¹⁴ They came to him and said, “Teacher, we know that you are a man of integrity. You aren’t swayed by others, because you pay no attention to who they are; but you teach the way of God in accordance with the truth. Is it right to pay the imperial tax^[a] to Caesar or not?

⁴ On the contrary, we speak as those approved by God to be entrusted with the gospel.^(A) We are not trying to please people^(B) but God, who tests our hearts.^(C)

Paul Opposes Cephas

¹¹ When Cephas^(A) came to Antioch,^(B) I opposed him to his face, because he stood condemned. ¹² For before certain men came from James,^(C) he used to eat with the Gentiles.^(D) But when they arrived, he began to draw back and separate himself from the Gentiles because he was afraid of those who belonged to the circumcision group.^{(E) 13} The other Jews joined him in his hypocrisy, so that by their hypocrisy even Barnabas^(F) was led astray.

¹⁴ When I saw that they were not acting in line with the truth of the gospel,^(G) I said to Cephas^(H) in front of them all, “You are a Jew, yet you live like a Gentile and not like a Jew.^(I) How is it, then, that you force Gentiles to follow Jewish customs?^(J)

⁶ As for those who were held in high esteem^(A)—whatever they were makes no difference to me; God does not show favoritism^(B)—they added nothing to my message.^(C)

¹⁰ Am I now trying to win the approval of human beings, or of God? Or am I trying to please people?^(A) If I were still trying to please people, I would not be a servant of Christ.

¹⁶ So from now on we regard no one from a worldly^(A) point of view. Though we once regarded Christ in this way, we do so no longer.

The Ministry of Reconciliation

¹¹ Since, then, we know what it is to fear the Lord,^(A) we try to persuade others. What we are is plain to God, and I hope it is also plain to your conscience.^(B)

¹⁷ Unlike so many, we do not peddle the word of God for profit.^(A) On the contrary, in Christ we speak before God with sincerity,^(B) as those sent from God.^(C)

² For if I grieve you,^(A) who is left to make me glad but you whom I have grieved?