Galatians 2

Paul Defends His Gospel at Jerusalem

2Then after 14 years I went up again ^pto Jerusalem with Barnabas, ^qtaking Titus ^ralong also. ²I went up according to a revelation ^sand presented to them the gospel I preach among the Gentiles—but privately to those recognized as leaders—so that I might not be running, or have run the race, in vain. ³But not even Titus who was with me, though he was a Greek, was compelled to be circumcised. ⁴This issue arose because of false brothers ^tsmuggled in, who came in secretly to spy on the freedom that we have in Christ Jesus, in order to enslave us. ⁵But we did not give up and submit to these people for even an hour, so that the truth ^uof the gospel would be preserved for you.

⁶Now from those recognized as important (what they really were makes no difference to me; God does not show favoritism ^vw)—they added nothing to me. ⁷On the contrary, they saw that I had been entrusted with the gospel for the uncircumcised, ^xjust as Peter ^ywas for the circumcised, ⁸since the One at work in Peter for an apostleship to the circumcised was also at work in me for the Gentiles. ⁹When James, ^zCephas, ^aand John, ^brecognized as pillars, ^cacknowledged the grace that had been given to me, they gave the right hand of fellowship to me and Barnabas, agreeing that we should go to the Gentiles and they to the circumcised. ¹⁰They asked only that we would remember the poor, ^dwhich I made every effort to do.

Freedom from the Law

¹¹But when Cephas ^ecame to Antioch, I opposed him to his face because he stood condemned. ^f12For he regularly ate with the Gentiles before certain men came from James. However, when they came, he withdrew and separated himself, because he feared those from the circumcision party. ¹³Then the rest of the Jews ^gjoined his hypocrisy, ^hso that even Barnabas was carried away by their hypocrisy. ¹⁴But when I saw that they were deviating from the truth of the gospel, I told Cephas ⁱin front of everyone, “If you, who are a Jew, live like a Gentile ^jand not like a Jew, ^khow can you compel Gentiles to live ^llike Jews?” ^m

¹⁵We who are Jews by birth and not “Gentile sinners” ¹⁶know that no one is justified by the works of the law ⁿbut by faith in Jesus Christ. ^oAnd we have believed in Christ Jesus so that we might be justified by faith in Christ ^pand not by the works of the law, because by the works of the law no human being will ^qbe justified. ¹⁷But if we ourselves are also found to be “sinners” while seeking to be justified by Christ, ^ris Christ then a promoter ^stof sin? Absolutely not! ^u18If I rebuild ^vthe system ^wI tore down, I show myself to be a lawbreaker. ^x19For through the law I have died to the law, ^yso that I might live for God. ^zI have been crucified with Christ ^a20and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. ^bThe life I now live in the body, ^cI live by faith in the Son of God, ^dwho loved ^eme ^fand gave Himself ^gfor me. ^h21I do not set aside the grace of God, for if righteousness comes through the law, ⁱthen Christ died ^jfor nothing.