For you have heard of my former way of life in Judaism, how I was savagely persecuting the church of God and trying to destroy it.

I was advancing in Judaism beyond many of my contemporaries in my nation, and was extremely zealous for the traditions of my ancestors.

But when the one who set me apart from birth and called me by his grace was pleased

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.

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

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

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

Until certain people came from James, he had been eating with the Gentiles. But when they arrived, he stopped doing this and separated himself because he was afraid of those who were pro-circumcision.

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.

You foolish Galatians! Who has cast a spell on you? Before your eyes Jesus Christ was vividly portrayed as crucified!

Have you suffered so many things for nothing? -- if indeed it was for nothing.

Just as Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness,

Why then was the law given? It was added because of transgressions, until the arrival of the descendant to whom the promise had been made. It was administered through angels by an intermediary.

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

But one, the son by the slave woman, was born by natural descent, while the other, the son by the free woman, was born through the promise.