Sacrificial Service for Christ

^24 (A)I now rejoice in my sufferings ^(B)for you, and fill up in my flesh ^(C)what is lacking in the afflictions of Christ, for ^(D)the sake of His body, which is the church, ²⁵ of which I became a minister according to ^(E)the ^[a]stewardship from God which was given to me for you, to fulfill the word of God, ^26 (F)the ^[b]mystery which has been hidden from ages and from generations, ^(G)but now has been revealed to His saints. ^27 (H)To them God willed to make known what are ^(I)the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles: ^[c]which is ^(J)Christ in you, ^(K)the hope of glory. ²⁸ Him we preach, ^(L)warning every man and teaching every man in all wisdom, ^(M)that we may present every man perfect in Christ Jesus. ²⁹ To this end I also labor, striving according to His working which works in me ^(N)mightily.

¹⁸ Now all things are of God, ^(A)who has reconciled us to Himself through Jesus Christ, and has given us the ministry of reconciliation,

Suffering for Christ

²² Are they ^(A)Hebrews? So am I. Are they Israelites? So am I. Are they the seed of Abraham? So am I. ²³ Are they ministers of Christ?—I speak as a fool—I am more: ^(B)in labors more abundant, ^(C)in stripes above measure, in prisons more frequently, ^(D)in deaths often. ²⁴ From the Jews five times I received ^(E)forty ^(F)stripes minus one. ²⁵ Three times I was ^(G)beaten with rods; ^(H)once I was stoned; three times I ^(I)was shipwrecked; a night and a day I have been in the deep; ²⁶ in journeys often, in perils of waters, in perils of robbers, ^(J)in perils of my own countrymen, ^(K)in perils of the Gentiles, in perils in the city, in perils in the wilderness, in perils in the sea, in perils among false brethren; ²⁷ in weariness and toil, ^(L)in sleeplessness often, ^(M)in hunger and thirst, in ^(N)fastings often, in cold and nakedness— ²⁸ besides the other things, what comes upon me daily: ^(O)my deep concern for all the churches.

^16 (A)Do you not know that you are the temple of God and that the Spirit of God dwells in you? ¹⁷ If anyone ^[a]defiles the temple of God, God will destroy him. For the temple of God is holy, which temple you are.

²⁹ For to you ^(A)it has been granted on behalf of Christ, ^(B)not only to believe in Him, but also to ^(C)suffer for His sake,

¹⁴ I am a debtor both to Greeks and to barbarians, both to wise and to unwise. ¹⁵ So, as much as is in me, I am ready to preach the gospel to you who are in Rome also.

The Just Live by Faith

¹⁶ For ^(A)I am not ashamed of the gospel ^[a]of Christ, for ^(B)it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes, ^(C)for the Jew first and also for the Greek.

Christ Crucified

2 And I, brethren, when I came to you, did not come with excellence of speech or of wisdom declaring to you the ^[a]testimony of God. ² For I determined not to know anything among you ^(A)except Jesus Christ and Him crucified. ^3 (B)I was with you ^(C)in weakness, in fear, and in much trembling. ⁴ And my speech and my preaching ^(D)were not with persuasive words of ^[b]human wisdom, ^(E)but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power, ⁵ that your faith should not be in the wisdom of men but in the ^(F)power of God.

Glory of the New Covenant

⁷ But if ^(A)the ministry of death, ^(B)written and engraved on stones, was glorious, ^(C)so that the children of Israel could not look steadily at the face of Moses because of the glory of his countenance, which glory was passing away, ⁸ how will ^(D)the ministry of the Spirit not be more glorious? ⁹ For if the ministry of condemnation had glory, the ministry ^(E)of righteousness exceeds much more in glory. ¹⁰ For even what was made glorious had no glory in this respect, because of the glory that excels. ¹¹ For if what is passing away was glorious, what remains is much more glorious.

¹² Therefore, since we have such hope, ^(F)we use great boldness of speech— ¹³ unlike Moses, ^(G)who put a veil over his face so that the children of Israel could not look steadily at ^(H)the end of what was passing away. ¹⁴ But ^(I)their minds were blinded. For until this day the same veil remains unlifted in the reading of the Old Testament, because the veil is taken away in Christ. ¹⁵ But even to this day, when Moses is read, a veil lies on their heart. ¹⁶ Nevertheless ^(J)when one turns to the Lord, ^(K)the veil is taken away. ¹⁷ Now ^(L)the Lord is the Spirit; and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is ^(M)liberty. ¹⁸ But we all, with unveiled face, beholding ^(N)as in a mirror ^(O)the glory of the Lord, ^(P)are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as ^[a]by the Spirit of the Lord.

Jesus Prays for All Believers

²⁰ “I do not pray for these alone, but also for those who ^[a]will believe in Me through their word; ^21 (A)that they all may be one, as ^(B)You, Father, are in Me, and I in You; that they also may be one in Us, that the world may believe that You sent Me.