A Different Gospel

6 I am astonished that you are turning away so quickly from the one who called you by the grace of Christ to a different gospel, 7 not that there is a different gospel, except there are some who are disturbing you and wanting to distort the gospel of Christ. 8 But even if we or an angel from heaven should proclaim a gospel to you contrary to what we proclaimed to you, let him be accursed! 9 As we said before, and now I say again, if anyone is proclaiming a gospel to you contrary to what you have received, let him be accursed! 10 For am I now making an appeal to people or to God? Or am I seeking to please people? If I were still trying to please people, I would not be a slave of Christ.

Paul’s Defense of His Apostleship

11 For I make known to you, brothers, the gospel that has been proclaimed by me, that it is not ⌊of human origin⌋b. 12 For neither did I receive it from man, nor was I taught it, but I received it through a revelation of Jesus Christ. 13 For you have heard about my former way of life in Judaism, that to an extraordinary degree I was persecuting the church of God, and trying to destroy it, 14 and was progressing in Judaism beyond many contemporaries in my nation, because* I was a far more zealous adherent of the traditions handed down by my forefathers.

15 But when the one who set me apartc from my mother’s womb and called me by his grace was pleased 16 to reveal his Son in me in order that I would proclaim the gospel about him among the Gentiles, immediately I did not consult with flesh and blood, 17 nor did I go up to Jerusalem to those who were apostles before me, but I went away to Arabia and I returned again to Damascus. 18 Then after three years I went up to Jerusalem to become acquainted with Cephas, and I stayed with him fifteen days, 19 but I did not see any others of the apostles except James, the brother of the Lord. 20 (Now the things which I am writing to you, behold, I assure you before God that I am not lying.) 21 Then I came to the regions of Syria and of Cilicia, 22 but I was unknown ⌊in person⌋d to the churches of Judea that are in Christ, 23 and they were only hearing, “The one formerly persecuting us is now proclaiming the faith that formerly he was attempting to destroy,” 24 and they were glorifying God because of me.

Paul’s Ministry Recognized by the Jerusalem Apostles

2 Then after fourteen years I went up again to Jerusalem with Barnabas, taking along Titus also. 2 Now I went up there because of a revelation and laid out to them the gospel that I preach among the Gentiles, but in private to the influential people, lest somehow I was running, or had run, in vain. 3 But not even Titus who was with me, although* he was a Greek, was compelled to be circumcised. 4 Now this was because of the false brothers secretly brought in, who slipped in to spy out our freedom that we have in Christ Jesus, in order that they might enslave us, 5 to whom not even for an hour did we yield in subjection, in order that the truth of the gospel might remain continually with you. 6 But from those ⌊who were influential⌋a (whatever they were, it makes no difference to me, ⌊God does not show partiality⌋b)—for those who were influential added nothing to me. 7 But these, when they* saw that I had been entrusted with the gospel to the uncircumcision, just as Peter to the circumcision 8 (for the one who was at work through Peter for his apostleship to the circumcision was at work also through me for the Gentiles), 9 and when James and Cephas and John—those thought to be pillars—acknowledged the grace given to me, they gave to me and Barnabas the right hand of fellowship, in order that we should go to the Gentiles and they to the circumcision. 10 They asked only that we should remember the poor, the very thing I was also eager to do.