Paul Defends His Gospel at Jerusalem

Then after fourteen years I went up again(A) to Jerusalem with Barnabas,(B) taking Titus(C) along also. I went up according to a revelation(D) and presented to them the gospel I preach among the Gentiles, but privately to those recognized as leaders. I wanted to be sure I was not running, and had not been running, in vain. But not even Titus, who was with me, was compelled to be circumcised, even though he was a Greek. This matter arose because some false brothers(E) had infiltrated our ranks to spy on the freedom we have in Christ Jesus in order to enslave us. But we did not give up and submit to these people for even a moment, so that the truth(F) of the gospel would be preserved for you.

Now from those recognized as important (what they[a] once were makes no difference to me; God does not show favoritism[b](G))—they added nothing to me. On the contrary, they saw that I had been entrusted with the gospel for the uncircumcised,(H) just as Peter(I) was for the circumcised, since the one at work in Peter for an apostleship to the circumcised was also at work in me for the Gentiles. When James,(J) Cephas,[c](K) and John(L)—those recognized as pillars(M)—acknowledged the grace that had been given to me, they gave the right hand of fellowship to me and Barnabas, agreeing that we should go to the Gentiles and they to the circumcised. 10 They asked only that we would remember the poor,(N) which I had made every effort to do.

Freedom from the Law

11 But when Cephas[d] came to Antioch, I opposed him to his face because he stood condemned.[e] 12 For he regularly ate with the Gentiles before certain men came from James. However, when they came, he withdrew and separated himself, because he feared those from the circumcision party. 13 Then the rest of the Jews(O) joined his hypocrisy,(P) so that even Barnabas was led astray by their hypocrisy. 14 But when I saw that they were deviating from the truth of the gospel, I told Cephas[f] in front of everyone, “If you, who are a Jew, live like a Gentile(Q) and not like a Jew,(R) how can you compel Gentiles to live(S) like Jews?” [g]

15 We are Jews by birth and not “Gentile sinners,” 16 and yet because we know that a person is not justified by the works of the law(T) but by faith in Jesus Christ,[h] even we ourselves have believed in Christ Jesus. This was so that we might be justified by faith in Christ[i] and not by the works of the law, because by the works of the law no human being will[j] be justified. 17 But if we ourselves are also found to be “sinners” while seeking to be justified by Christ,(U) is Christ then a promoter[k](V) of sin? Absolutely not!(W) 18 If I rebuild(X) those things that I tore down, I show myself to be a lawbreaker.(Y) 19 For through the law I died to the law,(Z) so that I might live for God.(AA) 20 I have been crucified with Christ, and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me.(AB) The life I now live in the body,[l] I live by faith in the Son of God,(AC) who loved(AD) me(AE) and gave himself(AF) for me.(AG) 21 I do not set aside the grace of God, for if righteousness comes through the law,(AH) then Christ died(AI) for nothing.

Footnotes

  1. 2:6 Lit the recognized ones
  2. 2:6 Or God is not a respecter of persons; lit God does not receive the face of man
  3. 2:9 Other mss read Peter
  4. 2:11 Other mss read Peter
  5. 2:11 Or he was in the wrong
  6. 2:14 Other mss read Peter
  7. 2:14 Some translations continue the quotation through v. 16 or v. 21.
  8. 2:16 Or by the faithfulness of Jesus Christ
  9. 2:16 Or by the faithfulness of Christ
  10. 2:16 Lit law all flesh will not
  11. 2:17 Or servant
  12. 2:20 Lit flesh

Then epeita after dia fourteen dekatessares years etos I went up anabainō again palin to eis Jerusalem Hierosolyma with meta Barnabas Barnabas, taking symparalambanō Titus Titos along as well kai. I went up anabainō · de in response to kata a revelation apokalypsis and kai laid out before anatithēmi them autos though de privately kata before the ho acknowledged dokeō leaders— the ho gospel euangelion that hos I proclaim kēryssō among en the ho Gentiles ethnos, lest somehow pōs I was running trechō, or ē had run trechō, in eis vain kenos. Yet alla not oude even Titus Titos, who ho was with syn me egō, was compelled anankazō to be circumcised peritemnō, though he was eimi a Greek Hellēn. This matter came up because dia of · de some ho false brothers pseudadelphos secretly brought in pareisaktos they hostis had slipped in pareiserchomai to spy out kataskopeō · ho our hēmeis freedom eleutheria that hos we have echō in en Christ Christos Jesus Iēsous so that hina they might make slaves of katadouloō us hēmeis but to them hos we did eikō not oude yield eikō in ho submission hypotagē even for pros a moment hōra, so that hina the ho truth alētheia of the ho gospel euangelion would be preserved diamenō for pros you hymeis. But de from apo those ho who were supposed dokeō to be eimi acknowledged leaders tis ( what hopoios they were eimi makes diapherō no oudeis difference diapherō to me egō; God theos shows lambanō no ou partiality prosōpon) · ho those ho leaders dokeō contributed prosanatithēmi nothing oudeis to me egō. But alla on the contrary, when they saw that hoti I had been entrusted pisteuō with the ho gospel euangelion for the ho uncircumcised akrobystia just kathōs as Peter Petros had been entrusted with the gospel for the ho circumcised peritomē ( for gar the ho one who empowered energeō Peter Petros for eis his apostleship apostolē to the ho circumcised peritomē also kai empowered energeō me for mine egō to eis the ho Gentiles ethnos) and kai when James Iakōbos and kai Cephas Kēphas and kai John Iōannēs, who ho were eimi acknowledged dokeō pillars stylos, recognized ginōskō the ho grace charis that ho had been given didōmi to me egō, they gave didōmi to Barnabas Barnabas and kai me egō the right dexios hand of fellowship koinōnia, agreeing that hina we hēmeis should go to eis the ho Gentiles ethnos and de they autos to eis the ho circumcised peritomē. 10 They asked only monon that hina we should continue to remember mnēmoneuō the ho poor ptōchos, the hos very autos thing houtos I too kai was eager spoudazō to do poieō.

11 But de when hote Cephas Kēphas came erchomai to eis Antioch Antiocheia, I opposed anthistēmi him to kata his autos face prosōpon, because hoti he stood eimi condemned kataginōskō. 12 For gar until pro certain men tis came erchomai from apo James Iakōbos, he used to eat synesthiō with meta the ho Gentiles ethnos; but de when hote they arrived erchomai, he began to draw back hypostellō and kai separate aphorizō himself heautou because he feared phobeomai those ho of ek the circumcision peritomē party . 13 And kai the ho rest loipos of the Jews Ioudaios joined synypokrinomai him autos in playing the hypocrite, · kai so that hōste even kai Barnabas Barnabas was led astray synapagō by ho their autos hypocrisy hypokrisis. 14 But alla when hote I saw that hoti they were not ou behaving in a manner consistent orthopodeō with pros the ho truth alētheia of the ho gospel euangelion, I said legō to ho Cephas Kēphas before emprosthen them all pas, “ If ei you sy, born hyparchō a Jew Ioudaios, live zaō like a Gentile ethnikōs and kai not ouchi like a Jew Ioudaikōs, by what right pōs are you trying to make anankazō the ho Gentiles ethnos live like Jews?”

15 We hēmeis ourselves are Jews Ioudaios by birth physis and kai not ou Gentile ethnos sinners hamartōlos; 16 yet de we know oida that hoti no ou one anthrōpos is justified dikaioō by ek the works ergon of the law nomos but ean mē through dia faith pistis in Jesus Iēsous Christ Christos. And kai we hēmeis have come to believe pisteuō in eis Christ Christos Jesus Iēsous, so that hina we might be justified dikaioō by ek faith pistis in Christ Christos, and kai not ou by doing ek the works ergon of the law nomos, since hoti no ou one pas will be justified dikaioō by ek the works ergon of the law nomos. 17 But de if ei, while seeking zēteō to be justified dikaioō in en Christ Christos, we ourselves autos have also kai been found heuriskō to be sinners hamartōlos, is Christ Christos then ara a servant diakonos of sin hamartia? Of course not ! 18 But gar if ei I build up oikodomeō again palin those houtos things hos I once tore down katalyō, then I demonstrate synistēmi that I emautou am a lawbreaker parabatēs. 19 For gar through dia the law nomos I egō died apothnēskō to the law nomos so that hina I might live zaō for God theos. I have been crucified systauroō with Christ Christos; 20 and de I egō no longer ouketi live zaō, but de Christ Christos lives zaō in en me egō. And de the hos life I now nyn live zaō in en the flesh sarx, I live zaō by en faith pistis in ho the ho Son hyios of ho God theos, who ho loved agapaō me egō and kai gave paradidōmi himself heautou for hyper me egō. 21 I do not ou nullify atheteō the ho grace charis of ho God theos; for gar if ei righteousness dikaiosynē could be gained through dia the law nomos, then ara Christ Christos died apothnēskō for nothing dōrean!