¹¹ I am afraid that my work for you may have been wasted.

⁵ For this reason, when I could bear it no longer, I sent to find out about your faith; I was afraid that somehow the tempter had tempted you and that our labor had been in vain.^(A)

² I went up in response to a revelation. Then I laid before them (though only in a private meeting with the acknowledged leaders) the gospel that I proclaim among the gentiles, in order to make sure that I was not running, or had not run, in vain.^(A)

⁸ Be on your guard, so that you do not lose what we^[a] have worked for but may receive a full reward.^(A)

¹⁶ holding forth the word of life so that I can boast on the day of Christ that I did not run in vain or labor in vain.^(A)

The Nature of Christian Freedom

² Listen! I, Paul, am telling you that, if you let yourselves be circumcised, Christ will be of no benefit to you. ³ Once again I testify to every man who lets himself be circumcised that he is obliged to obey the entire law. ⁴ You who want to be reckoned as righteous^[a] by the law have cut yourselves off from Christ; you have fallen away from grace.^(A)

²⁰ I wish I were present with you now and could change my tone, for I am perplexed about you.

²⁰ For I fear that when I come I may find you not as I wish and that you may find me not as you wish; I fear that there may perhaps be quarreling, jealousy, anger, selfishness, slander, gossip, conceit, and disorder.^{(A) 21} I fear that when I come again my God may humble me before you and that I may have to mourn over many who previously sinned and have not repented of the impurity, sexual immorality, and debauchery that they have practiced.^(B)

² I feel a divine jealousy for you, for I promised you in marriage to one husband, to present you as a chaste virgin to Christ.^{(A) 3} But I am afraid that, as the serpent deceived Eve by its cunning, your thoughts will be led astray from a sincere and pure^[a] devotion to Christ.^(B)

⁵⁸ Therefore, my beloved brothers and sisters, be steadfast, immovable, always excelling in the work of the Lord because you know that in the Lord your labor is not in vain.^(A)