The rest of the Jewish converts were guilty of the same hypocrisy, so that even Barnabas was led away by it.

We, though we are Jews by birth and not outcasts of Gentile origin, know that no one is pronounced righteous as the result of obedience to Law, but only through faith in Christ Jesus.

So we placed our faith in Christ Jesus, in order that we might be pronounced righteous, as the result of faith in Christ, and not of obedience to Law; for such obedience 'will not result in even one soul's being pronounced righteous.'

If, while seeking to be pronounced righteous through union with Christ, we were ourselves seen to be outcasts, would that make Christ an agent of sin? Heaven forbid!

I have been crucified with Christ. So it is no longer I that live, but it is Christ who lives in me; and, as for my present earthly life, I am living it by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.

Can you be so foolish? After beginning with what is spiritual, do you now end with what is external?

It is just as it was with Abraham--'He had faith in God, and his faith was regarded by God as righteousness.'

And Scripture, foreseeing that God would pronounce the Gentiles righteous as the result of faith, foretold the Good News to Abraham in the words--'Through thee all the Gentiles shall be blessed.'

All who rely upon obedience to Law are under a curse, for Scripture says--'Cursed is every one who does not abide by all that is written in the Book of the Law, and do it.'

Christ ransomed us from the curse pronounced in the Law, by taking the curse on himself for us, for Scripture says--'Cursed is any one who is hanged on a tree.'

And this he did that the blessing given to Abraham might be extended to the Gentiles through their union with Jesus Christ; that so, through our faith, we also might receive the promised gift of the Spirit.

My point is this--An agreement already confirmed by God cannot be canceled by the Law, which came four hundred and thirty years later, so as to cause the promise to be set aside.

If our heritage is the result of Law, then it has ceased to be the result of a promise. Yet God conferred it on Abraham by a promise.

What, then, you ask, was the use of the Law? It was a later addition, to make men conscious of their wrong-doings, and intended to last only till the coming of that 'offspring' to whom the promise had been made; and it was delivered through angels by a mediator.

But the words of Scripture represent the whole world as being in bondage to sin, so that the promised blessing, dependent, as it is, upon faith in Jesus Christ, may be given to those who have faith in him.

Before the coming of faith, we were kept under the guard of the Law, in bondage, awaiting the Faith that was destined to be revealed.

Thus the Law has proved a guide to lead us to Christ, in order that we may be pronounced righteous as the result of faith.

You, therefore, are no longer a slave, but a son; and, if a son, then an heir also, by God's appointment.

But now that you have found God--or, rather, have been found by him--how is it that you are turning back to that poor and feeble puerile teaching, to which yet once again you are wanting to become slaves?

Am I to think, then, that I have become your enemy by telling you the truth?

But I could wish to be with you now and speak in a different tone, for I am perplexed about you.

Tell me, you who want to be still subject to Law--Why do not you listen to the Law?

This story may be taken as an allegory. The women stand for two Covenants. One Covenant, given from Mount Sinai, produces a race of slaves and is represented by Hagar

Yet at that time the child born in the course of nature persecuted the child born by the power of the Spirit; and it is the same now.

But what does the passage of Scripture say? 'Send away the slave-woman and her son; for the slave's son shall not be co-heir with the son of the free woman.'

It is for freedom that Christ set us free; stand firm therefore, and do not again be held under the yoke of slavery.

Understand that I, Paul, myself tell you that if you allow yourselves to be circumcised, Christ will avail you nothing.

You have severed yourselves from Christ--you who are seeking to be pronounced righteous through Law; you have fallen away from love.

For we, by the help of the Spirit, are eagerly waiting for the fulfillment of our hope--that we may be pronounced righteous as the result of faith.

I, through my union with the Lord, am persuaded that you will learn to think with me. But the man who is disturbing your minds will have to bear his punishment, whoever he may be.

If I, Brothers, am still proclaiming circumcision, why am I still persecuted? It seems that the Cross has ceased to be an obstacle!

But, if you are continually wounding and preying upon one another, take care that you are not destroyed by one another.

This is what I have to say--Let your steps be guided by the Spirit, and then you will never gratify the cravings of your earthly nature.

But the fruit produced by the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindliness, generosity, trustfulness, gentleness, self-control.

Since our Life is due to the Spirit, let us rule our conduct also by the Spirit.

Brothers, even if a man should be caught committing a sin, you who are spiritually minded should, in a gentle spirit, help him to recover himself, taking care lest any one of you also should be tempted.

If a man imagines himself to be somebody, when he is really nobody, he deceives himself.

Let every one test his own work, and then his cause for satisfaction will be in himself and not in a comparison of himself with his neighbor;

Do not be deceived. God cannot be mocked. What a man sows that he will reap.

Those who wish to appear to advantage in regard to outward observances are the very people who are trying to compel you to be circumcised; and they do it only to avoid being persecuted for the cross of Jesus, the Christ.

Even these men who are circumcised do not themselves keep the Law; yet they want you to be circumcised, so that they may boast of your observance of the rite.

May all who rule their conduct by this principle find peace and mercy--they who are the Israel of God.

To Christ's People [AT EPHESUS] who are faithful to him, from Paul, an Apostle of Christ Jesus, by the will of God.

For he chose us in our union with Christ before the creation of the universe, that we might be holy and blameless in his sight, living in the spirit of love.

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

All this accords with the loving-kindness which God lavished upon us, accompanied by countless gifts of wisdom and discernment,

In him, I say, for by our union with him we became God's Heritage, having from the first been destined for this in the intention of him who, in all that happens, is carrying out his own fixed purpose;

And you, too, by your union with him, after you had heard the Message of the Truth, the Good News of your Salvation--you believed in him and were sealed as his by receiving the holy Spirit, which he had promised.

That your minds may be so enlightened that you may realize the hope given by God's Call, the wealth of the glory of his heritage among Christ's People,

And above every name that can be named, whether in the present age, or in the age to come.

For the Church is Christ's Body, and is filled by him who fills all things everywhere with his presence.

And it was among them that we all once lived our lives, indulging the cravings of our earthly nature, and carrying out the desires prompted by that earthly nature and by our own thoughts. Our very nature exposed us to the Divine Wrath, like the rest of mankind.

Even though we were 'dead' because of our offenses, gave Life to us in giving Life to the Christ. (By God's loving-kindness you have been saved.)

In order that, by his goodness to us in Christ Jesus, he might display in the ages to come the boundless wealth of his loving- kindness.

For it is by God's loving-kindness that you have been saved, through your faith. It is not due to yourselves; the gift is God's.

For we are God's handiwork, created, by our union with Christ Jesus, for the good actions in doing which God had pre-arranged that we should spend our lives.

Remember, therefore, that you were once Gentiles yourselves, as your bodies showed; you were called 'The Uncircumcised' by those who were called 'The Circumcised'--circumcised only by the hand of man!

But now, through your union with Christ Jesus, you who once were 'far off' have, by the shedding of the blood of the Christ, been brought 'near.'

And when, upon the cross, he had destroyed their mutual enmity, he sought by means of his cross to reconcile them both to God, united in one Body.

You have been built up upon the foundation laid by the Apostles and Prophets, Christ Jesus himself being 'the corner- stone.'

United in him, every part of the building, closely joined together, will grow into a Temple, consecrated by its union with the Lord.

And, through union in him, you also are being built up together, to be a dwelling-place for God through the Spirit.

And also that it was by direct revelation that the hidden purpose of God was made known to me, as I have already briefly told you.

And, by reading what I have written, you will be able to judge how far I understand this hidden purpose of God in Christ.

In former generations it was not made known to mankind, as fully as it has now been revealed by the Spirit to the Apostles and Prophets among Christ's People--

That, by union with Christ Jesus and through the Good News, the Gentiles are co-heirs with us and members of one Body, and that they share with us in God's Promise.

Yes, to me, who am less than the least of all Christ's People, was this charge entrusted!--to tell the Gentiles the Good News of the boundless wealth to be found in the Christ,

So that now to the Archangels and to all the Powers on high should be made known, through the Church, the all-embracing wisdom of God,

Therefore I beg you not to be disheartened at the sufferings that I am undergoing for your sakes; for they redound to your honor.

And pray that, in proportion to the wealth of his glory, he will strengthen you with his power by breathing his Spirit into your inmost soul,

And to understand--though it surpasses all understanding--the love of the Christ; and so be filled to the full with God himself.

To him be all glory through the Church and through Christ Jesus, for all generations, age after age. Amen.

And striving to maintain in the bond of peace the unity given by the Spirit.

And this shall continue, until we all attain to that unity which is given by faith and by a fuller knowledge of the Son of God; until we reach the ideal man--the full standard of the perfection of the Christ.

Then we shall no longer be like infants, tossed backward and forward, blown about by every breath of human teaching, through the trickery and the craftiness of men, towards the snares of error;

For from him the whole Body, closely joined and knit together by the contact of every part with the source of its life, derives its power to grow, in proportion to the vigor of each individual part; and so is being built up in a spirit of love.

And through union with him were taught the Truth, as it is to be found in Jesus.

That the very spirit of your minds must be constantly renewed;

'Be angry, yet do not sin.' Do not let the sun go down upon your anger;

Never let any foul word pass your lips, but only such good words as the occasion demands, that they may be a help to those who hear them.

Let all bitterness, passion, anger, brawling, and abusive language be banished from among you, as well as all malice.

Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, ready to forgive one another, just as God, in Christ, forgave you.

And live a life of love, following the example of the Christ, who loved you and gave himself for you as 'an offering and a sacrifice to God, that should be fragrant and acceptable.'

As for unchastity and every kind of impurity, or greed, do not let them even be mentioned among you, as befits Christ's People,

For of this you may be sure--that no one who is unchaste or impure or greedy of gain (for to be greedy of gain is idolatry) has any place awaiting him in the kingdom of the Christ and God.

For, although you were once in Darkness, now, by your union with the Lord, you are in the Light. Live as 'Children of Light'- -

For the outcome of life in the Light may be seen in every form of goodness, righteousness, and sincerity--

It is degrading even to speak of the things continually done by them in secret.

All such actions, when exposed, have their true character made manifest by the Light.

Do not drink wine to excess, for that leads to profligacy; but seek to be filled with the Spirit of God, and speak to one another in psalms and hymns and sacred songs.

To make her holy, after purifying her by the Washing with the Water, according to his promise;

So that he might himself bring the Church, in all her beauty, into his own presence, with no spot or wrinkle or blemish of any kind, but that she might be holy and faultless.

'For this cause a man shall leave his father and mother, and be united to his wife; and the man and his wife shall become one.'

However, for you individually, let each love his wife as if she were himself; and the wife be careful to respect her husband.

For you know that every one will be rewarded by the Master for any honest work that he has done, whether he is a slave or a freeman.

Put on the full armor of God, so that you may be able to stand your ground against the stratagems of the Devil.

Therefore take up the full armor of God, that, when the evil day comes, you may be able to withstand the attack, and, having fought to the end, still to stand your ground.

At every onslaught take up faith for your shield; for with it you will be able to extinguish all the flaming darts of the Evil One.

Pray in spirit at all times. Be intent upon this, with unwearying perseverance and supplication for all Christ's People- -

And on my behalf also, that, when I begin to speak, words may be given me, so that I may fearlessly make known the inmost truth of the Good News,