Paul Defends His Ministry

11 For aI would have you know, brethren, that the gospel which was preached by me is bnot according to man.

12 For aI neither received it from man, nor was I taught it, but I received it through a brevelation of Jesus Christ.

13 For you have heard of amy former manner of life in Judaism, how I bused to persecute cthe church of God beyond measure and dtried to destroy it;

14 and I awas advancing in Judaism beyond many of my contemporaries among my 1countrymen, being more extremely zealous for my bancestral traditions.

15 But when God, who had set me apart even from my mother’s womb and acalled me through His grace, was pleased

16 to reveal His Son in me so that I might apreach Him among the Gentiles, bI did not immediately consult with 1cflesh and blood,

17 anor did I go up to Jerusalem to those who were apostles before me; but I went away to Arabia, and returned once more to bDamascus.

18 Then athree years later I went up bto Jerusalem to 1become acquainted with cCephas, and stayed with him fifteen days.

19 But I did not see any other of the apostles except 1aJames, the Lord’s brother.

20 (Now in what I am writing to you, 1I assure you abefore God that I am not lying.)

21 Then aI went into the regions of bSyria and cCilicia.

22 I was still unknown by 1sight to athe churches of Judea which were bin Christ;

23 but only, they kept hearing, “He who once persecuted us is now preaching athe faith which he once btried to destroy.”

24 And they awere glorifying God 1because of me.

Chapter 2

The Council at Jerusalem

1 Then after an interval of fourteen years I awent up again to Jerusalem with bBarnabas, taking cTitus along also.

2 1It was because of a arevelation that I went up; and I submitted to them the bgospel which I preach among the Gentiles, but I did so in private to those who were of reputation, for fear that I might be crunning, or had run, in vain.

3 But not even aTitus, who was with me, though he was a Greek, was bcompelled to be circumcised.

4 But it was because of the afalse brethren secretly brought in, who bhad sneaked in to spy out our cliberty which we have in Christ Jesus, in order to dbring us into bondage.

5 But we did not yield in subjection to them for even an hour, so that athe truth of the gospel would remain with you.

6 But from those who 1were of high areputation (what they were makes no difference to me; bGod 2shows no partiality)—well, those who were of reputation contributed nothing to me.

7 But on the contrary, seeing that I had been aentrusted with the bgospel 1to the uncircumcised, just as cPeter had been 2to the circumcised

8 (for He who effectually worked for Peter in his aapostleship 1to the circumcised effectually worked for me also to the Gentiles),

9 and recognizing athe grace that had been given to me, 1bJames and cCephas and John, who were dreputed to be epillars, gave to me and fBarnabas the gright 2hand of fellowship, so that we might hgo to the Gentiles and they to the circumcised.

10 They only asked us to remember the poor—athe very thing I also was eager to do.

Peter (Cephas) Opposed by Paul

11 But when aCephas came to bAntioch, I opposed him to his face, because he 1stood condemned.

12 For prior to the coming of certain men from 1aJames, he used to beat with the Gentiles; but when they came, he began to withdraw and hold himself aloof, cfearing 2the party of the circumcision.

13 The rest of the Jews joined him in hypocrisy, with the result that even aBarnabas was carried away by their hypocrisy.

14 But when I saw that they awere not 1straightforward about bthe truth of the gospel, I said to cCephas in the presence of all, “If you, being a Jew, dlive like the Gentiles and not like the Jews, how is it that you compel the Gentiles to live like Jews? 2

15 “We are aJews by nature and not bsinners from among the Gentiles;

16 nevertheless knowing that aa man is not justified by the works of 1the Law but through faith in Christ Jesus, even we have believed in Christ Jesus, so that we may be justified by bfaith in Christ and not by the works of 1the Law; since cby the works of 1the Law no 2flesh will be justified.

17 “But if, while seeking to be justified in Christ, we ourselves have also been found asinners, is Christ then a minister of sin? bMay it never be!

18 “For if I rebuild what I have once destroyed, I aprove myself to be a transgressor.

19 “For through 1the Law I adied to 1the Law, so that I might live to God.

20 “I have been acrucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but bChrist lives in me; and 1the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in cthe Son of God, who dloved me and egave Himself up for me.

21 “I do not nullify the grace of God, for aif righteousness comes through 1the Law, then Christ died needlessly.”