11 Paul , an apostle ( not sent from men nor through the agency of man , but through Jesus Christ and God the Father , who raised Him from the dead ), 2 and all the brethren who are with me, To the churches of Galatia : 3 Grace to you and peace from [1]God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ , 4 who gave Himself for our sins so that He might rescue us from this present evil [2]age , according to the will of our God and Father , 5 to whom be the glory forevermore . Amen .
6 I am amazed that you are so quickly deserting e Him who called you [3]by the grace of Christ , for a different gospel ; 7 which is really not another ; only e there are some who are disturbing you and want to distort the gospel of Christ . 8 But even if we, or an angel from heaven , should preach to you a gospel [4]contrary to what we have preached to you, he is to be [5] accursed ! 9 As we have said before , so I say again now , if any man is preaching to you a gospel [6]contrary to what you received , he is to be [7] accursed !
10 For am I now seeking the favor of men , or of God ? Or am I striving to please men ? If I were still trying to please men , I would not be a bond-servant of Christ .
11 For I would have you know , brethren , that the gospel which was preached by me is not according to man . 12 For I neither received it from man , nor was I taught it, but I received it through a revelation of Jesus Christ . 13 For you have heard of my former manner of life in Judaism , how I used to persecute the church of God beyond e measure and tried to destroy it; 14 and I was advancing in Judaism beyond many of my contemporaries among my [8]countrymen , being more extremely zealous for my ancestral traditions . 15 But when God, who had set me apart even from my mother's womb and called me through His grace , was pleased 16 to reveal His Son in me so that I might preach Him among the Gentiles , I did not immediately consult with [9] flesh and blood , 17 nor did I go up to Jerusalem to those who were apostles before me; but I went away to Arabia , and returned once more to Damascus . 18 Then three years later I went up to Jerusalem to [10]become acquainted with Cephas , and stayed with him fifteen days . 19 But I did not see any other of the apostles except [11] James , the Lord's brother . 20 (Now in what I am writing to you, [12]I assure you before God that I am not lying .) 21 Then I went into the regions of Syria and Cilicia . 22 I was still unknown by [13]sight to the churches of Judea which were in Christ ; 23 but only , they kept hearing , "He who once persecuted us is now preaching the faith which he once tried to destroy ." 24 And they were glorifying God [14]because of me.
21 Then after an interval of fourteen years I went up again to Jerusalem with Barnabas , taking Titus along also . 2 It was because of a revelation that I went up; and I submitted to them the gospel which I preach among the Gentiles , but I did so in private e to those who were of reputation , for fear that I might be running , or had run , in vain . 3 But not even Titus , who was with me, though he was a Greek , was compelled to be circumcised . 4 But it was because of the false brethren secretly brought in, who had sneaked in to spy out our liberty which we have in Christ Jesus , in order to bring us into bondage . 5 But we did not yield in subjection to them for even an hour , so that the truth of the gospel would remain with you. 6 But from those who were of high reputation (what they were makes no difference to me; God shows no partiality )-well , those who were of reputation contributed nothing to me. 7 But on the contrary , seeing that I had been entrusted with the gospel to the uncircumcised , just as Peter had been to the circumcised 8 (for He who effectually worked for Peter in his apostleship to the circumcised effectually worked for me also to the Gentiles ), 9 and recognizing the grace that had been given to me, James and Cephas and John , who were reputed to be pillars , gave to me and Barnabas the right hand of fellowship , so that we might go to the Gentiles and they to the circumcised . 10 They only asked us to remember the poor - the very thing I also was eager to do .
11 But when Cephas came to Antioch , I opposed him to his face , because he stood condemned . 12 For prior to the coming of certain men from James , he used to eat with the Gentiles ; but when they came , he began to withdraw and hold himself aloof , fearing the party of the circumcision . 13 The rest of the Jews joined him in hypocrisy , with the result that even Barnabas was carried away by their hypocrisy . 14 But when I saw that they were not straightforward about the truth of the gospel , I said to Cephas in the presence of all , "If you, being a Jew , live like the Gentiles and not like the Jews , how is it that you compel the Gentiles to live like Jews ? 15 "We are Jews by nature and not sinners from among the Gentiles ; 16 nevertheless knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the Law but through faith in Christ Jesus , even we have believed in Christ Jesus , so that we may be justified by faith in Christ and not by the works of the Law ; since by the works of the Law no e flesh will be justified . 17 "But if , while seeking to be justified in Christ , we ourselves have also been found sinners , is Christ then a minister of sin ? May it never be! 18 "For if I rebuild what I have once destroyed , I prove myself to be a transgressor . 19 "For through the Law I died to the Law , so that I might live to God . 20 "I have been crucified with Christ ; and it is no longer I who live , but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God , who loved me and gave Himself up for me. 21 "I do not nullify the grace of God , for if righteousness comes through the Law , then Christ died needlessly ."
31 You foolish Galatians , who has bewitched you, before whose eyes Jesus Christ was publicly portrayed as crucified ? 2 This is the only thing I want to find out from you: did you receive the Spirit by the works of the Law , or by hearing with faith ? 3 Are you so foolish ? Having begun by the Spirit , are you now being perfected by the flesh ? 4 Did you suffer so many things in vain - if indeed e it was in vain ? 5 So then , does He who provides you with the Spirit and works miracles among you, do it by the works of the Law , or by hearing with faith ?
6 Even so Abraham BELIEVED GOD , AND IT WAS RECKONED TO HIM AS RIGHTEOUSNESS . 7 Therefore , be sure that it is those who are of faith who are sons of Abraham . 8 The Scripture , foreseeing that God would justify the Gentiles by faith , preached the gospel beforehand to Abraham , saying, " ALL THE NATIONS WILL BE BLESSED IN YOU. 9 So then those who are of faith are blessed with Abraham , the believer . 10 For as many as are of the works of the Law are under a curse ; for it is written , " CURSED IS EVERYONE WHO DOES NOT ABIDE BY ALL THINGS WRITTEN IN THE BOOK OF THE LAW , TO PERFORM 11 Now that no one is justified by the Law before God is evident ; for, " THE RIGHTEOUS MAN SHALL LIVE BY FAITH ." 12 However , the Law is not of faith ; on the contrary , " HE WHO PRACTICES THEM SHALL LIVE BY THEM." 13 Christ redeemed us from the curse of the Law , having become a curse for us-for it is written , " CURSED IS EVERYONE WHO HANGS ON A TREE "- 14 in order that in Christ Jesus the blessing of Abraham might come to the Gentiles , so that we would receive the promise of the Spirit through faith . 15 Brethren , I speak in terms of human relations : even though it is only a man's covenant , yet when it has been ratified , no one sets it aside or adds conditions to it. 16 Now the promises were spoken to Abraham and to his seed . He does not say , "And to seeds ," as referring to many , but rather to one , " And to your seed ," that is, Christ . 17 What I am saying is this : the Law , which came four hundred and thirty years later , does not invalidate a covenant previously ratified by God , so as to nullify the promise . 18 For if the inheritance is based on law , it is no longer based on a promise ; but God has granted it to Abraham by means of a promise .
19 Why the Law then ? It was added because of transgressions , having been ordained through angels by the agency of a mediator , until the seed would come to whom the promise had been made . 20 Now a mediator is not for one party only; whereas God is only one . 21 Is the Law then contrary to the promises of God ? May it never be! For if a law had been given which was able to impart life , then righteousness would indeed have been based on law . 22 But the Scripture has shut up everyone under sin , so that the promise by faith in Jesus Christ might be given to those who believe . 23 But before faith came , we were kept in custody under the law , being shut up to the faith which was later to be revealed . 24 Therefore the Law has become our tutor to lead us to Christ , so that we may be justified by faith . 25 But now that faith has come , we are no longer under a tutor . 26 For you are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus . 27 For all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ . 28 There is neither e Jew nor Greek , there is neither e slave nor free man , there is neither e male nor female ; for you are all one in Christ Jesus . 29 And if you belong to Christ , then you are Abraham's descendants , heirs according to promise .
