[in] labor and travail, in watchings often, in hunger and thirst, in fastings often, in cold and nakedness.
Hebrew / JewishChristianity
The Bible (Old and New Testaments)
2 Corinthians
Besides those things that are without, there is that which presseth upon me daily, anxiety for all the churches.
Who is weak, and I am not weak? who is caused to stumble, and I burn not?
If I must needs glory, I will glory of the things that concern my weakness.
The God and Father of the Lord Jesus, he who is blessed for evermore knoweth that I lie not.
In Damascus the governor under Aretas the king guarded the city of the Damascenes in order to take me:
and through a window was I let down in a basket by the wall, and escaped his hands.
I must needs glory, though it is not expedient; but I will come to visions and revelations of the Lord.
I know a man in Christ, fourteen years ago (whether in the body, I know not; or whether out of the body, I know not; God knoweth), such a one caught up even to the third heaven.
And I know such a man (whether in the body, or apart from the body, I know not; God knoweth),
how that he was caught up into Paradise, and heard unspeakable words, which it is not lawful for a man to utter.
On behalf of such a one will I glory: but on mine own behalf I will not glory, save in [my] weaknesses.
For if I should desire to glory, I shall not be foolish; for I shall speak the truth: but I forbear, lest any man should account of me above that which he seeth me [to be], or heareth from me.
And by reason of the exceeding greatness of the revelations, that I should not be exalted overmuch, there was given to me a thorn in the flesh, a messenger of Satan to buffet me, that I should not be exalted overmuch.
Concerning this thing I besought the Lord thrice, that it might depart from me.
And he hath said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for [my] power is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my weaknesses, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.
Wherefore I take pleasure in weaknesses, in injuries, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses, for Christ’s sake: for when I am weak, then am I strong.
I am become foolish: ye compelled me; for I ought to have been commended of you: for in nothing was I behind the very chiefest apostles, though I am nothing.
Truly the signs of an apostle were wrought among you in all patience, by signs and wonders and mighty works.
For what is there wherein ye were made inferior to the rest of the churches, except [it be] that I myself was not a burden to you? forgive me this wrong.
Behold, this is the third time I am ready to come to you; and I will not be a burden to you: for I seek not yours, but you: for the children ought not to lay up for the parents, but the parents for the children.
And I will most gladly spend and be spent for your souls. If I love you more abundantly, am I loved the less?
But be it so, I did not myself burden you; but, being crafty, I caught you with guile.
Did I take advantage of you by any one of them whom I have sent unto you?
I exhorted Titus, and I sent the brother with him. Did Titus take any advantage of you? walked we not in the same spirit? [walked we] not in the same steps?
Ye think all this time that we are excusing ourselves unto you. In the sight of God speak we in Christ. But all things, beloved, [are] for your edifying.
For I fear, lest by any means, when I come, I should find you not such as I would, and should myself be found of you such as ye would not; lest by any means [there should be] strife, jealousy, wraths, factions, backbitings, whisperings, swellings, tumults;
lest again when I come my God should humble me before you, and I should mourn for many of them that have sinned heretofore, and repented not of the uncleanness and fornication and lasciviousness which they committed.
This is the third time I am coming to you. At the mouth of two witnesses or three shall every word be established.
I have said beforehand, and I do say beforehand, as when I was present the second time, so now, being absent, to them that have sinned heretofore, and to all the rest, that, if I come again, I will not spare;
seeing that ye seek a proof of Christ that speaketh in me; who to you-ward is not weak, but is powerful in you:
for he was crucified through weakness, yet he liveth through the power of God. For we also are weak in him, but we shall live with him through the power of God toward you.
Try your own selves, whether ye are in the faith; prove your own selves. Or know ye not as to your own selves, that Jesus Christ is in you? unless indeed ye be reprobate.
But I hope that ye shall know that we are not reprobate.
Now we pray to God that ye do no evil; not that we may appear approved, but that ye may do that which is honorable, though we be as reprobate.
For we can do nothing against the truth, but for the truth.
For we rejoice, when we are weak, and ye are strong: this we also pray for, even your perfecting.
For this cause I write these things while absent, that I may not when present deal sharply, according to the authority which the Lord gave me for building up, and not for casting down.
Finally, brethren, farewell. Be perfected; be comforted; be of the same mind; live in peace: and the God of love and peace shall be with you.
Salute one another with a holy kiss.
All the saints salute you.
The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Spirit, be with you all.
Galatians
Paul, an apostle (not from men, neither through man, but through Jesus Christ, and God the Father, who raised him from the dead),
and all the brethren that are with me, unto the churches of Galatia:
Grace to you and peace from God the Father, and our Lord Jesus Christ,
who gave himself for our sins, that he might deliver us out of this present evil world, according to the will of our God and Father:
to whom [be] the glory for ever and ever. Amen.
I marvel that ye are so quickly removing from him that called you in the grace of Christ unto a different gospel;
which is not another [gospel]: only there are some that trouble you, and would pervert the gospel of Christ.
But though we, or an angel from heaven, should preach unto you any gospel other than that which we preached unto you, let him be anathema.
As we have said before, so say I now again, If any man preacheth unto you any gospel other than that which ye received, let him be anathema.
For am I now seeking the favor of men, or of God? or am I striving to please men? if I were still pleasing men, I should not be a servant of Christ.
For I make known to you, brethren, as touching the gospel which was preached by me, that it is not after man.
For neither did I receive it from man, nor was I taught it, but [it came to me] through revelation of Jesus Christ.
For ye have heard of my manner of life in time past in the Jews’ religion, how that beyond measure I persecuted the church of God, and made havoc of it:
and I advanced in the Jews’ religion beyond many of mine own age among my countrymen, being more exceedingly zealous for the traditions of my fathers.
But when it was the good pleasure of God, who separated me, [even] from my mother’s womb, and called me through his grace,
to reveal his Son in me, that I might preach him among the Gentiles; straightway I conferred not with flesh and blood:
neither went I up to Jerusalem to them that were apostles before me: but I went away into Arabia; and again I returned unto Damascus.
Then after three years I went up to Jerusalem to visit Cephas, and tarried with him fifteen days.
But other of the apostles saw I none, save James the Lord’s brother.
Now touching the things which I write unto you, behold, before God, I lie not.
Then I came into the regions of Syria and Cilicia.
And I was still unknown by face unto the churches of Judæa which were in Christ:
but they only heard say, He that once persecuted us now preacheth the faith of which he once made havoc;
and they glorified God in me.
Then after the space of fourteen years I went up again to Jerusalem with Barnabas, taking Titus also with me.
And I went up by revelation; and I laid before them the gospel which I preach among the Gentiles but privately before them who were of repute, lest by any means I should be running, or had run, in vain.
But not even Titus who was with me, being a Greek, was compelled to be circumcised:
and that because of the false brethren privily brought in, who came in privily to spy out our liberty which we have in Christ Jesus, that they might bring us into bondage:
to whom we gave place in the way of subjection, no, not for an hour; that the truth of the gospel might continue with you.
But from those who were reputed to be somewhat (whatsoever they were, it maketh no matter to me: God accepteth not man’s person)—they, I say, who were of repute imparted nothing to me:
but contrariwise, when they saw that I had been intrusted with the gospel of the uncircumcision, even as Peter with [the gospel] of the circumcision
(for he that wrought for Peter unto the apostleship of the circumcision wrought for me also unto the Gentiles);
and when they perceived the grace that was given unto me, James and Cephas and John, they who were reputed to be pillars, gave to me and Barnabas the right hands of fellowship, that we should go unto the Gentiles, and they unto the circumcision;
only [they would] that we should remember the poor; which very thing I was also zealous to do.
But when Cephas came to Antioch, I resisted him to the face, because he stood condemned.
For before that certain came from James, he ate with the Gentiles; but when they came, he drew back and separated himself, fearing them that were of the circumcision.
And the rest of the Jews dissembled likewise with him; insomuch that even Barnabas was carried away with their dissimulation.
But when I saw that they walked not uprightly according to the truth of the gospel, I said unto Cephas before [them] all, If thou, being a Jew, livest as do the Gentiles, and not as do the Jews, how compellest thou the Gentiles to live as do the Jews?
We being Jews by nature, and not sinners of the Gentiles,
yet knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law but through faith in Jesus Christ, even we believed on Christ Jesus, that we might be justified by faith in Christ, and not by the works of the law: because by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified.
But if, while we sought to be justified in Christ, we ourselves also were found sinners, is Christ a minister of sin? God forbid.
For if I build up again those things which I destroyed, I prove myself a transgressor.
For I through the law died unto the law, that I might live unto God.
I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I that live, but Christ liveth in me: and that [life] which I now live in the flesh I live in faith, [the faith] which is in the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself up for me.
I do not make void the grace of God: for if righteousness is through the law, then Christ died for nought.
O foolish Galatians, who did bewitch you, before whose eyes Jesus Christ was openly set forth crucified?
This only would I learn from you, Received ye the Spirit by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith?
Are ye so foolish? having begun in the Spirit, are ye now perfected in the flesh?
Did ye suffer so many things in vain? if it be indeed in vain.
He therefore that supplieth to you the Spirit, and worketh miracles among you, [doeth he it] by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith?
Even as Abraham believed God, and it was reckoned unto him for righteousness.
Know therefore that they that are of faith, the same are sons of Abraham.
And the scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, preached the gospel beforehand unto Abraham, [saying], In thee shall all the nations be blessed.
So then they that are of faith are blessed with the faithful Abraham.
For as many as are of the works of the law are under a curse: for it is written, Cursed is every one who continueth not in all things that are written in the book of the law, to do them.
Now that no man is justified by the law before God, is evident: for, The righteous shall live by faith;
and the law is not of faith; but, He that doeth them shall live in them.
Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law, having become a curse for us; for it is written, Cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree: