Now I, Paul, myself am pleading with you by the meekness and fairness of Christ; who in presence am lowly among you, but being absent am bold toward you.

For we do not commend ourselves again to you, but give you occasion to rejoice on our behalf, that you may have an answer for those who boast in appearance and not in heart.

But Jehovah said to Samuel, Do not look at his appearance nor at the height of his stature, because I have refused him. For man does not see as He sees; for man looks at the outward appearance, but Jehovah looks at the heart.

But all their works they do to be seen by men. They make their phylacteries broad and enlarge the borders of their garments.

And He said to them, You are those who justify yourselves before men, but God knows your hearts. For what is highly esteemed among men is an abomination in the sight of God.

Do not judge according to appearance, but judge righteous judgment.

For he is not a Jew who is one outwardly, nor is circumcision that which is outward in the flesh;

but he is a Jew who is one inwardly; and circumcision is of the heart, in the Spirit, not in the letter; whose praise is not from men but from God.

And you are Christ's, and Christ is God's.

If anyone thinks himself to be a prophet or spiritual, let him acknowledge that the things which I write to you are the commandments of the Lord.

But each one in his own order: Christ the firstfruits, afterward those who are Christ's at His coming.

And if you are Christ's, then you are Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise.

For we do not commend ourselves again to you, but give you occasion to rejoice on our behalf, that you may have an answer for those who boast in appearance and not in heart.

For if he who comes preaches another Jesus whom we have not preached, or if you receive a different spirit which you have not received, or a different gospel which you have not accepted; you may well put up with it.

Seeing that many boast according to the flesh, I also will boast.

Are they ministers of Christ? (I speak as a fool) I excel them: in labors more abundant, in stripes above measure, in prisons more frequently, in deaths often.

I have become foolish in boasting; you have compelled me. For I ought to have been commended by you; for in nothing was I inferior to the most eminent apostles, though I am nothing.

since you seek a proof of Christ speaking in me, who is not weak toward you, but mighty in you.

Am I not an apostle? Am I not free? Have I not seen Jesus Christ our Lord? Are you not my work in the Lord?

But I make known to you, brethren, that the gospel which was preached by me is not according to man.

For you have heard of my former conduct in Judaism, how I persecuted the church of God beyond measure and tried to destroy it.

to whom we did not yield in submission even for an hour, that the truth of the gospel might continue with you.

But on the contrary, when they saw that the gospel for the uncircumcised had been committed to me, as the gospel for the circumcised was to Peter

and when Jacob, Cephas, and John, who seemed to be pillars, perceived the grace that had been given to me, they gave to me and Barnabas the right hand of fellowship, that we should go to the Gentiles and they to the circumcised.

We are of God. He who knows God hears us; he who is not of God does not hear us. By this we know the Spirit of Truth and the spirit of error.