PAUL an apostle ??not appointed by men nor commissioned by any man but by Jesus Christ and God the Father who raised him from the dead, ??2 with all the brothers who are beside me, to the churches of Galatia;

grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ

who gave himself for our sins to rescue us from the present evil world ??by the will of our God and Father,

Now even though it were myself or some angel from heaven, whoever preaches a gospel that contradicts the gospel I preached to you, God's curse be on him!

I have said it before and I now repeat it: whoever preaches a gospel to you that contradicts the gospel you have already received, God's curse be on him!

Now is that 'appealing to the interests of men' or of God? Trying to 'satisfy men'? Why, if I still tried to give satisfaction to human masters, I would be no servant of Christ.

You know the story of my past career in Judaism; you know how furiously I persecuted the church of God and harried it,

But the God who had set me apart from my very birth called me by his grace,

(I am writing you the sheer truth, I swear it before God!)

which made them praise God for me.

But we refused to yield for a single instant to their claims; we were determined that the truth of the gospel should hold good for you.

Besides, the so-called 'authorities' (it makes no difference to me what their status used to be ??God pays no regard to the externals of men), these 'authorities' had no additions to make to my gospel.

but since we know a man is justified simply by faith in Jesus Christ and not by doing what the Law commands, we ourselves have believed in Christ Jesus so as to get justified by faith in Christ and not by doing what the Law commands ??for by doing what the Law commands no person shall be justified.

For through the Law I died to the Law that I might live for God;

I have been crucified with Christ, and it is no longer I who live, Christ lives in me; the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God who loved me and gave himself up for me.

I do not annul God's grace; but if righteousness comes by way of the Law, then indeed Christ's death was useless.

Why, it is as with Abraham, he had faith in God and that was counted to him as righteousness.

Besides, Scripture anticipated God's justification of the Gentiles by faith when it announced the gospel beforehand to Abraham in these terms: All nations shall be blessed in thee.

And because no one is justified on the score of the Law before God (plainly, the just shall live by faith, ??12 and the Law is not based on faith: no, he who performs these things shall live by them),

My point is this: the Law which arose four hundred and thirty years later does not repeal a will previously ratified by God, so as to cancel the Promise.

If the Inheritance is due to law, it ceases to be due to promise. Now it was by a promise that God bestowed it on Abraham.

(an intermediary implies more than one party, but God is one).

Then the Law is contrary to God's Promises? Never! Had there been any law which had the power of producing life, righteousness would really have been due to law,

you are all sons of God by your faith in Christ Jesus

but when the time had fully expired, God sent forth his Son, born of a woman, born under the Law,

to ransom those who were under the Law, that we might get our sonship.

It is because you are sons that God has sent forth the Spirit of his Son into your hearts crying 'Abba! Father!'

So you are servant no longer but son, and as son you are also heir, all owing to God.

In those days, when you were ignorant of God, you were in servitude to gods who are really no gods at all;

but now that you know God ??or rather, are known by God ??how is it you are turning back again to the weakness and poverty of the Elemental spirits? Why do you want to be enslaved all over again by them?

and though my flesh was a trial to you, you did not scoff at me nor spurn me, you welcomed me like an angel of God, like Christ Jesus. You congratulated yourselves.

Here, listen to Paul! I tell you, if you get circumcised, Christ will be no use to you.

O that those who are upsetting you would get themselves castrated!

envy, [murder], drinking bouts, revelry, and the like; I tell you beforehand as I have told you already, that people who indulge in such practices will never inherit the Realm of God.

But the harvest of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, good temper, kindliness, generosity, fidelity,

Make no mistake ??God is not to be mocked ??a man will reap just what he sows;

So then, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all men and in particular to the household of the faith.

Why, even the circumcision party do not observe the Law themselves! They merely want you to get circumcised, so as to boast over your flesh!

On all who will be guided by this rule, may peace and mercy rest, even upon the Israel of God.