I am amazed that you are so quickly turning away from Him who called you by the grace of Christ and are turning to a different gospel—

not that there is another gospel, but there are some who are troubling you and want to change the good news about the Messiah.

Now I want you to know, brothers, that the gospel preached by me is not based on human thought.

to reveal His Son in me, so that I could preach Him among the Gentiles, I did not immediately consult with anyone.

I went up according to a revelation and presented to them the gospel I preach among the Gentiles—but privately to those recognized as leaders—so that I might not be running, or have run the race, in vain.

This issue arose because of false brothers smuggled in, who came in secretly to spy on the freedom that we have in Christ Jesus, in order to enslave us.

But we did not give up and submit to these people for even an hour, so that the truth of the gospel would be preserved for you.

On the contrary, they saw that I had been entrusted with the gospel for the uncircumcised, just as Peter was for the circumcised,

When James, Cephas, and John, recognized as pillars, acknowledged the grace that had been given to me, they gave the right hand of fellowship to me and Barnabas, agreeing that we should go to the Gentiles and they to the circumcised.

They asked only that we would remember the poor, which I made every effort to do.

Then the rest of the Jews joined his hypocrisy, so that even Barnabas was carried away by their hypocrisy.

But when I saw that they were deviating from the truth of the gospel, I told Cephas in front of everyone, “If you, who are a Jew, live like a Gentile and not like a Jew, how can you compel Gentiles to live like Jews?”

know that no one is justified by the works of the law but by faith in Jesus Christ. And we have believed in Christ Jesus so that we might be justified by faith in Christ and not by the works of the law, because by the works of the law no human being will be justified.

If I rebuild the system I tore down, I show myself to be a lawbreaker.

For through the law I have died to the law, so that I might live for God. I have been crucified with Christ

then understand that those who have faith are Abraham’s sons.

Now the Scripture saw in advance that God would justify the Gentiles by faith and told the good news ahead of time to Abraham, saying, All the nations will be blessed through you.

Now it is clear that no one is justified before God by the law, because the righteous will live by faith.

The purpose was that the blessing of Abraham would come to the Gentiles by Christ Jesus, so that we could receive the promised Spirit through faith.

Brothers, I’m using a human illustration. No one sets aside or makes additions to even a human covenant that has been ratified.

And I say this: The law, which came 430 years later, does not revoke a covenant that was previously ratified by God and cancel the promise.

Is the law therefore contrary to God’s promises? Absolutely not! For if a law had been given that was able to give life, then righteousness would certainly be by the law.

But the Scripture has imprisoned everything under sin’s power, so that the promise by faith in Jesus Christ might be given to those who believe.

The law, then, was our guardian until Christ, so that we could be justified by faith.

But since that faith has come, we are no longer under a guardian,

Now I say that as long as the heir is a child, he differs in no way from a slave, though he is the owner of everything.

to redeem those under the law, so that we might receive adoption as sons.

But in the past, when you didn’t know God, you were enslaved to things that by nature are not gods.

I am fearful for you, that perhaps my labor for you has been wasted.

you know that previously I preached the gospel to you because of a physical illness.

What happened to this sense of being blessed you had? For I testify to you that, if possible, you would have torn out your eyes and given them to me.

For it is written that Abraham had two sons, one by a slave and the other by a free woman.

Take note! I, Paul, tell you that if you get yourselves circumcised, Christ will not benefit you at all.

Again I testify to every man who gets himself circumcised that he is obligated to keep the entire law.

I have confidence in the Lord you will not accept any other view. But whoever it is that is confusing you will pay the penalty.

Now brothers, if I still preach circumcision, why am I still persecuted? In that case the offense of the cross has been abolished.

For the flesh desires what is against the Spirit, and the Spirit desires what is against the flesh; these are opposed to each other, so that you don’t do what you want.

envy, drunkenness, carousing, and anything similar. I tell you about these things in advance—as I told you before—that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.