I am astonished that you are turning away so quickly from the one who called you by the grace of Christ to a different gospel,

not that [there] is a different [gospel], except there are some who are disturbing you and wanting to distort the gospel of Christ.

For I make known to you, brothers, the gospel that has been proclaimed by me, that it is not {of human origin}.

For you have heard about my former way of life in Judaism, that to an extraordinary degree I was persecuting the church of God, and trying to destroy it,

to reveal his Son in me in order that I would proclaim the gospel [about] him among the Gentiles, immediately I did not consult with flesh and blood,

(Now [the things] which I am writing to you, behold, [I assure you] before God that I am not lying.)

but I was unknown {in person} to the churches of Judea [that are] in Christ,

and they were only hearing, "The one formerly persecuting us is now proclaiming the faith that formerly he was attempting to destroy,"

Now I went up [there] because of a revelation and laid out to them the gospel that I preach among the Gentiles, but in private to the influential people, lest somehow I was running, or had run, in vain.

Now [this was] because of the false brothers secretly brought in, who slipped in to spy out our freedom that we have in Christ Jesus, in order that they might enslave us,

to whom not even for an hour did we yield in subjection, in order that the truth of the gospel might remain continually with you.

But these, [when they] saw that I had been entrusted [with] the gospel to the uncircumcision, just as Peter to the circumcision

and [when] James and Cephas and John--those thought to be pillars--acknowledged the grace given to me, they gave to me and Barnabas the right [hand] of fellowship, in order that we [should go] to the Gentiles and they to the circumcision.

[They asked] only that we should remember the poor, the very thing I was also eager to do.

and the rest of the Jews also joined in [this] hypocrisy with him, so that even Barnabas was carried away with them in [their] hypocrisy.

But when I saw that they were not being straightforward with the truth of the gospel, I said to Cephas in the presence of [them] all, "If you, [although you] are a Jew, live like a Gentile and not like a Jew, how can you try to compel the Gentiles to live like Jews?"

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}.

For through the law I died to the law, in order that I might live to God. I have been crucified with Christ,

and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me, and that [life] I now live in the flesh, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.

then understand that the ones {who have faith}, these are sons of Abraham.

And the scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, proclaimed the good news in advance to Abraham: "In you all the nations will be blessed."

For as many as are of the works of the law are under a curse, for it is written, "Cursed [is] everyone who does not abide by all [the things] that are written in the book of the law to do them."

Now [it is] clear that no one is justified in the sight of God by the law, because "the one who is righteous will live by faith."

in order that the blessing of Abraham might come to the Gentiles in Christ Jesus, so that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith.

Now I am saying this: the law, that came after four hundred and thirty years, does not revoke a covenant previously ratified by God, in order to nullify 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 scripture imprisoned all under sin, in order that the promise could be given by faith in Jesus Christ to those who believe.

So then, the law became our guardian until Christ, in order that we could be justified by faith.

in order that he might redeem those under the law, in order that we might receive the adoption.

so that you are no longer a slave but a son, and if a son, also an heir through God.

But at that time [when you] did not know God, you were enslaved to the things which by nature are not gods.

But you know that because of an illness of the flesh I proclaimed the gospel to you the first time.

So where [is] your blessing? For I testify to you that, if possible, you would have torn out your eyes [and] given [them] to me!

They zealously seek you, not commendably, but they want to exclude you, in order that you may seek them [zealously].

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

For it is written, "Rejoice, O barren woman, who does not give birth to [children]; burst out and shout, [you] who do not have birth pains, because many [are] the children of the desolate [woman], even more than [those of] the one who has a husband."

But just as at that time the [child] born according to human descent persecuted the [child born] according to the Spirit, so also now.

Look! I, Paul, tell you that if you become circumcised, Christ will profit you nothing!

And again I testify to every man who becomes circumcised, that he is under obligation to keep the whole law.

I have confidence in you in the Lord that you will think nothing different, but the one who is confusing you {will pay the penalty}, whoever he may be.

Now, brothers, if I am still preaching circumcision, why am I still being persecuted? In that case the stumbling block of the cross has been abolished.

I wish that the ones who are disturbing you would also {castrate themselves}!

But if you bite and devour one another, watch out [that] you are not consumed by one another.

For the flesh desires against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh, for these are in opposition to one another, so that whatever you want, you may not do these [things].

envy, drunkenness, carousing, and things like these, [things] which I am telling you [in advance], just as I said before, that the ones who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.

As many as are wanting to make a good showing in the flesh, these are attempting to compel you to be circumcised, only so that they will not be persecuted for the cross of Christ.

For not even those who are circumcised observe the law themselves, but they want you to be circumcised in order that they may boast in your flesh.

But [as] for me, may it never be [that I] boast, except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world.