I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting the one who called you by the grace of Christ and are following a different gospel --

not that there really is another gospel, but there are some who are disturbing you and wanting to distort the gospel of Christ.

Now I want you to know, brothers and sisters, that the gospel I preached is not of human origin.

to reveal his Son in me so that I could preach him among the Gentiles, I did not go to ask advice from any human being,

I assure you that, before God, I am not lying about what I am writing to you!

But I was personally unknown to the churches of Judea that are in Christ.

I went there because of a revelation and presented to them the gospel that I preach among the Gentiles. But I did so only in a private meeting with the influential people, to make sure that I was not running -- or had not run -- in vain.

Now this matter arose because of the false brothers with false pretenses who slipped in unnoticed to spy on our freedom that we have in Christ Jesus, to make us slaves.

But we did not surrender to them even for a moment, in order that the truth of the gospel would remain with you.

On the contrary, when they saw that I was entrusted with the gospel to the uncircumcised just as Peter was to the circumcised

and when James, Cephas, and John, who had a reputation as pillars, recognized the grace that had been given to me, they gave to Barnabas and me the right hand of fellowship, agreeing that we would go to the Gentiles and they to the circumcised.

They requested only that we remember the poor, the very thing I also was eager to do.

And the rest of the Jews also joined with him in this hypocrisy, so that even Barnabas was led astray with them by their hypocrisy.

But when I saw that they were not behaving consistently with the truth of the gospel, I said to Cephas in front of them all, "If you, although you are a Jew, live like a Gentile and not like a Jew, how can you try to force the Gentiles to live like Jews?"

yet we know that no one is justified by the works of the law but by the faithfulness of Jesus Christ. And we have come to believe in Christ Jesus, so that we may be justified by the faithfulness of Christ and not by the works of the law, because by the works of the law no one will be justified.

But if I build up again those things I once destroyed, I demonstrate that I am one who breaks God's law.

For through the law I died to the law so that I may live to God.

so then, understand that those who believe are the sons of Abraham.

And the scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, proclaimed the gospel to Abraham ahead of time, saying, "All the nations will be blessed in you."

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

What I am saying is this: The law that came four hundred thirty years later does not cancel a covenant previously ratified by God, so as to invalidate the promise.

Is the law therefore opposed to the promises of God? Absolutely not! For if a law had been given that was able to give life, then righteousness would certainly have come by the law.

But the scripture imprisoned everything and everyone under sin so that the promise could be given -- because of the faithfulness of Jesus Christ -- to those who believe.

Thus the law had become our guardian until Christ, so that we could be declared righteous by faith.

But now that faith has come, we are no longer under a guardian.

Now I mean that the heir, as long as he is a minor, is no different from a slave, though he is the owner of everything.

to redeem those who were under the law, so that we may be adopted as sons with full rights.

Formerly when you did not know God, you were enslaved to beings that by nature are not gods at all.

But now that you have come to know God (or rather to be known by God), how can you turn back again to the weak and worthless basic forces? Do you want to be enslaved to them all over again?

I fear for you that my work for you may have been in vain.

But you know it was because of a physical illness that I first proclaimed the gospel to you,

Where then is your sense of happiness now? For I testify about you that if it were possible, you would have pulled out your eyes and given them to me!

They court you eagerly, but for no good purpose; they want to exclude you, so that you would seek them eagerly.

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

But just as at that time the one born by natural descent persecuted the one born according to the Spirit, so it is now.

Listen! I, Paul, tell you that if you let yourselves be circumcised, Christ will be of no benefit to you at all!

And I testify again to every man who lets himself be circumcised that he is obligated to obey the whole law.

For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision carries any weight -- the only thing that matters is faith working through love.

I am confident in the Lord that you will accept no other view. But the one who is confusing you will pay the penalty, whoever he may be.

Now, brothers and sisters, if I am still preaching circumcision, why am I still being persecuted? In that case the offense of the cross has been removed.

However, if you continually bite and devour one another, beware that you are not consumed by one another.

For the flesh has desires that are opposed to the Spirit, and the Spirit has desires that are opposed to the flesh, for these are in opposition to each other, so that you cannot do what you want.

Brothers and sisters, if a person is discovered in some sin, you who are spiritual restore such a person in a spirit of gentleness. Pay close attention to yourselves, so that you are not tempted too.

For those who are circumcised do not obey the law themselves, but they want you to be circumcised so that they can boast about your flesh.

For neither circumcision nor uncircumcision counts for anything; the only thing that matters is a new creation!