But

See, I am ready to come to you a third time, and I will not be a burden, because I am not seeking your possessions, but you. For children should not have to save up for their parents, but parents for their children.

Be that as it may, I was not a burden to you; but crafty as I am, I caught you by trickery.

…since you are demanding proof that Christ is speaking through me. He is not weak in dealing with you but is powerful among you.

Now we pray to God that you will not do anything wrong—not that we will appear to have stood the test, but that you will do what is right, even if we appear to have failed.

For we cannot do anything against the truth, but only for the truth.

In fact, we rejoice when we are weak but you are strong, and our prayer is for your perfection.

Paul, an apostle—sent not from men nor by man, but by Jesus Christ and God the Father, who raised Him from the dead—

But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach a gospel contrary to the one we preached to you, let him be under a curse!

But when God, who set me apart from my mother’s womb and called me by His grace, was pleased

…nor did I go up to Jerusalem to the apostles who came before me, but I went into Arabia and later returned to Damascus.

But I saw none of the other apostles except James, the Lord’s brother.

I went in response to a revelation and set before them the gospel that I preach among the Gentiles. But I spoke privately to those recognized as leaders, for fear that I was running or had already run in vain.

But as for the highly esteemed—whatever they were makes no difference to me; God does not show favoritism—those leaders added nothing to me.

For before certain men came from James, he used to eat with the Gentiles. But when they arrived, he began to draw back and separate himself, for fear of those in the circumcision group.

…know that a man is not justified by works of the law, but by faith in Jesus Christ. So we, too, have believed in Christ Jesus, that we may be justified by faith in Christ and not by works of the law, because by works of the law no one will be justified.

But if, while we seek to be justified in Christ, we ourselves are found to be sinners, does that make Christ a minister of sin? Certainly not!

I have been crucified with Christ, and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself up for me.

The promises were spoken to Abraham and to his seed. The Scripture does not say, “and to seeds,” meaning many, but “and to your seed,” meaning One, who is Christ.

For if the inheritance depends on the law, then it no longer depends on a promise; but God freely granted it to Abraham through a promise.

A mediator is unnecessary, however, for only one party; but God is one.

But the Scripture pronounces all things confined by sin, so that by faith in Jesus Christ the promise might be given to those who believe.

But when the time had fully come, God sent His Son, born of a woman, born under the law,

So you are no longer a slave, but a son; and since you are a son, you are also an heir through God.

But now that you know God, or rather are known by God, how is it that you are turning back to those weak and worthless principles? Do you wish to be enslaved by them all over again?

Those people are zealous for you, but not in a good way. Instead, they want to isolate you from us, so that you may be zealous for them.

His son by the slave woman was born according to the flesh, but his son by the free woman was born through the promise.

But the Jerusalem above is free, and she is our mother.

But what does the Scripture say? “Expel the slave woman and her son, for the slave woman’s son will never share in the inheritance with the free woman’s son.”

Therefore, brothers, we are not children of the slave woman, but of the free woman.

But by faith we eagerly await through the Spirit the hope of righteousness.

For you, brothers, were called to freedom; but do not use your freedom as an opportunity for the flesh. Rather, serve one another in love.

But if you keep on biting and devouring one another, watch out, or you will be consumed by one another.

But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law.

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,

Brothers, if someone is caught in a trespass, you who are spiritual should restore him with a spirit of gentleness. But watch yourself, or you also may be tempted.

The one who sows to please his flesh, from the flesh will reap destruction; but the one who sows to please the Spirit, from the Spirit will reap eternal life.

But as for me, may I never boast, except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, through which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world.

…far above all rule and authority, power and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in the present age but also in the one to come.

But because of His great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy,

But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far away have been brought near through the blood of Christ.

Therefore you are no longer strangers and foreigners, but fellow citizens with the saints and members of God’s household,

But this is not the way you came to know Christ.

He who has been stealing must steal no longer, but must work, doing good with his own hands, that he may have something to share with the one in need.

Let no unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building up the one in need and bringing grace to those who listen.

But among you, as is proper among the saints, there must not be even a hint of sexual immorality, or of any kind of impurity, or of greed.

Nor should there be obscenity, foolish talk, or crude joking, which are out of character, but rather thanksgiving.

For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light,

Have no fellowship with the fruitless deeds of darkness, but rather expose them.

But everything exposed by the light becomes visible, for everything that is illuminated becomes a light itself.

Pay careful attention, then, to how you walk, not as unwise but as wise,

Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the Lord’s will is.

…and to present her to Himself as a glorious church, without stain or wrinkle or any such blemish, but holy and blameless.

Indeed, no one ever hated his own body, but he nourishes and cherishes it, just as Christ does the church.

This mystery is profound, but I am speaking about Christ and the church.

And do this not only to please them while they are watching, but as servants of Christ, doing the will of God from your heart.

For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this world’s darkness, and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.

It is true that some preach Christ out of envy and rivalry, but others out of goodwill.

I eagerly expect and hope that I will in no way be ashamed, but will have complete boldness so that now as always Christ will be exalted in my body, whether by life or by death.

But if I go on living in the body, this will mean fruitful labor for me. So what shall I choose? I do not know.

But it is more necessary for you that I remain in the body.

…without being frightened in any way by those who oppose you. This is a clear sign of their destruction but of your salvation, and it is from God.

For it has been granted to you on behalf of Christ not only to believe in Him, but also to suffer for Him,

Do nothing out of selfish ambition or empty pride, but in humility consider others more important than yourselves.

Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others.

…but emptied Himself, taking the form of a servant, being made in human likeness.

Therefore, my beloved, just as you have always obeyed, not only in my presence, but now even more in my absence, continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling.

But even if I am being poured out like a drink offering on the sacrifice and service of your faith, I am glad and rejoice with all of you.

But you know Timothy’s proven worth, that as a child with his father he has served with me to advance the gospel.

But I thought it necessary to send back to you Epaphroditus, my brother, fellow worker, and fellow soldier, who is also your messenger and minister to my needs.

He was sick indeed, nearly unto death. But God had mercy on him, and not only on him but also on me, to spare me sorrow upon sorrow.

He was sick indeed, nearly unto death. But God had mercy on him, and not only on him but also on me, to spare me sorrow upon sorrow.

But whatever was gain to me I count as loss for the sake of Christ.

…and be found in Him, not having my own righteousness from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God on the basis of faith.

Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already been made perfect, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me.

Brothers, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead,

But our citizenship is in heaven, and we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ,

Be anxious for nothing, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.

Now I rejoice greatly in the Lord that at last you have revived your concern for me. You were indeed concerned, but you had no opportunity to show it.

And as you Philippians know, in the early days of the gospel, when I left Macedonia, no church but you partnered with me in the matter of giving and receiving.

Not that I am seeking a gift, but I am looking for the fruit that may be credited to your account.

But now He has reconciled you by Christ’s physical body through death to present you holy, unblemished, and blameless in His presence—

…the mystery that was hidden for ages and generations but is now revealed to His saints.

These are a shadow of the things to come, but the body that casts it belongs to Christ.

Such restrictions indeed have an appearance of wisdom, with their self-prescribed worship, their false humility, and their harsh treatment of the body; but they are of no value against the indulgence of the flesh.

But now you must put aside all such things as these: anger, rage, malice, slander, and filthy language from your lips.

Here there is no Greek or Jew, circumcised or uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave, or free, but Christ is all and is in all.

Slaves, obey your earthly masters in everything, not only to please them while they are watching, but with sincerity of heart and fear of the Lord.

…because our gospel came to you not only in word, but also in power, in the Holy Spirit, and with great conviction—just as you know we lived among you for your sake.

For not only did the message of the Lord ring out from you to Macedonia and Achaia, but your faith in God has gone out to every place, so that we have no need to say anything more.

As you are aware, we had already endured suffering and shameful treatment in Philippi. But in the face of strong opposition, we were bold in our God to speak to you the gospel of God.

Instead, we speak as those approved by God to be entrusted with the gospel, not in order to please men but God, who examines our hearts.

We cared so deeply that we were delighted to share with you not only the gospel of God, but our own lives as well. That is how beloved you have become to us.

And we continually thank God because, when you received the word of God that you heard from us, you accepted it not as the word of men, but as it truly is, the word of God, which is also now at work in you who believe.

For we wanted to come to you—indeed I, Paul, tried again and again—but Satan obstructed us.

But just now, Timothy has returned from his visit with the good news about your faith, your love, and the fond memories you have preserved, longing to see us just as we long to see you.

For God has not called us to impurity, but to holiness.

Anyone, then, who rejects this command does not reject man but God, the very One who gives you His Holy Spirit.

And you are indeed showing this love to all the brothers throughout Macedonia. But we urge you, brothers, to excel more and more

But you, brothers, are not in the darkness so that this day should overtake you like a thief.

So then, let us not sleep as the others do, but let us remain awake and sober.