PAUL, an apostle, (not from men, nor by man, but by Jesus Christ, and God the Father, who raised him from the dead,)

For, do I now seek the favor of men, or of God? or do I strive to please men? If, indeed, I would still please men, I should not be the servant of Christ.

But I make known to you, brethren, that the gospel which is preached by me, is not according to man:

With respect to the things which I now write to you, behold, before God I lie not.

but I was not known, in person, to the churches of Judea which are in Christ.

But not even Titus, who was with me, though he was a Greek, was compelled to be circumcised.

to whom we yielded in submission, not even for an hour, in order that the truth of the gospel might remain with you.

But from those who were supposed to be something; (what they were is a matter of no importance to me: God does not accept the person of man;) they, indeed, who were supposed to be something, communicated no additional truth to me;

But when I saw that they did not walk uprightly according to the truth of the gospel, I said to Peter, before them all: If you, being a Jew, live after the manner of the Gentiles, and not after the manner of the Jews, why do you compel the Gen tiles to observe Jewish customs?

We, who are Jews by birth, and not Gentile sinners,

knowing that a man is not justified by works of law, but by faith in Jesus Christ, even we have believed on Christ Jesus, that we may be justified by faith in Christ, and not by works of law: because, by works of law no flesh shall be justified.

But if, while we seek to be justified in Christ, we ourselves are also found sinners, is Christ, there fore, the minister of sin? It can not be.

I do not set aside the grace of God: for if righteousness be through law, then Christ has died in vain.

For as many as are of the works of the law are under the curse: for it is written, Cursed is every one that does not continue in all things written in the book of the law to do them.

The law, indeed, is not of faith; but he that does these things shall live by them.

Now the promises were spoken to Abraham and to his offspring; he does not say: And to offsprings, as if he spoke of many; but as of one, And to your offspring, which is Christ.

And this I affirm, that the covenant which had been before confirmed by God with respect to Christ, the law, which was four hundred and thirty years after, could not annul so as to make the promise of no effect.

Is the law, then, against the promises of God? It can not be. For if a law had been given which could have given life, surely righteousness would have been by law.

But, then, because you knew not God, you were enslaved to those who, by nature, are not gods:

and my trial, which was in my flesh, you did not despise or loathe; but you received me as an angel of God, as Christ Jesus.

They are ardently attached to you, but not honorably; in deed, they desire to exclude us, that you may be ardently attached to them.

It is honorable to be ardently attached always, in what is honorable, and not only when I am present with you.

Tell me, you that desire to be under the law, do you not understand the law?

For it is written: Rejoice you barren, that do not bear: break forth and cry aloud, you that travail not: for many more are the children of the deserted, than of her that had the husband of the deserted.

But what says the scripture? Cast out the bondwoman and her son; for the son of the bondwoman shall not be heir with the son of the free-woman.

Therefore, brethren, we are not children of the bondwoman, but of the free- woman.

Stand firm, therefore, in the freedom with which Christ has made us free, and be not held fast again in the yoke of bondage.

This readiness to be persuaded is not from him that calls you.

For you have been called to freedom, brethren: only use not your freedom as an occasion for the flesh, but become servants to one another, through love.

I say this: Walk in the Spirit, and you will not fulfill the desires of the flesh.

For the desire of the flesh is against the Spirit, and the desire of the Spirit is against flesh; and these are opposed, the one to the other, so that you can not do what you would.

But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under law.

Let us not be vain-glorious, provoking one another, envying one another.

but let each one prove his own work, and then he will have cause to boast with respect to him self only, and not with respect to another:

Be not deceived; God is not mocked. For whatever a man sows, that also shall he reap.

Let us not become weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not.

As many as wish to make a fair show in the flesh, these compel you to be circumcised, only that they may not suffer persecution for the cross of the Christ.

For not even do those very men, who are circumcised, keep the law: but they wish you to be circumcised, that they may boast in your flesh.