⁵ But some of the sect of the Pharisees who believed rose up, saying, “It is necessary to circumcise them, and to command them to keep the law of Moses.”

Christian Liberty

5 ^(A)Stand^[a] fast therefore in the liberty by which Christ has made us free, and do not be entangled again with a ^(B)yoke of bondage. ² Indeed I, Paul, say to you that ^(C)if you become circumcised, Christ will profit you nothing. ³ And I testify again to every man who becomes circumcised ^(D)that he is ^[b]a debtor to keep the whole law.

⁵ circumcised the eighth day, of the stock of Israel, ^(A)of the tribe of Benjamin, ^(B)a Hebrew of the Hebrews; concerning the law, ^(C)a Pharisee; ⁶ concerning zeal, ^(D)persecuting the church; concerning the righteousness which is in the law, blameless.

⁷ But ^(E)what things were gain to me, these I have counted loss for Christ. ⁸ Yet indeed I also count all things loss ^(F)for the excellence of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them as rubbish, that I may gain Christ

Conflict over Circumcision

15 And ^(A)certain men came down from Judea and taught the brethren, ^(B)“Unless you are circumcised according to the custom of Moses, you cannot be saved.”

²⁰ And when they heard it, they glorified the Lord. And they said to him, “You see, brother, how many myriads of Jews there are who have believed, and they are all ^(A)zealous for the law;

⁵ They knew me from the first, if they were willing to testify, that according to ^(A)the strictest sect of our religion I lived a Pharisee. ^6 (B)And now I stand and am judged for the hope of ^(C)the promise made by God to our fathers.

^5 (A)For we have found this man a plague, a creator of dissension among all the Jews throughout the world, and a ringleader of the sect of the Nazarenes.