and all the brothers who are here with me -- to the churches of Galatia:

For I tell you, brothers, the good news which was preached by me is not a human message,

You have heard, indeed, of my former conduct as an adherent of the Jewish religion, how I kept on furiously persecuting the church of God, and tried to destroy it,

and how I outstripped many of my own age among my people in my devotion to the Jewish religion, because I surpassed all others in my zeal for the traditions handed down by my forefathers.

But when God, who had already set me apart from my birth, and had called me by His unmerited favor,

chose to unveil His Son in me, so that I might preach the good news about Him among the heathen, at once, before I conferred with any human creatures,

and before I went up to Jerusalem to see those who had been apostles before me, I retired to Arabia, and afterwards returned to Damascus.

and they kept on praising God for me.

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

I went up under the guidance of a divine revelation. Now I laid before them the good news that I was in the habit of preaching among the heathen, but first I did so privately before the leaders, for fear that my course might be or might have been to no purpose.

But they did not even try to compel my companion, Titus, although he was a Greek, to be circumcised --

Those who were looked upon as leaders -- what they were makes no difference to me -- God pays no attention to outward appearances these leaders added nothing new to me.

for He who had been at work in Peter for his apostleship to the Jews had been at work in me too for the apostleship to the heathen --

and because they recognized the favor God had shown me, James, Cephas, and John, the so-called pillar apostles, gave Barnabas and me the right hand of fellowship, with the understanding that we should go to the heathen and they to the Jews.

For through the law I myself have become dead to the law, so that I may live for God.

I have been crucified with Christ, and I myself no longer live, but Christ is living in me; the life I now live as a mortal man I live by faith in the Son of God who loved me and gave Himself for me.

I am beginning to fear that I have bestowed my labors on you for nothing.

I beg you, brothers, take my point of view, just as I took yours. You did me no injustice then.

but still you did not scorn the test my illness made of you, nor did you spurn me for it; on the contrary, you welcomed me as an angel of God, as Christ Jesus Himself.

Where is your self-congratulation? For I can testify that you would have torn out your very eyes, if you could, and have given them to me.

These men are paying you special attention, but not sincerely. They want to shut you off from me, so that you may keep on paying them special attention.

O my dear children, I am suffering a mother's birth pangs for you again, until Christ is formed in you.

I wish I could be with you right now and change the tone of my speech, for I do not know which way to turn in your case.

Tell me, you who want to be subject to law, will you not listen to what the law says?

As for me, myself, brothers, if I am still preaching circumcision, why am I still being persecuted? In such a case the hindrance done by the cross has presumably ceased!

Brothers, if anybody is caught in the very act of doing wrong, you who are spiritual, in the spirit of gentleness, must set him right; each of you continuing to think of yourself, for you may be tempted too.

See what large letters I make, when I write to you with my own hand!

But may it never be mine to boast of anything but the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by which the world has been crucified to me and I to the world!

Let nobody trouble me after this, for I carry on my body the scars that mark me as Jesus' slave.