came to me and stood beside me and said to me, ‘Brother Saul, regain your sight!’ And at that very moment I looked up and saw him.

I replied, ‘Lord, they themselves know that I imprisoned and beat those in the various synagogues who believed in you.

The commanding officer answered, “I acquired this citizenship with a large sum of money.” “But I was even born a citizen,” Paul replied.

So I said, ‘Who are you, Lord?’ And the Lord replied, ‘I am Jesus whom you are persecuting.

For I could wish that I myself were accursed – cut off from Christ – for the sake of my people, my fellow countrymen,

But again I ask, didn’t Israel understand? First Moses says, “I will make you jealous by those who are not a nation; with a senseless nation I will provoke you to anger.”

And Isaiah is even bold enough to say, “I was found by those who did not seek me; I became well known to those who did not ask for me.”

Now we have not received the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, so that we may know the things that are freely given to us by God.

Already you are satisfied! Already you are rich! You have become kings without us! I wish you had become kings so that we could reign with you!

“All things are lawful for me” – but not everything is beneficial. “All things are lawful for me” – but I will not be controlled by anything.

For this reason, if food causes my brother or sister to sin, I will never eat meat again, so that I may not cause one of them to sin.

To the weak I became weak in order to gain the weak. I have become all things to all people, so that by all means I may save some.

For now we see in a mirror indirectly, but then we will see face to face. Now I know in part, but then I will know fully, just as I have been fully known.

What should I do? I will pray with my spirit, but I will also pray with my mind. I will sing praises with my spirit, but I will also sing praises with my mind.

For I am the least of the apostles, unworthy to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God.

just as also you have partly understood us, that we are your source of pride just as you also are ours in the day of the Lord Jesus.

If you forgive anyone for anything, I also forgive him – for indeed what I have forgiven (if I have forgiven anything) I did so for you in the presence of Christ,

So then from now on we acknowledge no one from an outward human point of view. Even though we have known Christ from such a human point of view, now we do not know him in that way any longer.

For if any of the Macedonians should come with me and find that you are not ready to give, we would be humiliated (not to mention you) by this confidence we had in you.

And what I am doing I will continue to do, so that I may eliminate any opportunity for those who want a chance to be regarded as our equals in the things they boast about.