Paul, an apostle sent not from men or by any man, but by Jesus Christ and God the Father who raised Him from the dead --

which is not really another one; only there are certain people who are trying to unsettle you and want to turn the good news of Christ upside down.

Am I now trying to win men's favor, or God's? Or, am I trying to be pleasing to men? If I were still trying to be pleasing to men, I would not be a slave of Christ at all.

For I tell you, brothers, the good news which was preached by me is not a human message,

for I did not get it from any man; I was not taught it, but I got it through a revelation given by Jesus Christ.

and not another single one of the apostles did I see, except James, the Lord's brother.

But they did not even try to compel my companion, Titus, although he was a Greek, to be circumcised --

they did not try it even for the sake of the false brothers who had been smuggled in, who stole in to spy out the freedom we enjoy in Christ Jesus, so as to make us slaves again.

But we did not for a moment yield them submission, in order that the truth of the good news might prevail for you.

But when I saw that they were not living up to the truth of the good news, I said to Cephas, and that before them all, "If you are living like a heathen and not like a Jew, although you are a Jew yourself, why do you try to make the heathen live like Jews?"

We ourselves are Jews by birth and not heathen sinners, and yet,

because we know that a man does not come into right standing with God by doing what the law commands, but by simple trust in Christ, we too have trusted in Christ Jesus, in order to come into right standing with God by simple trust in Christ and not by doing what the law commands, because by doing what the law commands no man can come into right standing with God.

Now if, in our efforts to come into right standing with God through union with Christ, we have proved ourselves to be sinners like the heathen themselves, does that make Christ a party to our sin? Of course not.

For those who depend on what the law commands are under a curse, for the Scripture says, "Cursed be everyone who does not continue in all the commands that are written in the book of the law, to do them."

Now the promises were made to Abraham and his descendant. It does not say, "and to your descendants," in the plural, but in the singular, "and to your descendant," that is, Christ.

I mean this: The law which was given four hundred and thirty years later could not annul the contract which had already been ratified by God, so as to cancel the promise.

Is the law then contrary to God's promises? Of course not. For if a law had been given that was able to impart life, surely, then, right standing would have come through law.

I mean this: As long as the heir is under age he is not a whit better off than a slave, although he is heir of all the property,

But at that former time, as you did not know the true God, you were slaves to gods that do not really exist,

but still you did not scorn the test my illness made of you, nor did you spurn me for it; on the contrary, you welcomed me as an angel of God, as Christ Jesus Himself.

These men are paying you special attention, but not sincerely. They want to shut you off from me, so that you may keep on paying them special attention.

Now it is a fine thing to have special attention paid you, if it is done sincerely and unceasingly, and not only when I am with you.

I wish I could be with you right now and change the tone of my speech, for I do not know which way to turn in your case.

Tell me, you who want to be subject to law, will you not listen to what the law says?

So, brothers, we are children, not of a slave girl but of a free woman.

For you, brothers, were called to freedom; only you must not let your freedom be an excuse for the gratification of your lower nature, but in love be slaves to one another.

But if you are guided by the Spirit, you are not subject to the law.

envy, drunkenness, carousing, and the like. I now warn you, as I have done before, that those who practice such things shall not be heirs of the kingdom of God.

Everyone should test his own work until it stands the test, and then he will have ground for boasting with reference to himself alone, and not with reference to someone else.

Do not be deceived anymore; God is not to be scoffed at. A person will reap just what he sows, whatever it is.

Let us stop getting tired of doing good, for at the proper time we shall reap if we do not give up.

Indeed, the very men who let themselves be circumcised do not themselves observe the law. But they simply want you to let yourselves be circumcised, so that they can boast of you as members of their party.