Galatians 1-3

21st Century King James Version

1 Paul, an apostle (not of men, neither by man, but by Jesus Christ and God the Father, who raised Him from the dead),

² and all the brethren who are with me, Unto the churches of Galatia:

³ Grace be to you and peace from God the Father and from our Lord Jesus Christ,

⁴ who gave Himself for our sins, that He might deliver us from this present evil world, according to the will of God and our Father,

⁵ to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen.

⁶ I marvel that ye are so soon removed from Him, that called you into the grace of Christ, for another gospel.

⁷ For this is not another; but there are some who trouble you and would pervert the Gospel of Christ.

⁸ But should we, or an angel from Heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached to you, let him be accursed.

⁹ As we said before, so say I now again: If any man preach any other gospel unto you than that which ye have received, let him be accursed!

¹⁰ For do I now persuade men, or God? Or do I seek to please men? For if I yet sought to please men, I should not be the servant of Christ.

¹¹ But I certify to you, brethren, that the Gospel which was preached by me is not according to man;

¹² for I neither received it from man, neither was I taught it, but by the revelation of Jesus Christ.

¹³ For ye have heard of my participation in times past in the Jews’ religion, how I persecuted the church of God beyond measure and wasted it.

¹⁴ I profited in the Jews’ religion beyond many of my equals in mine own nation, being more exceedingly zealous of the traditions of my fathers.

¹⁵ But when it pleased God, who separated me from my mother’s womb and called me by His grace,

¹⁶ to reveal His Son in me, that I might preach Him among the heathen, I conferred not immediately with flesh and blood,

¹⁷ nor did I go up to Jerusalem to those who were apostles before me, but I went into Arabia and returned again unto Damascus.

¹⁸ Then after three years I went up to Jerusalem to see Peter, and abode with him fifteen days.

¹⁹ But I saw none of the other apostles save James, the Lord’s brother.

²⁰ (Now the things which I write unto you, behold, before God, I lie not.)

²¹ Afterwards I came into the regions of Syria and Cilicia,

²² and was unknown by face unto the churches of Judea which were in Christ;

²³ but they had heard only that, “He who persecuted us in times past now preacheth the faith which once he destroyed.”

²⁴ And they glorified God in me.

2 Then fourteen years later I went up again to Jerusalem with Barnabas, and took Titus with me also.

² And I went up by revelation, and communicated unto them that Gospel which I preach among the Gentiles, but privately to those who were of reputation, lest by any means I should run, or had run, in vain.

³ But neither was Titus, who was with me, being a Greek, compelled to be circumcised;

⁴ and that because false brethren were brought in by stealth, who came in privily to spy out our liberty which we have in Christ Jesus, that they might bring us into bondage.

⁵ To them we gave place by submission not even for an hour, that the truth of the Gospel might continue with you.

⁶ But of those who seemed to be something (whosoever they were, it maketh no difference to me: God accepteth no man’s person) — those who seemed to be somewhat in consultation added nothing to me;

⁷ but contrariwise, when they saw that the Gospel to the Uncircumcision was committed unto me, as the Gospel to the Circumcision was unto Peter

⁸ (for He that wrought effectually in Peter to the apostleship of the Circumcision, that Same was mighty in me toward the Gentiles),

⁹ and when James, Cephas and John, who seemed to be pillars, perceived the grace that was given unto me, they gave to me and Barnabas the right hands of fellowship, that we should go unto the heathen and they unto the Circumcision.

¹⁰ Only they would that we should remember the poor, the same as I also was eager to do.

¹¹ But when Peter came to Antioch, I withstood him to his face, because he was to be blamed.

¹² For before certain ones came from James, he ate with the Gentiles; but when they had come, he withdrew and separated himself from them, fearing those who were of the Circumcision.

¹³ And the other Jews dissembled likewise with him, so much that Barnabas also was carried away by their dissimulation.

¹⁴ But when I saw that they walked not uprightly according to the truth of the Gospel, I said unto Peter before them all, “If thou, being a Jew, livest after the manner of Gentiles and not as do the Jews, why compellest thou the Gentiles to live as do the Jews?

¹⁵ We who are Jews by nature, and not sinners of the Gentiles,

¹⁶ knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law, but by the faith of Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Jesus Christ, that we might be justified by the faith of Christ, and not by the works of the law; for by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified.

¹⁷ But if, while we seek to be justified by Christ, we ourselves also are found sinners, is Christ therefore the minister of sin? God forbid!

¹⁸ For if I build again the things which I destroyed, I make myself a transgressor.

¹⁹ For I through the law am dead to the law, that I might live unto God.

²⁰ I am crucified with Christ, nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me. And the life which I now live in the flesh, I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me.

²¹ I do not frustrate the grace of God; for if righteousness come by the law, then Christ is dead in vain.”

3 O foolish Galatians! Who hath bewitched you, that you should not obey the truth, before whose eyes Jesus Christ hath been clearly set forth, crucified among you?

² This only would I learn of you: Did ye receive the Spirit by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith?

³ Are ye so foolish? Having begun in the Spirit, are ye now made perfect by the flesh?

⁴ Have ye suffered so many things in vain — if it be yet in vain?

⁵ He therefore that ministereth to you the Spirit and worketh miracles among you, doeth He it by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith?

⁶ Even as Abraham “believed God, and it was accounted to him as righteousness.”

⁷ Know ye therefore that those who are of faith, the same are the children of Abraham.

⁸ And the Scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the heathen through faith, preached beforehand the Gospel unto Abraham, saying, “In thee shall all nations be blessed.”

⁹ So then, those who are of faith are blessed with faithful Abraham.

¹⁰ For as many as are of the works of the law are under the curse; for it is written: “Cursed is every one who continueth not in all things which are written in the book of the law to do them.”

¹¹ But that no man is justified by the law in the sight of God is evident, for “the just shall live by faith.”

¹² And the law is not of faith, but “The man who doeth them shall live in them.”

¹³ Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us (for it is written, “Cursed is every one who hangeth on a tree”),

¹⁴ that the blessing of Abraham might come on the Gentiles through Jesus Christ, that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith.

¹⁵ Brethren, I speak after the manner of men: A covenant, though it be but a man’s covenant, yet if it is confirmed, no man annulleth or addeth thereto.

¹⁶ Now to Abraham and his seed were the promises made. He saith not, “and to seeds,” as though many; but as though one: “and to thy Seed,” who is Christ.

¹⁷ And this I say, that the Covenant which was confirmed earlier by God in Christ cannot be annulled by the law, which came four hundred and thirty years after, so as to make the promise of no effect.

¹⁸ For if the inheritance be of the law, it is no more by promise; but God gave it to Abraham by promise.

¹⁹ For what then serveth the law? It was added because of transgressions until the Seed should come to whom the promise was made; and itwas ordained by angels through the hand of a mediator.

²⁰ Now a mediator is not a mediator of one, but God is one.

²¹ Is the law then against the promises of God? God forbid! For if there had been a law given which could have given life, verily righteousness should then have come by the law.

²² But the Scripture hath concluded all under sin, that the promise by faith of Jesus Christ might be given to those who believe.

²³ But before faith came, we were kept under the law, being shut apart from the faith which should afterwards be revealed.

²⁴ Therefore the law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith.

²⁵ But after faith has come, we are no longer under a schoolmaster.

²⁶ For ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus.

²⁷ For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ, have put on Christ.

²⁸ There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female; for ye are all one in Christ Jesus.

²⁹ And if ye be Christ’s, then are ye Abraham’s seed and heirs according to the promise.