²⁸ In relation to the gospel they are ^(A)enemies on your account, but in relation to God’s choice they are beloved ^(B)on account of the fathers;

¹⁸ Now ^(A)all these things are from God, ^(B)who reconciled us to Himself through Christ and gave us the ^(C)ministry of reconciliation, ¹⁹ namely, that ^(D)God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, ^(E)not counting their wrongdoings against them, and ^[a]He has ^[b]committed to us the word of reconciliation.

²⁰ Therefore, we are ^(F)ambassadors for Christ, ^(G)as though God were making an appeal through us; we beg you on behalf of Christ, be ^(H)reconciled to God. ²¹ He made Him who ^(I)knew no sin to be ^[c](J)sin in our behalf, so that we might become the ^(K)righteousness of God in Him.

³ Among them ^[a]we too all ^(A)previously lived in ^(B)the lusts of our flesh, ^[b]indulging the desires of the flesh and of the ^[c]mind, and were ^(C)by nature ^(D)children of wrath, ^(E)just as the rest.

²¹ And although you were ^(A)previously alienated and hostile in attitude, engaged in evil deeds, ²² yet He has now ^(B)reconciled you in His ^(C)body of flesh through death, in order to ^(D)present you before Him ^(E)holy and blameless and beyond reproach— ²³ if indeed you continue in ^[a]the faith firmly ^(F)established and steadfast, and not shifting from the ^(G)hope of the gospel that you have heard, which was proclaimed ^(H)in all creation under heaven, ^(I)and of which I, Paul, ^[b]was made a ^[c](J)minister.

^24 (K)Now I rejoice in my sufferings for your sake, and in my flesh ^(L)I am supplementing what is lacking ^[d]in Christ’s afflictions in behalf of ^(M)His body, which is the church. ^25 (N)I ^[e]was made a minister of this church according to the ^(O)commission from God granted to me for your benefit, so that I might ^[f]fully carry out the preaching of the word of God, ²⁶ that is, ^(P)the mystery which had been hidden from the past ages and generations, but now has been revealed to His ^[g]saints, ²⁷ to whom ^(Q)God willed to make known what ^(R)the wealth of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles is, the mystery that is ^(S)Christ in you, the ^(T)hope of glory. ²⁸ We proclaim Him, ^(U)admonishing every person and teaching every person ^[h]with all ^(V)wisdom, so that we may ^(W)present every person ^[i](X)complete in Christ. ²⁹ For this purpose I also ^(Y)labor, ^(Z)striving ^(AA)according to His ^[j]power which ^[k]works mightily within me.