As I have said it before, so now I say it again, if anybody is preaching to you a good news that is contrary to the one which you have already received, a curse upon him!

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.

only they kept hearing people say, "Our former persecutor is now preaching as good news the faith which once he tried to destroy,"

I went up under the guidance of a divine revelation. Now I laid before them the good news that I was in the habit of preaching among the heathen, but first I did so privately before the leaders, for fear that my course might be or might have been to no purpose.

Those who were looked upon as leaders -- what they were makes no difference to me -- God pays no attention to outward appearances these leaders added nothing new to me.

Now when Cephas came to Antioch, I opposed him to his face, because he stood condemned.

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.

I have been crucified with Christ, and I myself no longer live, but Christ is living in me; the life I now live as a mortal man I live by faith in the Son of God who loved me and gave Himself for me.

Are you so senseless? Did you begin by the Spirit, but are now approaching perfection by fleshly means?

Now when He supplies you with the Spirit and performs His wonder-works among you, does He do it because you do what the law commands, or because you believe the message that you heard --

Now it is evident that through the law no man is brought into right standing with God, for "The man in right standing with God will live by faith,"

Brothers, I am going to use a human illustration: Even a human contract, once it has been ratified, no one can annul or change.

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.

For if our inheritance depends on the law, it can no longer depend on the promise. But it was by promise that God so graciously bestowed it upon Abraham.

But now that this faith has come, we are no longer in the charge of the attendant.

There is no room for Jew or Greek, no room for slave or freeman, no room for male or female, for you are all one through union with Christ Jesus.

So you are no longer a slave, but a son; and if a son, then an heir by God's own act.

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

but now, since you have come to know God, or rather have come to be known by Him, how can you turn back to your own crude notions, so weak and worthless, and wish to become slaves to them again?

I beg you, brothers, take my point of view, just as I took yours. You did me no injustice then.

And yet you know that it was because of an illness of mine that I preached the good news to you the first time,

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.

For the Scripture says: "Rejoice, you childless woman, who never bore a child; break forth into shouting, you who feel no birth pangs; for the desolate woman has many children, even more than the married one."

Now we, brothers, like Isaac, are children born to fulfill the promise.

Here is what I am saying to you: If you let yourselves be circumcised, Christ can do you no good.

By our union with the Lord I have confidence in you that you will take no other view of the matter. The man who is unsettling you will certainly pay the penalty for it, no matter who it turns out to be.

I mean this: Practice living by the Spirit and then by no means will you gratify the cravings of your lower nature.

Now the practices of the lower nature are clear enough: Sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality,

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.

gentleness, self-control. There is no law against such things.

For neither circumcision nor the lack of it has any value, but only a new creation.

Now peace and mercy be on all who walk by this rule; that is, on the true Israel of God.