Defending the Gospel
1 Then after fourteen yearsI went up again to Jerusalem with Barnabas, and also took Titus withme.
2 And I went up by revelation, and communicated to them that gospel which I preach among the Gentiles, butprivately to those who were of reputation, lest by any meansI might run, or had run, in vain.
3 Yet not even Titus whowaswith me, being a Greek, was compelled to be circumcised.
4 Andthisoccurredbecause offalse brethren secretly brought in (who came in by stealth to spy out ourliberty which we have in Christ Jesus,that they might bring us into bondage),
5 to whom we did not yield submission even for an hour, thatthe truth of the gospel might continue with you.
6 But from thosewho seemed to be something—whatever they were, it makes no difference to me;God shows personal favoritism to no man—for those who seemedtobesomethingadded nothing to me.
7 But on the contrary,when they saw that the gospel for the uncircumcisedhad been committed to me, asthegospelfor the circumcisedwasto Peter
8 (for He who worked effectively in Peter for the apostleship to thecircumcisedalsoworked effectively in me toward the Gentiles),
9 and when James, Cephas, and John, who seemed to bepillars, perceivedthe grace that had been given to me, they gave me and Barnabas the right hand of fellowship,that weshouldgoto the Gentiles and they to the circumcised.
10 Theydesiredonly that we should remember the poor,the very thing which I also was eager to do.
No Return to the Law
11 Now when Peter had come to Antioch, I withstood him to his face, because he was to be blamed;
12 for before certain men came from James,he would eat with the Gentiles; but when they came, he withdrew and separated himself, fearing those who were of the circumcision.
13 And the rest of the Jews also played the hypocrite with him, so that even Barnabas was carried away with their hypocrisy.
14 But when I saw that they were not straightforward aboutthe truth of the gospel, I said to Peterbeforethemall,“If you, being a Jew, live in the manner of Gentiles and not as the Jews, why do you compel Gentiles to live as Jews?
15 WewhoareJews by nature, and notsinners of the Gentiles,
16 knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law butby faith in Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Christ Jesus, that we might be justified by faith in Christ and notby the works of the law; for by the works of the law no flesh shall be justified.
17 “But if, while we seek to be justified by Christ, we ourselves also are foundsinners,isChrist therefore a minister of sin? Certainly not!
18 For if I build again those things which I destroyed, I make myself a transgressor.
19 For Ithrough the lawdied to the law that I mightlive to God.
20 I have beencrucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and thelifewhich I now live in the fleshI live by faith in the Son of God,who loved me and gave Himself for me.
21 I do not set aside the grace of God; forif righteousnesscomesthrough the law, then Christ died in vain.”