Galatians Chapters I & II

(1) Paul, an apostle (not from men, neither through man, but through Jesus Christ, and God the Father, Who raised Him from the dead), (2) and all the brethren with me, to the churches of Galatia: (3) Grace to you and peace from God the Father and our Lord Jesus Christ, (4) Who gave Himself for our sins, so that He might deliver us out of the present evil age, according to the will of our God and Father, (5) to Whom be the glory to the ages of the ages. Amen

(6) I marvel that you are so quickly transferring yourselves from the One Who called you in the grace of Christ to a different gospel, (7) which is not another gospel; except there are some who trouble you and wish to turn around the Gospel of the Christ. (8) But even if we, or an angel from our or heaven, should preach a gospel to you besides what Gospel we preached to you, let such a one be anathema. (9) As we have said before, and now again I say, if anyone preach a gospel to you besides what you received, let such a one be anathema. (10) For do I now persuade men, or God? Or do I seek to please men? For if I were yet trying to please men, I should not be a slave of Christ.

(11) But I make known to you, brethren, the Gospel which was preached as good tidings by me, that it is not according to man; (12) for I neither received it from man, nor was I taught it, but by a revelation of Jesus Christ. (13) For you heard of my manner of life at one time in Judaism, that according to excess, I used to persecute the Church of God, and was ravaging her. (14) And I kept on advancing in Judaism beyond many contemporaries in my own race, being more exceedingly a zealot of the traditions of my fathers. (15) But when it pleased God, Who separated me from my mother’s womb and called me by His grace, (16) to reveal His Son in me, that I be preaching Him as good tidings among the nations, immediately I conferred not with flesh and blood, (17) neither did I go up to Jerusalem to those who were apostles before me, but I went away into Arabia, and again returned to Damascus. (18) Then after three years I went up to Jerusalem to visit Peter, and remained with him fifteen days; (19) but of the other apostles I saw none, except Iakovos the brother of the Lord. (20) Now the things which I write to you, behold, before the face of God, I lie not. (21) Afterward I came into the regions of Syria and Cilicia. (22) And I was unknown by face to the churches of Judaea which are in Christ. But they were hearing only that “the one who once persecuted us now preaches the faith as good tidings which once he used to ravage.” (23) And they were glorifying God in me.

Chapter 2

(1) Then after fourteen years, I went up again to Jerusalem with Barnabas, and took Titus with me also. (2) And I went up according to revelation, and I laid before them the Gospel which I proclaim among the nations, but privately to those who were of repute, lest in any way I should be running, or ran, in vain. (3) But not even Titus who was with me, being a Greek, was compelled to be circumcised. (4) Now on this account false brethren were introduced privily—who came in secretly to spy out our freedom which we have in Christ Jesus—in order that they might bring us into bondage to themselves; (5) to whom we did not yield submission even for an hour, in order that the truth of the Gospel might continue with you. (6) But from those who were reputed to be something—of what sort they once were, it makes no difference to me; God accepts the person of no man—for those who were of repute offered nothing else of themselves to lay upon me. (7) But on the contrary, after they saw that I have been entrusted with the Gospel of the uncircumcision, even as Peter that of the circumcision (8) (for the One Who operates in Peter toward an apostleship of the circumcision, operates also in me toward the nations), (9) and after Iakovos and Kefas and John, those who were reputed to be pillars, perceived the grace which was given to me, they gave to me and Barnabas the right hands of fellowship, that we go to the nations, but they to the circumcision; (10) only that we be remembering the poor, which very thing I also was eager to do. (11) But when Peter came to Antioch, I withstood him to the face, because he stood condemned. (12) For before the coming of certain ones from Iakovos, he was eating with the Gentiles; but when they came, he began to draw back and separate himself, being afraid of those of the circumcision. (13) And also the rest of the Jews were dissembling with him, so that even Barnabas was carried away with their dissimulation. (14) But when I saw that they were not walking uprightly according to the truth of the Gospel, I said to Peter in front of them all, “If you, being a Jew, lives after the manner of Gentiles, and not after the manner of the Jews, why do you compel the Gentiles to live as Jews?” (15) We—Jews by nature, and not sinners of the Gentiles—(16) knowing then that a man is not being justified by the works of the law, except through faith in Jesus Christ, even we believed in Christ Jesus, in order that we might be justified by faith in Christ and not by the works of the law; because by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified. (17) “But if, while we sought to be justified in Christ, we ourselves also were found sinners, is then Christ a minister in sin? May it not be! (18) For if I build again these things which I destroyed, I constitute myself a transgressor. For I through the law died to the law; in order that I might live to God, (20) I have been crucified with Christ; and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me; and the life that I now live in the flesh I live in faith, in that of the Son of God, Who loved me and gave Himself for me. (21) I do not set aside the grace of God; for if righteousness is through the law, then Christ died for naught.”