Paul, an apostle sent not from men or by any man, but by Jesus Christ and God the Father who raised Him from the dead --

for I did not get it from any man; I was not taught it, but I got it through a revelation given by Jesus Christ.

and not another single one of the apostles did I see, except James, the Lord's brother.

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 --

they did not try it even for the sake of the false brothers who had been smuggled in, who stole in to spy out the freedom we enjoy in Christ Jesus, so as to make us slaves again.

But we did not for a moment yield them submission, in order that the truth of the good news might prevail for you.

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

I want to ask you only this one thing: Did you receive the Spirit by doing what the law commands, or by believing the message you heard?

Are you so senseless? Did you begin by the Spirit, but are now approaching perfection by fleshly means?

But at that former time, as you did not know the true God, you were slaves to gods that do not really exist,

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.

But just as then the child born in the ordinary course of nature persecuted the one born by the power of the Spirit, so it is today.