Galatians 2–3

Paul and the Other Apostles

²Then after fourteen years I went up again to Jerusalem with Barnabas, taking Titus along with me.^{* 2}I went up in response to a revelation. Then I laid before them (though only in a private meeting with the acknowledged leaders) the gospel that I proclaim among the gentiles, in order to make sure that I was not running, or had not run, in vain.^{* 3}But even Titus, who was with me, was not compelled to be circumcised, though he was a Greek.^{* 4}But because of false brothers and sisters secretly brought in, who slipped in to spy on the freedom we have in Christ Jesus, so that they might enslave us^*—⁵we did not submit to them even for a moment, so that the truth of the gospel might always remain with you.^{* 6}And from those who were supposed to be acknowledged leaders (what they actually were makes no difference to me; God shows no partiality)—those leaders contributed nothing to me.^{* 7}On the contrary, when they saw that I had been entrusted with the gospel for the uncircumcised, just as Peter had been entrusted with the gospel for the circumcised^{* 8}(for he who worked through Peter making him an apostle to the circumcised also worked through me in sending me to the gentiles), ⁹and when James and Cephas and John, who were acknowledged pillars, recognized the grace that had been given to me, they gave to Barnabas and me the right hand of fellowship, agreeing that we should go to the gentiles and they to the circumcised.^{* 10}They asked only one thing, that we remember the poor, which was actually what I was^d eager to do.^*

Paul Rebukes Peter at Antioch

¹¹But when Cephas came to Antioch, I opposed him to his face because he stood self-condemned,^{* 12}for until certain people came from James, he used to eat with the gentiles. But after they came, he drew back and kept himself separate for fear of the circumcision faction.^{* 13}And the other Jews joined him in this hypocrisy, so that even Barnabas was led astray by their hypocrisy. ¹⁴But when I saw that they were not acting consistently with the truth of the gospel, I said to Cephas before them all, “If you, though a Jew, live like a gentile and not like a Jew, how can you compel the gentiles to live like Jews?”^e*

Jews and Gentiles Are Saved by Faith

¹⁵We ourselves are Jews by birth and not gentile sinners, ¹⁶yet we know that a person is justified^f not by the works of the law but through the faith of Jesus Christ.^g And we have come to believe in Christ Jesus, so that we might be justified by the faith of Christ^h and not by doing the works of the law, because no one will be justified by the works of the law.^{* 17}But if, in our effort to be justified in Christ, we ourselves have been found to be sinners, is Christ then a servant of sin? Certainly not! ¹⁸But if I build up again the very things that I once tore down, then I demonstrate that I am a transgressor. ¹⁹For through the law I died to the law, so that I might live to God. I have been crucified with Christ,^{* 20}and it is no longer I who live, but it is Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God,ⁱ who loved me and gave himself for me.^{* 21}I do not nullify the grace of God, for if righteousness^j comes through the law, then Christ died for nothing.

Law or Faith

³You foolish Galatians! Who has bewitched you? It was before your eyes that Jesus Christ was publicly exhibited as crucified!^{* 2}The only thing I want to learn from you is this: Did you receive the Spirit by doing the works of the law or by believing what you heard?^{* 3}Are you so foolish? Having started with the Spirit, are you now ending with the flesh?^{* 4}Did you experience so much for nothing?—if it really was for nothing.^{* 5}Well then, does God^k supply you with the Spirit and work miracles among you by your doing the works of the law or by your believing what you heard?

⁶Just as Abraham “believed God, and it was reckoned to him as righteousness,”^{* 7}so, you see, those who believe are the descendants of Abraham. ⁸And the scripture, foreseeing that God would reckon as righteous the gentiles by faith, declared the gospel beforehand to Abraham, saying, “All the gentiles shall be blessed in you.”^{* 9}For this reason, those who believe are blessed with Abraham who believed.

¹⁰For all who rely on the works of the law are under a curse, for it is written, “Cursed is everyone who does not observe and obey all the things written in the book of the law.”^{* 11}Now it is evident that no one is reckoned as righteous before God by the law, for “the one who is righteous will live by faith.”^{l* 12}But the law does not rest on faith; on the contrary, “Whoever does the works of the law^m will live by them.”^{* 13}Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us—for it is written, “Cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree”^*—¹⁴in order that in Christ Jesus the blessing of Abraham might come to the gentiles, so that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith.^*

The Promise to Abraham

¹⁵Brothers and sisters, I give an example from daily life: once a person’s willⁿ has been ratified, no one adds to it or annuls it.^{* 16}Now the promises were made to Abraham and to his offspring;^o it does not say, “And to offsprings,”^p as of many, but it says, “And to your offspring,”^q that is, to one person, who is Christ.^{* 17}My point is this: the law, which came four hundred thirty years later, does not annul a covenant previously ratified by God, so as to nullify the promise.^{* 18}For if the inheritance comes from the law, it no longer comes from the promise, but God granted it to Abraham through the promise.^*

The Purpose of the Law

¹⁹Why then the law? It was added because of transgressions, until the offspring^r would come to whom the promise had been made, and it was ordained through angels by a mediator.^{* 20}Now a mediator involves more than one party, but God is one.^*

²¹Is the law then opposed to the promises of God? Certainly not! For if a law had been given that could make alive, then righteousness would indeed come through the law. ²²But the scripture has imprisoned all things under the power of sin, so that what was promised through the faith of Jesus Christ^s might be given to those who believe.^*

²³Now before faith came, we were imprisoned and guarded under the law until faith would be revealed. ²⁴Therefore the law was our disciplinarian until Christ came, so that we might be reckoned as righteous^t by faith.^{* 25}But now that faith has come, we are no longer subject to a disciplinarian, ²⁶for in Christ Jesus you are all children of God through faith.^{* 27}As many of you as were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ.^{* 28}There is no longer Jew or Greek; there is no longer slave or free; there is no longer male and female, for all of you are one in Christ Jesus.^{* 29}And if you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s offspring,^u heirs according to the promise.^*