What I have just said I repeat--if any one is preaching to you a Good News other than that which you originally received, let him be accursed.

For is it man's favour or God's that I aspire to? Or am I seeking to please men? If I were still a man-pleaser, I should not be Christ's bondservant.

For I must tell you, brethren, that the Good News which was proclaimed by me is not such as man approves of.

For, in fact, it was not from man that I received or learnt it, but by a revelation from Jesus Christ.

saw fit to reveal His Son within me in order that I might tell among the Gentiles the Good News concerning Him, at once I did not confer with any human being,

But not for an hour did we give way and submit to them; in order that the Good News might continue with you in its integrity.

Indeed, when they saw that I was entrusted with the preaching of the Good News to the Gentiles as Peter had been with that to the Jews--

and when they perceived the mission which was graciously entrusted to me, they (that is to say, James, Peter, and John, who were considered to be the pillars of the Church)

Only they urged that we should remember their poor--a thing which was uppermost in my own mind.

And along with him the other Jews also concealed their real opinions, so that even Barnabas was carried away by their lack of straightforwardness.

As soon as I saw that they were not walking uprightly in the spirit of the Good News, I said to Peter, before them all, "If you, though you are a Jew, live as a Gentile does, and not as a Jew, how can you make the Gentiles follow Jewish customs?

know that it is not through obedience to Law that a man can be declared free from guilt, but only through faith in Jesus Christ. We have therefore believed in Christ Jesus, for the purpose of being declared free from guilt, through faith in Christ and not through obedience to Law. For through obedience to Law no human being shall be declared free from guilt.

Why, if I am now rebuilding that structure of sin which I had demolished, I am thereby constituting myself a transgressor;

for it is by the Law that I have died to the Law, in order that I may live to God.

I have been crucified with Christ, and it is no longer I that live, but Christ that lives in me; and the life which I now live in the body I live through faith in the Son of God who loved me and gave Himself up to death on my behalf.

Answer me this one question, "Is it on the ground of your obedience to the Law that you received the Spirit, or is it because, when you heard, you believed?"

Notice therefore that those who possess faith are true sons of Abraham.

And the Scripture, foreseeing that in consequence of faith God would declare the nations to be free from guilt, sent beforehand the Good News to Abraham, saying, "In you all the nations shall be blessed."

So we see that it is those who possess faith that are blessed with believing Abraham.

It is evident, too, that no one can find acceptance with God simply by obeying the Law, because "the righteous shall live by faith,"

and the Law has nothing to do with faith. It teaches that "he who does these things shall live by doing them."

Our freedom has been thus purchased in order that in Christ Jesus the blessing belonging to Abraham may come upon the nations, so that through faith we may receive the promised Spirit.

I mean that the Covenant which God had already formally made is not abrogated by the Law which was given four hundred and thirty years later--so as to annul the promise.

But Scripture has shown that all mankind are the prisoners of sin, in order that the promised blessing, which depends on faith in Jesus Christ, may be given to those who believe.

So that the Law has acted the part of a tutor-slave to lead us to Christ, in order that through faith we may be declared to be free from guilt.

But now that this faith has come, we are no longer under a tutor-slave.

Now I say that so long as an heir is a child, he in no respect differs from a slave, although he is the owner of everything,

in order to purchase the freedom of all who were subject to Law, so that we might receive recognition as sons.

I am alarmed about you, and am afraid that I have perhaps bestowed labour upon you to no purpose.

And you know that in those early days it was on account of bodily infirmity that I proclaimed the Good News to you,

I ask you, then, what has become of your self-congratulations? For I bear you witness that had it been possible you would have torn out your own eyes and have given them to me.

Can it be that I have become your enemy through speaking the truth to you?

These men pay court to you, but not with honourable motives. They want to exclude you, so that you may pay court to them.

Would that I were with you and could change my tone, for I am perplexed about you.

For it is written that Abraham had two sons, one by the slave-girl and one by the free woman.

But we see that the child of the slave-girl was born in the common course of nature; but the child of the free woman in fulfilment of the promise.

For it is written, "Rejoice, thou barren woman that bearest not, break forth into a joyful cry, thou that dost not travail with child. For the desolate woman has many children--more indeed than she who has the husband."

Yet just as, at that time, the child born in the common course of nature persecuted the one whose birth was due to the power of the Spirit, so it is now.

Remember that it is I Paul who tell you that if you receive circumcision Christ will avail you nothing.

I once more protest to every man who receives circumcision that he is under obligation to obey the whole Law of Moses.

For my part I have strong confidence in you in the Lord that you will adopt my view of the matter. But the man--be he who he may--who is troubling you, will have to bear the full weight of the judgement to be pronounced on him.

As for me, brethren, if I am still a preacher of circumcision, how is it that I am still suffering persecution? In that case the Cross has ceased to be a stumbling-block!

Would to God that those who are unsettling your faith would even mutilate themselves.

For the cravings of the lower nature are opposed to those of the Spirit, and the cravings of the Spirit are opposed to those of the lower nature; because these are antagonistic to each other, so that you cannot do everything to which you are inclined.

hard drinking, riotous feasting, and the like. And as to these I forewarn you, as I have already forewarned you, that those who are guilty of such things will have no share in the Kingdom of God.

Do not deceive yourselves. God is not to be scoffed at. For whatever a man sows, that he will also reap.

He who sows in the field of his lower nature, will from that nature reap destruction; but he who sows to serve the Spirit will from the Spirit reap the Life of the Ages.

For these very men do not really keep the Law of Moses, but they would have you receive circumcision in order that they may glory in *your* bodies.

But as for me, God forbid that I should glory in anything except the Cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, upon which the world is crucified to me, and I am crucified to the world.

even as, in His love, He chose us as His own in Christ before the creation of the world, that we might be holy and without blemish in His presence.

It is in Him, and through the shedding of His blood, that we have our deliverance--the forgiveness of our offences--so abundant was God's grace,

so that we should be devoted to the extolling of His glorious attributes--we who were the first to fix our hopes on Christ.

that Spirit being a pledge and foretaste of our inheritance, in anticipation of its full redemption--the inheritance which He has purchased to be specially His for the extolling of His glory.

the eyes of your understanding being enlightened so that you may know what is the hope which His call to you inspires, what the wealth of the glory of His inheritance in God's people,

which were once habitual to you while you walked in the ways of this world and obeyed the Prince of the powers of the air, the spirits that are now at work in the hearts of the sons of disobedience--to you God has given Life.

caused us, dead though we were through our offences, to live with Christ--it is by grace that you have been saved--

in order that, by His goodness to us in Christ Jesus, He might display in the Ages to come the transcendent riches of His grace.

For it is by grace that you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves. It is God's gift, and is not on the ground of merit--

so that it may be impossible for any one to boast.

Therefore, do not forget that formerly you were Gentiles as to your bodily condition. You were called the Uncircumcision by those who style themselves the Circumcised--their circumcision being one which the knife has effected.

At that time you were living apart from Christ, estranged from the Commonwealth of Israel, with no share by birth in the Covenants which are based on the Promises, and you had no hope and no God, in all the world.

because it is through Him that Jews and Gentiles alike have access through one Spirit to the Father.

if, that is, you have heard of the work which God has graciously entrusted to me for your benefit,

and that by a revelation the truth hitherto kept secret was made known to me as I have already briefly explained it to you.

By means of that explanation, as you read it, you can judge of my insight into the truth of Christ

I mean the truth that the Gentiles are joint heirs with us Jews, and that they form one body with us, and have the same interest as we have in the promise which has been made good in Christ Jesus through the Good News,

concealed in order that the Church might now be used to display to the powers and authorities in the heavenly realms the innumerable aspects of God's wisdom.

I pray that Christ may make His home in your hearts through your faith; so that having your roots deep and your foundations strong, in love, you may become mighty to grasp the idea,

yes, to attain to a knowledge of the knowledge-surpassing love of Christ, so that you may be made complete in accordance with God's own standard of completeness.

Now to Him who, in exercise of His power that is at work within us, is able to do infinitely beyond all our highest prayers or thoughts--

I, then, the prisoner for the Master's sake, entreat you to live and act as becomes those who have received the call that you have received--

(Now this "re-ascended" --what does it mean but that He had first descended into the lower regions of the earth?

with that new and better self which has been created to resemble God in the righteousness and holiness which come from the truth.

He who has been a thief must steal no more, but, instead of that, should work with his own hands in honest industry, so that he may have something of which he can give the needy a share.

Let no unwholesome words ever pass your lips, but let all your words be good for benefiting others according to the need of the moment, so that they may be a means of blessing to the hearers.

For be well assured that no fornicator or immoral person and no money-grubber--or in other words idol-worshipper--has any share awaiting him in the Kingdom of Christ and of God.

Let no one deceive you with empty words, for it is on account of these very sins that God's anger is coming upon the disobedient.

Have nothing to do with the barren unprofitable deeds of darkness, but, instead of that, set your faces against them;

that He might present the Church to Himself a glorious bride, without spot or wrinkle or any other defect, but to be holy and unblemished.

That is a great truth hitherto kept secret: I mean the truth concerning Christ and the Church.

Yet I insist that among you also, each man is to love his own wife as much as he loves himself, and let a married woman see to it that she treats her husband with respect.

"so that it may be well with you, and that you may live long on the earth."

You well know that whatever right thing any one does, he will receive a requital for it from the Lord, whether he is a slave or a free man.

And you masters, act towards your slaves on the same principles, and refrain from threats. For you know that in Heaven there is One who is your Master as well as theirs, and that merely earthly distinctions there are none with Him.

For ours is not a conflict with mere flesh and blood, but with the despotisms, the empires, the forces that control and govern this dark world--the spiritual hosts of evil arrayed against us in the heavenly warfare.

Therefore put on the complete armour of God, so that you may be able to stand your ground on the day of battle, and, having fought to the end, to remain victors on the field.

and ask on my behalf that words may be given to me so that, outspoken and fearless, I may make known the truths (hitherto kept secret)

to spread which I am an ambassador in chains--so that when telling them I may speak out boldly as I ought.

But in order that you also may know how I am doing, Tychicus our dearly-loved brother and faithful helper in the Lord's service will tell you everything.

I have sent him to you for the very purpose--that you may know about us and that he may encourage you.

For of this I am confident, that He who has begun a good work within you will go on to perfect it in preparation for the day of Jesus Christ.

And it is my prayer that your love may be more and more accompanied by clear knowledge and keen perception, for testing things that differ,

so that you may be men of transparent character, and may be blameless, in preparation for the day of Christ,

Now I would have you know, brethren, that what I have gone through has turned out to the furtherance of the Good News rather than otherwise.

And thus it has become notorious among all the Imperial Guards, and everywhere, that it is for the sake of Christ that I am a prisoner;

These latter preach Him from love to me, knowing that I am here for the defence of the Good News;

while the others proclaim Him from motives of rivalry, and insincerely, supposing that by this they are embittering my imprisonment.

What does it matter, however? In any case Christ is preached--either perversely or in honest truth; and in that I rejoice, yes, and will rejoice.

For I know that it will result in my salvation through your prayers and a bountiful supply of the Spirit of Jesus Christ,

in fulfilment of my eager expectation and hope that I shall never have reason to feel ashamed, but that by my perfect freedom of speech Christ will be glorified in me, now as always, either by my life or by my death.