Paul’s Fellowship With Those in Jerusalem

2 Then, after fourteen years, I went up again to Jerusalem with Barnabas, also taking Titus with me. ² I went up in keeping with a revelation, and I laid before them the gospel that I preach among the Gentiles. But I did this privately before those who were considered important, in order to make sure that I was not running—or had not run—in vain. ³ But Titus, who was with me, was not compelled to be circumcised, even though he is Greek. ⁴ This was an issue because of the false brothers, who slipped in under false pretenses to spy on the freedom we have in Christ Jesus. Their goal was to make us slaves. ⁵ We refused to give in to them even for a moment, so that the truth of the gospel would continue with you.

⁶ But as for those who were considered to be important (what sort of people they once were makes no difference to me; God shows no partiality), indeed, those who were considered to be important added nothing to my gospel. ⁷ On the contrary, they saw that I had been entrusted with the gospel for the uncircumcised, just as Peter was entrusted with the gospel for the circumcised. ⁸ For God, who worked effectively in Peter to serve as an apostle to the circumcised, also worked effectively in me to serve as an apostle to the Gentiles. ⁹ And because James, Cephas, and John, who were considered to be pillars, perceived the grace that was given to me, they gave Barnabas and me the right hand of fellowship. They agreed that we were to go to the Gentiles and they to the circumcised. ¹⁰ The only thing they asked was that we remember the poor, the very thing that I was also eager to do.