From: Paul an apostle not sent from men or by a man, but by Jesus the Messiah, and God the Father, who raised him from the dead

not that another one really exists. To be sure, there are certain people who are troubling you and want to distort the gospel about the Messiah.

Am I now trying to win the approval of people or of God? Or am I trying to please people? If I were still trying to please people, I would not be the Messiah's servant.

For I want you to know, brothers, that the gospel that was proclaimed by me is not of human origin.

For I did not receive it from a man, nor was I taught it, but it was revealed to me by Jesus the Messiah.

to reveal his Son to me so that I might proclaim him among the gentiles, I did not confer with another human being at any time,

But I did not see any other apostle except James, the Lord's brother.

But the churches of the Messiah that are in Judea did not yet know me personally.

But not even Titus, who was with me, was forced to be circumcised, even though he was a Greek.

But we did not give in to them for a moment, so that the truth of the gospel might always remain with you.

Until some men arrived from James, he was in the habit of eating with the gentiles, but after those men came, he withdrew from the gentiles and would not associate with them any longer, because he was afraid of the circumcision party.

But when I saw that they were not acting consistently with the truth of the gospel, I told Cephas in front of everyone, "Though you are a Jew, you have been living like a gentile and not like a Jew. So how can you insist that the gentiles must live like Jews?"

We ourselves are Jews by birth, and not gentile sinners,

yet we know that a person is not justified by doing what the Law requires, but rather by the faithfulness of Jesus the Messiah. We, too, have believed in the Messiah Jesus so that we might be justified by the faithfulness of the Messiah and not by doing what the Law requires, for no human being will be justified by doing what the Law requires.

Now if we, while trying to be justified by the Messiah, have been found to be sinners, does that mean that the Messiah is serving the interests of sin? Of course not!

I do not misapply God's grace, for if righteousness comes about by doing what the Law requires, then the Messiah died for nothing.

You foolish Galatians! Who put you under a spell? Was not Jesus the Messiah clearly portrayed before your very eyes as having been crucified?

Certainly all who depend on the actions of the Law are under a curse. For it is written, "A curse on everyone who does not obey everything that is written in the Book of the Law!"

This is what I mean: The Law that came 430 years later did not cancel the covenant that God ratified previously. The promise was never nullified.

So is the Law in conflict with the promises of God? Of course not! For if a law had been given that could give us life, then certainly righteousness would come through the Law.

But the Scripture has captured everything by means of sin's net, so that what was promised by the faithfulness of the Messiah might be granted to those who believe.

However, in the past, when you did not know God, you were slaves to things that are not really gods at all.

I beg you, brothers, to become like me, since I became like you. You did not do anything wrong to me.

Even though my condition put you to the test, you did not despise or reject me. On the contrary, you welcomed me as if I were an angel of God, or as if I were the Messiah Jesus.

These people who have been instructing you are devoted to you, but not in a good way. They want you to avoid me so that you will be devoted to them.

(Now it is always good to be devoted to a good cause, even when I am not with you.)

So then, brothers, we are not children of the slave woman but of the free woman.

Such influence does not come from the one who calls you.

For you, brothers, were called to freedom. Only do not turn your freedom into an opportunity to gratify your flesh, but through love make it your habit to serve one another.

But if you bite and devour one another, be careful that you are not destroyed by each other.

For what the flesh wants is opposed to the Spirit, and what the Spirit wants is opposed to the flesh. They are opposed to each other, and so you do not do what you want to do.

But if you are being led by the Spirit, you are not under the Law.

envy, murder, drunkenness, wild partying, and things like that. I am telling you now, as I have told you in the past, that people who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.

Brothers, if a person is caught doing something wrong, those of you who are spiritual should restore that person gently. Watch out for yourself so that you are not tempted as well.

Each person must examine his own actions, and then he can boast about his own accomplishments and not about someone else.

Stop being deceived; God is not to be ridiculed. A person harvests whatever he plants:

Let's not get tired of doing what is good, for at the right time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.

Why, not even those who are circumcised obey the Law! They simply want you to be circumcised so that they can boast about your external appearance.