³ Now on ^(A)the eighth day the flesh of his foreskin shall be circumcised.

⁵ But some of ^(A)the sect of the ^(B)Pharisees who had believed stood up, saying, “It is necessary to ^(C)circumcise them and to command them to keep the Law of Moses.”

¹⁸ Was any man called when he was already circumcised? He is not to become uncircumcised. Has anyone been called in uncircumcision? ^(A)He is not to be circumcised.

Paul Opposes Peter (Cephas)

¹¹ But when ^(A)Cephas came to ^(B)Antioch, I opposed him to his face, because he ^[a]stood condemned.

¹⁴ But when I saw that they ^(A)were not ^[a]straightforward about ^(B)the truth of the gospel, I said to ^(C)Cephas before everyone, “If you, being a Jew, ^(D)live like the Gentiles and not like the Jews, how is it that you compel the Gentiles to live like Jews?^[b]

² Behold I, ^(A)Paul, say to you that if you receive ^(B)circumcision, Christ will be of no benefit to you. ³ And I ^(C)testify again to every man who receives ^(D)circumcision, that he is under obligation to ^(E)keep the whole Law. ⁴ You have been ^[a]severed from Christ, you who are being justified by law; you have ^(F)fallen from grace! ⁵ For we ^[b]through the Spirit, ^[c]by faith, are ^(G)eagerly waiting for the hope of righteousness. ⁶ For in ^(H)Christ Jesus ^(I)neither circumcision nor uncircumcision means anything, but ^(J)faith working through love.

⁷ You were ^(K)running well; who hindered you from ^[d]obeying the truth? ⁸ This persuasion is not from ^(L)Him who calls you. ^9 (M)A little leaven leavens the whole lump. ^10 (N)I have confidence ^[e]in you in the Lord that you ^(O)will adopt no other view. But the one who is ^(P)disturbing you will bear his judgment, whoever he is. ¹¹ But I, brothers, if I still preach circumcision, why am I still ^(Q)persecuted? Then ^(R)the stumbling block of the cross would have been abolished. ¹² I wish that ^(S)those who are upsetting you would even ^[f](T)mutilate themselves.

¹³ For you were called to ^(U)freedom, brothers; ^(V)only do not turn your freedom into an opportunity for the flesh, but through love ^(W)serve one another. ¹⁴ For ^(X)the whole Law is fulfilled in one word, in this: “^(Y)You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” ¹⁵ But if you ^(Z)bite and devour one another, beware that you are not consumed by one another.

Walk by the Spirit

¹⁶ But I say, ^(AA)walk by the Spirit and you will not carry out ^(AB)the desire of the flesh. ¹⁷ For ^(AC)the flesh ^[g]sets its desire against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; for these are in opposition to one another, ^(AD)so that you do not do the things that you want. ¹⁸ But if you are ^(AE)led by the Spirit, ^(AF)you are not under the Law. ¹⁹ Now the deeds of the flesh are evident, which are: ^(AG)sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality, ²⁰ idolatry, ^(AH)sorcery, enmities, ^(AI)strife, jealousy, outbursts of anger, ^(AJ)selfish ambition, dissensions, ^[h](AK)factions, ²¹ envying, ^(AL)drunkenness, carousing, and things like these, of which I forewarn you, just as I have forewarned you, that those who practice such things will not ^(AM)inherit the kingdom of God. ²² But ^(AN)the fruit of the Spirit is ^(AO)love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, ²³ gentleness, ^(AP)self-control. Against such things ^(AQ)there is no law. ²⁴ Now those who ^[i]belong to ^(AR)Christ Jesus ^(AS)crucified the flesh with its passions and ^(AT)desires.

²⁵ If we live by the Spirit, let us also ^[j]walk in step with ^(AU)the Spirit. ²⁶ Let us not become those with ^(AV)vain glory, challenging one another, envying one another.