Let me illustrate, brothers, from every-day life. When once a human testament is made, and formally ratified, no one sets it aside or adds to it.

For if the inheritance comes from law, it no longer comes from a promise; but God did give it as a free gift to Abraham by a promise.

Is the Law then opposed to the promises of God? Certainly not; for if a law had been given which could make alive, then righteousness would actually have come from law;

But scripture confined all things under sin, so that the promise from faith in Jesus Christ might be given to those who believe.

So that the law became our schoolmaster for Christ, so that we might be made righteous from faith.

What I mean is this. As long as the heir is a child, he differs in no respect from a slave, though he be the owner of the whole inheritance;

Instead he is under stewards and managers until the time appointed from the father.

But when the fullness of the time came, God sent forth his Son, born from a woman, born under law,

to redeem from captivity those under law, in order that we might receive our sonship.

Believers, I beg of you, become as I am [free from the bondage of Jewish ritualism and ordinances], for I have become as you are [a Gentile]. You did me no wrong [when I first came to you; do not do it now].

They are not rightly zealous after you, but desire to shut you out from us, that ye may be zealous after them.

For it is written that Abraham had two sons, one from the servant girl, and one from the freewoman.

But in fact, the man from the servant girl was born according to flesh, but the man from the freewoman through promise.

Now all this is an allegory, for these women are the two covenants; one from Mount Sinai, which is Hagar bearing children into bondage

But the Jerusalem from above is free, who is the mother of us all.

Christ set us free [from condemnation under the law of Moses], so we could stay free! Remain where you are then, and do not get tangled up again in the enslaving harness [of the law of Moses].

Notice, it is I, Paul, who tells you that if you receive circumcision [as a supposed requirement of salvation], Christ will be of no benefit to you [for you will lack the faith in Christ that is necessary for salvation].

If you are being justified by law, you are cut off from Christ; you are fallen away from grace.

For through the Spirit, by faith, we eagerly wait for the hope of righteousness.

For in [our relationship with] Christ neither the practice of circumcision nor refraining from its practice matters in any way; but [all that really matters is having a genuine] faith [in Christ] that causes us to work [for Him] out of a genuine love [for Him and others].

You were running your race nobly. Who hindered you from obeying the truth?

The influence brought to bear does not come from him who is calling you.

I would to God they were separated from you, which trouble you.

For the sinful nature has its desire which is opposed to the Spirit, and the [desire of the] Spirit opposes the sinful nature; for these [two, the sinful nature and the Spirit] are in direct opposition to each other [continually in conflict], so that you [as believers] do not [always] do whatever [good things] you want to do.

For the one who sows to his flesh [his sinful capacity, his worldliness, his disgraceful impulses] will reap from the flesh ruin and destruction, but the one who sows to the Spirit will from the Spirit reap eternal life.

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.

But far be it from me to boast [in anything or anyone], except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world.

For it does not matter whether a person practices circumcision or refrains from practicing it; what really matters is [whether or not he is] a new creature [in the eyes of God].

To all those people who live by this rule, may there be peace and mercy [from God] in their lives; that is, upon [those people who are truly] God's "Israel" [i.e., the church].

From now on let no one trouble me [by making it necessary for me to justify my authority as an apostle, and the absolute truth of the gospel], for I bear on my body the branding-marks of Jesus [the wounds, scars, and other outward evidence of persecutions—these testify to His ownership of me].

Brethren, the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit, Amen. {Unto the Galatians, Written from Rome}

From Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, to the saints [in Ephesus], the faithful in Christ Jesus.

Grace to you and peace [inner calm and spiritual well-being] from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

Even as he made selection of us in him from the first, so that we might be holy and free from all evil before him in love:

From the first he destined us, in his good-will towards us, to be adopted as Sons through Jesus Christ,

In [fellowship with] Christ we have redemption [i.e., we have been bought back from Satan] through His blood, and have forgiveness of sins according to the abundance of God's unearned favor,

In whom we have a heritage, being marked out from the first in his purpose who does all things in agreement with his designs;

For this reason I also, from the time when I heard of the faith in the Lord Jesus which prevails among you, and your love to all the saints,

which he energised in the Christ, when he raised him from among the dead, and seated him at his right hand in the heavenlies,

even when we were [spiritually] dead and separated from Him because of our sins, He made us [spiritually] alive together with Christ (for by His grace—His undeserved favor and mercy—you have been saved from God’s judgment).

together with him He raised us from the dead, and together with Christ Jesus seated us in the heavenly realm,

For, by his favour, have ye been saved, through means of faith, and this hath come to pass - not from you, of God, the free-gift!

Not from works, lest anyone should boast.

For which reason, remember that you were formerly Gen tiles, by natural descent, and that you are called Uncircumcision by the Circumcision; so called, from a mark made in the flesh by hands;

That ye were, in that season, separate from Christ, alienated from the citizenship of Israel, and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope, and godless in the world;

But now [that you are] in [fellowship with] Christ, you [Gentiles], who were once far away [from God], have been brought near [to Him] through the blood of Christ.

For He is our peace, who hath made both one, and removed the wall of partition from between us;

by abolishing in His [own crucified] flesh the hostility caused by the Law with its commandments contained in ordinances [which He satisfied]; so that in Himself He might make the two into one new man, thereby establishing peace.

And Christ came and preached peace to you [Gentiles], who were far away [from God], and peace to those [Jews] who were near [to Him].

So then you are no longer strangers and aliens [outsiders without rights of citizenship], but you are fellow citizens with the saints (God’s people), and are [members] of God’s household,

[Note: Paul here digresses from his prayer, begun in 1:15-16, to explain the circumstances of his being a prisoner on behalf of these Gentiles]. [I assume] you have heard about my commission [to minister] to you, which was given to me by God's unearned favor.

which in the earlier ages, so different from the present, was not made known to mankind as fully as now, but through the Spirit it has been revealed to His Holy apostles and prophets --

And to bring to light - what is the administration of the sacred secret which had been hidden away from the ages in God, who did all things create:

according to the purpose from everlasting, which he formed in Christ Jesus our Lord:

From whom every fatherhood in the heavens and upon the earth is named, -

be praise in the congregation by Jesus Christ, throughout all generations from time to time. Amen.

I then, the prisoner in the Lord, make this request from my heart, that you will see that your behaviour is a credit to the position which God's purpose has given you,

There is but one body and one Spirit, just as there is but one hope resulting from the call you have received;

(Now this expression, “He ascended,” what does it mean except that He also had previously descended [from the heights of heaven] into the lower parts of the earth?

He who descended is the very same as He who also has ascended high above all the heavens, that He [His presence] might fill all things [that is, the whole universe]).

till we should all attain the unity of the faith and knowledge of God's Son, reaching maturity, reaching the full measure of development which belongs to the fulness of Christ ??14 instead of remaining immature, blown from our course and swayed by every passing wind of doctrine, by the adroitness of men who are dexterous in devising error;

So that we are no longer children [spiritually immature], tossed back and forth [like ships on a stormy sea] and carried about by every wind of [shifting] doctrine, by the cunning and trickery of [unscrupulous] men, by the deceitful scheming of people ready to do anything [for personal profit].

From him the whole body (knit together and compacted by all its joints) makes continual growth of the body so as to build itself up in love, through the energy of his bounteous provision, according to the need of each several part.

This I say therefore, and testify in the Lord, that you should not walk from now on as other nations walk, in the vanity of their mind,

Being darkened in their understanding, alienated from the life of God - by reason of the ignorance that existeth within them, by reason of their hearts being turned into stone,

but you have learned other things from Christ,

that, regarding your previous way of life, you put off your old self [completely discard your former nature], which is being corrupted through deceitful desires,

and put on the new man (in accordance with God), who is created in righteousness and holiness from the truth.

He stealing let him steal no more: and rather let him be wearied from fatigue, working good with the hands, that he have to impart to him having need.

From your lips let no evil words come forth, but such as occasion warrants, such as are good for upbuilding and give a blessing to the hearers.

And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God [but seek to please Him], by whom you were sealed and marked [branded as God’s own] for the day of redemption [the final deliverance from the consequences of sin].

All bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and outcry, and profane speaking, let it be taken away from you, with all baseness;

Do not be turned from the right way by foolish words; for because of these things the punishment of God comes on those who do not put themselves under him.

Take no part in deeds of Darkness, from which no good can come; on the contrary, expose them.

Wherefore it saith - Up! thou sleeper, and arise from among the dead, and the Christ will shine upon thee.

And submit to one another from reverence for him.

Separate from this a man will leave his father and mother behind, and will be bonded with his wife, and the two will be in one flesh.

Not by way of eye-service as man-pleasers, but as servants of Christ, doing the will of God, from the soul,

slaving with good-will from your heart, as for the Lord and not for men;

Knowing that, each one, whatsoever he may do that is good, the same, shall he receive back from the Lord, whether bond or free.

And ye masters, do the same things to them, easing up the threats, knowing also that the master of you yourselves is in the heavens, and there is no partiality from him.

In conclusion, be strong in the Lord [draw your strength from Him and be empowered through your union with Him] and in the power of His [boundless] might.

by fitting your feet with the preparation that comes from the good news of peace,

Peace unto the brethren, and love with faith, - from God our Father, and Lord Jesus Christ.

Grace be with all them which love our Lord Jesus Christ in pureness. Amen. {Sent from Rome unto the Ephesians by Tychicus.}

From Paul and Timothy, slaves of Christ Jesus, to all the saints in Christ Jesus who are in Philippi, with the overseers and deacons.

Favour unto you, and peace, from God our Father and Lord Jesus Christ.

I thank my God upon every remembrance of you??4 always, in every supplication of mine on behalf of you all, making supplication with joy??5 on account of your fellowship for the Gospel, from the first day until now;

On account of your contribution unto the glad-message, from the first day until the present:

For God beareth me record how greatly I long after you all from the very heart-root in Jesus Christ.

having been full of qualities of righteousness, which come from Jesus Christ and produce honor and praise to God.

Most of the brothers in the Lord have gained confidence from my imprisonment and dare even more to speak the message fearlessly.

Some indeed are preaching Christ out of envy and contentiousness, but others from good-will.

Some indeed proclaim the Christ from selfish ambition, not sincerely, supposing to bring affliction to my bonds.

But some from love, knowing that I am set for the defense of the good-news.

But what difference does it make? All that matters is that, in one way or another, from false motives or honest ones, Christ is being made known; I am glad of that. Yes, and I expect to be glad,

because I know this will lead to my deliverance through your prayers and help from the Spirit of Jesus Christ.

But if to live in the flesh, -- if this shall bring fruit from my work, then what I shall choose I know not.

So, I am in a dilemma between the two choices. [On the one hand] I have the desire to depart [from this life] and be with Christ [in heaven], which would be far better.

Only let your behaviour do credit to the good news of Christ, so that if I come and see you or if I am away from you, I may have news of you that you are strong in one spirit, working together with one soul for the faith of the good news;