For am I, even now, persuading, men, or God? Or am I seeking to please, men? If I had been still pleasing, men, Christ's servant, had I not been!

no man put it into my hands, no man taught me what it meant, I had it by a revelation of Jesus Christ.

and how I surpassed many of my own age among my people in my devotion to Judaism, I was so fanatically devoted to what my forefathers had handed down.

But when God who had set me apart from my very birth,

and had called me by his grace, was pleased to reveal his Son in me, so that I might preach his gospel among the Gentiles, without consulting a human being,

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.

And the churches of Judaea which were in Christ still had no knowledge of my face or person:

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;

So they kept glorifying God for what had happened to me.

And I went up by revelation; and I put before them the good news which I was preaching among the Gentiles, but privately before those who were of good name, so that the work which I was or had been doing might not be without effect.

But [all went well, for] not even Titus, who was with me, was compelled [as some had anticipated] to be circumcised, despite the fact that he was a Greek.

Yet there were false brethren who had crept in to spy out the freedom we enjoy in Christ Jesus, in order to enslave us again.

But those in authority??hat they once were makes no difference to me; God is no respecter of persons??hose I say who were in authority had no additions to make my message.

On the contrary, when they saw that I had been entrusted with the gospel for the uncircumcised, just as Peter has with the gospel for the circumcised

(for he that had wrought powerfully in Peter with respect to his apostleship among the Jews, had also wrought powerfully in me upon account of the Gentiles:) and when James,

and when they recognized the grace which had been given to me, James and Cephas and John, then thought to be pillars, gave to Barnabas and to me the right hand of fellowship. They agreed that we should go to the Gentiles and they to the Jews.

Only it was their desire that we would give thought to the poor; which very thing I had much in mind to do.

But when Peter had come to Antioch, I withstood him to the face, because he was to be blamed.

For before that certain came from James, he used to eat with the Gentiles: but when they had come, he withdrew, and separated himself, fearing them who were of the circumcision.

Being conscious that a man does not get righteousness by the works of the law, but through faith in Jesus Christ, we had faith in Christ Jesus, so that we might get righteousness by faith in Christ, and not by the works of the law: because by the works of the law will no flesh get righteousness.

For if I try to build up again what I had already destroyed [i.e., by returning to depend on compliance with the law of Moses to become right with God, after having rejected this system by trusting in Christ to save me], I would certainly be guilty of sin.

O foolish Galatians, who hath deluded you, you that have had the crucifixion of Jesus Christ represented to your view?

Have you had all that experience for nothing (if it has really gone for nothing)?

Even as Abraham had faith in God, and it was put to his account as righteousness.

So those who have faith are blessed with Abraham, who had faith.

So that on the Gentiles might come the blessing of Abraham in Christ Jesus; in order that we through faith might have the Spirit which God had undertaken to give.

I mean this: The law which was given four hundred and thirty years later could not annul the contract which had already been ratified by God, so as to cancel the promise.

To what purpose, then, was the Law? It was imposed later for the sake of transgressions, until the "Offspring" should come to whom the promise had been made. It was arranged through angels by the hand of a mediator.

Is the Law then opposed to the promises of God? Certainly not; for if a law had been given which could make alive, then righteousness would actually have come from law;

Thus the law had become our guardian until Christ, so that we could be declared righteous by faith.

(for all of you who had yourselves baptized into Christ have taken on the character of Christ).

But when the time had come, God sent out his Son, made of a woman, made under the law,

But once, when you Gentiles had no knowledge of God, you were slaves to gods which have no real being.

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

and yet the bodily infirmity which was such a trial to you, you did not regard with contempt or loathing, but you received me as if I had been an angel of God or Christ Jesus Himself!

Where is then the blessedness ye spake of? for I bear you record, that, if it had been possible, ye would have plucked out your own eyes, and have given them to me.

For it is written that Abraham had two sons, one by the slave woman and one by the free woman;

But, he that was of the bondmaid, after the flesh, had been born, whereas, he that was of the free woman, through means of a promise.

For it is in the Writings, You who have never given birth, be glad; give cries of joy, you who have had no birth-pains; for the children of her who has been given up by her husband are more than those of the woman who has a husband.

But as in those days he who had birth after the flesh was cruel to him who had birth after the Spirit, even so it is now.

This ready belief did not come from him who had made you his.

Brethren, if I yet preach circumcision: why do I then yet suffer persecution? For then had the offense which the cross giveth, ceased.

envying, murder, drunkenness, carousing, and similar things. I am warning you, as I had warned you before: Those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God!

But the last thing I want to do is brag [about such things]. For [if I had any bragging to do at all], it would be about [salvation through] the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, for it is through Him that this [sinful] world has been crucified [i.e., died] as far as I am concerned and I have been crucified [i.e., died] as far as it is concerned.