Galatians 2:11-3:9

New King James Version

No Return to the Law

^11 (A)Now when ^[a]Peter had come to Antioch, I ^[b]withstood him to his face, because he was to be blamed; ¹² for before certain men came from James, ^(B)he would eat with the Gentiles; but when they came, he withdrew and separated himself, fearing ^[c]those who were of the circumcision. ¹³ And the rest of the Jews also played the hypocrite with him, so that even Barnabas was carried away with their hypocrisy.

¹⁴ But when I saw that they were not straightforward about ^(C)the truth of the gospel, I said to Peter ^(D)before them all, ^(E)“If you, being a Jew, live in the manner of Gentiles and not as the Jews, ^[d]why do you compel Gentiles to live as ^[e]Jews? ^15 (F)We who are Jews by nature, and not ^(G)sinners of the Gentiles, ^16 (H)knowing that a man is not ^[f]justified by the works of the law but ^(I)by faith in Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Christ Jesus, that we might be justified by faith in Christ and not ^(J)by the works of the law; for by the works of the law no flesh shall be justified.

¹⁷ “But if, while we seek to be justified by Christ, we ourselves also are found ^(K)sinners, is Christ therefore a minister of sin? Certainly not! ¹⁸ For if I build again those things which I destroyed, I make myself a transgressor. ¹⁹ For I ^(L)through the law ^(M)died to the law that I might ^(N)live to God. ²⁰ I have been ^(O)crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh ^(P)I live by faith in the Son of God, ^(Q)who loved me and gave Himself for me. ²¹ I do not set aside the grace of God; for ^(R)if righteousness comes through the law, then Christ died ^[g]in vain.”

Justification by Faith^(S)

3 O foolish Galatians! Who has bewitched you ^[h]that you should not obey the truth, before whose eyes Jesus Christ was clearly portrayed ^[i]among you as crucified? ² This only I want to learn from you: Did you receive the Spirit by the works of the law, ^(T)or by the hearing of faith? ³ Are you so foolish? ^(U)Having begun in the Spirit, are you now being made perfect by ^(V)the flesh? ^4 (W)Have you suffered so ^[j]many things in vain—if indeed it was in vain?

⁵ Therefore He who supplies the Spirit to you and works miracles among you, does He do it by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith?— ⁶ just as Abraham ^(X)“believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness.” ⁷ Therefore know that only ^(Y)those who are of faith are sons of Abraham. ⁸ And ^(Z)the Scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, preached the gospel to Abraham beforehand, saying, ^(AA)“In you all the nations shall be blessed.” ⁹ So then those who are of faith are blessed with believing Abraham.