Bible in 90 Days

The Resurrection^[a]

The Resurrection of Christ

Chapter 15

The Risen Christ, Foundation of Our Faith.^{[b] 1} And now, brethren, I want to remind you of the gospel I proclaimed to you, which you received and in which you stand firm. ² Through it you are also being saved, provided that you are holding fast to what I proclaimed to you. If not, then you have believed in vain.

^3 [c]For I handed on to you as of primary importance what I received: that Christ died for our sins, in accordance with the Scriptures, ⁴ that he was buried and that he was raised to life on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures, ⁵ and that he appeared to Cephas, and later to the Twelve. ⁶ Then he appeared to more than five hundred of the brethren at one time, most of whom are still alive, although some have fallen asleep.^{[d] 7} After that he appeared to James,^[e] and then to all the apostles.

⁸ Last of all, he appeared to me, as to one born abnormally. ⁹ For I am the least of the apostles. I am not worthy to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the Church of God. ¹⁰ However, by the grace of God I am what I am, and the grace he has bestowed upon me has not proved to be fruitless. Indeed, I have worked harder than any of them—although that should not be credited to me but to the grace of God within me. ¹¹ But whether it was I or they, this is what we preach and what you have come to believe.

The Resurrection of the Dead

¹² The Resurrection and Faith.^[f] Now if Christ is proclaimed as raised from the dead, how can some of you say that there is no resurrection of the dead? ¹³ If there is no resurrection of the dead, then Christ has not been raised. ¹⁴ And if Christ has not been raised, then our preaching is useless, and so is your faith. ¹⁵ We are even false witnesses to God, for we testified that he raised Christ when he did not raise him up, assuming it is true that the dead are not raised.

¹⁶ For if the dead are not raised, then Christ has not been raised. ¹⁷ And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is without any foundation, and you are still in your sins. ¹⁸ Then those who have fallen asleep in Christ are utterly lost. ¹⁹ If it is for just this life that we have hoped in Christ, we are the most pitiable of all men.

²⁰ Christ, the Firstfruits.^[g] But Christ has been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep. ²¹ For since death came into the world through a man, the resurrection of the dead has also come through a man.

²² Just as in Adam all die, so all will be brought to life in Christ, ²³ but each one in proper order: Christ the firstfruits; afterward, at his coming, those who belong to Christ. ²⁴ Then comes the end, when he hands over the kingdom to God the Father, after he has destroyed every sovereignty and authority and power.^{[h] 25} For he is destined to reign until he has put all his enemies under his feet.

²⁶ The last enemy to be destroyed is death. ²⁷ For he has put all things under his feet. But when it says “all things are put under,” it is obvious that this excludes the one who subjected everything to him. ²⁸ When all things are subjected to him, then the Son himself will also be subjected to the one who made all things subject to him, so that God may be all in all.

²⁹ Practical Faith. Otherwise, what will people accomplish when they have themselves baptized for the dead?^[i] If the dead are not raised at all, why should anyone be baptized for them? ³⁰ And why should we be placing ourselves in danger every hour? ³¹ I face death every day—that is as sure as the pride that I have in you, brethren, through Jesus Christ our Lord.

³² With only human hopes, what would I have gained by fighting those wild beasts at Ephesus? If the dead are not raised,

³³ Do not let anyone lead you astray. “Bad company corrupts good morals.” ³⁴ Come to your senses and sin no more. For some of you have no knowledge of God. I say this to your shame.

The Mode of the Resurrection

³⁵ The Resurrected Body. Someone may ask, “How are the dead raised? What sort of body will they have when they come back?” ³⁶ This is foolish. What you sow must die before it is given new life, ³⁷ and what you sow is not the body that is to be but a bare grain of wheat or of something else. ³⁸ God gives to it a body that he has chosen, and to each kind of seed its own particular body.

³⁹ Not all flesh is alike. There is one kind for human beings, another for animals, another for birds, and another for fish. ⁴⁰ There are both heavenly bodies and earthly bodies. The splendor of heavenly bodies is of one kind, and that of earthly bodies is another. ⁴¹ The sun has a splendor of its own, the moon another splendor, and the stars still another. Indeed, the stars differ among themselves in splendor.

⁴² So it is with the resurrection of the dead. What is sown is perishable; what is raised is imperishable. ⁴³ What is sown in dishonor is raised as glorious. What is sown in weakness is raised in power. ⁴⁴ What is sown is a physical body; what is raised is a spiritual body.

The Natural and the Spiritual Body. If there is a natural body, there is also a spiritual body. ⁴⁵ As it is written, the first man, Adam, became a living being; the last Adam has become a lifegiving spirit. ⁴⁶ But the spiritual body did not come first. Rather the natural body came first, and then the spiritual.

⁴⁷ The first man was formed from the dust of the earth; the second man is from heaven. ⁴⁸ The man formed from dust is the pattern for earthly people; the heavenly man is the pattern for those who are of heaven. ⁴⁹ Just as we have borne the image of the man formed from dust, so shall we also bear the likeness of the heavenly one.

⁵⁰ Where, O Death, Is Your Victory?^[j] What I am asserting, brethren, is that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God, nor can the perishable inherit what is imperishable.

⁵¹ Listen while I tell you a mystery. We shall not all fall asleep, but we shall all be changed ⁵² in an instant, in the twinkling of an eye, at the sound of the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed.^{[k] 53} For this perishable body must be clothed with the imperishable, and this mortal body must put on immortality.

⁵⁴ When this perishable body puts on imperishability, and this mortal body puts on immortality, then will the words that are written be fulfilled:

⁵⁶ The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the Law. ⁵⁷ But thanks be to God who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.

⁵⁸ Therefore, my beloved brethren, stand firm and immovable, devoting yourselves completely to the work of the Lord, knowing that in the Lord your labor is not in vain.

VIII: Final Recommendations and Greetings^[l]

Chapter 16

The Collection. ¹ Now in regard to the collection for the saints,^[m] you should follow the instructions I gave to the churches of Galatia. ² On the first day of every week,^[n] each of you should set aside and save whatever you can spare, so that when I come to you, no collections will have to be taken. ³ And when I arrive, I shall send those who have been approved by you with letters of recommendation to deliver your gift to Jerusalem. ⁴ If it seems advisable that I should also go, they will accompany me.

Paul’s Plans. ⁵ I shall come to visit you after passing through Macedonia—for I am going to pass through Macedonia. ⁶ I may stay for some time with you, perhaps even for the entire winter, and then you can send me forth on my journey, wherever I may be going. ⁷ I do not want to see you now in passing. If the Lord permits, I hope to spend some time with you. ⁸ However, I will remain in Ephesus until Pentecost, ⁹ because a wide door for productive work has been opened for me, although there are also many adversaries to face.

¹⁰ News of Other Missionaries. If Timothy comes, put him at ease, for he is doing the work of the Lord just as I am. ¹¹ Therefore, let no one treat him with disdain. Rather, send him on his way in peace when he leaves you to come to me, for the brethren and I are expecting him.

¹² As for our brother Apollos, I urged him strongly to visit you with the others, but he was determined not to go at this particular time. He will come to you when he has the opportunity.

¹³ Keep alert; stand firm in the faith; be courageous; be strong. ¹⁴ Everything that you do should be done in love.

¹⁵ As you know, brethren, the members of the household of Stephanas were the first converts in Achaia, and they have devoted themselves to the service of the saints. ¹⁶ I urge you to put yourselves at the service of such people and of all those who work and toil with them.

¹⁷ I was delighted at the arrival of Stephanas and Fortunatus and Achaicus, because they have made up for your absence. ¹⁸ For they have raised my spirits as well as yours. Such men deserve recognition.

¹⁹ Salutations and Best Wishes. The Churches of Asia send you greetings. Aquila and Prisca greet you warmly in the Lord, together with the Church that meets in their house. ²⁰ All the brethren send their greetings. Greet one another with a holy kiss.

²¹ I, Paul, have written this greeting with my own hand. ²² If anyone does not love the Lord, let him be accursed.^[o] O Lord, come! ²³ The grace of the Lord Jesus be with you. ²⁴ My love to you all in Christ Jesus.

Address

Chapter 1

Greeting to the Church. ¹ Paul, an apostle^[p] of Christ Jesus by the will of God, and Timothy our brother, to the Church of God in Corinth, and to all the saints throughout Achaia: ² grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

Sufferings and Consolation.^{[q] 3} Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercy and the God of all consolation.^{[r] 4} He consoles us in all our afflictions and thereby enables us to console others in their tribulations, offering them the consolation with which we ourselves are consoled by God.

⁵ For just as we share abundantly in the sufferings of Christ, so too, through Christ, do we receive our consolation. ⁶ If we are being afflicted, it is for your consolation and salvation. If we are being consoled, it is to help us to console you and give you the patience and the strength to endure the same sufferings that we endure. ⁷ Our hope for you is unshaken, because we know that as you share in the sufferings, you also share in the consolations.

⁸ Brethren, we do not want you to be unaware of the hardships we experienced^[s] in Asia. The burden we endured was far too heavy for us to bear, to such an extent that we even despaired of life itself. ⁹ Indeed, in our hearts we felt that we were under a sentence of death. This was so that we not put our trust in ourselves but in God who raises the dead.

¹⁰ He delivered us from this deadly peril, and he will continue to so deliver us. He on whom we have set our hopes will deliver us again, ¹¹ as you assist us with your prayers, so that thanks may be given by many to God on our behalf for the blessing granted to us through the prayers of so many.

Apostle by the Power of Jesus and for Jesus^[t]

A Visit Not Made^[u]

¹² You Are Our Boast. Indeed, this is our boast: the testimony of our conscience that in our dealings with the world, and especially with you, we have conducted ourselves with simplicity and godly sincerity, depending not on worldly wisdom but on the grace of God. ¹³ For we write nothing to you that you cannot read and comprehend. It is my hope that you will come to understand fully, ¹⁴ as you have already understood in part, that on the day of the Lord Jesus we will have as much reason to boast of you as you will have reason to boast of us.

¹⁵ Our Language Is Not “Yes” and “No.”^[v] So certain am I of this that I had originally intended to come to you first of all and thereby reward you with a double benefit. ¹⁶ I planned to visit you on my way to Macedonia, and then to come to you again on my return from Macedonia and have you send me forth to Judea.

¹⁷ Since that was my original intention, was I being impulsive, or do you believe that my plans are based on human considerations, ready to say “Yes, Yes” and “No, No” at the same time? ¹⁸ As surely as God is faithful, our word to you has not been “Yes” and “No.” ¹⁹ The Son of God, Jesus Christ, who was proclaimed to you by us, that is, by Silvanus^[w] and Timothy and me, was not a mixture of “Yes” and “No.” He was never anything but “Yes.”

²⁰ In him is the “Yes” to every one of the promises of God. Indeed, it is through him that we say “Amen” to give glory to God. ²¹ However, it is God who enables both us and you to stand firm in Christ. He has anointed us ²² and marked us with his seal and given us the Spirit in our hearts, as a down payment of what is to come.

²³ The Delay Was Intended Merely To Spare Them.^[x] I call upon God as a witness that it was only to spare you that I did not come again to Corinth. ²⁴ We do not wish to lord it over your faith, but to work together with you for your joy, because you are standing firm in your faith.

Chapter 2

¹ Therefore, I made up my mind not to have you endure another painful visit. ² For if I cause you pain, then who would be there to cheer me up aside from you whom I offended? ³ And I wrote as I did, so that when I came I would not suffer distress from those who should have made me rejoice. I know all of you well enough to be certain that we both share the same joy. ⁴ It was with great distress and anguish of heart and many tears that I wrote to you, not to grieve you but to let you know how abundant is the love I have for you.

Forgiveness for the Offender. ⁵ If anyone has caused distress, he has done so not only to me but to some extent—not to exaggerate—to all of you. ⁶ The punishment that was imposed by the majority was appropriate. ⁷ But now you should forgive and encourage him so that he may not be overwhelmed by the burden of his distress. ⁸ Therefore, I urge you to reassure him of your love.

⁹ I wrote to you to test your obedience in all matters. ¹⁰ Anyone whom you forgive I forgive as well. Whatever I have forgiven, if I have forgiven anything, I have done for your sake in the presence of Christ, ¹¹ so that we may avoid being outwitted by Satan, for we are not unaware of his schemes.

¹² Paul’s Anguish.^[y] When I came to Troas to proclaim the gospel of Christ, and a door of opportunity was opened for me in the Lord, ¹³ my mind knew no relief because I could not find my brother Titus in that place. And so I said farewell to them and moved on to Macedonia.

Greatness and Weakness of the Apostles^[z]

¹⁴ Ambassadors of God. But thanks be to God, for he brings us to victory in Christ and through us he manifests the fragrance of the knowledge of him throughout the world. ¹⁵ We are indeed the aroma of Christ to God both among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing: ¹⁶ to the latter, the odor of death that leads to death; to the former, a fragrance of life leading to life.

Who is truly qualified for such a task? ¹⁷ For we are not like so many others who adulterate the word of God for profit. When we speak, we do so in Christ and in all sincerity, as men sent from God and standing in God’s presence.

Chapter 3

A Letter from God.^{[aa] 1} Are we beginning once again to commend ourselves to you? Surely, as is true in some cases, we do not need letters of recommendation to you or from you. ² You yourselves are our letter, one that is written on our hearts, so that it may be known and read by all. ³ And you make it clear that you are a letter from Christ entrusted to our care, a letter written not with ink but with the Spirit of the living God, and written not on tablets of stone^[ab] but on tablets of the human heart.

⁴ Such is the complete confidence in God that we have through Christ. ⁵ Obviously, we are not competent of ourselves to take credit for anything as coming from us. Our competence comes from God ⁶ who has empowered us to be the ministers of a new covenant, not written but of the Spirit. For the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life.

Ministers of a New Covenant.^{[ac] 7} Now if the ministry of death, engraved with letters on stone, was so glorious that the Israelites could not fix their glance on the face of Moses because of its glory, a glory that would soon fade, ⁸ how much greater will be the glory of the ministry of the Spirit?

⁹ For if the ministry of condemnation was glorious, how much richer in glory will be the ministry of righteousness! ¹⁰ Indeed, what was once glorious is now without any glory in comparison with the surpassing glory. ¹¹ For if what was destined to fade away was glorious, how much greater will be the glory of that which endures!

¹² The Lord Is the Spirit.^[ad] Therefore, since we have such hope, we can act with complete confidence, ¹³ and not like Moses who put a veil over his face so that the Israelites could not observe the radiance that was fading away. ¹⁴ However, their minds were hardened. Even to this very day, the same veil remains unlifted during the reading of the old covenant,^[ae] since only in Christ is it set aside. ¹⁵ Indeed, to this very day, whenever Moses is read, a veil lies over their hearts.

¹⁶ However, when one turns to the Lord, the veil is removed. ¹⁷ Now this Lord is the Spirit,^[af] and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. ¹⁸ And as we gaze upon the glory of the Lord with unveiled faces, all of us are being transformed into that same image from glory to glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit.

Chapter 4

The Gospel of the Glory of Christ.^{[ag] 1} Therefore, since we are engaged in this ministry through the mercy of God, we do not lose heart. ² Rather, we have renounced all shameful and hidden ways. We do not engage in deception or falsify the word of God. By stating the truth in an open manner, we commend ourselves to the conscience of everyone in the sight of God.

³ If our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing, ⁴ those unbelievers whose minds have been blinded by the god of this world to prevent them from seeing the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God.

⁵ We do not proclaim ourselves. Rather we proclaim Jesus Christ as Lord and ourselves as your servants for the sake of Jesus. ⁶ For the God who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,” has enabled his light to shine in our hearts in order to enlighten them with the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.

The State of an Apostle.^{[ah] 7} However, we hold this treasure in earthen vessels so that it may be clear that this immense power belongs to God and does not derive from us. ⁸ We are afflicted on all sides but not crushed, bewildered but not sunk in despair, ⁹ persecuted but not abandoned, struck down but not destroyed.

¹⁰ We always carry around in our body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be manifested in our body. ¹¹ For in our lives we are constantly being given up to death for Jesus’ sake, so that the life of Jesus may be revealed in our mortal flesh. ¹² As a result, death is at work in us, but life in you.

¹³ Therefore, since we have that spirit of faith about which it has been written: “I believed, and therefore I spoke,” we also believe, and therefore speak. ¹⁴ For we know that the one who raised the Lord Jesus will raise us also with Jesus and bring us side by side with you into his presence. ¹⁵ Indeed, everything is for your sake, so that the grace that is abundantly bestowed on more and more people may cause thanksgiving to superabound, to the glory of God.

¹⁶ An Eternal Dwelling in Heaven. Therefore, we do not lose heart. Even though our outer self is continuing to decay, our inner self is being renewed day by day. ¹⁷ Our temporary light afflictions are preparing for us an incomparable weight of eternal glory, ¹⁸ for our eyes are fixed not on what is seen but rather on that which cannot be seen. What is visible is transitory; what is invisible is eternal.

Chapter 5

¹ Now we know that if the earthly tent in which we live is destroyed, we have a dwelling prepared for us by God, a dwelling in the heavens, not made with human hands, that will be eternal. ² While we are in this earthly tent, we groan, longing to be clothed with our heavenly dwelling; ³ for when we have put it on, we will not be naked.^[ai]

⁴ While we are enclosed in this earthly tent we groan, burdened because we do not wish to be stripped naked but rather to be further clothed, so that our mortal state may be swallowed up by immortality. ⁵ God is the one who has prepared us for this destiny, and he has given us the Spirit as a pledge of this.

⁶ Therefore, we are always confident, even though we realize that as long as we are at home in the body, we are exiles from the Lord, ⁷ for we walk by faith, not by sight. ⁸ Yet we are filled with confidence, even as we long to be exiled from the body and be at home with the Lord.

⁹ For this reason, whether at home or away, we strive to please him. ¹⁰ For all of us must appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may receive suitable recompense for his conduct in the body, whether good or bad.

¹¹ Well Known to God. And so, with this fear of the Lord always foremost in our thoughts, we try to persuade others. We ourselves are well known to God, and I hope we are also well known to your consciences. ¹² We are not once again commending ourselves to you, but we are rather affording you an opportunity to boast about us. Then you will have an answer to those who boast of external appearances and not the heart. ¹³ If, indeed, we are out of our minds, it is for God; if we are rational, it is for your sake.

¹⁴ The Ministry of Reconciliation. For the love of Christ urges us forward, once we conclude that one has died for all, and therefore all have died. ¹⁵ And he died for all, so that those who live might no longer live for themselves, but for him who for their sakes died and was raised to life.

¹⁶ Therefore, from now on we will not regard anyone according to human standards. Even though we once judged Christ from a human point of view,^[aj] we no longer do so. ¹⁷ Consequently, anyone united to Christ is a new creation. The old order has passed away. Behold, all has become new.

¹⁸ All this has been done by God, who has reconciled us to himself through Christ and entrusted us with the ministry of reconciliation. ¹⁹ In other words, God was in Christ, reconciling the world to himself, and not holding people’s transgressions against them, and he committed to us the message of reconciliation.

²⁰ Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, since God is appealing to you through us. We implore you through Christ to be reconciled to God. ²¹ He made him who did not know sin to be sin for our sake, so that through him we might become the righteousness of God.^[ak]

Chapter 6

¹ As his coworkers, we urge you not to receive the grace of God in vain. ² For he says,

Behold, now is the acceptable time; behold, now is the day of salvation.^[al]

Ministers of God. ³ We avoid placing obstacles in anyone’s way, so that no fault may be found with our ministry. ⁴ On the contrary, in everything we do we present ourselves as ministers of God: in steadfast perseverance; in afflictions, hardships, and distress; ⁵ in floggings, imprisonments, and riots; in labors, sleepless nights, and fasts; ⁶ in purity, knowledge, patience, and kindness; in holiness of spirit, genuine love, ⁷ truthfulness, and the power of God.

We wield weapons of righteousness with right hand and left,^{[am] 8} in times of honor or dishonor, praise or insult. We are regarded as impostors, and yet we speak the truth; ⁹ as unknown men, and nevertheless we are well known; as dying, and behold we live on; as scourged, but we are not put to death; ¹⁰ as sorrowful, and yet we are always rejoicing; as poor, and yet we make many rich;^[an] as having nothing, and yet we possess everything.

Relations Have Been Established^[ao]

¹¹ Paul’s Heart Is Wide Open. O Corinthians, we have spoken frankly to you, and we have opened our heart to you. ¹² We are not withholding our love from you, but you have withheld yours from us. ¹³ I speak to you as my children. In return, also open wide your hearts to us.

¹⁴ What Relation Can There Be between Righteousness and Iniquity? Do not associate with unbelievers.^[ap] For what basis can there be for a partnership between righteousness and lawlessness? What do light and darkness have in common? ¹⁵ Can Christ ever be in accord with Beliar?^[aq] What does a believer have in common with an unbeliever? ¹⁶ Can there be an agreement between the temple of God and idols? For we are the temple of the living God, and for this we have God’s word:

Chapter 7

¹ Since we have these promises, beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from anything that can defile flesh or spirit, and thereby make our holiness perfect in the fear of God.

Trust Reestablished. ² Make room in your hearts for us. We have wronged no one, we have corrupted no one, we have exploited no one. ³ I do not say this to condemn you, for I have already told you that your place in our hearts is secure, so that we will live together and we will die together. ⁴ I have great confidence in you, and I boast about you with intense pride. Despite all of our afflictions, I am greatly encouraged and overflowing with joy.

^5 [ar]Even when we arrived in Macedonia, we were unable to rest our bodies, for we were afflicted in every way: conflicts on the outside and fears on the inside. ⁶ But God, who comforts the downcast, encouraged us by the arrival of Titus— ⁷ and not merely by his arrival but also by the encouragement he received from you. He told us of your longing for me, your deep regrets, and your zeal for me, all of which cause me even greater joy.

⁸ Even if I did cause you sorrow with my letter, I do not regret it. I did regret this letter briefly, but, having come to realize that you were sorrowful only for a short time, ⁹ I now am able to rejoice, not because you were grieved but because your sorrow led to repentance. For you were sorrowful in a godly way and so received no harm because of us. ¹⁰ Such godly sorrow results in repentance that leads to salvation and causes no regret, whereas worldly sorrow produces death.

¹¹ For see what earnestness this godly sorrow has produced for you, what eagerness to repent, what indignation, what fear, what yearning, what zeal, what desire to see justice done. In every way, you have proved your innocence in this matter.

¹² Therefore, even though I wrote to you, it was not on account of the one who committed the offense or on account of the one who was wronged, but rather that you should be fully aware of your zeal for us in the sight of God. ¹³ In this we have been greatly encouraged.

In addition to being encouraged ourselves, we rejoiced still more at the joy of Titus, because his mind has been completely refreshed by all of you. ¹⁴ Anything I may have said to him in boasting about you has not caused me to feel ashamed. But just as everything we said to you was true, so our boasting to Titus has proved equally true. ¹⁵ And his affection for you grows even more as he recalls the obedience of all of you and how you welcomed him in fear and trembling. ¹⁶ I rejoice because I can rely completely on you.

The Collection for the Christians of Jerusalem^[as]

Chapter 8

Example of Christians of Macedonia. ¹ Now we want you to know, brethren, about the grace of God that has been bestowed on the Churches of Macedonia. ² In a period of severe affliction, their abundant joy and their extreme poverty have overflowed in rich generosity on their part. ³ I can testify that they contributed to the limit of their resources, and even beyond, ⁴ begging us insistently for the privilege of sharing in this service to the saints.

⁵ Far exceeding our expectations, they gave themselves first to the Lord, and then, by the will of God, to us. ⁶ As a result, we urged Titus that, inasmuch as he had already begun this work of charity, he should bring this enterprise to a successful completion among you.

The Example of Christ. ⁷ Now, inasmuch as you excel in everything—in your faith, your eloquence, your knowledge, your concern for others, and your love for us^[at]—so we want you also to excel in this generous undertaking.

⁸ I am not saying this to you as a command, but rather I am testing the genuine character of your love by the concern you show for others. ⁹ For you are well aware of the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ. Although he was rich, he became poor for your sake so that by his poverty you might become rich.^[au]

¹⁰ I will now give you my advice about what I believe is appropriate in this matter. Last year, you were the first not only to engage in this good work but also to do so willingly. ¹¹ Now finish it, so that your eagerness may be matched by completing it according to your means. ¹² As long as the goodwill is present, the gift will be acceptable according to what one has, not according to what one does not have.

¹³ I am not suggesting that others should have relief while you are reduced to difficult straits. Rather, there should be an equitable balance. ¹⁴ Your surplus at the present time should relieve the needs of others, so that at another time their surplus may relieve your needs, and in this way there will be equality. ¹⁵ As it is written,

¹⁶ Paul Recommends the Delegates. Thanks be to God for putting into the heart of Titus a concern for you that is the equal of mine. ¹⁷ For he not only welcomed our request, but, because of his great concern, he is coming to you of his own accord. ¹⁸ Together with him, we are sending the brother who is praised by all the Churches for his proclamation of the gospel.^{[av] 19} In addition, he has also been appointed by the Churches to be our traveling companion as we engage in our charitable work for the glory of the Lord and to show our eagerness to be of service.

²⁰ In this way, we want to ensure that no one will be able to criticize us for our handling of this generous collection. ²¹ For we intend to do what is honorable not only in the Lord’s sight but also in the sight of others.

²² And with them, we are also sending our brother^[aw] whose dedication we have tested in many ways and found to be exemplary. Now he is even more dedicated than before because of his great confidence in you.

²³ As for Titus, he is my partner and coworker in your service. And as for the others, they are the apostles of the Churches and the glory of Christ. ²⁴ Therefore, show these men, and all the Churches, the proof of your love and the legitimacy of our boasting about you.

Chapter 9

Let the Offering Be Ready. ¹ In regard to the ministry toward the saints, there really is no necessity for me to write to you. ² For I am fully aware of your eagerness to help, which has been the subject of my boasting about you to the Macedonians, telling them that Achaia has been ready since last year. Your ardor has excited most of them.

³ Nevertheless, I am sending the brethren to ensure that our boasts about you may not seem to have been offered in vain. I want you to be as prepared as I said you would be. ⁴ For if I bring some Macedonians with me and they come to the realization that you are not prepared, it would be a source of shame to us—to say nothing of you—because of our confidence in you. ⁵ Therefore, I thought it necessary to encourage the brethren to go on to you ahead of us and arrange in advance for the gift that you have promised, so that it may be ready as a genuine gift and not as something that has been granted grudgingly.

God Loves a Cheerful Giver. ⁶ Remember this: if you sow sparingly, you will reap sparingly, and if you sow generously, you will reap generously as well. ⁷ Each person should give as much as he has decided in his heart, not with reluctance or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. ⁸ And God is able to enrich you with an abundance of every grace, so that, with all of your needs provided for, you may be able to produce a surplus of good works. ⁹ As it is written,

¹⁰ Generosity Will Prompt Thanksgiving. The one who provides seed for sowing and bread for food will supply and multiply your seed and increase the harvest of your righteousness. ¹¹ Enriched in every way, you will be able to practice all your acts of generosity, which, through our intervention, will result in thanksgiving to God.

¹² The administering of this public service not only helps to satisfy the needs of the saints but also overflows in countless acts of thanksgiving to God. ¹³ Through the evidence of such service, you are giving glory to God for your obedient profession of the gospel of Christ and the generosity of your contribution to them and to all others as well. ¹⁴ At the same time, their hearts will go out to you in their prayers for you, because of the surpassing grace that God has bestowed upon you. ¹⁵ Thanks be to God for his indescribable gift.^[ax]

Paul’s Self-Defense^[ay]

Chapter 10

Recommendation from Human Beings or from God?^{[az] 1} I myself, Paul, exhort you by the gentleness and the mercy of Christ, I who am “timid” when I am face to face with you, but “bold” when I am at a distance! ² I beg you that when I am in your presence I will not have to act with boldness and the self-assurance that I consider necessary when I oppose some of those who accuse us of acting according to human standards.^[ba]

^3 [bb]Although we are human beings, we do not engage in battle according to human standards. ⁴ For the weapons of our warfare are not merely human, but they possess the divine power to destroy strongholds. We demolish arguments ⁵ and every proud pretension against the knowledge of God, and we compel every thought to surrender in obedience to Christ. ⁶ What is more, once your obedience is complete, we are prepared to punish every disobedience.

^7 [bc]Face the facts squarely. If anyone is confident that he belongs to Christ, he should reflect on the fact that we belong to Christ as much as he does. ⁸ It is possible that I tend to boast a bit too much about our authority, which the Lord has entrusted to us for building you up rather than for tearing you down, but I will not apologize for doing so.

⁹ Therefore, I do not want to seem to be someone who frightens you with my letters. ¹⁰ Some may assert, “His letters are impressive and forceful, but his personal appearance is insignificant, and he cannot speak well.” ¹¹ Let them understand that what we are in our letters when we are absent will be the same as what we are in our deeds when we are present.

¹² We do not dare to rank ourselves or to compare ourselves with any of those who commend themselves. But when they measure themselves by one another and compare themselves with one another, they only demonstrate their ignorance. ¹³ In contrast, we will not boast beyond the proper limits. Rather, we will measure ourselves according to the standard that God laid down for us, which enabled us to reach out all the way to you.

¹⁴ We are not overreaching ourselves as we would be if we had not come to you; indeed, we came to you with the gospel of Christ. ¹⁵ Neither are we boasting immoderately of the labors of others. Our hope is rather that, as your faith increases, our influence among you will be greater than ever, ¹⁶ so that we may preach the gospel to regions beyond you, rather than boasting about work already done in someone else’s region.

¹⁷ If anyone would boast, let him boast in the Lord.^{[bd] 18} For it is not the one who commends himself who is really approved, but the one whom the Lord commends.

Chapter 11

Promised to One Spouse. ¹ I hope that you will put up with a little of my foolishness. Please bear with me. ² For I am jealous of you with a godly jealousy, since I promised all of you to one spouse, to present you as a chaste virgin to Christ.

³ However, I am afraid that, just as the serpent deceived Eve by his cunning, your thoughts may be led astray from a singlehearted fidelity to Christ. ⁴ For if someone comes and proclaims another Jesus^[be] than the one we proclaimed, or if you receive a different spirit from the one you received, or a different gospel from the one you accepted, you put up with that readily enough!

⁵ I do not regard myself as being inferior to these “super-apostles.” ⁶ I may be untrained in the art of speaking, but the same is not true of me in regard to knowledge. In every way and in all respects, we have made this evident to you.

Paul’s Apostolate. ⁷ Did I make a mistake by preaching the gospel of God without charge, humbling myself^[bf] so that you might be exalted? ⁸ I robbed other Churches, accepting support from them in order to serve you. ⁹ And when I was with you and in need, I did not burden anyone, for the brethren who came from Macedonia supplied my needs.

I refrained, and will continue to refrain, from burdening you in any way. ¹⁰ As surely as the truth of Christ is in me, this boast of mine will not be silenced in the regions of Achaia. ¹¹ And why? Because I do not love you? God knows I do.

¹² And I shall continue to do just as I am doing at present in order to thwart the efforts of those who are seeking the opportunity to be regarded as my equals in the aspects they boast about. ¹³ Such people are false apostles, dishonest workers who masquerade as apostles of Christ. ¹⁴ And no wonder! Even Satan masquerades as an angel of light. ¹⁵ Therefore, it should not be considered unusual that his servants also disguise themselves as ministers of righteousness. Their end will be appropriate to their deeds.

¹⁶ Paul’s Boast. I repeat: let no one take me for a fool. However, if you do, then treat me like a fool and let me boast a little. ¹⁷ In saying this, I am not speaking according to the Lord but out of foolishness in the conviction that I have something to boast about. ¹⁸ Since many boast of their human accomplishments, I will do likewise.

¹⁹ Since you are wise yourselves, you gladly put up with fools! ²⁰ For you endure it if someone makes slaves of you, or robs you of all you possess, or takes advantage of you, or puts on airs, or slaps you in the face. ²¹ To my shame, I must admit that we have been too weak for that sort of thing!

But whatever anyone dares to boast of—I am speaking out of foolishness—I also dare to boast of. ²² Are they Hebrews? So am I. Are they Israelites? So am I. Are they descendants of Abraham?^[bg] So am I. ²³ Are they ministers of Christ?^[bh] (I am talking now like a madman.) I am too, having endured far greater labors, far more imprisonments, far harsher scourgings, and far more brushes with death.

²⁴ Five times I received from the Jews forty lashes minus one.^{[bi] 25} Three times I was beaten with rods; once I was stoned; three times I was shipwrecked; once I was adrift in the open sea for a night and a day. ²⁶ I have traveled continually and faced dangers from rivers, dangers from robbers, dangers from my own people, dangers from Gentiles, dangers in the city, dangers in the desert, dangers at sea, and dangers from false brethren.

²⁷ I have endured toil and hardship, and sleepless nights. I have been hungry and thirsty, and I have often gone without food. I have been cold, and often all but naked.

²⁸ Apart from these external things, I am burdened each and every day with the anxiety of caring for all the Churches. ²⁹ Who is weak, and I am not similarly afflicted? Who is led into sinfulness, and I am not filled with indignation?

³⁰ If I must boast, I will boast of the things that exhibit my weakness. ³¹ The God and Father of the Lord Jesus knows—he who is blessed forever—that I am telling the truth. ³² When I was in Damascus, the governor under King Aretas^[bj] assigned guards around the city of Damascus in order to arrest me. ³³ However, I was let down in a basket through a window in the wall, and I thereby escaped from his clutches.

Chapter 12

Caught Up into Heaven.^{[bk] 1} Although nothing is to be gained by doing so, I must continue to boast. So I will move on to the visions and revelations given me from the Lord.

² I know a man in Christ who fourteen years ago (whether in the body or out of the body I do not know—God knows) was caught up to the third heaven. ³ And I know that this man (whether in the body or out of the body I do not know—God knows) ⁴ was caught up into paradise and heard inexpressible things, things that no man may repeat.

⁵ About this man I am willing to boast, but about myself I will not boast, except as it concerns my weaknesses. ⁶ Actually, if I were to boast, I would not be a fool, because I would be telling the truth. However, I refrain from doing so in order that no one may regard me more highly than would be evident from what he has seen in me and heard from me.

A Boast of One’s Weakness.^{[bl] 7} Therefore, to keep me from becoming unduly elated by the wondrous nature of these revelations, I was given a thorn in the flesh, a messenger of Satan, to beat me and prevent me from becoming unduly elated. ⁸ Three times I begged the Lord to have it leave me, ⁹ but he answered me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for power is made perfect in weakness.”

Hence, I will boast most gladly of my weaknesses, in order that the power of Christ may dwell within me. ¹⁰ For this reason, I rejoice when I endure weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and distress for the sake of Christ. For it is when I am weak that I am strong.

¹¹ Characteristic Traits of an Apostle. I have been very foolish, but it was you who drove me to it. I should have been commended by you, for in no way did I prove to be inferior to those super-apostles, even though I am nothing. ¹² The traits of a true apostle were evident in what I did in your presence: perseverance, signs, wonders, and mighty deeds. ¹³ How then have you been less privileged than the other Churches, except that I myself did not place a burden on you? Forgive me for being so unfair!

¹⁴ Now I am getting ready to come to you for a third time, and I do not intend to be a burden to you. What I want is not your money, but you yourselves. Children are not expected to save up for their parents, but parents for their children. ¹⁵ I will be happy to spend and be spent for you. Are you going to love me less because I love you so much more?

¹⁶ In any case, let it be assumed that I myself did not prove to be a burden to you. However, you may say that I was crafty and took you in by a trick. ¹⁷ Did I take advantage of you through any of those I sent to you? ¹⁸ I urged Titus to come to you, and I sent a brother with him. Did Titus take advantage of you? Did not he and I walk in the same Spirit, in the same footsteps?

¹⁹ There Will Be No More Forgiveness. Have you been supposing all this time that we have been defending ourselves before you? Not at all! We have been speaking in Christ and in the presence of God, my dear ones, doing all things to build you up. ²⁰ I fear that when I come I may find you different from what I wish you to be, and that you may find me different from what you wish me to be.

I am afraid that this will lead to quarreling, jealousy, anger, factions, slander, gossip, conceit, and disorder. ²¹ I fear that when I come back my God may humiliate me in your presence and that I may have to mourn over many who previously sinned and have not repented of the impurity, immorality, and licentiousness in which they have indulged.

Chapter 13

¹ This will be the third visit I am making to you. Every charge must be established on the testimony of two or three witnesses. ² I warned those who have sinned, as well as everyone else, and I warn them now in my absence as I did when present on my second visit: when I come again, I will spare no one.

³ This will give you the proof you seek that Christ is speaking in me. He is not weak in dealing with you, but he is powerful among you. ⁴ For he was crucified in weakness, but he is now alive by the power of God. Similarly, we are weak in him, but in dealing with you we will live in the power of God.

Examine Yourselves. ⁵ Examine yourselves to see whether you are in the faith. Test yourselves. Do you not realize that Jesus Christ is in you? If he is not, then you have failed the test. ⁶ It is my hope that you will come to the realization that we have not failed. ⁷ But we pray to God that you may not do anything wrong—not so that we may appear to have passed the test, but so that you may do what is right, even though we may appear to have failed.

⁸ We have no power to do anything against the truth but only for the truth. ⁹ We rejoice when we are weak, just as long as you are strong. This is what we desire—that you may become perfect.

¹⁰ I am writing this letter prior to my arrival so that when I come I may not have to treat you harshly in exercising the authority that the Lord has given me to build up and not to tear down.

Conclusion^[bm]

¹¹ Live in Peace. And now, brethren, farewell. Mend your ways. Encourage one another. Be of one mind and live in peace. Then the God of love and peace will be with you. ¹² Greet one another with a holy kiss.^[bn] All the saints send you greetings.

¹³ The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ and the love of God and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all.

Paul Defends His Apostolate^[bo]

Chapter 1

Address

Paul Commissioned by Christ Himself.^{[bp] 1} Paul, an apostle^[bq]—commissioned not by human authority or by any human being, but by Jesus Christ and God the Father who raised him from the dead— ² and all the brethren^[br] who are with me, to the Churches of Galatia. ³ Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ, ⁴ who gave himself for our sins to deliver us from the present evil age^[bs] in accordance with the will of our God and Father, ⁵ to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen.^[bt]

One Gospel, One Revelation, One Apostolate^[bu]

Loyalty to the Gospel. ⁶ I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting the one who called you by the grace of Christ and are turning to a different gospel. ⁷ In reality, there is not another one, but there are some who are troubling you by perverting the gospel of Christ. ⁸ But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach a gospel to you other than the one we proclaimed to you, let him be accursed! ⁹ We have said this before, and now I repeat it: if anyone preaches to you a gospel other than the one you received, let him be accursed!^[bv]

¹⁰ Does it now appear to you that I am trying to gain the approval of human beings rather than the approval of God? Am I seeking to please people? If I were still trying to please people, I would not be a servant of Christ.

¹¹ Paul’s Gospel Revealed to Him by Christ.^[bw]Brethren, I want you to be assured that the gospel I preached to you is not human in its origin. ¹² I did not receive it from a human being, nor was I taught it. Rather, I received it through a revelation of Jesus Christ.

¹³ Undoubtedly you have heard about my former way of life in Judaism,^[bx] how I fiercely persecuted the Church of God and tried to destroy it. ¹⁴ I progressed in Judaism far beyond many of my contemporaries, inasmuch as I was much more zealous in upholding the traditions of my ancestors.

¹⁵ Paul’s Early Years as a Christian. However, when God, who had set me apart even before my birth, called me through his grace and chose ¹⁶ to reveal his Son to me so that I might proclaim him to the Gentiles, I did not confer with flesh and blood,^{[by] 17} nor did I go up to Jerusalem to consult with those who were apostles before me. Rather, I went off to Arabia, and afterward I returned to Damascus.

¹⁸ Paul’s First Meeting with Peter.^[bz] Then after three years, I did go up to Jerusalem to become acquainted with Cephas, and I stayed with him for fifteen days. ¹⁹ However, I did not set eyes on any of the other apostles, except for James, the brother of the Lord.^{[ca] 20} I declare before God that I am not lying in anything I have written.

²¹ Afterward, I went into the regions of Syria and Cilicia.^{[cb] 22} I was still unknown by sight to the Churches of Judea that are in Christ. ²³ They had only heard it said, “The one who was formerly persecuting us is now preaching the faith that he had once tried to destroy.” ²⁴ As a result, they gave glory to God because of me.

Chapter 2

The Council of Jerusalem^[cc]

Confirmation of Paul’s Gospel and Mission. ¹ Fourteen years later, I traveled up to Jerusalem again, this time with Barnabas, and I also took along Titus. ² I went up in response to a revelation, and I set before them the gospel that I preach to the Gentiles—in a private meeting with the leaders—to ensure that I was not running, or had not run, in vain.

³ Yet not even Titus, who was accompanying me, was compelled to be circumcised, even though he was a Greek. ⁴ Yet some false brethren were secretly brought in to spy on the freedom we have in Christ Jesus, so that they might reduce us to slavery. ⁵ But not for a single moment did we submit to them, in order that the truth of the gospel might remain untouched for you.

⁶ As for those who were regarded as men of importance—whether or not they actually were important makes no difference to me, nor does it matter to God—these men did not add anything further to my message. ⁷ On the contrary, they realized that I had been entrusted with preaching the gospel to the uncircumcised, just as Peter had been entrusted with preaching the gospel to the circumcised ( ⁸ for the one who worked through Peter in his mission to the Jews was also at work in me in my mission to the Gentiles).

⁹ Therefore, when James and Cephas and John, who were acknowledged as pillars of the community, recognized the grace that had been bestowed upon me, they gave to Barnabas and me the right hand of fellowship, agreeing that we should go to the Gentiles while they concentrated on the Jews. ¹⁰ They asked only one thing: that we remember the poor, which is the very thing I was eager to do.

Paul Rebukes Peter^[cd]

¹¹ Peter’s Inconsistency at Antioch. However, when Cephas came to Antioch, I opposed him to his face, because he was in the wrong. ¹² For until some people came from James,^[ce] he had been eating with the Gentiles; but when they arrived, he drew back and kept himself apart because he was afraid of the circumcised. ¹³ And the rest of the Jews^[cf] carried out the same pretense that he did, so that even Barnabas was led astray by their pretense.

¹⁴ Paul’s Rebuke. But when I saw that their conduct was not in accordance with the truth of the gospel, I said to Peter in front of all of them, “You are a Jew, yet you are living like a Gentile and not like a Jew. How then can you require the Gentiles to live like Jews?”

Paul Defends the Freedom of Christians^[cg]

It Is Faith That Saves^[ch]

¹⁷ But if, in seeking to be justified in Christ, we ourselves are found to be sinners, is Christ then a servant of sin? By no means! ¹⁸ However, if I am now rebuilding what I previously tore down, then I prove myself to be a transgressor. ¹⁹ For through the Law I died to the Law^[ck] so that I might live to God.

I have been crucified with Christ. ²⁰ And now it is no longer I who live, but it is Christ who lives in me. The life I live now in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God who loved me and gave himself up for me. ²¹ I do not set aside the grace of God, for if justification comes through the Law, then Christ died for nothing.

Chapter 3

The Christian Experience. ¹ You foolish Galatians! Who has bewitched you? Before your very eyes Jesus Christ was clearly presented as crucified. ² I only wish you to tell me this: Did you receive the Spirit by observing the Law or by believing what you heard?

³ How can you be so foolish? After having begun with the Spirit, are you now ending in the flesh? ⁴ Is everything you have suffered to result in absolutely nothing—if indeed it was for nothing? ⁵ Does God give you the Spirit and work mighty deeds among you because you have kept the Law or because you believed what you have heard?

The Blessing of Abraham.^{[cl] 6} Thus Abraham believed in God, and it was credited to him as righteousness. ⁷ You can be assured that those who have faith are children of Abraham. ⁸ Because Scripture foresaw^[cm] that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, it declared the gospel beforehand to Abraham, saying, “In you all the nations will be blessed.” ⁹ For this reason, those who have faith share the blessing with Abraham, the faithful one.

¹⁰ The Curse of the Law. In contrast, those who rely on the works of the Law are under a curse, for it is written “Cursed is everyone who does not persevere in doing all the things that are written in the book of the Law.” ¹¹ Now it is evident that no one is justified before God by the Law, for the one who is righteous will live by faith. ¹² However, the Law is not based on faith. On the contrary, whoever does these things shall live by them.

¹³ Christ redeemed us from the curse of the Law by becoming a curse himself for us, as it is written, “Cursed is everyone who is hung upon a tree.” ¹⁴ This is so that the blessing bestowed upon Abraham might be extended to the Gentiles through Jesus Christ so that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith.

¹⁵ The Promise of the Covenant. Brethren, allow me to give you an everyday example. Once a human will has been ratified, no one can make further additions to it or set it aside. ¹⁶ Now the promises were made to Abraham and his descendant. It does not say “and to your descendants,” as referring to many, but it says “and to your descendant,” that is, to one person, who is Christ.

¹⁷ This is what I am saying: the Law, which came four hundred and thirty years later, cannot invalidate a covenant that had been previously ratified by God, so as to nullify the promise. ¹⁸ Obviously, if the inheritance comes from the Law, it no longer comes from the promise. However, God bestowed it on Abraham through a promise.

¹⁹ The Purpose of the Law. Why then? It was added because of transgressions^[cn] until the descendant appeared to whom the promise had been made, and it was promulgated by angels through an intermediary. ²⁰ Now an intermediary is not necessary when there is only one party, and God is one.

²¹ Is the Law then opposed to the promises of God? Absolutely not! If the Law that had been given had the power to bestow life, then righteousness would have come through the Law. ²² But according to Scripture all things have been confined under sin, so that through faith in Jesus Christ what was promised might be given to those who believe.

²³ The Benefit of Faith.^[co]Now before faith came, we were prisoners of the Law, confined as we waited for the faith that would eventually be revealed. ²⁴ Therefore, the Law was our tutor to bring us to Christ, so that we might be justified by faith. ²⁵ However, now that faith has come, we are no longer under a tutor.