But I make known to you, brothers, concerning the Good News which was preached by me, that it is not according to man.
For neither did I receive it from man, nor was I taught it, but it came to me through revelation of Jesus Christ.
But when it was the good pleasure of God, who separated me from my mother’s womb, and called me through his grace,
to reveal his Son in me, that I might preach him among the Gentiles, I didn’t immediately confer with flesh and blood,
nor did I go up to Jerusalem to those who were apostles before me, but I went away into Arabia. Then I returned to Damascus.
And they glorified God in me.
Then after a period of fourteen years I went up again to Jerusalem with Barnabas, taking Titus also with me.
I went up by revelation, and I laid before them the Good News which I preach among the Gentiles, but privately before those who were respected, for fear that I might be running, or had run, in vain.
But not even Titus, who was with me, being a Greek, was compelled to be circumcised.
to whom we gave no place in the way of subjection, not for an hour, that the truth of the Good News might continue with you.
But from those who were reputed to be important (whatever they were, it makes no difference to me; God doesn’t show partiality to man)—they, I say, who were respected imparted nothing to me,
but to the contrary, when they saw that I had been entrusted with the Good News for the uncircumcised, even as Peter with the Good News for the circumcised
(for he who worked through Peter in the apostleship with the circumcised also worked through me with the Gentiles);
and when they perceived the grace that was given to me, James and Cephas and John, they who were reputed to be pillars, gave to me and Barnabas the right hand of fellowship, that we should go to the Gentiles, and they to the circumcision.
But when Peter came to Antioch, I resisted him to his face, because he stood condemned.
But when I saw that they didn’t walk uprightly according to the truth of the Good News, I said to Peter before them all, “If you, being a Jew, live as the Gentiles do, and not as the Jews do, why do you compel the Gentiles to live as the Jews do?
“We, being Jews by nature, and not Gentile sinners,
yet knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law but through faith in Jesus Christ, even we believed in Christ Jesus, that we might be justified by faith in Christ, and not by the works of the law, because no flesh will be justified by the works of the law.
But if, while we sought to be justified in Christ, we ourselves also were found sinners, is Christ a servant of sin? Certainly not!













