Paul, an apostle not from men nor sent by any man, but by Jesus Christ and God the Father who raised him from the dead??2 and all the brothers who are here with me, to the churches of Galatia;

who to save us from the present wicked world gave himself for our sins at the will of our God and Father.

I am amazed that you are so quickly turning away from him who called you by the mercy of Christ, to some different good news??7 not that there is any other, only that there are some people who are trying to unsettle you and want to turn the good news of the Christ around.

And when God, who had set me apart from my birth and had called me in his mercy, saw fit

or going up to Jerusalem to see those who had been apostles before me, I went off to Arabia, and on my return came back to Damascus.

they only heard people say, "The man who once persecuted us is now preaching the good news of the faith he tried to destroy,"

to gratify the false brothers who had been smuggled in, who sneaked in to spy upon the freedom we enjoy in Christ Jesus, so as to reduce us to slavery again.

Those who were regarded as the leaders??hat they once were makes no difference to me; God takes no account of external differences??he leaders contributed nothing new to me.

On the contrary, when they saw that I had been intrusted with the good news for the heathen, just as Peter had been intrusted with it for the Jews??8 for he who actuated Peter to be an apostle to the Jews also actuated me to be one to the heathen??9 and when they recognized the favor God had shown me, James, Cephas, and John, who were regarded as pillars of the church, pledged Barnabas and me their co-operation, with the understanding that we should work among the heathen and they among the Jews.

We who are Jews by birth, and not sinful heathen,

but who know that a man is not made upright by doing what the Law commands, but by faith in Christ Jesus??ven we believed in Christ Jesus, so as to be made upright by faith in Christ and not by doing what the Law commands??or by doing what the Law commands no one can be made upright.

I have been crucified with Christ, and it is no longer I that live, but Christ that lives in me. The life I am now living in the body I am living by faith in the Son of God who loved me and gave himself for me.

You senseless Galatians! Who has bewitched you, when you had Jesus Christ shown crucified right before your eyes?

For there is a curse upon all who rely on obedience to the Law, for the Scripture says, "Cursed be anyone who does not stand by everything that is written in the Book of the Law and obey it."

and the Law has nothing to do with faith; it teaches that it is the man who does these things that will find life by doing them.

Christ ransomed us from the Law's curse by taking our curse upon himself (for the Scripture says, "Cursed be anyone who is hung on a tree")

But the Scripture describes all mankind as the prisoners of sin, so that the promised blessing might on the ground of faith in Jesus Christ be given to those who have faith.

For all of you who have been baptized into union with Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ.

to ransom those who were subject to law, so that we might receive adoption.

my children??ou for whom I am enduring a mother's pains again, until Christ is formed in you.

Tell me this, you who want to be subject to law: Will you not listen to the Law?

For the Scripture says, "Rejoice, childless woman, who bear no children, Break into shouting, you who have no birth pains! For the desolate woman has more children than the married one!"

So, brothers, we are children not of a slave but of one who is free.

I insist again to any man who lets himself be circumcised, that he is under obligation to obey the whole Law.

You people who propose to be made upright by law have finished with Christ; you have lost your hold upon God's favor.

You were making such progress! Who has stopped your obeying the truth?

That kind of persuasion never came from him who called you!

I am confident in the Lord that you will not take a different view. The man who is unsettling you will have to pay the penalty for it, no matter who he is.

I wish the people who are upsetting you would go on, and have themselves emasculated!

envy, drunkenness, carousing, and the like. I warn you as I did before that people who do such things will have no share in the Kingdom of God.

Those who belong to Jesus the Christ have crucified the physical nature with its propensities and cravings.

Those who are taught the message must share all their goods with their teacher.

The man who sows to gratify his physical cravings will reap destruction from them, and the man who sows to benefit the spirit will reap eternal life from the Spirit.

So then whenever we have an opportunity, let us do good to all men, especially to those who belong to the family of the faith.

These men who are trying to force you to let yourselves be circumcised want to present a good appearance externally, to save themselves from having to stand persecution for the cross of Jesus the Christ.

Why, even those who let themselves be circumcised do not observe the Law themselves! But they want you to let yourselves be circumcised so that they can boast of that physical fact about you!

Peace and mercy be on all who will follow this rule, and on the true Israel of God.