fourteen years ago, (whether in the body I know not, or outside the body I know not, God knoweth,) such a one caught away even to the third heaven: and I knew such a man, (whether in the body or apart from the body, God knoweth,) that he was caught away unto Paradise, and heard unutterable sayings, which it is not permitted" to man to speak. For such a one I will boast; but for myself I will not boast, except in regard to my weaknesses. But even if I should be inclined to boast, I should not be without sense, for I should say the truth; but I forbear, lest some one should estimate me above what he seeth of me or heareth from me. And on account of the surpassing revelations, lest I should be too conceited, there was given me a splinter in the flesh, a messenger of Satan, that it should annoy me, lest I should be too conceited. Concerning this thing I entreated the Lord three times that it might depart from me; but he said to me, "My grace is sufficient for thee; for power is made complete through weakness." Most gladly then will I exult the more in weaknesses, so that the power of the Christ may dwell upon me. Wherefore I take pleasure in weaknesses, in insults, in necessities, in persecutions, in straits, on behalf of Christ; for when I am weak, then I am strong.

d

с

b

e

I have become without sense; ye have compelled me: for I ought to have been commended by you; for in no respect have I fallen short of these very lofty apostles, even if I am nothing. For the marks of an apostle have been fully wrought out among you in all perseverance, by signs and wonders and works of power. For what is there in regard to which ye have been made inferior to the rest of the congregations, unless that I myself have not been a burden to you? Forgive me this injustice.

Observe, I am ready to come to you this third time; and I will not be a burden; for I am not seeking what is yours, but yourselves; for the children ought not to lay up treasure for the parents, but the parents for the children. And most gladly will I spend-even be

wholly spent, for your souls; though the more exceedingly I love you, the less I am loved. But let it be so, that I have not burdened you, but that, being cunning, I caught you by stratagem. Have I despoiled you by any one of those whom I have sent to you? I instructed Titus, and I sent the brother with him. Surely Titus did not despoil b you! did we not walk in the same spirit? in the same tracks?

a

HAVE ye been thinking all this time that we are defending ourselves to you? In the sight of God we are speaking in Christ; but everything, beloved, for your upbuilding. For I am afraid lest, somehow, when I come, I shall find you to be not such as I wish, and I myself should be found by you to be such as ye do not wish; lest somehow there should be strife, jealousy, passions, rivalries, slanders, whisperings, vauntings, confusions; lest on my coming again, my God should humble me before you, and I should lament for many of those who have sinned heretofore, and have not repented of the impurity and unchastity and wantonness which they have practised.

I am about to come to you this third time: "At the mouth of two witnesses, or three, shall every declaration be confirmed." I have already said, and I now say beforehand, (as I said when with you the second time, and now while I am absent,) to those who sinned before, and to all the rest, that when I come again I will not spare, since ye are seeking proof of Christ's speaking through me; and he is not weak toward you, but is powerful in you; for though he was crucified because of weakness, yet he is living through the power of God. For we also are weak, like him; but we shall live, like him, through the power of God."

Test yourselves whether ye are in the Faith; prove yourselves. Do ye not recognize yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you? unless indeed ye are unproved. But we hope that ye will perceive that (xii. 16-xiii. 6.)

we are not unproved. Now we pray to God that ye may do nothing unworthy: not that we ourselves may appear as proved, but that ye may do what is worthy, even though we ourselves should not prove worthy. For we have no power to do anything against the truth, but for the truth. For we rejoice when we are weak, and ye are strong; and this we pray for,- your perfecting. For this purpose I am writing these things while absent, so that when present I may not act severely, in accordance with the authority which the Lord gave to me for building up and not for pulling down.

b

FINALLY, brethren, Rejoice; be perfected; be encouraged; be of the same mind; be at 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 loving-favor of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the companionship of the Holy Spirit, be with you all.

NOTE. Written from Macedonia, probably about A.D. 57.

( xiii. 7-14.)

"Gr., adjustment.

b Gr., adjusted, put in complete order.

LETTER OF PAUL

TO THE

GALATIANS

PAUL

AUL, (an apostle sent not from men nor by a man, but by Jesus Christ, and by God the Father who raised him from the dead,) and all the brethren who are with me, to the congregations of Galatia: Joy to you and peace, from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ, who gave himself on account of our sins, that he might rescue us from this present wicked age, in accordance with the will of God even our Father, to whom be the glory unto the ages of the ages: Amen.

I AM astonished that ye are so quickly transferring yourselves away from him who called you in the loving-favor of Christ to a different kind of good-tidings, (which is nothing else except that there are certain persons who are disturbing you, and wishing to distort the Good-tidings of the Christ.) But even if we, or an angel from heaven, should declare to you as Good-tidings anything contrary to what we have declared to you, let him be an execration. As I have already said, so now I say again, If any one declare to you as Good-tidings anything contrary to what ye have received, let him be an execration.d

For am I now seeking the favor of men, or of God? Am I striving to please men? If I were still seeking to please men, I should not be a servant of Christ. For I assure you, brethren, in regard to the Good-tidings that hath been declared by me, that it is not of man's devising. For neither did I myself receive it from a man, nor was I taught it in any way except by revelation from Jesus Christ. For ye have heard of my former way of life in Judaism, that I violently persecuted the Church of God, and tried to destroy it; and I was making progress in Judaism beyond the most of those who were of the same age with me in my nation, being more exceedingly zealous for the ancestral traditions. But when he who had set me apart from my very birth, and through his loving-favor had called me, was pleased to make his Son manifest within me, in order that I should declare the Good-tidings in regard to him among the Gentiles, I did not consult any man, nor did I go up to Jerusalem to those who were apostles before me, but I went away at once into Arabia, and again returned to Damascus.

Then after three years I went up to Jerusalem to confer with Cephas, and remained with him fifteen days; but I saw no other one of the apostles, except James the brother of the Master. (Now as to what I am writing to you, take notice, before God, I am not lying.) Afterward I went into the regions of Syria and Cilicia. And I was still not known personally to the congregations of Christ in Judea; only they were hearing, that "he who formerly persecuted us is now declaring the Good-tidings of the Faith which he was once seeking to destroy:" and they gave praise to God on my

account.

Then after fourteen years I again went up to Jerusalem, with Barnabas, taking Titus also with me. Now I went up in compliance with a revelation: and I described to them the Good-tidings which I proclaim among the Gentiles; but privately to those who appeared to be leaders, lest possibly I should be running, or might have run, in vain. However, Titus, who was with me, was not compelled to

(i. 10-ii. 3.)

* Gr., congregation.