Defending the Gospel^(A)

2 Then after fourteen years ^(B)I went up again to Jerusalem with Barnabas, and also took Titus with me. ² And I went up ^[a]by revelation, and communicated to them that gospel which I preach among the Gentiles, but ^(C)privately to those who were of reputation, lest by any means ^(D)I might run, or had run, in vain. ³ Yet not even Titus who was with me, being a Greek, was compelled to be circumcised. ⁴ And this occurred because of ^(E)false brethren secretly brought in (who came in by stealth to spy out our ^(F)liberty which we have in Christ Jesus, ^(G)that they might bring us into bondage), ⁵ to whom we did not yield submission even for an hour, that ^(H)the truth of the gospel might continue with you.

⁶ But from those ^(I)who seemed to be something—whatever they were, it makes no difference to me; ^(J)God ^[b]shows personal favoritism to no man—for those who seemed to be something ^(K)added nothing to me. ⁷ But on the contrary, ^(L)when they saw that the gospel for the uncircumcised ^(M)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 ^(N)circumcised ^(O)also ^(P)worked effectively in me toward the Gentiles), ⁹ and when James, ^[c]Cephas, and John, who seemed to be ^(Q)pillars, perceived ^(R)the grace that had been given to me, they gave me and Barnabas the right hand of fellowship, ^(S)that we should go to the Gentiles and they to the circumcised. ¹⁰ They desired only that we should remember the poor, ^(T)the very thing which I also was eager to do.

No Return to the Law

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

Justification by Faith^(AM)

3 O foolish Galatians! Who has bewitched you ^[k]that you should not obey the truth, before whose eyes Jesus Christ was clearly portrayed ^[l]among you as crucified? ² This only I want to learn from you: Did you receive the Spirit by the works of the law, ^(AN)or by the hearing of faith? ³ Are you so foolish? ^(AO)Having begun in the Spirit, are you now being made perfect by ^(AP)the flesh? ^4 (AQ)Have you suffered so ^[m]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 ^(AR)“believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness.” ⁷ Therefore know that only ^(AS)those who are of faith are sons of Abraham. ⁸ And ^(AT)the Scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, preached the gospel to Abraham beforehand, saying, ^(AU)“In you all the nations shall be blessed.” ⁹ So then those who are of faith are blessed with believing Abraham.

The Law Brings a Curse

¹⁰ For as many as are of the works of the law are under the curse; for it is written, ^(AV)“Cursed is everyone who does not continue in all things which are written in the book of the law, to do them.” ¹¹ But that no one is ^[n]justified by the law in the sight of God is evident, for ^(AW)“the just shall live by faith.” ¹² Yet ^(AX)the law is not of faith, but ^(AY)“the man who does them shall live by them.”

^13 (AZ)Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the law, having become a curse for us (for it is written, ^(BA)“Cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree”), ^14 (BB)that the blessing of Abraham might come upon the ^(BC)Gentiles in Christ Jesus, that we might receive ^(BD)the promise of the Spirit through faith.

The Changeless Promise^(BE)

¹⁵ Brethren, I speak in the manner of men: ^(BF)Though it is only a man’s covenant, yet if it is confirmed, no one annuls or adds to it. ¹⁶ Now to Abraham and his Seed were the promises made. He does not say, “And to seeds,” as of many, but as of ^(BG)one, ^(BH)“And to your Seed,” who is ^(BI)Christ. ¹⁷ And this I say, that the law, ^(BJ)which was four hundred and thirty years later, cannot annul the covenant that was confirmed before by God ^[o]in Christ, ^(BK)that it should make the promise of no effect. ¹⁸ For if ^(BL)the inheritance is of the law, ^(BM)it is no longer of promise; but God gave it to Abraham by promise.

Purpose of the Law

¹⁹ What purpose then does the law serve? ^(BN)It was added because of transgressions, till the ^(BO)Seed should come to whom the promise was made; and it was ^(BP)appointed through angels by the hand ^(BQ)of a mediator. ²⁰ Now a mediator does not mediate for one only, ^(BR)but God is one.

²¹ Is the law then against the promises of God? Certainly not! For if there had been a law given which could have given life, truly righteousness would have been by the law. ²² But the Scripture has confined ^(BS)all under sin, ^(BT)that the promise by faith in Jesus Christ might be given to those who believe. ²³ But before faith came, we were kept under guard by the law, ^[p]kept for the faith which would afterward be revealed. ²⁴ Therefore ^(BU)the law was our ^[q]tutor to bring us to Christ, ^(BV)that we might be justified by faith. ²⁵ But after faith has come, we are no longer under a tutor.

Sons and Heirs

²⁶ For you ^(BW)are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus. ²⁷ For ^(BX)as many of you as were baptized into Christ ^(BY)have put on Christ. ^28 (BZ)There is neither Jew nor Greek, ^(CA)there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female; for you are all ^(CB)one in Christ Jesus. ²⁹ And ^(CC)if you are Christ’s, then you are Abraham’s ^(CD)seed, and ^(CE)heirs according to the promise.

Greeting

1 Paul, a bondservant of Jesus Christ, ^(A)called to be an apostle, ^(B)separated to the gospel of God ^2 (C)which He promised before ^(D)through His prophets in the Holy Scriptures, ³ concerning His Son Jesus Christ our Lord, who ^[a]was ^(E)born of the seed of David according to the flesh, ⁴ and ^(F)declared to be the Son of God with power according ^(G)to the Spirit of holiness, by the resurrection from the dead. ⁵ Through Him ^(H)we have received grace and apostleship for ^(I)obedience to the faith among all nations ^(J)for His name, ⁶ among whom you also are the called of Jesus Christ;

⁷ To all who are in Rome, beloved of God, ^(K)called to be saints:

^(L)Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

Desire to Visit Rome

⁸ First, ^(M)I thank my God through Jesus Christ for you all, that ^(N)your faith is spoken of throughout the whole world. ⁹ For ^(O)God is my witness, ^(P)whom I serve ^[b]with my spirit in the gospel of His Son, that ^(Q)without ceasing I make mention of you always in my prayers, ¹⁰ making request if, by some means, now at last I may find a way in the will of God to come to you. ¹¹ For I long to see you, that ^(R)I may impart to you some spiritual gift, so that you may be established— ¹² that is, that I may be encouraged together with you by ^(S)the mutual faith both of you and me.

¹³ Now I do not want you to be unaware, brethren, that I often planned to come to you (but ^(T)was hindered until now), that I might have some ^(U)fruit among you also, just as among the other Gentiles. ¹⁴ I am a debtor both to Greeks and to barbarians, both to wise and to unwise. ¹⁵ So, as much as is in me, I am ready to preach the gospel to you who are in Rome also.

The Just Live by Faith

¹⁶ For ^(V)I am not ashamed of the gospel ^[c]of Christ, for ^(W)it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes, ^(X)for the Jew first and also for the Greek. ¹⁷ For ^(Y)in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith; as it is written, ^(Z)“The just shall live by faith.”

God’s Wrath on Unrighteousness

^18 (AA)For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and ^(AB)unrighteousness of men, who ^[d]suppress the truth in unrighteousness, ¹⁹ because ^(AC)what may be known of God is ^[e]manifest ^[f]in them, for ^(AD)God has shown it to them. ²⁰ For since the creation of the world ^(AE)His invisible attributes are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and ^[g]Godhead, so that they are without excuse, ²¹ because, although they knew God, they did not glorify Him as God, nor were thankful, but ^(AF)became futile in their thoughts, and their foolish hearts were darkened. ^22 (AG)Professing to be wise, they became fools, ²³ and changed the glory of the ^(AH)incorruptible ^(AI)God into an image made like ^[h]corruptible man—and birds and four-footed animals and creeping things.

^24 (AJ)Therefore God also gave them up to uncleanness, in the lusts of their hearts, ^(AK)to dishonor their bodies ^(AL)among themselves, ²⁵ who exchanged ^(AM)the truth of God ^(AN)for the lie, and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever. Amen.

²⁶ For this reason God gave them up to ^(AO)vile passions. For even their ^[i]women exchanged the natural use for what is against nature. ²⁷ Likewise also the ^[j]men, leaving the natural use of the ^[k]woman, burned in their lust for one another, men with men committing what is shameful, and receiving in themselves the penalty of their error which was due.

²⁸ And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a debased mind, to do those things ^(AP)which are not fitting; ²⁹ being filled with all unrighteousness, ^[l]sexual immorality, wickedness, ^[m]covetousness, ^[n]maliciousness; full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, evil-mindedness; they are whisperers, ³⁰ backbiters, haters of God, violent, proud, boasters, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents, ^31 [o]undiscerning, untrustworthy, unloving, ^[p]unforgiving, unmerciful; ³² who, ^(AQ)knowing the righteous judgment of God, that those who practice such things ^(AR)are deserving of death, not only do the same but also ^(AS)approve of those who practice them.