Galatians 2–3

Chapter 2

The Council at Jerusalem

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

²¹It 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.

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

⁴But 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.

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

⁶But 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.

⁷But 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),

⁹and 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.

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

Peter (Cephas) Opposed by Paul

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

¹²For 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.

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

¹⁴But 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;

¹⁶nevertheless 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 the Law; since ^cby the works of the 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 the 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.”

Chapter 3

Faith Brings Righteousness

¹¹You foolish ^aGalatians, who has bewitched you, before whose eyes Jesus Christ ^bwas publicly portrayed as crucified?

²This is the only thing I want to find out from you: did you receive the Spirit by the works of ¹the Law, or by ^2ahearing with faith?

³Are you so foolish? Having begun ¹by the Spirit, are you now ²being perfected by the flesh?

⁴Did you ¹suffer so many things in vain—^aif indeed it was in vain?

⁵So then, does He who ^aprovides you with the Spirit and ^bworks ¹miracles among you, do it by the works of ²the Law, or by ^3chearing with faith?

⁶¹Even so ^aAbraham ^bbelieved God, and it was reckoned to him as righteousness.

⁷Therefore, ¹be sure that ^ait is those who are of faith who are ^bsons of Abraham.

⁸The Scripture, foreseeing that God ¹would justify the ²Gentiles by faith, preached the gospel beforehand to Abraham, saying, “^aAll the nations will be blessed in you.”

⁹So then ^athose who are of faith are blessed with ¹Abraham, the believer.

¹⁰For as many as are of the works of ¹the Law are under a curse; for it is written, “^aCursed is everyone who does not abide by all things written in the book of the law, to perform them.”

¹¹Now that ^ano one is justified ¹by ²the Law before God is evident; for, “^3bThe righteous man shall live by faith.”

¹²¹However, the Law is not ²of faith; on the contrary, “^aHe who practices them shall live ³by them.”

¹³Christ ^aredeemed us from the curse of the Law, having become a curse for us—for it is written, “^bCursed is everyone who hangs on ^ca ¹tree”—

¹⁴in order that ^ain Christ Jesus the blessing of Abraham might ¹come to the Gentiles, so that we ^bwould receive ^cthe promise of the Spirit through faith.

Intent of the Law

^15aBrethren, ^bI speak ¹in terms of human relations: ^ceven though it is only a man’s ²covenant, yet when it has been ratified, no one sets it aside or adds ³conditions to it.

¹⁶Now the promises were spoken ^ato Abraham and to his seed. He does not say, “And to seeds,” as referring to many, but rather to one, “^bAnd to your seed,” that is, Christ.

¹⁷What I am saying is this: the Law, which came ^afour hundred and thirty years later, does not invalidate a covenant previously ratified by God, so as to nullify the promise.

¹⁸For ^aif the inheritance is ¹based on law, it is no longer based on a promise; but ^bGod has granted it to Abraham by means of a promise.

^19aWhy the Law then? It was added ¹because of transgressions, having been ^bordained through angels ^cby the ²agency of a mediator, until ^dthe seed would come to whom the promise had been made.

²⁰Now ^aa mediator is not ¹for one party only; whereas God is only one.

²¹Is the Law then contrary to the promises of God? ^aMay it never be! For ^bif a law had been given which was able to impart life, then righteousness ¹would indeed have been ²based on law.

²²But the Scripture has ^ashut up ¹everyone under sin, so that the promise by faith in Jesus Christ might be given to those who believe.

²³But before faith came, we were kept in custody under the law, ^abeing shut up to the faith which was later to be revealed.

²⁴Therefore the Law has become our ^atutor to lead us to Christ, so that ^bwe may be justified by faith.

²⁵But now that faith has come, we are no longer under a ^1atutor.

²⁶For you are all ^asons of God through faith in ^bChrist Jesus.

²⁷For all of you who were ^abaptized into Christ have ^bclothed yourselves with Christ.

^28aThere is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free man, there is ¹neither male nor female; for ^byou are all one in ^cChrist Jesus.

²⁹And if ^ayou ¹belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s ²descendants, heirs according to ^bpromise.