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;

And all the brethren which are with me, unto the churches of Galatia:

May grace and peace be granted to you from God the Father, and from our Lord Jesus Christ,

to whom [may there] be honor forever and ever. May it be so.

from me, who called you by the grace of Christ; this can be

but even if we or a messenger out of heaven may proclaim good news to you different from what we did proclaim to you -- anathema let him be!

as we have said before, and now say again, If any one to you may proclaim good news different from what ye did receive -- anathema let him be!

Am I now using arguments to men, or God? or is it my desire to give men pleasure? if I was still pleasing men, I would not be a servant of Christ.

But I certify you, brethren, that the gospel which was preached of me is not after man.

For neither did I receive it from man, nor was I taught it, but it came to me through revelation of Jesus Christ.

For ye have heard of my conversation in time past in the Jews' religion, how that beyond measure I persecuted the church of God, and wasted it:

And profited in the Jews' religion above many my equals in mine own nation, being more exceedingly zealous of the traditions of my fathers.

But when it pleased God, who separated me from my mother's womb, and called me by his grace,

To reveal his Son in me, that I might preach him among the heathen; immediately I conferred not with flesh and blood:

Neither went I up to Jerusalem to them which were apostles before me; but I went into Arabia, and returned again unto Damascus.

Now I am not lying in what I write to you. God is my witness.

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

They had only heard it said about me, "This person, who had once persecuted us [Christians], is now preaching the faith he once made havoc of."

And they glorified God in me.

Then fourteen years after I went up again to Jerusalem with Barnabas, and took Titus with me also.

I went up [to Jerusalem] because of a [divine] revelation, and I put before them the gospel which I preach among the Gentiles. But I did so in private before those of reputation, for fear that I might be running or had run [the course of my ministry] in vain.

But neither Titus, who was with me, being a Greek, was compelled to be circumcised:

My concern was because of the false brothers [those people masquerading as Christians] who had been secretly smuggled in [to the community of believers]. They had slipped in to spy on the freedom which we have in Christ Jesus, in order to bring us back into bondage [under the Law of Moses].

to whom I rendered not submission for an hour; in order that the truth of the gospel may abide with you.

But of these who seemed to be somewhat, (whatsoever they were, it maketh no matter to me: God accepteth no man's person:) for they who seemed to be somewhat in conference added nothing to me:

But contrariwise, when they saw that the gospel of the uncircumcision was committed unto me, as the gospel of the circumcision was unto Peter;

(For he that wrought effectually in Peter to the apostleship of the circumcision, the same was mighty in me toward the Gentiles:)

And when James, Cephas, and John, who seemed to be pillars, perceived the grace that was given unto me, they gave to me and Barnabas the right hands of fellowship; that we should go unto the heathen, and they unto the circumcision.

Only they urged that we should remember their poor--a thing which was uppermost in my own mind.

But I saw they were swerving from the true line of the gospel; so I said to Cephas in presence of them all, "If you live like the Gentiles and not like the Jews, though you are a Jew yourself, why do you oblige the Gentiles to become Jews?" ??15 We may be Jews by birth and not 'Gentile sinners,'

but knowing that a person is not justified by the works of the law, if not by faith in Jesus Christ, and we have believed in Christ Jesus so that we may be justified by faith in Christ and not by the works of the law, because by the works of the law {no human being will be justified}.

But if [while] seeking to be justified by Christ, [we] ourselves also have been found [to be] sinners, then [is] Christ an agent of sin? May it never be!

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.

For I, through law, have died to law, that I may live to God.

I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.

This is all I want to ask of you: did you receive the [Holy] Spirit as the result of obeying [the requirements of] the Law, or was it the result of hearing [the message of salvation and] with faith [believing it]?

that to the nations the blessing of Abraham may come in Christ Jesus, that the promise of the Spirit we may receive through the faith.

Brothers, I’m using a human illustration. No one sets aside or makes additions to even a human covenant that has been ratified.

This is what I mean: the Law, which came into existence four hundred and thirty years later [after the covenant concerning the coming Messiah], does not and cannot invalidate the covenant previously established by God, so as to abolish the promise.

Therefore [is] the law opposed to the promises of God? May it never be! For if a law had been given that was able to give life, certainly righteousness would have been from the law.

but the Writing did shut up the whole under sin, that the promise by faith of Jesus Christ may be given to those believing.

so that the law became our child-conductor -- to Christ, that by faith we may be declared righteous,

My point is this--As long as the heir is under age, there is no difference between him and a slave, though he is master of the whole estate.

that those under law he may redeem, that the adoption of sons we may receive;

I am fearful for you, that perhaps my labor for you has been wasted.

Brethren, I beseech you, be as I am; for I am as ye are: ye have not injured me at all.

but you knew I preached the gospel to you on my former [visit] in weakness of the flesh,

And my temptation which was in my flesh ye despised not, nor rejected; but received me as an angel of God, even as Christ Jesus.

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.

They zealously seek you in no good way; nay, they desire to shut you out, that ye may seek them.

and it is good to be zealously regarded, in what is good, at all times, and not only in my being present with you;

My little children, of whom I travail in birth again until Christ be formed in you,

I desire to be present with you now, and to change my voice; for I stand in doubt of you.

Tell me, ye that desire to be under the law, do ye not hear the law?

Which things, indeed, may bear another meaning; for, the same, are two covenants, - one, indeed, from Mount Sinai, into bondage, bringing forth, the which is Hagar, -

Now we, my brethren, as Isaac was, are the children of the promise.

but what saith the Writing? 'Cast forth the maid-servant and her son, for the son of the maid-servant may not be heir with the son of the free-woman;'

Hence we are children of no slave-woman, my brothers, but of the free-woman,

The Messiah has set us free so that we may enjoy the benefits of freedom. So keep on standing firm in it, and stop putting yourselves under the yoke of slavery again.

Behold I Paul say unto you, that, if you may be circumcised, Christ shall profit you nothing.

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 have confidence as to you in the Lord, that ye will have no other mind; and he that is troubling you shall bear the guilt of it, whosoever he may be.

But as for me, brothers, if I am still preaching circumcision [as I had done before I met Christ; and as some accuse me of doing now, as necessary for salvation], why am I still being persecuted [by Jews]? In that case the stumbling block of the cross [to unbelieving Jews] has been abolished.

My desire is that they who give you trouble might even be cut off themselves.

and if one another ye do bite and devour, see -- that ye may not by one another be consumed.

And I say: In the Spirit walk ye, and the desire of the flesh ye may not complete;

For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; for these are contrary the one to the other; that ye may not do the things that ye would.

if we may live in the Spirit, in the Spirit also we may walk;

Brethren, if a man also may be overtaken in any trespass, ye who are spiritual restore such a one in a spirit of meekness, considering thyself -- lest thou also may be tempted;

Be not led astray; God is not mocked; for what a man may sow -- that also he shall reap,

and in the doing good we may not be faint-hearted, for at the proper time we shall reap -- not desponding;

therefore, then, as we have opportunity, may we work the good to all, and especially unto those of the household of the faith.

See how long a letter I have written to you with my own hand.

As many as desire to make a fair show in the flesh, they compel you to be circumcised; only that they may not be persecuted for the cross of Christ.

For neither they themselves who are circumcised keep the law; but desire to have you circumcised, that they may glory in your flesh.

But God forbid that I should glory, save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom the world is crucified unto me, and I unto the world.

May peace come to all those who follow this standard, and mercy to the Israel of God!

From henceforth let no man trouble me: for I bear in my body the marks of the Lord Jesus.

May the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirits, brethren. Amen.