A Tree and Its Fruit

¹⁵ “Beware of the ^(A)false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly are ^(B)ravenous wolves.

⁸ But even if we, or ^(A)an angel from heaven, should preach to you a gospel contrary to what we have preached to you, he is to be ^[a](B)accursed! ⁹ As we ^(C)have said before, even now I say again: ^(D)if anyone is preaching to you a gospel contrary to what you received, he is to be ^[b](E)accursed!

¹⁰ For am I now ^(F)seeking the favor of people, or of God? Or am I striving to please people? If I were still trying to please people, I would not be a ^(G)bond-servant of Christ.

Paul Defends His Ministry

¹¹ For ^(H)I would have you know, brothers and sisters, that the gospel which was preached by me is ^(I)not ^[c]of human invention. ¹² For ^(J)I neither received it from man, nor was I taught it, but I received it through a ^(K)revelation of Jesus Christ.

¹³ For you have heard of ^(L)my former way of life in Judaism, how I ^(M)used to persecute ^(N)the church of God beyond measure and ^(O)tried to destroy it; ¹⁴ and I ^(P)was advancing in Judaism beyond many of my contemporaries among my ^[d]countrymen, being more extremely zealous for my ^(Q)ancestral traditions. ¹⁵ But when ^[e]He who had set me apart even from my mother’s womb and ^(R)called me through His grace was pleased ¹⁶ to reveal His Son in me so that I might ^(S)preach Him among the Gentiles, ^(T)I did not immediately consult with ^[f](U)flesh and blood, ^17 (V)nor did I go up to Jerusalem to those who were apostles before me; but I went away to Arabia, and returned once more to ^(W)Damascus.

¹⁸ Then ^(X)three years later I went up ^(Y)to Jerusalem to ^[g]become acquainted with ^[h](Z)Cephas, and stayed with him for fifteen days. ¹⁹ But I did not see another one of the apostles except ^[i](AA)James, the Lord’s brother. ²⁰ (Now in what I am writing to you, ^[j]I assure you ^(AB)before God that I am not lying.) ²¹ Then ^(AC)I went into the regions of ^(AD)Syria and ^(AE)Cilicia. ²² I was still unknown by ^[k]sight to ^(AF)the churches of Judea which are ^(AG)in Christ; ²³ but they only kept hearing, “The man who once persecuted us is now preaching ^(AH)the faith which he once ^(AI)tried to destroy.” ²⁴ And they ^(AJ)were glorifying God ^[l]because of me.

⁶ Now we command you, brothers and sisters, ^(A)in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you ^[a](B)keep away from every brother or sister who ^[b]leads a ^[c](C)disorderly life and not one in accordance with ^(D)the tradition which ^[d]you received from us.

¹⁴ If anyone does not obey our ^[a]instruction ^[b](A)in this letter, take special note of that person so as ^(B)not to associate with him, so that he will be ^(C)put to shame.

^10 (A)Reject a ^[a](B)divisive person ^(C)after a first and second warning,

¹⁰ If anyone comes to you and does not bring this teaching, ^(A)do not receive him into your house, and do not ^[a]give him a greeting;