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 --

and all the brothers who are here with me -- to the churches of Galatia:

who gave Himself for our sins, to save us from the present wicked world in accordance with the will of our God and Father;

I am astonished that you are beginning so soon to turn away from Him who called you by the favor of Christ, to a different good news,

which is not really another one; only there are certain people who are trying to unsettle you and want to turn the good news of Christ upside down.

But when God, who had already set me apart from my birth, and had called me by His unmerited favor,

and before I went up to Jerusalem to see those who had been apostles before me, I retired to Arabia, and afterwards returned to Damascus.

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.

Those who were looked upon as leaders -- what they were makes no difference to me -- God pays no attention to outward appearances these leaders added nothing new to me.

for He who had been at work in Peter for his apostleship to the Jews had been at work in me too for the apostleship to the heathen --

I have been crucified with Christ, and I myself no longer live, but Christ is living in me; the life I now live as a mortal man I live by faith in the Son of God who loved me and gave Himself for me.

O senseless Galatians! Who has bewitched you, before whose very eyes Jesus Christ was pictured as the crucified One?

So you see, it is the men of faith who are the real descendants of Abraham.

For those who depend on what the law commands are under a curse, for the Scripture says, "Cursed be everyone who does not continue in all the commands that are written in the book of the law, to do them."

and the law has nothing to do with faith, but it says, "It is the man who does these things that will live by doing them."

Christ ransomed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us -- for the Scripture says, "Cursed be everyone who is hanged on a tree" --

Then what about the law? It was added later on to increase transgressions, until the descendant to whom the promise was made should come, enacted through the agency of angels in the person of an intermediary.

But the Scripture pictures all mankind as prisoners of sin, so that the promised blessing through faith in Christ might 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 be adopted as sons.

Tell me, you who want to be subject to law, will you not listen to what the law says?

For the Scripture says: "Rejoice, you childless woman, who never bore a child; break forth into shouting, you who feel no birth pangs; for the desolate woman has many children, even more than the married one."

You people, whoever you are among you, who try to get into right standing with God, through law have cut yourselves off from Christ, you have missed the way of God's favor.

You were running beautifully! Who was it that cut into your way and kept you from obeying the truth?

Such persuasion never came from Him who called you.

By our union with the Lord I have confidence in you that you will take no other view of the matter. The man who is unsettling you will certainly pay the penalty for it, no matter who it turns out to be.

I almost wish that these men who are upsetting you would go all the way, and have themselves mutilated.

envy, drunkenness, carousing, and the like. I now warn you, as I have done before, that those who practice such things shall not be heirs of the kingdom of God.

And those who belong to Jesus the Christ have crucified the lower nature with its passions and evil cravings.

Brothers, if anybody is caught in the very act of doing wrong, you who are spiritual, in the spirit of gentleness, must set him right; each of you continuing to think of yourself, for you may be tempted too.

Those who are taught the truth should share all their goods with the man who teaches them.

The person who sows to gratify his lower nature will reap destruction from that lower nature, and the person who sows to gratify his higher nature will reap eternal life from the Spirit.

These men who are trying to force you to let yourselves be circumcised simply want to make a fine outward show, only to keep you from being persecuted for the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Indeed, the very men who let themselves be circumcised do not themselves observe the law. But they simply want you to let yourselves be circumcised, so that they can boast of you as members of their party.

Now peace and mercy be on all who walk by this rule; that is, on the true Israel of God.