The Mystery Revealed

3 For this reason I, Paul, the prisoner of Christ Jesus for you Gentiles— ² if indeed you have heard of the ^[a]dispensation of the grace of God ^(A)which was given to me for you, ^3 (B)how that by revelation ^(C)He made known to me the mystery (as I have briefly written already, ⁴ by which, when you read, you may understand my knowledge in the mystery of Christ), ⁵ which in other ages was not made known to the sons of men, as it has now been revealed by the Spirit to His holy apostles and prophets: ⁶ that the Gentiles ^(D)should be fellow heirs, of the same body, and partakers of His promise in Christ through the gospel, ^7 (E)of which I became a minister ^(F)according to the gift of the grace of God given to me by ^(G)the effective working of His power.

Purpose of the Mystery

⁸ To me, ^(H)who am less than the least of all the saints, this grace was given, that I should preach among the Gentiles ^(I)the unsearchable riches of Christ, ⁹ and to make all see what is the ^[b]fellowship of the mystery, which from the beginning of the ages has been hidden in God who ^(J)created all things ^[c]through Jesus Christ; ^10 (K)to the intent that now ^(L)the ^[d]manifold wisdom of God might be made known by the church ^(M)to the ^[e]principalities and powers in the heavenly places, ^11 (N)according to the eternal purpose which He accomplished in Christ Jesus our Lord, ¹² in whom we have boldness and access ^(O)with confidence through faith in Him. ^13 (P)Therefore I ask that you do not lose heart at my tribulations for you, ^(Q)which is your glory.

Call to Apostleship^(A)

^11 (B)But I make known to you, brethren, that the gospel which was preached by me is not according to man. ¹² For ^(C)I neither received it from man, nor was I taught it, but it came ^(D)through the revelation of Jesus Christ.

¹³ For you have heard of my former conduct in Judaism, how ^(E)I persecuted the church of God beyond measure and ^(F)tried to destroy it. ¹⁴ And I advanced in Judaism beyond many of my contemporaries in my own nation, ^(G)being more exceedingly zealous ^(H)for the traditions of my fathers.

¹⁵ But when it pleased God, ^(I)who separated me from my mother’s womb and called me through His grace, ^16 (J)to reveal His Son in me, that ^(K)I might preach Him among the Gentiles, I did not immediately confer with ^(L)flesh and blood, ¹⁷ nor did I go up to Jerusalem to those who were apostles before me; but I went to Arabia, and returned again to Damascus.

⁶ But from those ^(A)who seemed to be something—whatever they were, it makes no difference to me; ^(B)God ^[a]shows personal favoritism to no man—for those who seemed to be something ^(C)added nothing to me. ⁷ But on the contrary, ^(D)when they saw that the gospel for the uncircumcised ^(E)had been committed to me, as the gospel for the circumcised was to Peter ⁸ (for He who worked effectively in Peter for the apostleship to the ^(F)circumcised ^(G)also ^(H)worked effectively in me toward the Gentiles), ⁹ and when James, ^[b]Cephas, and John, who seemed to be ^(I)pillars, perceived ^(J)the grace that had been given to me, they gave me and Barnabas the right hand of fellowship, ^(K)that we should go to the Gentiles and they to the circumcised. ¹⁰ They desired only that we should remember the poor, ^(L)the very thing which I also was eager to do.

No Return to the Law

^11 (M)Now when ^[c]Peter had come to Antioch, I ^[d]withstood him to his face, because he was to be blamed; ¹² for before certain men came from James, ^(N)he would eat with the Gentiles; but when they came, he withdrew and separated himself, fearing ^[e]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 ^(O)the truth of the gospel, I said to Peter ^(P)before them all, ^(Q)“If you, being a Jew, live in the manner of Gentiles and not as the Jews, ^[f]why do you compel Gentiles to live as ^[g]Jews? ^15 (R)We who are Jews by nature, and not ^(S)sinners of the Gentiles, ^16 (T)knowing that a man is not ^[h]justified by the works of the law but ^(U)by faith in Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Christ Jesus, that we might be justified by faith in Christ and not ^(V)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 ^(W)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 ^(X)through the law ^(Y)died to the law that I might ^(Z)live to God. ²⁰ I have been ^(AA)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 ^(AB)I live by faith in the Son of God, ^(AC)who loved me and gave Himself for me. ²¹ I do not set aside the grace of God; for ^(AD)if righteousness comes through the law, then Christ died ^[i]in vain.”

The Damascus Road: Saul Converted^(A)

9 Then ^(B)Saul, still breathing threats and murder against the disciples of the Lord, went to the high priest ² and asked ^(C)letters from him to the synagogues of Damascus, so that if he found any who were of the Way, whether men or women, he might bring them bound to Jerusalem.

^3 (D)As he journeyed he came near Damascus, and suddenly a light shone around him from heaven. ⁴ Then he fell to the ground, and heard a voice saying to him, “Saul, Saul, ^(E)why are you persecuting Me?”

⁵ And he said, “Who are You, Lord?”

Then the Lord said, “I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting. ^[a]It is hard for you to kick against the goads.”

⁶ So he, trembling and astonished, said, “Lord, what do You want me to do?”

Then the Lord said to him, “Arise and go into the city, and you will be told what you must do.”

⁷ And ^(F)the men who journeyed with him stood speechless, hearing a voice but seeing no one. ⁸ Then Saul arose from the ground, and when his eyes were opened he saw no one. But they led him by the hand and brought him into Damascus. ⁹ And he was three days without sight, and neither ate nor drank.

Ananias Baptizes Saul

¹⁰ Now there was a certain disciple at Damascus ^(G)named Ananias; and to him the Lord said in a vision, “Ananias.”

And he said, “Here I am, Lord.”

¹¹ So the Lord said to him, “Arise and go to the street called Straight, and inquire at the house of Judas for one called Saul ^(H)of Tarsus, for behold, he is praying. ¹² And in a vision he has seen a man named Ananias coming in and putting his hand on him, so that he might receive his sight.”

¹³ Then Ananias answered, “Lord, I have heard from many about this man, ^(I)how much ^[b]harm he has done to Your saints in Jerusalem. ¹⁴ And here he has authority from the chief priests to bind all ^(J)who call on Your name.”

¹⁵ But the Lord said to him, “Go, for ^(K)he is a chosen vessel of Mine to bear My name before ^(L)Gentiles, ^(M)kings, and the ^(N)children^[c] of Israel. ¹⁶ For ^(O)I will show him how many things he must suffer for My ^(P)name’s sake.”

^17 (Q)And Ananias went his way and entered the house; and ^(R)laying his hands on him he said, “Brother Saul, the Lord ^[d]Jesus, who appeared to you on the road as you came, has sent me that you may receive your sight and ^(S)be filled with the Holy Spirit.” ¹⁸ Immediately there fell from his eyes something like scales, and he received his sight at once; and he arose and was baptized.