I am surprised that you are being so quickly turned away from him whose word came to you in the grace of Christ, to good news of a different sort;

For I did not get it from man, and I was not given teaching in it, but it came to me through revelation of Jesus Christ.

or even going up to Jerusalem to see those who had been apostles before me, I went off at once to Arabia, and on my return came back to Damascus.

Then after three years I came up to Jerusalem to examine Peter, and remained with him fifteen days.

Then I came to the parts of Syria and Cilicia.

Only it came to their ears that he who at one time was cruel to us is now preaching the faith which before had been attacked by him;

And that because of the false brothers let in secretly, who came searching out our free condition which we have in Christ Jesus, so that they might make servants of us;

But when Cephas came to Antioch I resisted him to his face, because he stood self-condemned.

For until certain men came from James he used to eat with the Gentile Christians, but when they came, he began to draw back and to separate himself, because he was afraid of the circumcision party.

I do not set at nought the grace of God; for if righteousness came by the law, truly Christ hath died in vain.

I mean to say that the testament which God has already ratified could not be annulled by the Law which came four hundred and thirty years later, so as to make the Promise void.

Why then the law? It was added for the sake of transgressions, until the seed came to whom the promise was made, ordained through angels in the hand of a mediator.

Before the Faith came we were perpetual prisoners under the Law, in preparation for the destined faith about to be revealed.

And so the Law was our guardian until the Messiah came, so that we might be justified by faith.

But, when the fulness of the time came, God sent forth his Son, who came to be of a woman, who came to be under law, -

Now, however, since you have come to know [the true] God [through personal experience], or rather to be known by God, how is it that you are turning back again to the weak and worthless elemental principles [of religions and philosophies], to which you want to be enslaved all over again?

Believers, I beg of you, become as I am [free from the bondage of Jewish ritualism and ordinances], for I have become as you are [a Gentile]. You did me no wrong [when I first came to you; do not do it now].

But you are aware [I am sure] that when I first came preaching the Gospel [message] to you, I had a physical handicap.

This persuasion came not of him that calleth you.

Remember, Brothers, to you the Call came to give you freedom. Only do not make your freedom an opportunity for self-indulgence, but serve one another in a loving spirit.