Bible in 90 Days

The Victory of the Resurrection

15 Now I make known to you, brothers and sisters, the Good News which I proclaimed to you. You also received it, and you took your stand on it, ² and by it you are being saved if you hold firm to the word I proclaimed to you—unless you believed without proper consideration. ³ For I also passed on to you first of all what I also received—

⁹ For I am the least of the emissaries, unworthy to be called an emissary because I persecuted God’s community. ¹⁰ But by the grace of God I am what I am. His grace toward me was not in vain. No, I worked harder than them all—yet not I, but the grace of God that was with me. ¹¹ Whether then it is I or they, so we proclaim, and so you believed.

¹² Now if Messiah is proclaimed—that He has been raised from the dead—how can some among you say that there is no resurrection of the dead? ¹³ But if there is no resurrection of the dead, not even Messiah has been raised! ¹⁴ And if Messiah has not been raised, then our proclaiming is meaningless and your faith also is meaningless. ¹⁵ Moreover, we are found to be false witnesses of God, because we testified about God that He raised up Messiah—whom He did not raise up, if in fact the dead are not raised. ¹⁶ For if the dead are not raised, not even Messiah has been raised. ¹⁷ And if Messiah has not been raised, your faith is futile—you are still in your sins. ¹⁸ Then those also who have fallen asleep in Messiah have perished. ¹⁹ If we have hoped in Messiah in this life alone, we are to be pitied more than all people.

²⁰ But now Messiah has been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep. ²¹ For since death came through a man, the resurrection of the dead also has come through a Man. ^{[c] 22} For as in Adam all die, so also in Messiah will all be made alive.

²³ But each in its own order: Messiah the firstfruits; then, at His coming, those who belong to Messiah; ²⁴ then the end, when He hands over the kingdom to God the Father after He has destroyed all rule and all authority and power. ^{[d] 25} For He must reign until He has put all His enemies under His feet. ^{[e] 26} The last enemy to be destroyed is death. ²⁷ For God has “put all things in subjection underneath His feet.”^[f] But when the psalmist says that “all” has been put in subjection, it is clear that this does not include God Himself, who put all things under Messiah. ²⁸ Now when all things become subject to Him, then the Son Himself will also become subject to the One who put all things under Him, so that God may be all in all.

²⁹ Otherwise, what will they do who are immersed for the dead? If the dead are not raised at all, then why are they immersed for them? ³⁰ And why are we in danger every hour? ³¹ I die every day—yes, as surely as the boast in you, brothers and sisters, which I have in Messiah Yeshua our Lord. ³² If, for human reasons, I fought with “wild animals” at Ephesus, what good is that to me? If the dead are not raised, “let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we die!” ^{[g] 33} Do not be deceived!

“Bad company corrupts good morals.”

³⁴ Come to your senses as you ought, and stop sinning! For some have no knowledge of God—I say this to your shame.

³⁵ But someone will say, “How are the dead raised?”^[h] and, “With what kind of body do they come?” ³⁶ Fool! What you sow does not come to life unless it dies. ³⁷ As for what you sow—you are not sowing the body that will be, but a bare seed, maybe of wheat or something else. ³⁸ But God gives it a body just as He planned, and to each of the seeds a body of its own. ³⁹ All flesh is not the same flesh, but there is one flesh of humans, another flesh of animals, another of birds, and another of fish. ⁴⁰ There are also heavenly bodies and earthly bodies, but the glory of the heavenly is one thing while the earthly is another. ⁴¹ There is one glory of the sun, another glory of the moon, and another glory of the stars; for one star differs from another star in glory.

If there is a natural body, there is also a spiritual body. ⁴⁵ So also it is written, “The first man, Adam, became a living soul.”^[i] The last Adam became a life-giving spirit. ⁴⁶ However, the spiritual is not first, but the natural; then the spiritual. ⁴⁷ The first man is of the earth, made of dust; the second man is from heaven.

⁵⁰ Now I say this, brothers and sisters, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God, and what decays cannot inherit what does not decay. ⁵¹ Behold, I tell you a mystery:

⁵⁶ Now the sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the Torah. ⁵⁷ But thanks be to God, who keeps giving us the victory through our Lord Yeshua the Messiah! ⁵⁸ Therefore, my dearly loved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always excelling in the work of the Lord—because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain.

Collection for Jerusalem and Final Greetings

16 Now concerning the collection for the kedoshim, as I directed Messiah’s communities in Galatia, you do likewise. ² On the first day of the week, let each of you set something aside, saving up whatever is gained, so no collections take place when I come. ³ Then whenever I arrive, I will send whomever you approve with letters of introduction to carry your gift to Jerusalem. ⁴ If it is advisable for me to go also, they will go with me.

⁵ But I will come to you after I have passed through Macedonia—for I am passing through Macedonia. ⁶ Perhaps I will stay with you, or even spend the winter, so that you can help me on my journey—wherever I go. ⁷ For I do not wish to see you now just in passing—for I hope to stay on with you for a while, if the Lord permits. ⁸ But I will stay on at Ephesus until Shavuot, ⁹ for a great door has opened wide for me, though many are in opposition.

¹⁰ Now if Timothy comes, see that he has nothing to fear among you—for he is doing the Lord’s work, just as I am. ¹¹ No one, then, should treat him with disrespect. But set him on his way in shalom, so that he might come to me; for I am expecting him, along with the brothers.

¹² Now about our brother Apollos, I strongly urged him to come to you with the brothers and sisters, and he was quite unwilling to come now—but he will come when he has an opportunity.

¹³ Be on the alert! Stand firm in the faith! Be men of courage! Be strong! ^{[o] 14} Let all that you do be done in love.

¹⁵ Now I urge you, brothers and sisters (you know the household of Stephanas, that it is the firstfruits of Achaia, and that they have devoted themselves in service to the kedoshim), ¹⁶ also to submit to people such as these, and to everyone working together and laboring. ¹⁷ I rejoice at the coming of Stephanas and Fortunatus and Achaicus, for they made up for your absence. ¹⁸ For they refreshed my spirit and yours. Therefore acknowledge such men.

¹⁹ Messiah’s communities in Asia^[p] greet you. Aquila and Prisca^[q] greet you warmly in the Lord, with the community that meets in their house. ²⁰ All the brothers and sisters greet you. Greet one another with a holy kiss.

²¹ This greeting is in my own hand—Paul’s. ²² If anyone does not love the Lord, let him be cursed. Marana, tha! Our Lord, come!^[r]

²³ The grace of the Lord Yeshua be with you. ²⁴ My love be with you all in Messiah Yeshua.

Greetings

1 Paul, an emissary of Messiah Yeshua through the will of God, and Timothy our brother,

To God’s community at Corinth, with all the kedoshim who are throughout Achaia:

² Grace to you and shalom from God our Father and the Lord Yeshua the Messiah.

Encouragement Through Hardships

³ Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Yeshua the Messiah, the Father of compassion and God of all encouragement. ⁴ He encourages us in every trouble, so that we may be able to encourage those who are in any trouble, through the very encouragement with which we ourselves are encouraged by God. ⁵ For just as the sufferings of Messiah overflow into us, so also through Messiah our encouragement overflows. ⁶ If we are suffering hardship, it is for your encouragement and salvation. Or if we are encouraged, it is for your encouragement, which produces in you the patient endurance of the same sufferings that we also suffer. ⁷ Our hope for you is firm, since we know that as you are partners in our sufferings, so also in our encouragement.

⁸ For we do not want you to be unaware, brothers and sisters, of our trouble that happened in Asia.^[s] We were under great pressure—so far beyond our strength that we despaired even of living. ⁹ In fact, we had within ourselves the death sentence—so that we might not rely on ourselves, but on God who raises the dead. ¹⁰ He who rescued us from so great a danger of death will continue to rescue us—we have set our hope on Him that He will rescue us again. ¹¹ You also are helping by your prayer for us, so that from many people thanks may be given on our behalf for the gracious gift given us through the help of many.

¹² For our reason for boasting is this: the testimony of our conscience, that we behaved in the world, and most especially toward you, with simplicity and godly sincerity—not by human wisdom but by the grace of God. ¹³ For we write nothing to you other than what you can read and understand—and I hope you will understand in full ¹⁴ just as you understood us in part, so that we are your reason for boasting just as you also are ours in the Day of our Lord Yeshua.

Paul’s Change of Plans

¹⁵ Because of this confidence, I was planning to come to you first, so that you might have a second benefit— ¹⁶ to pass by you on my way to Macedonia and again from Macedonia to come back to you, and to be helped by you on my journey to Judea. ¹⁷ So when I was planning to do this, I didn’t do so lightly, did I? Or the things I plan, do I plan according to the flesh—so it might be with me “Yes, yes” and “No, no” at the same time? ¹⁸ But as God is faithful, our message to you is not both “Yes” and “No.” ^{[t] 19} For Ben-Elohim—Yeshua the Messiah, who was proclaimed among you by us, by myself and Silvanus^[u] and Timothy—was not “Yes” and “No.” Rather, in Him it has always been “Yes.” ²⁰ For in Him all the promises of God are “Yes.” Therefore also through Him is the “Amen” by us, to the glory of God. ^{[v] 21} Now it is God who establishes us with you in Messiah. He anointed us, ²² set His seal on us, and gave us the Ruach in our hearts as a pledge.

²³ But I call God as my witness^[w]—to spare you, I didn’t come to Corinth again. ²⁴ Not that we lord it over you in matters of faith, but we are fellow workers for your joy—for in the faith you are standing firm.

Forgive the Repentant Sinner

2 So I made up my mind that I would not come to you again causing sorrow. ² For if I cause you sorrow, then who is there cheering me on but the one I have made sorrowful? ³ And I wrote this very thing to you, so that when I came I wouldn’t have sorrow from those who ought to make me rejoice—having confidence in you all that my joy is yours. ⁴ For out of much distress and anguish of heart I wrote to you with many tears—not to make you sorrowful, but to let you know the love that I have especially for you.

⁵ But if anyone has caused sorrow, he has caused sorrow not to me, but to some extent—not to exaggerate—to all of you. ⁶ For such a person, this punishment by the majority is enough. ⁷ So instead you should forgive him and encourage him. Otherwise such a person might be swallowed up by excessive sorrow. ⁸ Therefore I urge you to reaffirm your love for him. ⁹ For to this end I also wrote, that I might know your character, whether you are obedient in all things. ¹⁰ Now anyone you forgive, I also forgive. For indeed, what I have forgiven (if I have forgiven anything), I did it for you in the presence of Messiah, ¹¹ so that we might not be outwitted by satan—for we are not ignorant of his schemes.

Revealing Messiah’s Fragrance

¹² Now when I arrived in Troas for the Good News of Messiah, and a door was opened to me by the Lord, ¹³ I had no rest in my spirit, because I didn’t find Titus my brother. So I said farewell to them, and I set out for Macedonia. ¹⁴ But thanks be to God, who in Messiah always leads us in triumphal procession, and through us reveals everywhere the aroma^[x] of the knowledge of Himself. ¹⁵ For we are the aroma of Messiah to God, among those who are being saved and those who are perishing— ¹⁶ to the one an aroma from death to death, to the other an aroma from life to life. Who is competent for these things? ¹⁷ For we are not like many, peddling the word of God. Rather, in Messiah we speak in the sight of God with sincerity, as persons sent from God.

A New Covenant on Hearts of Flesh

3 Are we beginning to commend ourselves again? Or do we need, as some do, letters of recommendation to you or from you? ² You are our letter, written on our hearts, known and read by everyone. ³ It is clear that you are a letter from Messiah delivered by us—written not with ink but with the Ruach of the living God, not on tablets of stone but on tablets of human hearts.^[y]

⁴ Such is the confidence we have through Messiah toward God— ⁵ not that we are competent in ourselves to consider anything as coming from ourselves, but our competence is from God. ⁶ He also made us competent as servants of a new covenant^[z]—not of the letter, but of the Ruach. For the letter kills, but the Ruach gives life.

⁷ Now if the ministry of death, carved in letters on stone, came with such glory that Bnei-Yisrael could not look intently upon Moses’ face because of its glory^[aa]—although it was passing away— ⁸ how will the ministry of the Ruach not be even more glorious? ⁹ For if there is glory in the ministry of condemnation,^[ab] the ministry of righteousness overflows even more in glory. ¹⁰ For even what was glorious is not glorious in comparison to the glory that surpasses it. ¹¹ For if what is passing away is glorious, much more what remains is glorious.

¹² Therefore, having such a hope, we act with great boldness. ¹³ We are not like Moses, who used to put a veil over his face in order for Bnei-Yisrael not to look intently upon the end of what was passing away. ¹⁴ But their minds were hardened. For up to this very day the same veil remains unlifted at the reading of the ancient covenant, since in Messiah it is passing away. ¹⁵ But to this day, whenever Moses is read, a veil lies over their heart. ¹⁶ But whenever someone turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away. ^{[ac] 17} Now the Lord is the Spirit and where the Ruach Adonai is, there is freedom. ^{[ad] 18} But we all, with unveiled face beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory—just as from the Lord, who is the Spirit.

Treasures in Jars of Clay

4 For this reason, since we have this ministry, just as we received mercy, we do not lose heart. ² Instead, we renounced the hidden shameful ways—not walking in deception or distorting the word of God, but commending ourselves before God to everyone’s conscience by the open proclamation of the truth. ³ And even if our Good News is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing. ⁴ In their case, the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelieving, so they might not see the light of the Good News of the glory of Messiah, who is the image of God. ⁵ For we do not proclaim ourselves, but Messiah Yeshua as Lord—and ourselves as your slaves for Yeshua’s sake. ⁶ For God, who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,”^[ae] is the One who has shone in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Messiah.^[af]

⁷ But we have this treasure in jars of clay,^[ag] so that the surpassing greatness of the power may be from God and not from ourselves. ⁸ We are hard pressed in every way, yet not crushed; perplexed, yet not in despair; ⁹ persecuted, yet not forsaken; struck down, yet not destroyed; ¹⁰ always carrying in the body the death of Yeshua, so that the life of Yeshua may also be revealed in our mortal body. ¹¹ For we who live are always being handed over to death for Yeshua’s sake, so that the life of Yeshua may be revealed in our mortal body. ¹² So death is at work in us, but life is at work in you. ¹³ But we have the same spirit of faith, according to what is written, “I believed, and therefore I spoke.”^[ah] So we also believe, and therefore we also speak, ¹⁴ knowing that the One who raised the Lord Yeshua will raise us also with Yeshua, and will bring us with you into His presence. ¹⁵ For all things are for your sakes, so that the grace that is spreading through more and more people may cause thanksgiving to overflow—to the glory of God.

¹⁶ Therefore we do not lose heart. Though our outward man is decaying, yet our inward man is renewed day by day. ^{[ai] 17} For our trouble, light and momentary, is producing for us an eternal weight of glory far beyond all comparison, ¹⁸ as we look not at what can be seen but at what cannot be seen. For what can be seen is temporary, but what cannot be seen is eternal.

Earthly Tents, Eternal Dwellings

5 For we know that if the tent, our earthly home, is torn down, we have a building from God—a home not made with human hands, eternal in the heavens. ² For in this we groan, longing to be clothed with our heavenly dwelling— ³ if indeed, after we have put it on, we will not be found naked. ⁴ For we groan while we are in this tent—burdened because we don’t want to be unclothed but to be clothed, so that what is mortal may be swallowed up by life. ⁵ Now the One who prepared us for this very purpose is God, who gave us the Ruach as a pledge. ⁶ Therefore we are always confident and know that while we are at home in the body, we are absent from the Lord. ⁷ For we walk by faith, not by sight. ⁸ We are confident, I say, and prefer rather to be absent from the body and at home with the Lord. ⁹ So whether at home or absent, we make it our aim to be pleasing to Him. ¹⁰ For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Messiah, so that each one may receive what is due for the things he did while in the body—whether good or bad.

Ambassadors for Messiah

¹¹ Therefore, knowing the fear of the Lord,^[aj] we are trying to persuade people, but what we are is known to God—and I hope it is known to your consciences as well. ¹² For we are not commending ourselves to you again, but giving you an opportunity for boasting about us, so that you may have something to answer those who boast in outward appearance and not in the heart. ^{[ak] 13} For if we are out of our minds, it is for God; if we are in our right mind, it is for you. ¹⁴ For the love of Messiah compels us, since we have concluded that One died for all; as a result all died. ¹⁵ And He died for all so that those who live might no longer live for themselves, but for the One who died for them and was raised.

¹⁶ So from now on we recognize no one according to the flesh. Even though we have known Messiah according to the flesh, yet now we no longer know Him this way. ¹⁷ Therefore if anyone is in Messiah, he is a new creation. The old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new. ^{[al] 18} Now all these things are from God, who reconciled us to Himself through Messiah and gave us the ministry of reconciliation. ¹⁹ That is, in Messiah God was reconciling the world to Himself, not counting their trespasses against them; and He has entrusted the message of reconciliation to us. ²⁰ We are therefore ambassadors for Messiah, as though God were making His appeal through us. We beg you on behalf of Messiah, be reconciled to God. ²¹ He made the One who knew no sin to become a sin offering on our behalf,^[am] so that in Him we might become the righteousness of God.

6 Since we are co-laboring, we also urge you not to receive God’s grace in vain. ² For He says,

Behold, now is the favorable time. Behold, now is the day of salvation. ³ We give no cause for offense in anything, so that our ministry may not be blamed. ⁴ But as God’s servants, we are commending ourselves in every way—in great endurance, in afflictions, in hardships, in distresses, ⁵ in beatings, in imprisonments, in riots, in troubles, in sleeplessness, in hunger; ⁶ in purity, in knowledge, in patience, in kindness, in the Ruach ha-Kodesh, in genuine love, ⁷ in truthful speech, in the power of God; with the weapons of righteousness in the right hand and in the left; ⁸ through honor and dishonor, through evil report and good report. We are regarded as deceivers and yet true; ⁹ as unknown and yet well-known; as dying, yet behold, we live; as disciplined yet not put to death; ^{[ao] 10} as grieving yet always rejoicing; as poor yet enriching many; as having nothing yet possessing everything.

¹¹ We have spoken openly to you, O Corinthians; our heart is open wide! ¹² You are not restricted by us, yet you are restricted in your own feelings. ¹³ Now in return—I speak as to my children—open wide to us also.

Preserving Sanctity in God’s Living Temple

¹⁴ Do not be unequally yoked with unbelievers.^[ap] For what partnership is there between righteousness and lawlessness? Or what fellowship does light have with darkness? ¹⁵ What harmony does Messiah have with Belial^[aq]? Or what part does a believer have in common with an unbeliever? ¹⁶ What agreement does God’s Temple have with idols?^[ar] For we are the temple of the living God—just as God said,

7 Therefore, since we have these promises, loved ones, let us cleanse ourselves from all defilement of body and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God.

Godly Sorrow and Joy

² Make room for us in your hearts. We wronged no one, ruined no one, took advantage of no one. ³ I do not say this to condemn you, for I have said before that you are in our hearts—to die together and to live together with you. ⁴ Great is my boldness of speech toward you. Great is my boasting on your behalf. I have been filled with encouragement. I overflow with joy in all our troubles.

⁵ For even when we came into Macedonia, our body had no rest. But we were hard pressed on every side—conflicts outside, fears within. ⁶ But God, who encourages the downcast, encouraged us with the arrival of Titus; ⁷ and not only by his coming, but also by the encouragement with which he was encouraged by you, as he told us of your longing, your mourning, and your deep concern for me—so that I rejoiced still more.

⁸ For even if I grieved you with my letter, I do not regret it—though I did regret it, for I see that my letter grieved you, but just for a while. ⁹ Now I rejoice, not that you were grieved, but that you were grieved to the point of repentance. For you were grieved according to God’s will, so that you might in no way suffer loss from us. ¹⁰ For the grief that God wills brings a repentance that leads to salvation, leaving no regret. But the world’s grief brings death. ¹¹ For see what this very thing—this grieving that God wills—has brought you! What diligence, what defense, what indignation, what fear, what longing, what zeal, what rendering of justice! In everything you have proved yourselves to be innocent in this matter. ¹² So although I wrote to you, I wrote not for the sake of the wrongdoer or for the sake of the one who was wronged, but to make known to you your diligence for us in the sight of God. ¹³ For this reason we have been encouraged.

Besides our own encouragement, we rejoiced even more at the joy of Titus, because his spirit has been refreshed by all of you. ¹⁴ For if I have boasted some to him about you, I was not put to shame. But as we spoke all things truthfully to you, so also our boasting to Titus has proved to be the truth. ¹⁵ His feelings toward you overflow when he remembers everyone’s obedience—how you received him with fear and trembling. ¹⁶ I rejoice that in everything I have confidence in you.

Eagerness to Give

8 Now we make known to you, brothers and sisters, the grace God has given to Messiah’s communities in Macedonia— ² that in much testing by affliction, the abundance of their joy and their extreme poverty overflowed in a wealth of generosity on their part. ³ For I testify that according to their ability, and even beyond their ability, they gave of their own free will— ⁴ begging us with much urging for the favor of sharing in the relief of the kedoshim. ⁵ Moreover, it was not just as we had hoped, but they gave of themselves first to the Lord and then to us in keeping with God’s will. ⁶ So we urged Titus that, just as he had made a start before, so he should also complete this gracious service for you. ⁷ But as you excel in everything—in faith and speech and knowledge and all diligence, and in your love for us—also excel in this grace. ⁸ I am saying this not as a command, but I am trying to prove by the diligence of others the genuineness of your love as well. ⁹ For you know the grace of our Lord Yeshua the Messiah—that even though He was rich, yet for your sakes He became poor, so that through His poverty you might become rich. ¹⁰ Now I give my opinion in this matter, that it is a credit to you that a year ago you were the first to start—not only to do but even to be willing. ¹¹ But now finish doing it, so that just as there was eagerness to be willing, so also to finish it, out of what you have. ¹² For if the eagerness is present, the gift is acceptable according to what a person has, not according to what he doesn’t have. ¹³ For it is not relief for others and hardship for you, but as a matter of equality. ¹⁴ Your abundance at this present time meets their need, so that their abundance may also meet your need—so that there may be equality. ¹⁵ As it is written, “He who gathered much did not have too much, and he who gathered little did not have too little.”^[aw]

An Offering by Special Delivery

¹⁶ But thanks be to God, who put into the heart of Titus the same devotion for you. ¹⁷ For indeed he not only accepted our appeal, but went to you with eagerness and on his own initiative. ¹⁸ We are sending along with him the brother whose fame in connection with the Good News has spread throughout all of Messiah’s communities. ¹⁹ Not only that, but he has also been appointed by the communities as our travel companion with this gracious gift, which is administered by us for the glory of the Lord Himself and to show our eagerness to help. ²⁰ We are taking this precaution, so that no one will blame us in regard to the way we administer this generous gift. ²¹ We have regard for what is honorable—not only before the Lord, but also before people. ²² Also with them we are sending our brother whom we have tested many times and found to be diligent in many things, but now even more diligent because of his great confidence in you. ²³ As for Titus, he is my partner and fellow worker among you; as for our brothers, they are the emissaries of the communities, a glory to Messiah. ²⁴ Therefore, before Messiah’s communities show them the proof of your love and of our boasting about you.

9 Now about this service to the kedoshim, it is indeed unnecessary for me to write to you— ² for I know your eagerness. I boast about it to the Macedonians, that Achaia has been preparing for a year already; and your zeal has stirred up most of them. ³ But I am sending the brothers in order that our boasting about you may not be in vain in this case, so that you may be prepared, just as I kept saying. ⁴ Otherwise, if any Macedonians were to come and find you unprepared, we—not to mention you—would be put to shame in this undertaking. ⁵ So I thought it necessary to urge the brothers to go on to you and arrange ahead of time your generous gift that had been promised beforehand, so that it would be ready as a gift and not as an extortion.

Sowing and Reaping Generosity

⁶ The point is this: whoever sows sparingly shall also reap sparingly, and whoever sows bountifully shall also reap bountifully. ^{[ax] 7} Let each one give as he has decided in his heart, not grudgingly or under compulsion—for God loves a cheerful giver. ^{[ay] 8} And God is able to make all grace overflow to you, so that by always having enough of everything, you may overflow in every good work. ⁹ As it is written,

¹⁰ Now the One who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will supply and multiply your seed and increase the harvest of your righteousness. ^{[ba] 11} You will be enriched in everything for all generosity, which through us brings about thanksgiving to God. ¹² For this service of giving is not only supplying the needs of the kedoshim, but is also overflowing with many thanksgivings to God. ¹³ Because of the evidence of this service, they praise God for the obedience of your affirmation of the Good News of Messiah and for the generosity of your contribution to them and to everyone. ¹⁴ And in their prayer for you, they long for you because of the surpassing grace of God upon you. ¹⁵ Thanks be to God for His indescribable gift!

Tearing Down Strongholds

10 Now I, Paul, appeal myself to you by the meekness and gentleness of Messiah—I who am humble when face to face with you, but bold toward you when far away. ² I beg of you that when I am present I won’t need to be bold with the courage I consider showing against some who judge us as walking in the flesh. ³ For though we walk in the flesh, we do not wage war according to the flesh. ⁴ For the weapons of our warfare are not fleshly but powerful through God for the tearing down of strongholds.^[bb] We are tearing down false arguments ⁵ and every high-minded thing that exalts itself^[bc] against the knowledge of God. We are taking every thought captive to the obedience of Messiah— ⁶ ready to punish all disobedience, whenever your obedience is complete.

⁷ Look at what is before your eyes.^[bd] If anyone is confident in himself that he belongs to Messiah, let him reconsider that just as he belongs to Messiah, so also do we. ⁸ For even if I boast a little more about our authority—which the Lord gave for building you up and not for tearing you down—I will not be put to shame. ⁹ Not that I would try to terrify you by my letters— ¹⁰ for they say, “His letters are weighty and strong, but his presence in person is weak and his speech of no account.” ¹¹ Let such a person consider this, that what we are in word through letters when we are absent, we also are in action when we are present.

¹² For we do not dare to classify or compare ourselves with some of those who commend themselves. But when they measure themselves by themselves and compare themselves with themselves, they have no understanding. ¹³ But we will not boast beyond limits, but within the limits of the area that God has assigned to us—to reach even as far as you. ¹⁴ We are not extending ourselves too far, as if we did not reach you—for we did come even as far as to you with the Good News of Messiah. ¹⁵ Neither are we boasting beyond limits based on the labors of others, but we have hope while your faith is growing for our area among you to be greatly enlarged— ¹⁶ so that we may proclaim the Good News even to regions beyond you, not boasting about what has been accomplished in another’s area. ¹⁷ But “let him who boasts boast in the Lord.” ^{[be] 18} For it Is not the one who commends himself who is approved, but the one whom the Lord commends.

True and False Apostles

11 I wish that you would put up with a little foolishness from me, but indeed you are putting up with me. ² For I am jealous over you with a godly jealousy. For I betrothed you to one husband, to present you to Messiah as a pure virgin. ^{[bf] 3} But I am afraid that somehow, as the serpent deceived Eve by his cunning, your minds might be led astray from a sincere and pure devotion and purity to the Messiah. ⁴ For if someone comes and proclaims another Yeshua whom we did not proclaim, or if you receive a different spirit that you did not receive, or a different “good news” that you did not accept, you put up with that well enough!

⁵ For I consider myself in no way inferior to the “super special” emissaries. ⁶ Even if I am unskilled in speech, yet I am not so in knowledge. No, in every way we have made this clear to you in all things. ⁷ Or did I commit a sin in humbling myself so that you might be exalted, because I proclaimed to you God’s Good News free of charge? ⁸ I robbed other communities by taking wages from them for service to you. ⁹ When I was present with you and I was in need, I did not burden anyone; for the brothers who came from Macedonia supplied my need. In everything I kept myself from being a burden to you, and I will continue to do so. ¹⁰ As the truth of Messiah is in me, this boasting of mine will not be silenced in the regions of Achaia. ¹¹ Why? Because I do not love you? God knows I do!

¹² But what I am doing I will continue to do, so that I may cut off the opportunity from those who want an opportunity in what they boast about to also be regarded just as we are. ¹³ For such men are false emissaries, deceitful workers masquerading as Messiah’s emissaries. ¹⁴ And no wonder, for even satan masquerades as an angel of light. ¹⁵ It is no great thing therefore if his servants also masquerade as servants of righteousness. Their end will be according to their deeds.

Paul Boasts in the Lord

¹⁶ I say again, let no one consider me to be a fool. But if you do, accept me as a fool, so that I also may boast a little. ¹⁷ What I am saying, I am saying not according to the Lord, but as in foolishness, in this self-confident boasting. ¹⁸ Since many boast according to the flesh, I too will boast. ¹⁹ For you, being so wise, put up with fools gladly. ²⁰ For you put up with it if someone enslaves you, if someone devours you, if someone takes advantage of you, if someone puts on airs, if someone slaps you on the face. ²¹ To my shame I must say that we have been weak.

Yet whatever anyone else dares to boast about—I speak in foolishness—I dare, too. ²² Are they Hebrews? So am I. Are they Israelites? So am I. Are they the descendants of Abraham? So am I. ²³ Are they servants of Messiah? I am more so—I speak like I’m out of my mind—in labors much more, in prisons much more, in beatings more brutal, near death often. ²⁴ Five times from the Jewish leaders I received forty lashes minus one. ^{[bg] 25} Three times I was beaten with rods. Once I was stoned. Three times I suffered shipwreck. A night and a day I spent in the open sea. ²⁶ In my many journeys I have been in dangers from rivers, dangers from robbers, dangers from my countrymen, dangers from the Gentiles, dangers in the city, dangers in the desert, dangers in the sea, dangers among false brothers, ²⁷ in labor and hardship, through many sleepless nights, in hunger and thirst, often without food, in cold and exposure. ²⁸ Besides these other things, there is daily pressure on me of concern for all of Messiah’s communities. ²⁹ Who is weak, and I am not weak? Who is led into sin, and I do not burn with indignation? ³⁰ If I must boast, I will boast of my weakness. ³¹ The God and Father of the Lord Yeshua, who is blessed forever, knows that I am not lying. ³² In Damascus the governor under King Aretas was guarding the city of the Damascenes in order to seize me, ³³ and I was lowered in a basket through a window in the wall and escaped his hands.^[bh]

Boasting in Visions and Weakness

12 I must go on boasting—though it does no good, I will go on to visions and revelations of the Lord. ² I know a man in Messiah (whether in the body I don’t know, or whether out of the body I don’t know—God knows)—fourteen years ago, he was caught up to the third heaven. ^{[bi] 3} I know such a man (whether in the body or outside of the body I don’t know—God knows)— ⁴ he was caught up into Paradise and heard words too sacred to tell, which a human is not permitted to utter. ⁵ On behalf of such a man I will boast—but about myself I will not boast, except in regard to my weaknesses. ⁶ For if I should want to boast, I would not be foolish—for I will speak the truth. But I refrain, so that no one may think more of me than what he sees in me or hears from me— ⁷ even in the extraordinary quality of the revelations. So that I would not exalt myself, a thorn in the flesh was given to me—a a messenger of satan to torment me,^[bj] so I would not exalt myself. ⁸ I pleaded with the Lord three times about this, that it might leave me. ⁹ But He said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly in my weaknesses, so that the power of Messiah may dwell in me. ¹⁰ For Messiah’s sake, then, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in distresses, in persecutions, in calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong.

¹¹ I have become a fool—you drove me to it, for I ought to have been commended by you. For I am in no way inferior to the super-special emissaries—though I am nothing. ¹² Truly the signs of an emissary were worked out among you, with patient endurance, by signs and wonders and mighty miracles. ¹³ For in what respect were you treated worse than the rest of Messiah’s communities—except that I myself did not burden you? Pardon me this injustice!

¹⁴ Look, I am ready to come to you this third time, and I will not burden you—for I seek not your possessions, but you! For the children are not obliged to save up for the parents, but the parents for the children. ¹⁵ I will most gladly spend and be spent for your souls. If I love you more, am I to be loved less? ¹⁶ But be that as it may, I did not burden you myself. Nevertheless, crafty fellow that I am, I caught you with trickery! ¹⁷ I haven’t taken advantage of you through any of those I sent to you, have I? ¹⁸ I did urge Titus to visit you, and I sent the brother with him. Titus didn’t take any advantage of you, did he? Didn’t we walk in the same spirit, in the same footsteps?

¹⁹ All along you’ve been thinking that we are defending ourselves to you.^[bk] It is before God that we’ve been speaking in Messiah—and all for building you up, loved ones. ²⁰ For I am afraid that perhaps when I come, I may find you not as I wish, or I may be found by you not as you wish—that there may be strife, envy, outbursts of anger, self-seeking disputes, lashon ha-ra, gossip, arrogance, unruly commotions. ²¹ I am afraid that when I come again my God may humiliate me before you, and I will mourn for many of those who have sinned before and not repented of the impurity and sexual immorality and indecency which they committed.

Final Warnings

13 This is the third time I am coming to you. “By the testimony^[bl] of two or three witnesses shall every word be established.” ^{[bm] 2} I spoke a warning, when I was with you the second time. Though now I am away, I am again speaking a warning to those who have sinned before, as well as to all the rest, that if I come again, I will not spare anyone— ³ since you are demanding proof that Messiah is speaking through me. He is not weak toward you, but powerful among you. ⁴ For He was crucified in weakness, yet He lives through the power of God. For we also are weak in Him, yet we shall live with Him by God’s power toward you.

⁵ Test yourselves, to see whether you are in the faith. Examine yourselves! Or don’t you know yourselves—that Messiah Yeshua is in you? Unless of course you failed the test. ⁶ But I hope that you will realize that we haven’t failed the test. ⁷ Now we pray to God that you do no wrong—not so that we may appear to have passed the test, but in order that you may do what is right even if we may seem to have failed. ⁸ For we can do nothing against the truth, but only for the truth. ⁹ For we rejoice when we are weak and you are strong. We also pray for this—your perfecting. ¹⁰ For this reason I write these things while I am absent, so that when I am present I need not proceed harshly, according to the authority which the Lord gave me—for building up and not for tearing down.

Final Greetings

¹¹ Finally, brothers and sisters, rejoice! Aim for restoration, encourage one another, be of the same mind, live in shalom—and the God of love and shalom will be with you.

¹² Greet one another with a holy kiss.

All the kedoshim greet you.^[bn]

¹³ The grace of the Lord Yeshua the Messiah and the love of God and the fellowship of the Ruach ha-Kodesh be with you all. Amen.

Greetings from Paul

1 Paul, an emissary (sent not from men or by man, but by Yeshua the Messiah and God the Father, who raised Him from the dead), ² and all the brothers with me.

To Messiah’s communities of Galatia:

³ Grace to you and shalom from God our Father and our Lord Yeshua the Messiah— ⁴ who gave Himself for our sins to rescue us from this present evil age, according to the will of our God and Father— ⁵ to Him be the glory forever and ever! Amen.

No Other Gospel

⁶ I am amazed that you are so quickly turning away from the One who called you by the grace of Messiah, to a different “good news”— ⁷ not that there is another, but only some who are confusing you and want to distort the Good News of Messiah. ⁸ But even if we (or an angel from heaven) should announce any “good news” to you other than what we have proclaimed to you, let that person be cursed! ⁹ As we have said before, so I now repeat: if anyone proclaims to you “good news” other than what you received, let that person be under a curse! ¹⁰ Am I now trying to win people’s approval, or God’s? Or am I trying to please people? If I were still trying to please people, I would not be a servant of Messiah.

How Paul Was Sent Out

¹¹ Now I want you to know, brothers and sisters, that the Good News proclaimed by me is not man-made. ¹² I did not receive it from any human, nor was I taught it, but it came through a revelation of Yeshua the Messiah.

¹³ For you have heard of my earlier behavior in Judaism—how I persecuted God’s community beyond measure and tried to destroy it. ¹⁴ I was even advancing within Judaism beyond many my own age among my people, being a more extreme observer of my fathers’ traditions. ¹⁵ But when God—who set me apart from birth and called me through His grace^[bo]—was pleased ¹⁶ to reveal His Son to me so I would proclaim Him among the Gentiles, I did not immediately consult with any human. ¹⁷ I did not go up to Jerusalem to those who were emissaries before me, either. Instead I went away to Arabia and returned again to Damascus.

¹⁸ Then three years later I went to Jerusalem to visit with Peter, and I stayed with him fifteen days. ¹⁹ But I saw no other emissaries except Jacob, the Lord’s brother. ²⁰ (In what I’m writing you, before God, I do not lie.)

²¹ Then I went to the regions of Syria and Cilicia. ²² But I was personally unknown to Messiah’s communities of Judea; ²³ they only kept hearing, “The one who once persecuted us now proclaims the Good News he once tried to destroy!” ²⁴ So they were praising God because of me.

Accepted in Jerusalem

2 Then after fourteen years I went up again to Jerusalem with Barnabas, taking Titus with me. ² Because of a revelation, I went up and presented to them the Good News that I proclaim among the Gentiles. But I did so privately to those who seemed to be influential, to make sure I would not run—or had not run—in vain. ^{[bp] 3} Yet not even Titus who was with me, a Greek, was forced to be circumcised. ⁴ Now this issue came up because of false brothers secretly brought in (who slipped in to spy out our freedom in Messiah, in order to bring us into bondage). ⁵ But we did not give in to them even for a moment, so that the truth of the Good News might be preserved for you.

⁶ But from those who seemed to be influential (whatever they were makes no difference to me; God shows no partiality)—well, those influential ones added nothing to my message. ⁷ On the contrary, they saw that I had been entrusted with the Good News for the uncircumcised just as Peter was for the circumcised. ⁸ (For the same God who was at work in Peter as an emissary to the Jews, also was at work in me as a emissary to the Gentiles.) ⁹ Realizing the favor that had been given to me, Jacob and Peter^[bq] and John—who are the recognized pillars—shook hands in partnership with Barnabas and me,^[br] so that we would go to the Gentiles and they to the Jews. ¹⁰ They asked only that we remember the poor—something I also was eager to do.

Confronting Hypocrisy

¹¹ But when Peter came to Antioch, I opposed him to his face, because he was clearly in the wrong— ¹² for before certain people came from Jacob, he regularly ate with the Gentiles; but when they came, he began to withdraw and separate himself, fearing those from the circumcision. ¹³ And the rest of the Jews joined him in hypocrisy, so that even Barnabas was carried away with their hypocrisy. ¹⁴ But when I saw that they were not walking in line with the truth of the Good News, I said to Peter in front of everyone, “If you—being a Jew—live like the Gentiles and not like the Jews, how can you force the Gentiles to live like Jews?”

¹⁵ We are Jews by birth and not sinners from among the Gentiles. ¹⁶ Yet we know that a person is set right not by deeds based on Torah, but rather through putting trust in Messiah Yeshua.^[bs] So even we have put our trust in Messiah Yeshua, in order that we might be set right based on trust in Messiah and not by deeds based on Torah—because no human will be justified^[bt] by deeds based on Torah. ¹⁷ But if, while seeking to be justified in Messiah, we ourselves also were found to be sinners, is Messiah then an agent of sin? May it never be! ¹⁸ For if I rebuild the very things I tore down, I prove myself to be a law-breaker. ¹⁹ For through law I died to law, so that I might live for God. I have been crucified with Messiah; ²⁰ and it is no longer I who live, but Messiah lives in me. And the life I now live in the body, I live by trusting in Ben-Elohim^[bu]—who loved me and gave Himself up for me. ²¹ I do not nullify the grace of God—for if righteousness comes through Torah, then Messiah died for no reason!

By Deeds or by Faith?

3 O foolish Galatians, who cast a spell on you? Before your eyes Yeshua the Messiah was clearly portrayed as crucified. ² I want to find out just one thing from you: did you receive the Ruach by deeds based on Torah, or by hearing based on trust? ³ Are you so foolish? After beginning with the Ruach, will you now reach the goal in the flesh? ⁴ Did you endure so much for nothing—if it really was for nothing? ⁵ So then, the One who gives you the Ruach and works miracles among you—does He do it because of your deeds based on Torah or your hearing based on trust and faithfulness?

⁶ Just as Abraham “believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness,” ^{[bv] 7} know then that those who have faith are children of Abraham. ⁸ The Scriptures, foreseeing that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, proclaimed the Good News to Abraham in advance, saying, “All the nations shall be blessed through you.” ^{[bw] 9} So then, the faithful are blessed along with Abraham, the faithful one.

¹⁰ For all who rely on the deeds of Torah are under a curse—for the Scriptures say, “Cursed is everyone who does not keep doing everything written in the scroll of the Torah.” ^{[bx] 11} It is clear that no one is set right before God by Torah, for “the righteous shall live by emunah.” ^{[by] 12} However, Torah is not based on trust and faithfulness; on the contrary, “the one who does these things shall live by them.” ^{[bz] 13} Messiah liberated us from Torah’s curse, having become a curse for us (for it is written, “Cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree”^[ca])— ¹⁴ in order that through Messiah Yeshua the blessing of Abraham might come to the Gentiles, so we might receive the promise of the Ruach through trusting faith.

Slaves or Sons?

¹⁵ Brothers and sisters, I speak in human terms: even with a man’s covenant, once it has been confirmed, no one cancels it or adds to it. ¹⁶ Now the promises were spoken to Abraham and to his seed. It doesn’t say, “and to seeds,” as of many, but as of one, “and to your seed,” who is the Messiah. ¹⁷ What I am saying is this: Torah, which came 430 years later, does not cancel the covenant previously confirmed by God, so as to make the promise ineffective. ¹⁸ For if the inheritance is based on law, it is no longer based on a promise. But God has graciously given it to Abraham by means of a promise.

¹⁹ Then why the Torah? It was added because of wrongdoings until the Seed would come—to whom the promise had been made. It was arranged through angels by the hand of an intermediary. ²⁰ Now an intermediary is not for one party alone—but God is one. ²¹ Then is the Torah against the promises of God? May it never be! For if a law had been given that could impart life, certainly righteousness would have been based on law. ²² But the Scripture has locked up the whole world under sin, so that the promise based on trust in Messiah Yeshua^[cb] might be given to those who trust.

²³ Now before faith came, we were being guarded under Torah—bound together until the coming faith would be revealed. ²⁴ Therefore the Torah became our guardian to lead us to Messiah, so that we might be made right based on trusting. ²⁵ But now that faith has come, we are no longer under a guardian.