Study Desk

Or did I commit a sin by humbling myself so that you might be exalted, because I preached the gospel of God to you free of charge?

So it is no great surprise if his servants also disguise themselves as servants of righteousness. Their end will be according to their works.

I repeat: Let no one consider me a fool. But if you do, at least accept me as a fool so that I can also boast a little.

For you, being so wise, gladly put up with fools!

Are they Hebrews? So am I. Are they Israelites? So am I. Are they the descendants of Abraham? So am I.

So I was let down in a basket through a window in the wall and escaped from his hands.

For if I want to boast, I wouldn’t be a fool, because I would be telling the truth. But I will spare you, so that no one can credit me with something beyond what he sees in me or hears from me,

especially because of the extraordinary revelations. Therefore, so that I would not exalt myself, a thorn in the flesh was given to me, a messenger of Satan to torment me so that I would not exalt myself.

So I take pleasure in weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and in difficulties, for the sake of Christ. For when I am weak, then I am strong.

So in what way are you worse off than the other churches, except that I personally did not burden you? Forgive me for this wrong!

This is why I am writing these things while absent, so that when I am there I may not have to deal harshly with you, in keeping with the authority the Lord gave me for building up and not for tearing down.

I am amazed that you are so quickly turning away from him who called you by the grace of Christ and are turning to a different gospel—

to reveal his Son in me, so that I could preach him among the Gentiles, I did not immediately consult with anyone.

But we did not give up and submit to these people for even a moment, so that the truth of the gospel would be preserved for you.

Then the rest of the Jews joined his hypocrisy, so that even Barnabas was led astray by their hypocrisy.

and yet because we know that a person is not justified by the works of the law but by faith in Jesus Christ, even we ourselves have believed in Christ Jesus. This was so that we might be justified by faith in Christ and not by the works of the law, because by the works of the law no human being will be justified.

For through the law I died to the law, so that I might live for God.

Are you so foolish? After beginning by the Spirit, are you now finishing by the flesh?

Did you experience so much for nothing—if in fact it was for nothing?

So then, does God give you the Spirit and work miracles among you by your doing the works of the law? Or is it by believing what you heard—