To the churches in Galatia, from Paul, an Apostle whose commission is not from men and is given, not by man, but by Jesus Christ and God the Father who raised him from the dead;

To whom be ascribed all glory for ever and ever. Amen.

Yet even if we--or if an angel from Heaven were to tell you any other 'Good News' than that which we told you, may he be accursed!

We have said it before, and I repeat it now--If any one tells you a 'Good News' other than that which you received, may he be accursed!

Is this, I ask, trying to conciliate men, or God? Am I seeking to please men? If I were still trying to please men, I should not be a servant of Christ.

I, at least, did not receive it from man, nor was I taught it, but it came to me through a revelation made by Jesus Christ.

But when God, who had set me apart even before my birth, and who called me by his love,

But I was still unknown even by sight to the Christian Churches in Judea;

It was in obedience to a revelation that I went; and I laid before the Apostles the Good News that I am proclaiming among the Gentiles. I did this privately before those who are thought highly of, for fear that I might possibly be taking, or might have already taken, a course which would prove useless.

Yet even my companion, Titus, though a Greek, was not compelled to be circumcised.

Why, we did not for a moment yield submission to them, that the Truth of the Good News might be yours always!

The rest of the Jewish converts were guilty of the same hypocrisy, so that even Barnabas was led away by it.

We, though we are Jews by birth and not outcasts of Gentile origin, know that no one is pronounced righteous as the result of obedience to Law, but only through faith in Christ Jesus.

So we placed our faith in Christ Jesus, in order that we might be pronounced righteous, as the result of faith in Christ, and not of obedience to Law; for such obedience 'will not result in even one soul's being pronounced righteous.'

If, while seeking to be pronounced righteous through union with Christ, we were ourselves seen to be outcasts, would that make Christ an agent of sin? Heaven forbid!

I have been crucified with Christ. So it is no longer I that live, but it is Christ who lives in me; and, as for my present earthly life, I am living it by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.

Can you be so foolish? After beginning with what is spiritual, do you now end with what is external?

It is just as it was with Abraham--'He had faith in God, and his faith was regarded by God as righteousness.'

And Scripture, foreseeing that God would pronounce the Gentiles righteous as the result of faith, foretold the Good News to Abraham in the words--'Through thee all the Gentiles shall be blessed.'

All who rely upon obedience to Law are under a curse, for Scripture says--'Cursed is every one who does not abide by all that is written in the Book of the Law, and do it.'

Christ ransomed us from the curse pronounced in the Law, by taking the curse on himself for us, for Scripture says--'Cursed is any one who is hanged on a tree.'

And this he did that the blessing given to Abraham might be extended to the Gentiles through their union with Jesus Christ; that so, through our faith, we also might receive the promised gift of the Spirit.

My point is this--An agreement already confirmed by God cannot be canceled by the Law, which came four hundred and thirty years later, so as to cause the promise to be set aside.

If our heritage is the result of Law, then it has ceased to be the result of a promise. Yet God conferred it on Abraham by a promise.

What, then, you ask, was the use of the Law? It was a later addition, to make men conscious of their wrong-doings, and intended to last only till the coming of that 'offspring' to whom the promise had been made; and it was delivered through angels by a mediator.

But the words of Scripture represent the whole world as being in bondage to sin, so that the promised blessing, dependent, as it is, upon faith in Jesus Christ, may be given to those who have faith in him.

Before the coming of faith, we were kept under the guard of the Law, in bondage, awaiting the Faith that was destined to be revealed.

Thus the Law has proved a guide to lead us to Christ, in order that we may be pronounced righteous as the result of faith.

You, therefore, are no longer a slave, but a son; and, if a son, then an heir also, by God's appointment.

But now that you have found God--or, rather, have been found by him--how is it that you are turning back to that poor and feeble puerile teaching, to which yet once again you are wanting to become slaves?

Am I to think, then, that I have become your enemy by telling you the truth?

But I could wish to be with you now and speak in a different tone, for I am perplexed about you.

Tell me, you who want to be still subject to Law--Why do not you listen to the Law?

This story may be taken as an allegory. The women stand for two Covenants. One Covenant, given from Mount Sinai, produces a race of slaves and is represented by Hagar

Yet at that time the child born in the course of nature persecuted the child born by the power of the Spirit; and it is the same now.

But what does the passage of Scripture say? 'Send away the slave-woman and her son; for the slave's son shall not be co-heir with the son of the free woman.'

It is for freedom that Christ set us free; stand firm therefore, and do not again be held under the yoke of slavery.

Understand that I, Paul, myself tell you that if you allow yourselves to be circumcised, Christ will avail you nothing.

You have severed yourselves from Christ--you who are seeking to be pronounced righteous through Law; you have fallen away from love.

For we, by the help of the Spirit, are eagerly waiting for the fulfillment of our hope--that we may be pronounced righteous as the result of faith.

I, through my union with the Lord, am persuaded that you will learn to think with me. But the man who is disturbing your minds will have to bear his punishment, whoever he may be.

If I, Brothers, am still proclaiming circumcision, why am I still persecuted? It seems that the Cross has ceased to be an obstacle!

But, if you are continually wounding and preying upon one another, take care that you are not destroyed by one another.

This is what I have to say--Let your steps be guided by the Spirit, and then you will never gratify the cravings of your earthly nature.

But the fruit produced by the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindliness, generosity, trustfulness, gentleness, self-control.

Since our Life is due to the Spirit, let us rule our conduct also by the Spirit.

Brothers, even if a man should be caught committing a sin, you who are spiritually minded should, in a gentle spirit, help him to recover himself, taking care lest any one of you also should be tempted.

If a man imagines himself to be somebody, when he is really nobody, he deceives himself.

Let every one test his own work, and then his cause for satisfaction will be in himself and not in a comparison of himself with his neighbor;

Do not be deceived. God cannot be mocked. What a man sows that he will reap.

Those who wish to appear to advantage in regard to outward observances are the very people who are trying to compel you to be circumcised; and they do it only to avoid being persecuted for the cross of Jesus, the Christ.

Even these men who are circumcised do not themselves keep the Law; yet they want you to be circumcised, so that they may boast of your observance of the rite.

May all who rule their conduct by this principle find peace and mercy--they who are the Israel of God.