Bible in 90 Days

The Resurrection of Christ

15 Now I would remind you, brothers,^[a] of the gospel ^(A)I preached to you, which you received, ^(B)in which you stand, ² and by which ^(C)you are being saved, if you ^(D)hold fast to the word I preached to you—^(E)unless you believed in vain.

³ For ^(F)I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died ^(G)for our sins ^(H)in accordance with the Scriptures, ⁴ that he was buried, that he was raised ^(I)on the third day ^(J)in accordance with the Scriptures, ⁵ and that ^(K)he appeared to Cephas, then ^(L)to the twelve. ⁶ Then he appeared to more than five hundred brothers at one time, most of whom are still alive, though some have fallen asleep. ⁷ Then he appeared to ^(M)James, then ^(N)to all the apostles. ⁸ Last of all, as to one untimely born, ^(O)he appeared also to me. ⁹ For ^(P)I am the least of the apostles, unworthy to be called an apostle, because ^(Q)I persecuted the church of God. ¹⁰ But by the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace toward me was not in vain. On the contrary, ^(R)I worked harder than any of them, ^(S)though it was not I, but the grace of God that is with me. ¹¹ Whether then it was I or they, so we preach and so you believed.

The Resurrection of the Dead

¹² Now if Christ is proclaimed as raised from the dead, ^(T)how can some of you say that there is no resurrection of the dead? ¹³ But if there is no resurrection of the dead, ^(U)then not even Christ has been raised. ¹⁴ And if Christ has not been raised, then our preaching is in vain and your faith is in vain. ¹⁵ We are even found to be misrepresenting God, because we testified about God that ^(V)he raised Christ, whom he did not raise if it is true that the dead are not raised. ¹⁶ For if the dead are not raised, not even Christ has been raised. ¹⁷ And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile and ^(W)you are still in your sins. ¹⁸ Then those also who ^(X)have fallen asleep in Christ have perished. ¹⁹ If in Christ we have hope^[b] in this life only, ^(Y)we are of all people most to be pitied.

²⁰ But in fact ^(Z)Christ has been raised from the dead, ^(AA)the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep. ²¹ For as ^(AB)by a man came death, ^(AC)by a man has come also the resurrection of the dead. ²² For ^(AD)as in Adam all die, so also in Christ shall all be made alive. ²³ But each in his own order: Christ the firstfruits, then ^(AE)at his coming ^(AF)those who belong to Christ. ²⁴ Then comes the end, when he delivers ^(AG)the kingdom to God the Father after destroying ^(AH)every rule and every authority and power. ²⁵ For he must reign ^(AI)until he has put all his enemies under his feet. ²⁶ The last enemy to be ^(AJ)destroyed is death. ²⁷ For ^(AK)“God^[c] has put all things in subjection under his feet.” But when it says, “all things are put in subjection,” it is plain that he is excepted who put all things in subjection under him. ²⁸ When ^(AL)all things are subjected to him, then the Son himself will also be subjected to him who put all things in subjection under him, that ^(AM)God may be all in all.

²⁹ Otherwise, what do people mean by being baptized on behalf of the dead? If the dead are not raised at all, why are people baptized on their behalf? ³⁰ Why are we ^(AN)in danger every hour? ³¹ I protest, brothers, by ^(AO)my pride in you, which I have in Christ Jesus our Lord, ^(AP)I die every day! ³² What do I gain if, humanly speaking, ^(AQ)I fought with beasts at Ephesus? If the dead are not raised, ^(AR)“Let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we die.” ^33 (AS)Do not be deceived: ^(AT)“Bad company ruins good morals.”^{[d] 34 (AU)}Wake up from your drunken stupor, as is right, and do not go on sinning. For ^(AV)some have no knowledge of God. ^(AW)I say this to your shame.

The Resurrection Body

³⁵ But someone will ask, ^(AX)“How are the dead raised? With what kind of body do they come?” ³⁶ You foolish person! ^(AY)What you sow does not come to life unless it dies. ³⁷ And what you sow is not the body that is to be, but a bare kernel, perhaps of wheat or of some other grain. ³⁸ But God gives it a body as he has chosen, and to each kind of seed its own body. ³⁹ For not all flesh is the same, but there is one kind for humans, another for animals, another for birds, and another for fish. ⁴⁰ There are heavenly bodies and earthly bodies, but the glory of the heavenly is of one kind, and the glory of the earthly is of another. ⁴¹ There is one glory of the sun, and another glory of the moon, and another glory of the stars; for star differs from star in glory.

^42 (AZ)So is it with the resurrection of the dead. What is sown is perishable; what is raised is imperishable. ⁴³ It is sown in dishonor; ^(BA)it is raised in glory. It is sown in weakness; it is raised in power. ⁴⁴ It is sown a natural body; it is raised a spiritual body. If there is a natural body, there is also a spiritual body. ⁴⁵ Thus it is written, ^(BB)“The first man Adam became a living being”;^{[e] (BC)}the last Adam became a ^(BD)life-giving spirit. ⁴⁶ But it is not the spiritual that is first but the natural, and then the spiritual. ^47 (BE)The first man was from the earth, ^(BF)a man of dust; ^(BG)the second man is from heaven. ⁴⁸ As was the man of dust, so also are those who are of the dust, and as is the man of heaven, ^(BH)so also are those who are of heaven. ⁴⁹ Just ^(BI)as we have borne the image of the man of dust, ^(BJ)we shall^[f] also bear the image of the man of heaven.

Mystery and Victory

⁵⁰ I tell you this, brothers: ^(BK)flesh and blood ^(BL)cannot inherit the kingdom of God, nor does the perishable inherit the imperishable. ⁵¹ Behold! I tell you a mystery. ^(BM)We shall not all sleep, ^(BN)but we shall all be changed, ⁵² in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For ^(BO)the trumpet will sound, and ^(BP)the dead will be raised imperishable, and we shall be changed. ⁵³ For this perishable body must put on the imperishable, and ^(BQ)this mortal body must put on immortality. ⁵⁴ When the perishable puts on the imperishable, and the mortal puts on immortality, then shall come to pass the saying that is written:

⁵⁶ The sting of death is sin, and ^(BT)the power of sin is the law. ⁵⁷ But thanks be to God, ^(BU)who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.

^58 (BV)Therefore, my beloved brothers, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in ^(BW)the work of the Lord, knowing that in the Lord ^(BX)your labor is not in vain.

The Collection for the Saints

16 Now concerning^{[g] (BY)}the collection for the saints: as I directed the churches of Galatia, so you also are to do. ² On ^(BZ)the first day of every week, each of you is to put something aside and store it up, ^(CA)as he may prosper, ^(CB)so that there will be no collecting when I come. ³ And when I arrive, I will send ^(CC)those whom you accredit by letter to carry your gift to Jerusalem. ⁴ If it seems advisable that I should go also, they will accompany me.

Plans for Travel

^5 (CD)I will visit you after passing through ^(CE)Macedonia, for ^(CF)I intend to pass through Macedonia, ⁶ and perhaps I will stay with you or even spend the winter, so that you may ^(CG)help me on my journey, wherever I go. ⁷ For I do not want to see you now ^(CH)just in passing. I hope to spend some time with you, ^(CI)if the Lord permits. ⁸ But I will stay in Ephesus until ^(CJ)Pentecost, ⁹ for ^(CK)a wide door for effective work has opened to me, and ^(CL)there are many adversaries.

^10 (CM)When Timothy comes, see that you put him at ease among you, for ^(CN)he is doing ^(CO)the work of the Lord, as I am. ¹¹ So ^(CP)let no one despise him. ^(CQ)Help him on his way ^(CR)in peace, that he may return to me, for I am expecting him with the brothers.

Final Instructions

¹² Now concerning ^(CS)our brother Apollos, I strongly urged him to visit you with the other brothers, but it was not at all his will^[h] to come now. He will come when he has opportunity.

^13 (CT)Be watchful, ^(CU)stand firm in the faith, ^(CV)act like men, ^(CW)be strong. ^14 (CX)Let all that you do be done in love.

¹⁵ Now I urge you, brothers^[i]—you know that ^(CY)the household^[j] of Stephanas were ^(CZ)the first converts in Achaia, and that they have devoted themselves ^(DA)to the service of the saints— ^16 (DB)be subject to such as these, and to every fellow worker and laborer. ¹⁷ I rejoice at the coming of Stephanas and Fortunatus and Achaicus, because they have made up for ^(DC)your absence, ¹⁸ for they ^(DD)refreshed my spirit as well as yours. ^(DE)Give recognition to such people.

Greetings

¹⁹ The churches of Asia send you greetings. ^(DF)Aquila and Prisca, together with ^(DG)the church in their house, send you hearty greetings in the Lord. ²⁰ All the brothers send you greetings. ^(DH)Greet one another with a holy kiss.

²¹ I, Paul, write ^(DI)this greeting with my own hand. ²² If anyone has no love for the Lord, let him be ^(DJ)accursed. Our Lord, come!^{[k] 23 (DK)}The grace of the Lord Jesus be with you. ²⁴ My love be with you all in Christ Jesus. Amen.

Greeting

1 Paul, ^(DL)an apostle of Christ Jesus ^(DM)by the will of God, and ^(DN)Timothy our brother,

To the church of God that is at Corinth, ^(DO)with all the saints who are in the whole of Achaia:

^2 (DP)Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

God of All Comfort

^3 (DQ)Blessed be the ^(DR)God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and ^(DS)God of all comfort, ^4 (DT)who comforts us in all our affliction, so that we may be able to comfort those who are in any affliction, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God. ⁵ For as we share abundantly in ^(DU)Christ's sufferings, so through Christ we share abundantly in comfort too.^{[l] 6 (DV)}If we are afflicted, it is for your comfort and salvation; and if we are comforted, it is for your comfort, which you experience when you patiently endure the same sufferings that we suffer. ⁷ Our hope for you is unshaken, for we know that as you ^(DW)share in our sufferings, you will also share in our comfort.

⁸ For we do not want you to be unaware, brothers,^[m] of ^(DX)the affliction we experienced in Asia. For we were so utterly burdened beyond our strength that we despaired of life itself. ⁹ Indeed, we felt that we had received the sentence of death. But that was to make us ^(DY)rely not on ourselves ^(DZ)but on God ^(EA)who raises the dead. ^10 (EB)He delivered us from such a deadly peril, and he will deliver us. ^(EC)On him we have set our hope that he will deliver us again. ^11 (ED)You also must help us by prayer, so that many will give thanks on our behalf ^(EE)for the blessing granted us through the prayers of many.

Paul's Change of Plans

¹² For our boast is this, ^(EF)the testimony of our conscience, that we behaved in the world with simplicity^[n] and ^(EG)godly sincerity, ^(EH)not by earthly wisdom but by the grace of God, and supremely so toward you. ¹³ For we are not writing to you anything other than what you read and understand and I hope you will fully understand— ¹⁴ just as you did ^(EI)partially understand us—that ^(EJ)on the day of our Lord Jesus ^(EK)you will boast of us as ^(EL)we will boast of you.

¹⁵ Because I was sure of this, ^(EM)I wanted to come to you first, so that you might have ^(EN)a second ^(EO)experience of grace. ¹⁶ I wanted to visit you ^(EP)on my way to Macedonia, and to come back to you from Macedonia and have you send me on my way to Judea. ¹⁷ Was I vacillating when I wanted to do this? Do I make my plans ^(EQ)according to the flesh, ready to say “Yes, yes” and “No, no” at the same time? ¹⁸ As surely as ^(ER)God is faithful, ^(ES)our word to you has not been Yes and No. ¹⁹ For ^(ET)the Son of God, Jesus Christ, whom we proclaimed among you, ^(EU)Silvanus and Timothy and I, was not Yes and No, but ^(EV)in him it is always Yes. ²⁰ For ^(EW)all the promises of God find their Yes in him. That is why it is through him that we utter our ^(EX)Amen to God for his glory. ²¹ And it is God who establishes us with you in Christ, and ^(EY)has anointed us, ²² and who has also ^(EZ)put his seal on us and ^(FA)given us his Spirit in our hearts as a guarantee.^[o]

²³ But ^(FB)I call God to witness against me—it was ^(FC)to spare you that I refrained from coming again to Corinth. ²⁴ Not that we ^(FD)lord it over your faith, but we work with you for your joy, for you stand firm ^(FE)in your faith.

2 For I made up my mind ^(FF)not to make another painful visit to you. ² For ^(FG)if I cause you pain, who is there to make me glad but the one whom I have pained? ³ And I wrote as I did, so that when I came I might not suffer pain from those who should have made me rejoice, ^(FH)for I felt sure of all of you, that my joy would be the joy of you all. ⁴ For ^(FI)I wrote to you out of much affliction and anguish of heart and with many tears, not to cause you pain but to let you know the abundant love that I have for you.

Forgive the Sinner

⁵ Now ^(FJ)if anyone has caused pain, ^(FK)he has caused it not to me, but ^(FL)in some measure—not to put it too severely—to all of you. ⁶ For such a one, ^(FM)this punishment by the majority is enough, ⁷ so ^(FN)you should rather turn to forgive and comfort him, or he may be overwhelmed by excessive sorrow. ⁸ So I beg you to reaffirm your love for him. ⁹ For this is why I wrote, that I might ^(FO)test you and know ^(FP)whether you are obedient in everything. ¹⁰ Anyone whom you forgive, I also forgive. Indeed, what I have forgiven, if I have forgiven anything, has been for your sake in the presence of Christ, ¹¹ so that we would not be outwitted by Satan; for ^(FQ)we are not ignorant of his designs.

Triumph in Christ

¹² When ^(FR)I came to Troas to preach the gospel of Christ, even though ^(FS)a door was opened for me in the Lord, ¹³ my spirit ^(FT)was not at rest because I did not find my brother Titus there. So I took leave of them and went on to Macedonia.

¹⁴ But ^(FU)thanks be to God, who in Christ always ^(FV)leads us in triumphal procession, and through us spreads ^(FW)the fragrance of the knowledge of him everywhere. ¹⁵ For we are the aroma of Christ to God among ^(FX)those who are being saved and among ^(FY)those who are perishing, ^16 (FZ)to one a fragrance from death to death, ^(GA)to the other a fragrance from life to life. ^(GB)Who is sufficient for these things? ¹⁷ For we are not, like so many, peddlers of God's word, but as men of sincerity, as commissioned by God, in the sight of God we speak in Christ.

Ministers of the New Covenant

3 ^(GC)Are we beginning to commend ourselves again? Or do we need, ^(GD)as some do, ^(GE)letters of recommendation to you, or from you? ^2 (GF)You yourselves are our letter of recommendation, written on our^[p] hearts, to be known and read by all. ³ And you show that you are a letter from Christ delivered by us, written not with ink but with the Spirit of ^(GG)the living God, not on ^(GH)tablets of stone but on ^(GI)tablets of ^(GJ)human hearts.^[q]

^4 (GK)Such is the confidence that we have through Christ toward God. ^5 (GL)Not that we are sufficient in ourselves to claim anything as coming from us, but ^(GM)our sufficiency is from God, ⁶ who has made us sufficient to be ^(GN)ministers of ^(GO)a new covenant, not of ^(GP)the letter but of the Spirit. For the letter kills, but ^(GQ)the Spirit gives life.

⁷ Now if ^(GR)the ministry of death, carved in letters on stone, came with such glory ^(GS)that the Israelites could not gaze at Moses' face because of its glory, which was being brought to an end, ⁸ will not the ministry of the Spirit have even more glory? ⁹ For if there was glory in ^(GT)the ministry of condemnation, ^(GU)the ministry of righteousness must far exceed it in glory. ¹⁰ Indeed, in this case, what once had glory has come to have no glory at all, because of the glory that surpasses it. ¹¹ For if what was being brought to an end came with glory, much more will what is permanent have glory.

¹² Since we have such a hope, ^(GV)we are very bold, ¹³ not like Moses, ^(GW)who would put a veil over his face so that the Israelites might not gaze at the outcome of what was being brought to an end. ¹⁴ But ^(GX)their minds were ^(GY)hardened. For to this day, ^(GZ)when they read ^(HA)the old covenant, that same veil remains unlifted, because only through Christ is it taken away. ¹⁵ Yes, to this day whenever Moses is read a veil lies over their hearts. ¹⁶ But when ^(HB)one^[r] turns to the Lord, ^(HC)the veil is removed. ¹⁷ Now the Lord^[s] is the Spirit, and where ^(HD)the Spirit of the Lord is, there is ^(HE)freedom. ¹⁸ And we all, with unveiled face, ^(HF)beholding ^(HG)the glory of the Lord,^{[t] (HH)}are being transformed into the same image ^(HI)from one degree of glory to another.^[u] For this comes from the Lord who is the Spirit.

The Light of the Gospel

4 Therefore, having ^(HJ)this ministry ^(HK)by the mercy of God,^[v] we do not lose heart. ² But we have renounced ^(HL)disgraceful, underhanded ways. We refuse to practice^[w] cunning or ^(HM)to tamper with God's word, but ^(HN)by the open statement of the truth ^(HO)we would commend ourselves to everyone's conscience in the sight of God. ³ And even ^(HP)if our gospel is veiled, ^(HQ)it is veiled to ^(HR)those who are perishing. ⁴ In their case ^(HS)the god of this world ^(HT)has blinded the minds of the unbelievers, to keep them from seeing ^(HU)the light of ^(HV)the gospel of the glory of Christ, ^(HW)who is the image of God. ⁵ For what ^(HX)we proclaim is not ourselves, but Jesus Christ as Lord, with ^(HY)ourselves as your servants^[x] for Jesus' sake. ⁶ For God, who said, ^(HZ)“Let light shine out of darkness,” ^(IA)has shone in our hearts to give ^(IB)the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.

Treasure in Jars of Clay

⁷ But we have this treasure in ^(IC)jars of clay, ^(ID)to show that the surpassing power belongs to God and not to us. ⁸ We are ^(IE)afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not driven to despair; ⁹ persecuted, but ^(IF)not forsaken; ^(IG)struck down, but not destroyed; ^10 (IH)always carrying in the body the death of Jesus, ^(II)so that the life of Jesus may also be manifested in our bodies. ¹¹ For we who live are always being given over to death for Jesus' sake, so that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our mortal flesh. ¹² So ^(IJ)death is at work in us, but life in you.

¹³ Since we have ^(IK)the same spirit of faith according to what has been written, ^(IL)“I believed, and so I spoke,” we also believe, and so we also speak, ¹⁴ knowing that ^(IM)he who raised the Lord Jesus ^(IN)will raise us also with Jesus and ^(IO)bring us with you into his presence. ¹⁵ For ^(IP)it is all for your sake, so that as ^(IQ)grace extends to more and more people it may increase thanksgiving, ^(IR)to the glory of God.

¹⁶ So we do not lose heart. ^(IS)Though our outer self^[y] is wasting away, ^(IT)our inner self ^(IU)is being renewed day by day. ¹⁷ For ^(IV)this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison, ^18 (IW)as we look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen. For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal.

Our Heavenly Dwelling

5 For we know that if ^(IX)the tent that is ^(IY)our earthly home is destroyed, we have a building from God, ^(IZ)a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens. ² For in this tent ^(JA)we groan, longing to ^(JB)put on our heavenly dwelling, ³ if indeed by putting it on^[z] we may not be found naked. ⁴ For while we are still in this tent, we groan, being burdened—not that we would be unclothed, but that we would be further clothed, so that what is mortal ^(JC)may be swallowed up by life. ⁵ He who has prepared us for this very thing is God, ^(JD)who has given us the Spirit as a guarantee.

⁶ So we are always of good courage. We know that ^(JE)while we are at home in the body we are away from the Lord, ⁷ for ^(JF)we walk by faith, not ^(JG)by sight. ⁸ Yes, we are of good courage, and we ^(JH)would rather be away from the body and at home with the Lord. ⁹ So whether we are at home or away, we make it our aim to ^(JI)please him. ¹⁰ For ^(JJ)we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, ^(JK)so that each one may receive what is due for what he has done in the body, whether good or evil.

The Ministry of Reconciliation

¹¹ Therefore, knowing ^(JL)the fear of the Lord, we persuade others. But ^(JM)what we are is known to God, and I hope it is known also to your conscience. ^12 (JN)We are not commending ourselves to you again but ^(JO)giving you cause to boast about us, so that you may be able to answer those who boast about outward appearance and not about what is in the heart. ¹³ For if we ^(JP)are beside ourselves, it is for God; if we are in our right mind, it is for you. ¹⁴ For the love of Christ ^(JQ)controls us, because we have concluded this: that ^(JR)one has died for all, therefore all have died; ¹⁵ and he died for all, ^(JS)that those who live might no longer live for themselves but ^(JT)for him who for their sake died and was raised.

¹⁶ From now on, therefore, ^(JU)we regard no one according to the flesh. Even though we once regarded Christ according to the flesh, we regard him thus no longer. ¹⁷ Therefore, if anyone is ^(JV)in Christ, he is ^(JW)a new creation.^{[aa] (JX)}The old has passed away; behold, the new has come. ¹⁸ All this is from God, ^(JY)who through Christ reconciled us to himself and gave us ^(JZ)the ministry of reconciliation; ¹⁹ that is, in Christ God was reconciling^[ab] the world to himself, ^(KA)not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting to us ^(KB)the message of reconciliation. ²⁰ Therefore, ^(KC)we are ambassadors for Christ, ^(KD)God making his appeal through us. We implore you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God. ^21 (KE)For our sake he made him to be sin ^(KF)who knew no sin, so that in him we might become ^(KG)the righteousness of God.

6 ^(KH)Working together with him, then, ^(KI)we appeal to you ^(KJ)not to receive the grace of God in vain. ² For he says,

Behold, ^(KL)now is the ^(KM)favorable time; behold, now is the day of salvation. ³ We ^(KN)put no obstacle in anyone's way, so that no fault may be found with our ministry, ⁴ but ^(KO)as servants of God we commend ourselves in every way: ^(KP)by great endurance, ^(KQ)in afflictions, ^(KR)hardships, calamities, ^5 (KS)beatings, imprisonments, ^(KT)riots, labors, sleepless nights, hunger; ^6 (KU)by purity, ^(KV)knowledge, patience, kindness, ^(KW)the Holy Spirit, ^(KX)genuine love; ⁷ by ^(KY)truthful speech, and ^(KZ)the power of God; with ^(LA)the weapons of righteousness for the right hand and for the left; ⁸ through honor and dishonor, ^(LB)through slander and praise. We are treated as impostors, and yet are true; ⁹ as unknown, and ^(LC)yet well known; ^(LD)as dying, and behold, we live; ^(LE)as punished, and yet not killed; ^10 (LF)as sorrowful, yet always rejoicing; ^(LG)as poor, yet making many rich; ^(LH)as having nothing, ^(LI)yet possessing everything.

¹¹ We have spoken freely to you,^[ac] Corinthians; ^(LJ)our heart is wide open. ¹² You are not restricted by us, but ^(LK)you are restricted in your own affections. ^13 (LL)In return (I speak ^(LM)as to children) widen your hearts also.

The Temple of the Living God

^14 (LN)Do not be unequally yoked with unbelievers. For ^(LO)what partnership has righteousness with lawlessness? Or ^(LP)what fellowship has light with darkness? ^15 (LQ)What accord has Christ with Belial?^[ad] Or what portion does a believer share with an unbeliever? ¹⁶ What agreement has the temple of God with idols? For ^(LR)we are the temple of the living God; as God said,

7 Since we have these promises, beloved, ^(LX)let us cleanse ourselves from every defilement of body^[ae] and spirit, bringing holiness to completion in the fear of God.

Paul's Joy

^2 (LY)Make room in your hearts^[af] for us. ^(LZ)We have wronged no one, we have corrupted no one, we have taken advantage of no one. ³ I do not say this to condemn you, for I said before that ^(MA)you are in our hearts, to die together and to live together. ⁴ I am acting with ^(MB)great boldness toward you; ^(MC)I have great pride in you; ^(MD)I am filled with comfort. In all our affliction, I am overflowing with joy.

⁵ For even ^(ME)when we came into Macedonia, our bodies had no rest, but we were afflicted at every turn—^(MF)fighting without and fear within. ⁶ But ^(MG)God, who comforts the downcast, ^(MH)comforted us by the coming of Titus, ⁷ and not only by his coming but also by the comfort with which he was comforted by you, as he told us of your longing, your mourning, your zeal for me, so that I rejoiced still more. ⁸ For ^(MI)even if I made you grieve with my letter, I do not regret it—though ^(MJ)I did regret it, for I see that that letter grieved you, though only for a while. ⁹ As it is, I rejoice, not because you were grieved, but ^(MK)because you were grieved into repenting. For you felt a godly grief, so that you suffered no loss through us.

¹⁰ For ^(ML)godly grief produces a repentance that leads to salvation without regret, whereas ^(MM)worldly grief produces death. ¹¹ For see what earnestness this godly grief has produced in you, but also what eagerness to clear yourselves, what indignation, what fear, what longing, ^(MN)what zeal, what punishment! At every point you have proved yourselves innocent in the matter. ¹² So although I wrote to you, it was not for the sake of the one ^(MO)who did the wrong, nor for the sake of the one who suffered the wrong, but in order that your earnestness for us might be revealed to you in the sight of God. ¹³ Therefore ^(MP)we are comforted.

And besides our own comfort, we rejoiced still more at the joy of Titus, because his spirit ^(MQ)has been refreshed by you all. ¹⁴ For ^(MR)whatever boasts I made to him about you, I was not put to shame. But just as everything we said to you ^(MS)was true, so also our boasting before Titus has proved true. ¹⁵ And his affection for you is even greater, as he remembers ^(MT)the obedience of you all, how you received him with fear and trembling. ¹⁶ I rejoice, because I have complete ^(MU)confidence in you.

Encouragement to Give Generously

8 We want you to know, brothers,^[ag] about the grace of God that has been ^(MV)given among the churches of Macedonia, ² for in a severe test of affliction, their abundance of joy and ^(MW)their extreme poverty have overflowed in a wealth of generosity on their part. ³ For they gave ^(MX)according to their means, as I can testify, and beyond their means, of their own accord, ⁴ begging us earnestly ^(MY)for the favor^[ah] of taking part in ^(MZ)the relief of the saints— ⁵ and this, not as we expected, but they ^(NA)gave themselves first to the Lord and then by the will of God to us. ⁶ Accordingly, ^(NB)we urged Titus that as he had started, so he should complete among you ^(NC)this act of grace. ⁷ But as ^(ND)you excel in everything—in faith, in speech, in knowledge, in all earnestness, and in our love for you^[ai]—^(NE)see that you excel in this act of grace also.

^8 (NF)I say this not as a command, but to prove by the earnestness of others that your love also is genuine. ⁹ For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that ^(NG)though he was rich, yet for your sake he became poor, so that you by his poverty might become rich. ¹⁰ And in this matter ^(NH)I give my judgment: ^(NI)this benefits you, who ^(NJ)a year ago started not only to do this work but also to desire to do it. ¹¹ So now finish doing it as well, so that your readiness in desiring it may be matched by your completing it out of what you have. ¹² For if the readiness is there, it is acceptable ^(NK)according to what a person has, not according to what he does not have. ¹³ For I do not mean that others should be eased and you burdened, but that as a matter of fairness ¹⁴ your abundance at the present time should supply ^(NL)their need, so that their abundance may supply your need, that there may be fairness. ¹⁵ As it is written, ^(NM)“Whoever gathered much had nothing left over, and whoever gathered little had no lack.”

Commendation of Titus

¹⁶ But ^(NN)thanks be to God, ^(NO)who put into the heart of Titus the same earnest care I have for you. ¹⁷ For ^(NP)he not only accepted our appeal, but being himself very earnest he is going^[aj] to you of his own accord. ¹⁸ With him we are sending^{[ak] (NQ)}the brother who is famous among ^(NR)all the churches for his preaching of the gospel. ¹⁹ And not only that, but he has been ^(NS)appointed by the churches to travel with us as we carry out this act of ^(NT)grace that is being ministered by us, ^(NU)for the glory of the Lord himself and to show our good will. ²⁰ We take this course so that no one should blame us about this generous gift that is being administered by us, ²¹ for ^(NV)we aim at what is honorable ^(NW)not only in the Lord's sight but also in the sight of man. ²² And with them we are sending our brother whom we have often tested and found earnest in many matters, but who is now more earnest than ever because of his great confidence in you. ²³ As for Titus, he is ^(NX)my partner and fellow worker for your benefit. And as for our brothers, they are messengers^[al] of the churches, the glory of Christ. ²⁴ So give proof before the churches of your love and of ^(NY)our boasting about you to these men.

The Collection for Christians in Jerusalem

9 Now ^(NZ)it is superfluous for me to write to you about ^(OA)the ministry for the saints, ² for I know your readiness, ^(OB)of which I boast about you to the people of Macedonia, saying that Achaia has been ready ^(OC)since last year. And your zeal has stirred up most of them. ³ But ^(OD)I am sending^[am] the brothers so that our boasting about you may not prove empty in this matter, so that you may be ready, ^(OE)as I said you would be. ⁴ Otherwise, if some Macedonians ^(OF)come with me and find that you are not ready, we would be humiliated—to say nothing of you—for being so confident. ⁵ So I thought it necessary to urge the brothers to go on ahead to you and arrange in advance for the ^(OG)gift^[an] you have promised, so that it may be ready ^(OH)as a willing gift, ^(OI)not as an exaction.^[ao]

The Cheerful Giver

⁶ The point is this: ^(OJ)whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows bountifully^[ap] will also reap bountifully. ⁷ Each one must give as he has decided in his heart, ^(OK)not reluctantly or under compulsion, for ^(OL)God loves a cheerful giver. ⁸ And ^(OM)God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that having all sufficiency^[aq] in all things at all times, you may abound in every good work. ⁹ As it is written,

¹⁰ He who supplies ^(OO)seed to the sower and bread for food will supply and multiply your seed for sowing and ^(OP)increase the harvest of your righteousness. ^11 (OQ)You will be enriched in every way to be generous in every way, which ^(OR)through us will produce thanksgiving to God. ¹² For the ministry of this service is not only supplying ^(OS)the needs of the saints but is also overflowing in many thanksgivings to God. ¹³ By their approval of this service, ^(OT)they^[ar] will glorify God because of your submission that comes from your ^(OU)confession of the gospel of Christ, and the generosity of your contribution for them and for all others, ¹⁴ while they long for you and pray for you, because of the surpassing grace of God upon you. ^15 (OV)Thanks be to God for his inexpressible gift!

Paul Defends His Ministry

10 ^(OW)I, Paul, myself entreat you, by the ^(OX)meekness and gentleness of Christ—I who am humble when face to face with you, but bold toward you when I am away!— ² I beg of you ^(OY)that when I am present I may not have to show ^(OZ)boldness with such confidence as I count on showing against some who suspect us of walking according to the flesh. ³ For though we walk in the flesh, we are not waging war according to the flesh. ⁴ For the ^(PA)weapons of ^(PB)our warfare are not of the flesh but have ^(PC)divine power ^(PD)to destroy strongholds. ⁵ We destroy arguments and ^(PE)every lofty opinion raised against the knowledge of God, and take every thought captive to ^(PF)obey Christ, ^6 (PG)being ready to punish every disobedience, ^(PH)when your obedience is complete.

^7 (PI)Look at what is before your eyes. ^(PJ)If anyone is confident that he is Christ's, let him remind himself that just as ^(PK)he is Christ's, ^(PL)so also are we. ⁸ For even if I boast a little too much of ^(PM)our authority, which the Lord gave for building you up and not for destroying you, I will not be ashamed. ⁹ I do not want to appear to be frightening you with my letters. ¹⁰ For they say, “His letters are weighty and strong, but ^(PN)his bodily presence is weak, and ^(PO)his speech of no account.” ¹¹ Let such a person understand that what we say by letter when absent, we do when present. ¹² Not that we dare to classify or ^(PP)compare ourselves with some of those who ^(PQ)are commending themselves. But when they measure themselves by one another and compare themselves with one another, they are ^(PR)without understanding.

¹³ But we will not boast ^(PS)beyond limits, but will ^(PT)boast only with regard to the area of influence God assigned to us, ^(PU)to reach even to you. ¹⁴ For we are not overextending ourselves, as though we did not reach you. ^(PV)For we were the first to come all the way to you with the gospel of Christ. ¹⁵ We do not boast beyond limit in the labors of others. But our hope is that ^(PW)as your faith increases, our area of influence among you may be ^(PX)greatly enlarged, ¹⁶ so that we may preach the gospel in lands beyond you, without boasting of work already done in another's area of influence. ¹⁷ “Let ^(PY)the one who boasts, boast in the Lord.” ¹⁸ For it is ^(PZ)not the one who commends himself who is approved, but the one ^(QA)whom the Lord commends.

Paul and the False Apostles

11 I wish you would bear with me in a little foolishness. Do bear with me! ² For I feel a divine jealousy for you, since ^(QB)I betrothed you to one husband, ^(QC)to present you ^(QD)as a pure virgin to Christ. ³ But I am afraid that ^(QE)as the serpent deceived Eve by his cunning, your thoughts ^(QF)will be led astray from a ^(QG)sincere and ^(QH)pure devotion to Christ. ⁴ For if someone comes and ^(QI)proclaims another Jesus than the one we proclaimed, or if you receive a different spirit from the one you received, or if you accept ^(QJ)a different gospel from the one you accepted, you put up with it readily enough. ⁵ Indeed, I consider that ^(QK)I am not in the least inferior to these super-apostles. ^6 (QL)Even if I am unskilled in speaking, ^(QM)I am not so in knowledge; indeed, in every way ^(QN)we have made this plain to you in all things.

⁷ Or ^(QO)did I commit a sin in humbling myself so that you might be exalted, because ^(QP)I preached God's gospel to you free of charge? ⁸ I robbed other churches by accepting support from them in order to serve you. ⁹ And when I was with you and was ^(QQ)in need, ^(QR)I did not burden anyone, for the brothers who came from Macedonia ^(QS)supplied my need. So I refrained and will refrain ^(QT)from burdening you in any way. ^10 (QU)As the truth of Christ is in me, this boasting of mine ^(QV)will not be silenced in the regions of Achaia. ¹¹ And why? ^(QW)Because I do not love you? ^(QX)God knows I do!

¹² And what I am doing I will continue to do, ^(QY)in order to undermine the claim of those who would like to claim that in their boasted mission they work on the same terms as we do. ¹³ For such men are ^(QZ)false apostles, ^(RA)deceitful workmen, ^(RB)disguising themselves as apostles of Christ. ¹⁴ And no wonder, for even Satan disguises himself as ^(RC)an angel of light. ¹⁵ So it is no surprise if his servants, also, disguise themselves as ^(RD)servants of righteousness. ^(RE)Their end will correspond to their deeds.

Paul's Sufferings as an Apostle

¹⁶ I repeat, ^(RF)let no one think me foolish. But even if you do, accept me as a fool, so that I too may boast a little. ¹⁷ What I am saying ^(RG)with this boastful confidence, ^(RH)I say not as the Lord would^[as] but as a fool. ¹⁸ Since ^(RI)many boast according to the flesh, I too will boast. ¹⁹ For you gladly bear with fools, ^(RJ)being wise yourselves! ²⁰ For you bear it if someone ^(RK)makes slaves of you, or ^(RL)devours you, or takes advantage of you, or puts on airs, or ^(RM)strikes you in the face. ²¹ To my shame, I must say, ^(RN)we were too weak for that!

But whatever anyone else dares to boast of—I am speaking as a fool—I also dare to boast of that. ²² Are they Hebrews? ^(RO)So am I. Are they Israelites? So am I. Are they offspring of Abraham? So am I. ²³ Are they ^(RP)servants of Christ? ^(RQ)I am a better one—I am talking like a madman—with far greater labors, ^(RR)far more imprisonments, ^(RS)with countless beatings, and ^(RT)often near death. ²⁴ Five times I received at the hands of the Jews the ^(RU)forty lashes less one. ²⁵ Three times I was ^(RV)beaten with rods. ^(RW)Once I was stoned. Three times I ^(RX)was shipwrecked; a night and a day I was adrift at sea; ²⁶ on frequent journeys, in danger from rivers, danger from robbers, ^(RY)danger from my own people, ^(RZ)danger from Gentiles, ^(SA)danger in the city, danger in the wilderness, danger at sea, danger from false brothers; ^27 (SB)in toil and hardship, through many a sleepless night, ^(SC)in hunger and thirst, often without food,^[at] in cold and exposure. ²⁸ And, apart from other things, there is the daily pressure on me of my anxiety for ^(SD)all the churches. ^29 (SE)Who is weak, and I am not weak? Who is made to fall, and I am not indignant?

^30 (SF)If I must boast, I will boast of the things that show my weakness. ^31 (SG)The God and Father of the Lord Jesus, ^(SH)he who is blessed forever, ^(SI)knows that I am not lying. ³² At Damascus, the governor under King Aretas ^(SJ)was guarding the city of Damascus in order to seize me, ^33 (SK)but I was let down in a basket through a window in the wall and escaped his hands.

Paul's Visions and His Thorn

12 I must go on boasting. Though there is nothing to be gained by it, I will go on to visions and ^(SL)revelations of the Lord. ² I know a man ^(SM)in Christ who fourteen years ago was ^(SN)caught up to ^(SO)the third heaven—whether in the body or out of the body I do not know, ^(SP)God knows. ³ And I know that this man was caught up into ^(SQ)paradise—whether in the body or out of the body I do not know, ^(SR)God knows— ⁴ and he heard things that cannot be told, which man may not utter. ⁵ On behalf of this man I will boast, but on my own behalf I will not boast, ^(SS)except of my weaknesses— ⁶ though if I should wish to boast, ^(ST)I would not be a fool, for I would be speaking the truth; but I refrain from it, so that no one may think more of me than he sees in me or hears from me. ⁷ So ^(SU)to keep me from becoming conceited because of the surpassing greatness of the revelations,^{[au] (SV)}a thorn was given me in the flesh, ^(SW)a messenger of Satan to harass me, to keep me from becoming conceited. ^8 (SX)Three times I pleaded with the Lord about this, that it should leave me. ⁹ But he said to me, ^(SY)“My grace is sufficient for you, for ^(SZ)my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that ^(TA)the power of Christ may rest upon me. ^10 (TB)For the sake of Christ, then, ^(TC)I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For ^(TD)when I am weak, then I am strong.

Concern for the Corinthian Church

^11 (TE)I have been a fool! You forced me to it, for I ought to have been commended by you. For I was ^(TF)not at all inferior to these super-apostles, ^(TG)even though I am nothing. ^12 (TH)The signs of a true apostle were performed among you ^(TI)with utmost patience, with signs and wonders and mighty works. ¹³ For in what were you less favored than the rest of the churches, except that ^(TJ)I myself did not burden you? Forgive me this wrong!

¹⁴ Here ^(TK)for the third time I am ready to come to you. And I will not be a burden, for ^(TL)I seek not what is yours but you. For ^(TM)children are not obligated to save up for their parents, but ^(TN)parents for their children. ^15 (TO)I will most gladly spend and be spent for your souls. If ^(TP)I love you more, am I to be loved less? ¹⁶ But granting that ^(TQ)I myself did not burden you, I was crafty, you say, and got the better of you by deceit. ¹⁷ Did I take advantage of you ^(TR)through any of those whom I sent to you? ^18 (TS)I urged Titus to go, and sent ^(TT)the brother with him. Did Titus take advantage of you? Did we not act in the same spirit? Did we not take the same steps?

¹⁹ Have you been thinking all along that we have been defending ourselves to you? It is ^(TU)in the sight of God that we have been speaking in Christ, and ^(TV)all for your upbuilding, beloved. ²⁰ For I fear that perhaps ^(TW)when I come I may find you not as I wish, and that you may find me not as you wish—that perhaps there may be quarreling, jealousy, anger, hostility, slander, gossip, conceit, and disorder. ²¹ I fear that when I come again my God may humble me before you, and I may have to mourn over many of those ^(TX)who sinned earlier and have not repented of the impurity, ^(TY)sexual immorality, and sensuality that they have practiced.

Final Warnings

13 ^(TZ)This is the third time I am coming to you. Every charge must be established ^(UA)by the evidence of two or three witnesses. ^2 (UB)I warned ^(UC)those who sinned before and all the others, and I warn them now while absent, as I did when present on my second visit, that ^(UD)if I come again I will not spare them— ³ since you seek proof that Christ ^(UE)is speaking in me. He is not weak in dealing with you, but ^(UF)is powerful among you. ⁴ For ^(UG)he was crucified in weakness, but ^(UH)lives by the power of God. For ^(UI)we also are weak in him, but in dealing with you ^(UJ)we will live with him by the power of God.

⁵ Examine yourselves, to see whether you are in the faith. ^(UK)Test yourselves. Or do you not realize this about yourselves, that ^(UL)Jesus Christ is in you?—unless indeed you fail to meet the test! ⁶ I hope you will find out that we have not failed the test. ⁷ But we pray to God that you may not do wrong—not that we may appear to have met the test, but that you may do what is right, though we may seem to have failed. ⁸ For we cannot do anything against the truth, but only for the truth. ⁹ For we are glad when ^(UM)we are weak and you are strong. Your ^(UN)restoration is what we pray for. ¹⁰ For this reason I write these things while I am away from you, that when I come ^(UO)I may not have to be ^(UP)severe in my use of ^(UQ)the authority that the Lord has given me for building up and not for tearing down.

Final Greetings

¹¹ Finally, brothers,^[av] rejoice. ^(UR)Aim for restoration, comfort one another,^{[aw] (US)}agree with one another, ^(UT)live in peace; and the God of love and ^(UU)peace will be with you. ^12 (UV)Greet one another with a holy kiss. ^13 (UW)All the saints greet you.

^14 (UX)The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ and ^(UY)the love of God and ^(UZ)the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all.

Greeting

1 Paul, an ^(VA)apostle—^(VB)not from men nor through man, but ^(VC)through Jesus Christ and God the Father, ^(VD)who raised him from the dead— ² and all ^(VE)the brothers^[ax] who are with me,

To ^(VF)the churches of Galatia:

^3 (VG)Grace to you and peace ^(VH)from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ, ^4 (VI)who gave himself for our sins to deliver us from the present ^(VJ)evil age, according to the will of ^(VK)our God and Father, ⁵ to whom be the glory forever and ever. Amen.

No Other Gospel

⁶ I am astonished that you are ^(VL)so quickly deserting ^(VM)him who called you in the grace of Christ and are turning to ^(VN)a different gospel— ^7 (VO)not that there is another one, but ^(VP)there are some who trouble you and want to distort the gospel of Christ. ⁸ But even if we or ^(VQ)an angel from heaven should preach to you a gospel contrary to the one we preached to you, ^(VR)let him be accursed. ⁹ As we have said before, so now I say again: If anyone is preaching to you a gospel contrary to the one you received, ^(VS)let him be accursed.

¹⁰ For am I now seeking the approval of man, or of God? Or am I trying ^(VT)to please man? If I were still trying to please man, I would not be a ^(VU)servant^[ay] of Christ.

Paul Called by God

¹¹ For ^(VV)I would have you know, brothers, that ^(VW)the gospel that was preached by me is not man's gospel.^{[az] 12 (VX)}For I did not receive it from any man, nor was I taught it, but I received it ^(VY)through a revelation of Jesus Christ. ¹³ For you have heard of ^(VZ)my former life in Judaism, how ^(WA)I persecuted the church of God violently and tried to destroy it. ¹⁴ And I was advancing in Judaism beyond many of my own age among my people, so extremely ^(WB)zealous was I for ^(WC)the traditions of my fathers. ¹⁵ But when he ^(WD)who had set me apart ^(WE)before I was born,^[ba] and who ^(WF)called me by his grace, ¹⁶ was pleased to reveal his Son to^[bb] me, in order ^(WG)that I might preach him among the Gentiles, I did not immediately consult with anyone;^{[bc] 17} nor did I go up to Jerusalem to those who were apostles before me, but I went away into Arabia, and returned again to Damascus.

¹⁸ Then ^(WH)after three years I went up to Jerusalem to visit Cephas and remained with him fifteen days. ¹⁹ But I saw none of the other apostles except James ^(WI)the Lord's brother. ²⁰ (In what I am writing to you, ^(WJ)before God, I do not lie!) ^21 (WK)Then I went into the regions of Syria and Cilicia. ²² And I was still unknown in person to ^(WL)the churches of Judea that are in Christ. ²³ They only were hearing it said, “He who used to persecute us is now preaching the faith he once tried to destroy.” ²⁴ And they glorified God because of me.

Paul Accepted by the Apostles

2 Then after fourteen years I went up again to Jerusalem with Barnabas, taking Titus along with me. ² I went up because of a revelation and set before them (though privately before those ^(WM)who seemed influential) the gospel that ^(WN)I proclaim among the Gentiles, ^(WO)in order to make sure I was not running or had not ^(WP)run in vain. ³ But even Titus, who was with me, ^(WQ)was not forced to be circumcised, though he was a Greek. ^4 (WR)Yet because of false brothers secretly brought in—who ^(WS)slipped in to spy out ^(WT)our freedom that we have in Christ Jesus, ^(WU)so that they might bring us into slavery— ⁵ to them we did not yield in submission even for a moment, so that ^(WV)the truth of the gospel might be preserved for you. ⁶ And from those ^(WW)who seemed to be influential (what they were makes no difference to me; ^(WX)God shows no partiality)—those, I say, who seemed influential ^(WY)added nothing to me. ⁷ On the contrary, when they saw that I had been ^(WZ)entrusted with ^(XA)the gospel to the uncircumcised, just as Peter had been entrusted with the gospel to the circumcised ⁸ (for he who worked through Peter for his apostolic ministry to the circumcised worked also through me for mine to the Gentiles), ⁹ and when James and Cephas and John, ^(XB)who seemed to be ^(XC)pillars, perceived the ^(XD)grace that was given to me, they ^(XE)gave the right hand of fellowship to Barnabas and me, that we should go to the Gentiles and they to the circumcised. ¹⁰ Only, they asked us to remember the poor, ^(XF)the very thing I was eager to do.

Paul Opposes Peter

¹¹ But ^(XG)when Cephas came to Antioch, I opposed him ^(XH)to his face, because he stood condemned. ¹² For before certain men came from James, ^(XI)he was eating with the Gentiles; but when they came he drew back and separated himself, fearing ^(XJ)the circumcision party.^{[bd] 13} And the rest of the Jews acted hypocritically along with him, so that even Barnabas was led astray by their hypocrisy. ¹⁴ But when I saw that their ^(XK)conduct was not in step with ^(XL)the truth of the gospel, I said to Cephas ^(XM)before them all, “If you, though a Jew, ^(XN)live like a Gentile and not like a Jew, how can you force the Gentiles to live like Jews?”

Justified by Faith

¹⁵ We ourselves are Jews by birth and not ^(XO)Gentile sinners; ¹⁶ yet we know that ^(XP)a person is not justified^[be] by works of the law ^(XQ)but through faith in Jesus Christ, so we also have believed in Christ Jesus, in order to be justified by faith in Christ and not by works of the law, ^(XR)because by works of the law no one will be justified.

¹⁷ But if, in our endeavor to be justified in Christ, we too were found ^(XS)to be sinners, is Christ then a servant of sin? Certainly not! ¹⁸ For if I rebuild what I tore down, I prove myself to be a transgressor. ¹⁹ For through the law I ^(XT)died to the law, so that I might ^(XU)live to God. ²⁰ I have been ^(XV)crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives ^(XW)in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, ^(XX)who loved me and ^(XY)gave himself for me. ²¹ I do not nullify the grace of God, for ^(XZ)if righteousness^[bf] were through the law, ^(YA)then Christ died for no purpose.

By Faith, or by Works of the Law?

3 O foolish Galatians! Who has bewitched you? ^(YB)It was before your eyes that Jesus Christ was publicly ^(YC)portrayed as crucified. ² Let me ask you only this: ^(YD)Did you receive the Spirit by works of the law or by ^(YE)hearing with faith? ³ Are you so foolish? ^(YF)Having begun by the Spirit, are you now being perfected by^[bg] the flesh? ^4 (YG)Did you suffer^[bh] so many things in vain—if indeed it was in vain? ⁵ Does he who supplies the Spirit to you and ^(YH)works miracles among you do so ^(YI)by works of the law, or by hearing with faith— ⁶ just as ^(YJ)Abraham “believed God, and it was counted to him as righteousness”?

⁷ Know then that it is ^(YK)those of faith who are ^(YL)the sons of Abraham. ⁸ And the Scripture, foreseeing that ^(YM)God would justify^[bi] the Gentiles by faith, preached the gospel beforehand to Abraham, saying, ^(YN)“In you shall all the nations be blessed.” ⁹ So then, those who are of faith are blessed along with Abraham, the man of faith.

The Righteous Shall Live by Faith

¹⁰ For all who rely on works of the law are ^(YO)under a curse; for it is written, ^(YP)“Cursed be everyone who does not ^(YQ)abide by all things written in the Book of the Law, and do them.” ¹¹ Now it is evident that ^(YR)no one is justified before God by the law, for ^(YS)“The righteous shall live by faith.”^{[bj] 12} But the law is not of faith, rather ^(YT)“The one who does them shall live by them.” ¹³ Christ ^(YU)redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us—for it is written, ^(YV)“Cursed is everyone who is hanged ^(YW)on a tree”— ¹⁴ so that in Christ Jesus the blessing of Abraham might ^(YX)come to the Gentiles, so that ^(YY)we might receive ^(YZ)the promised Spirit^[bk] through faith.

The Law and the Promise

^15 (ZA)To give a human example, brothers:^{[bl] (ZB)}even with a man-made covenant, no one annuls it or adds to it once it has been ratified. ¹⁶ Now ^(ZC)the promises were made ^(ZD)to Abraham and to his offspring. It does not say, “And to offsprings,” referring to many, but referring to one, ^(ZE)“And to your offspring,” who is Christ. ¹⁷ This is what I mean: the law, which came ^(ZF)430 years afterward, does not annul a covenant previously ratified by God, so as ^(ZG)to make the promise void. ¹⁸ For if the inheritance comes by the law, it no longer comes by promise; but ^(ZH)God gave it to Abraham by a promise.

¹⁹ Why then the law? ^(ZI)It was added because of transgressions, ^(ZJ)until the offspring should come to whom the promise had been made, and it was ^(ZK)put in place through angels ^(ZL)by an intermediary. ²⁰ Now ^(ZM)an intermediary implies more than one, but ^(ZN)God is one.

²¹ Is the law then contrary to the promises of God? Certainly not! For ^(ZO)if a law had been given that could give life, then righteousness would indeed be by the law. ²² But the Scripture ^(ZP)imprisoned everything under sin, so that ^(ZQ)the promise by faith in Jesus Christ might be given ^(ZR)to those who believe.

²³ Now before faith came, we were held captive under the law, ^(ZS)imprisoned until the coming faith would be revealed. ²⁴ So then, ^(ZT)the law was our ^(ZU)guardian until Christ came, ^(ZV)in order that we might be justified by faith. ²⁵ But now that faith has come, we are no longer under a guardian,