who also made us able ministers of the new covenant, not of the letter but of the Spirit; for the letter kills, but the Spirit makes alive.

But in all things commending ourselves as ministers of God; in much endurance, in afflictions, in needs, in distresses,

Who then is Paul, and who is Apollos, but ministers through whom you believe, as the Lord gave to each one?

Let a man so consider us, as servants of Christ and stewards of the mysteries of God.

and sent Timothy, our brother and minister of God, and our fellow laborer in the gospel of Christ, to establish you and encourage you concerning your faith,

If you instruct the brethren in these things, you will be a good minister of Jesus Christ, nourished in the words of faith and of the good doctrine which you have followed.

For I consider that I am not at all inferior to the most eminent apostles.

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.

Truly the signs of an apostle were accomplished among you with all perseverance, in signs and wonders and mighty deeds.

But by the grace of God I am what I am, and His grace toward me was not in vain; but I labored more abundantly than every one of them, yet not I, but the grace of God which was with me.

To this end I also labor, striving according to His working which works in me mightily.

From the Jews five times I received forty stripes minus one.

Three times I was beaten with rods; once I was stoned; three times I was shipwrecked; a night and a day I have been in the deep;

But in all things commending ourselves as ministers of God; in much endurance, in afflictions, in needs, in distresses,

in stripes, in imprisonments, in tumults, in labors, in sleeplessness, in fastings,

For I will show him how many things he must suffer for My name.

For I will show him how many things he must suffer for My name.

Having received such a charge, he put them into the inner prison and fastened their feet in the stocks.

except that the Holy Spirit testifies in every city, saying that bonds and afflictions await me.

And when he had come to us, he took Paul's waistband, binding his own hands and feet, and said, Thus says the Holy Spirit, So shall the Jews at Jerusalem bind the man who owns this waistband, and deliver him into the hands of the Gentiles.

Meanwhile he also hoped that money would be given him by Paul, that he might release him. Therefore he sent for him more often and conversed with him.

But after two years Porcius Festus succeeded Felix; and Felix, wanting to do the Jews a favor, left Paul bound.

And when they had been there many days, Festus set forth Paul's case before the king, saying: There is a certain man left a prisoner by Felix,

And when it was decided that we should sail to Italy, they delivered Paul and some other prisoners to one named Julius, a centurion of the Augustan Regiment.

And when we came to Rome, the centurion delivered the prisoners to the captain of the guard; but Paul was permitted to dwell by himself with the soldier who guarded him.

And Paul dwelt two whole years in his own rented house, and received all who came to him,

For this reason I, Paul, the prisoner of Christ Jesus for you Gentiles;

I, therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you to walk worthy of the calling with which you were called,

for which I am an ambassador in chains; that in it I may speak boldly, as I ought to speak.

so that it has become evident to the whole palace guard, and to all the rest, that my bonds are in Christ;

Therefore do not be ashamed of the testimony of our Lord, nor of me His prisoner, but partake in the afflictions of the gospel according to the power of God,

The Lord grant mercy to the household of Onesiphorus, for he often refreshed me, and was not ashamed of my chain;

for which I suffer trouble as an evildoer, even to the point of bonds; but the Word of God is not bound.

yet for love's sake I rather appeal to you; being such a one as Paul, the aged, and now also a prisoner of Jesus Christ;

for you had compassion on me in my bonds, and joyfully accepted the plundering of your goods, knowing, yourselves, that you have a better and an enduring possession in Heaven.

Yes, we had the sentence of death in ourselves, that we should not trust in ourselves but in God who raises the dead,

who delivered us from so great a death, and does deliver us, in whom we hope that He will still deliver us,

For we who live are always delivered to death because of Jesus, that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our mortal flesh.

as unknown, and yet well known; as dying, and behold we live; as chastened, and yet not put to death;

Then Jews from Antioch and Iconium came there; and having persuaded the multitudes, they stoned Paul and dragged him out of the city, supposing him to have died.

And why are we in danger every hour?

If like other men I have fought with beasts at Ephesus, what profit is it to me, if the dead are not raised? Let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we die!

Yes, and if I am being poured out on the sacrifice and service of your faith, I am glad and rejoice with you all.

I now rejoice in my sufferings on your behalf, and fill up in my flesh what is lacking in the afflictions of Christ, on behalf of His body, which is the church,