With my own hand I write this: Greetings from Paul.

Whoever does not love the Lord---a curse on him! Marana tha---Our Lord, come!

Listen! I, Paul, tell you that if you allow yourselves to be circumcised, it means that Christ is of no use to you at all.

With my own hand I write this: Greetings from Paul.This is the way I sign every letter; this is how I write.

But because I love you, I make a request instead. I do this even though I am Paul, the ambassador of Christ Jesus, and at present also a prisoner for his sake.

I am John, your brother, and as a follower of Jesus I am your partner in patiently enduring the suffering that comes to those who belong to his Kingdom. I was put on the island of Patmos because I had proclaimed God's word and the truth that Jesus revealed.

I beg you not to force me to be harsh when I come; for I am sure I can deal harshly with those who say that we act from worldly motives.

Here we are, then, speaking for Christ, as though God himself were making his appeal through us. We plead on Christ's behalf: let God change you from enemies into his friends!

In our work together with God, then, we beg you who have received God's grace not to let it be wasted.

So then, my friends, because of God's great mercy to us I appeal to you: Offer yourselves as a living sacrifice to God, dedicated to his service and pleasing to him. This is the true worship that you should offer.

I urge you, then---I who am a prisoner because I serve the Lord: live a life that measures up to the standard God set when he called you.

I appeal to you, my friends, as strangers and refugees in this world! Do not give in to bodily passions, which are always at war against the soul.

Ride on in majesty to victory for the defense of truth and justice! Your strength will win you great victories!

He will not break off a bent reed nor put out a flickering lamp. He will bring lasting justice to all.

He will not lose hope or courage; he will establish justice on the earth. Distant lands eagerly wait for his teaching."

Rejoice, rejoice, people of Zion! Shout for joy, you people of Jerusalem! Look, your king is coming to you! He comes triumphant and victorious, but humble and riding on a donkey--- on a colt, the foal of a donkey.

Take my yoke and put it on you, and learn from me, because I am gentle and humble in spirit; and you will find rest.

He will not argue or shout, or make loud speeches in the streets.

He will not break off a bent reed, nor put out a flickering lamp. He will persist until he causes justice to triumph,

"Tell the city of Zion, Look, your king is coming to you! He is humble and rides on a donkey and on a colt, the foal of a donkey."

The passage of scripture which he was reading was this: "He was like a sheep that is taken to be slaughtered, like a lamb that makes no sound when its wool is cut off. He did not say a word.

He committed no sin, and no one ever heard a lie come from his lips.

When he was insulted, he did not answer back with an insult; when he suffered, he did not threaten, but placed his hopes in God, the righteous Judge.

You are looking at the outward appearance of things. Are there some there who reckon themselves to belong to Christ? Well, let them think again about themselves, because we belong to Christ just as much as they do.

Someone will say, "Paul's letters are severe and strong, but when he is with us in person, he is weak, and his words are nothing!"

Someone will say, "Paul's letters are severe and strong, but when he is with us in person, he is weak, and his words are nothing!"

If I must boast, I will boast about things that show how weak I am.

So I will boast about this man---but I will not boast about myself, except the things that show how weak I am.

But to keep me from being puffed up with pride because of the many wonderful things I saw, I was given a painful physical ailment, which acts as Satan's messenger to beat me and keep me from being proud.

But his answer was: "My grace is all you need, for my power is greatest when you are weak." I am most happy, then, to be proud of my weaknesses, in order to feel the protection of Christ's power over me.

For even though it was in weakness that he was put to death on the cross, it is by God's power that he lives. In union with him we also are weak; but in our relations with you we shall share God's power in his life.

So when I came to you, I was weak and trembled all over with fear,

For Christ's sake we are fools; but you are wise in union with Christ! We are weak, but you are strong! We are despised, but you are honored!

You remember why I preached the gospel to you the first time; it was because I was sick.

Because we have this hope, we are very bold.

I am so sure of you; I take such pride in you! In all our troubles I am still full of courage; I am running over with joy.

I am ashamed to admit that we were too timid to do those things! But if anyone dares to boast about something---I am talking like a fool---I will be just as daring.

I want to tell those of you who have sinned in the past, and all the others; I said it before during my second visit to you, but I will say it again now that I am away: the next time I come nobody will escape punishment.

You will have all the proof you want that Christ speaks through me. When he deals with you, he is not weak; instead, he shows his power among you.

And Isaiah is even bolder when he says, "I was found by those who were not looking for me; I appeared to those who were not asking for me."

But in this letter I have been quite bold about certain subjects of which I have reminded you. I have been bold because of the privilege God has given me