Galatians 2-3

English Standard Version

Paul Accepted by the Apostles

2 Then after fourteen years I went up again to Jerusalem with Barnabas, taking Titus along with me. ² I went up because of a revelation and set before them (though privately before those ^(A)who seemed influential) the gospel that ^(B)I proclaim among the Gentiles, ^(C)in order to make sure I was not running or had not ^(D)run in vain. ³ But even Titus, who was with me, ^(E)was not forced to be circumcised, though he was a Greek. ^4 (F)Yet because of false brothers secretly brought in—who ^(G)slipped in to spy out ^(H)our freedom that we have in Christ Jesus, ^(I)so that they might bring us into slavery— ⁵ to them we did not yield in submission even for a moment, so that ^(J)the truth of the gospel might be preserved for you. ⁶ And from those ^(K)who seemed to be influential (what they were makes no difference to me; ^(L)God shows no partiality)—those, I say, who seemed influential ^(M)added nothing to me. ⁷ On the contrary, when they saw that I had been ^(N)entrusted with ^(O)the gospel to the uncircumcised, just as Peter had been entrusted with the gospel to the circumcised ⁸ (for he who worked through Peter for his apostolic ministry to the circumcised worked also through me for mine to the Gentiles), ⁹ and when James and Cephas and John, ^(P)who seemed to be ^(Q)pillars, perceived the ^(R)grace that was given to me, they ^(S)gave the right hand of fellowship to Barnabas and me, that we should go to the Gentiles and they to the circumcised. ¹⁰ Only, they asked us to remember the poor, ^(T)the very thing I was eager to do.

Paul Opposes Peter

¹¹ But ^(U)when Cephas came to Antioch, I opposed him ^(V)to his face, because he stood condemned. ¹² For before certain men came from James, ^(W)he was eating with the Gentiles; but when they came he drew back and separated himself, fearing ^(X)the circumcision party.^{[a] 13} And the rest of the Jews acted hypocritically along with him, so that even Barnabas was led astray by their hypocrisy. ¹⁴ But when I saw that their ^(Y)conduct was not in step with ^(Z)the truth of the gospel, I said to Cephas ^(AA)before them all, “If you, though a Jew, ^(AB)live like a Gentile and not like a Jew, how can you force the Gentiles to live like Jews?”

Justified by Faith

¹⁵ We ourselves are Jews by birth and not ^(AC)Gentile sinners; ¹⁶ yet we know that ^(AD)a person is not justified^[b] by works of the law ^(AE)but through faith in Jesus Christ, so we also have believed in Christ Jesus, in order to be justified by faith in Christ and not by works of the law, ^(AF)because by works of the law no one will be justified.

¹⁷ But if, in our endeavor to be justified in Christ, we too were found ^(AG)to be sinners, is Christ then a servant of sin? Certainly not! ¹⁸ For if I rebuild what I tore down, I prove myself to be a transgressor. ¹⁹ For through the law I ^(AH)died to the law, so that I might ^(AI)live to God. ²⁰ I have been ^(AJ)crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives ^(AK)in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, ^(AL)who loved me and ^(AM)gave himself for me. ²¹ I do not nullify the grace of God, for ^(AN)if righteousness^[c] were through the law, ^(AO)then Christ died for no purpose.

By Faith, or by Works of the Law?

3 O foolish Galatians! Who has bewitched you? ^(AP)It was before your eyes that Jesus Christ was publicly ^(AQ)portrayed as crucified. ² Let me ask you only this: ^(AR)Did you receive the Spirit by works of the law or by ^(AS)hearing with faith? ³ Are you so foolish? ^(AT)Having begun by the Spirit, are you now being perfected by^[d] the flesh? ^4 (AU)Did you suffer^[e] so many things in vain—if indeed it was in vain? ⁵ Does he who supplies the Spirit to you and ^(AV)works miracles among you do so ^(AW)by works of the law, or by hearing with faith— ⁶ just as ^(AX)Abraham “believed God, and it was counted to him as righteousness”?

⁷ Know then that it is ^(AY)those of faith who are ^(AZ)the sons of Abraham. ⁸ And the Scripture, foreseeing that ^(BA)God would justify^[f] the Gentiles by faith, preached the gospel beforehand to Abraham, saying, ^(BB)“In you shall all the nations be blessed.” ⁹ So then, those who are of faith are blessed along with Abraham, the man of faith.

The Righteous Shall Live by Faith

¹⁰ For all who rely on works of the law are ^(BC)under a curse; for it is written, ^(BD)“Cursed be everyone who does not ^(BE)abide by all things written in the Book of the Law, and do them.” ¹¹ Now it is evident that ^(BF)no one is justified before God by the law, for ^(BG)“The righteous shall live by faith.”^{[g] 12} But the law is not of faith, rather ^(BH)“The one who does them shall live by them.” ¹³ Christ ^(BI)redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us—for it is written, ^(BJ)“Cursed is everyone who is hanged ^(BK)on a tree”— ¹⁴ so that in Christ Jesus the blessing of Abraham might ^(BL)come to the Gentiles, so that ^(BM)we might receive ^(BN)the promised Spirit^[h] through faith.

The Law and the Promise

^15 (BO)To give a human example, brothers:^{[i] (BP)}even with a man-made covenant, no one annuls it or adds to it once it has been ratified. ¹⁶ Now ^(BQ)the promises were made ^(BR)to Abraham and to his offspring. It does not say, “And to offsprings,” referring to many, but referring to one, ^(BS)“And to your offspring,” who is Christ. ¹⁷ This is what I mean: the law, which came ^(BT)430 years afterward, does not annul a covenant previously ratified by God, so as ^(BU)to make the promise void. ¹⁸ For if the inheritance comes by the law, it no longer comes by promise; but ^(BV)God gave it to Abraham by a promise.

¹⁹ Why then the law? ^(BW)It was added because of transgressions, ^(BX)until the offspring should come to whom the promise had been made, and it was ^(BY)put in place through angels ^(BZ)by an intermediary. ²⁰ Now ^(CA)an intermediary implies more than one, but ^(CB)God is one.

²¹ Is the law then contrary to the promises of God? Certainly not! For ^(CC)if a law had been given that could give life, then righteousness would indeed be by the law. ²² But the Scripture ^(CD)imprisoned everything under sin, so that ^(CE)the promise by faith in Jesus Christ might be given ^(CF)to those who believe.

²³ Now before faith came, we were held captive under the law, ^(CG)imprisoned until the coming faith would be revealed. ²⁴ So then, ^(CH)the law was our ^(CI)guardian until Christ came, ^(CJ)in order that we might be justified by faith. ²⁵ But now that faith has come, we are no longer under a guardian, ²⁶ for in Christ Jesus ^(CK)you are all sons of God, through faith. ²⁷ For as many of you as ^(CL)were baptized ^(CM)into Christ have ^(CN)put on Christ. ^28 (CO)There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave^[j] nor free, ^(CP)there is no male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. ²⁹ And ^(CQ)if you are Christ's, then you are Abraham's offspring, ^(CR)heirs according to promise.