For I would have you know, brothers, that the gospel I preach is not man-made;

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

For ye have heard, as to my own manner of life, at one time, in Judaism, how that, exceedingly, was I persecuting the assembly of God, and laying it waste,

and that I made a greater proficiency in Judaism than many my contemporaries of my own nation, being an extraordinary zealot for the traditions of my forefathers.

and had called me by his grace, was pleased to reveal his Son in me, so that I might preach his gospel among the Gentiles, without consulting a human being,

neither went I up to Jerusalem to them that were apostles before me: but I went away into Arabia; and again I returned unto Damascus.

(In what I am now writing, I call God to witness that I am telling the truth.)

After that, I went into the regions of Syria and Cilicia,

and was unknown by face to the assemblies of Judea, that are in Christ,

Only it came to their ears that he who at one time was cruel to us is now preaching the faith which before had been attacked by him;

After that, fourteen years later, I, again, went up unto Jerusalem, with Barnabas, taking with me Titus also;

(I went up at that time in obedience to a revelation). And I laid before them the gospel which I am wont to preach among the Gentiles. I did this privately before those in authority, lest by any means I should be running, or should already have run, in vain.

But they did not insist that even my companion Titus, although he was a Greek, should be circumcised,

And that because of the false brothers let in secretly, who came searching out our free condition which we have in Christ Jesus, so that they might make servants of us;

To them we did not yield submission even for an hour, in order that the truth of the gospel might abide unshaken among you.

But of those seeming to be something what they were at that time makes no difference to me: God does not receive the face of man: for those seeming to me to be prominent added nothing extra:

On the contrary, when they saw that I had been entrusted with the gospel for the uncircumcised, just as Peter has with the gospel for the circumcised

For, he that energised in Peter, into an apostleship to the circumcision, energised also in me, for the nations, -

and when they recognized the grace which had been given to me, James and Cephas and John, then thought to be pillars, gave to Barnabas and to me the right hand of fellowship. They agreed that we should go to the Gentiles and they to the Jews.

They stipulated only that we should remember the poor, which very thing indeed I was quite eager to do.

For, before that certain came from James, with them of the nations, used he to eat; whereas, when they came, he used to withdraw, and keep himself separate, fearing them of the circumcision;

And the rest of the Jewish Christians also dissimulated with him, so that even Barnabas was carried away by their hypocrisy.

But when I saw that they were not walking a straight path, in the presence of the truth of the gospel, I said to Cephas before them all. "If you, although you are a Jew, live like the Gentiles and not like the Jews, why do you try to compel the Gentiles to become Jews?

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.

"yet because we know that no man is justified by the works of the Law, but by the faith of Jesus Christ, we ourselves also have put our faith in Jesus Christ, that we might be justified by the faith of Christ, and not by the works of the Law; for "By the works of the Law shall no flesh be justified."

Now if, in our efforts to come into right standing with God through union with Christ, we have proved ourselves to be sinners like the heathen themselves, does that make Christ a party to our sin? Of course not.

For, if, the things that I pulled down, these, again, I build, a transgressor, I prove, myself, to be.

For I, through the law, have become dead to the law, so that I might be living to God.

I have been put to death on the cross with Christ; still I am living; no longer I, but Christ is living in me; and that life which I now am living in the flesh I am living by faith, the faith of the Son of God, who in love for me, gave himself up for me.

O foolish Galatians, by what strange powers have you been tricked, to whom it was made clear that Jesus Christ was put to death on the cross?

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?"

Are ye so unwise, that after ye have begun in the spirit, ye would now end in the flesh?

So many things there ye have suffered in vain, if that be in vain.

He therefore that ministereth to you the Spirit, and worketh miracles among you, doeth he it by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith?

Why, it is as with Abraham, he had faith in God and that was counted to him as righteousness.

Notice then that the true sons of Abraham are children of faith.

And the holy Writings, seeing before the event that God would give the Gentiles righteousness by faith, gave the good news before to Abraham, saying, In you will all the nations have a blessing.

'Blessed in thee shall be all the nations;' so that those of faith are blessed with the faithful Abraham,

but a curse rests on those who have their root in the works of the Law; for it is written. Cursed is every one that continues not in all the things written in the Book of the Law, to do them.

And it is manifest that by the Law no man is justified in the sight of God. because The just shall live by faith,

and the Law has nothing to do with faith, but declares, The man that has done these things shall live therein.

Christ, hath redeemed, us, out of the curse of the law, having become, in our behalf, a curse; - because it is written - Cursed, is every one that hangeth upon a tree; -

to the end that in Christ Jesus the blessing of Abraham might come upon the Gentiles, so that through faith we might receive the promised Spirit.

Brothers, I’m using a human illustration. No one sets aside or makes additions to even a human covenant that has been ratified.

Now it was to Abraham that the promises were spoken, and to his offspring. God did not say, "offsprings" as if speaking of many, but "and to your offspring," as of one; and this is Christ.

I mean to say that the testament which God has already ratified could not be annulled by the Law which came four hundred and thirty years later, so as to make the Promise void.

For if our inheritance depends on the law, it can no longer depend on the promise. But it was by promise that God so graciously bestowed it upon Abraham.

To what end then was the law given? It was given on account of transgressions, until that seed should come to whom the promise was made, being delivered through the ministry of angels into the hand of a mediator.

Now the mediator or go-between [in a transaction] is not [needed] for just one party; whereas God is only one [and was the only One giving the promise to Abraham, but the Law was a contract between two, God and Israel; its validity depended on both].

Is the law therefore contrary to God’s promises? Absolutely not! For if a law had been given that was able to give life, then righteousness would certainly be by the law.

but the Scripture has shut up the whole world in prison together under sin, in order that the promise due to faith in Jesus Christ might be given to those who have faith.

Before that faith came, we were kept and shut up under the law, unto the faith which should afterward be declared.

So the Law has been our tutor-slave our pedagogue to lead us to Christ, so that we may be justified by faith;

but now that the Faith is come, we are no longer under a tutor-slave.

For all ye that are baptised, have put on Christ.

And, since you belong to Christ, it follows that you are Abraham's offspring and, under the promise, sharers in the inheritance.

But I say that as long as the son is a child, he is in no way different from a servant, though he is lord of all;

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

and because ye are sons, God has sent forth the spirit of his son into your hearts, crying Abba, that is, father;

So that you are no longer a servant, but a son; and if a son, then the heritage of God is yours.

But at that time, having no knowledge of God, you were servants to those who by right are no gods:

Now, however, when you have come to know God, or rather to be known by God, how is it that you are beginning to turn back to those weak and beggarly externalities, eager to be in bondage to them again?

I am in fear of you, that I may have been working for you to no purpose.

My desire for you, brothers, is that you may be as I am, because I am as you are. You have done me no wrong;

on the contrary, you know that although it was illness which brought about my preaching the gospel to you at my first visit,

and my trial that is in my flesh ye did not despise nor reject, but as a messenger of God ye did receive me -- as Christ Jesus;

Why then did you account yourselves so happy? (For I bear you witness that if you could you would have torn out your own eyes and given them to me.)

so that your enemy have I become, being true to you?

These men are courting your favor to no good purpose. They want to isolate you, so that you will be courting their favor.

But it is good to be zealously affected always in that which is good, and not only when I am present with you.

How I wish I could be with you now, that I might change my tone; for I am perplexed about you.

Tell me, ye that desire to be under the law, do ye not hear the law?

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

But, he that was of the bondmaid, after the flesh, had been born, whereas, he that was of the free woman, through means of a promise.

This is spoken as an allegory. For these women are two covenants, one coming from Mount Sinai, bearing children that are to be slaves;

for this Hagar is mount Sinai in Arabia, and doth correspond to the Jerusalem that now is, and is in servitude with her children,

But the Jerusalem that is above is free, and she is our mother.

For it is written, Rejoice, O thou barren one who dost never bear, Break forth in joy, thou that dost not travail; For the children of the desolate woman are many. Yea, more than hers who has a husband.

But, just as, then, he that after the manner of the flesh had been born, did persecute him who had been born after the manner of the Spirit, thus, also now.

so then, my brethren, we are not children of the bond-woman, but of the free-woman, by virtue of that freedom which Christ has procur'd for us.

It was for freedom that Christ set us free; therefore keep standing firm and do not be subject again to a yoke of slavery.

Listen to me! I, Paul, declare to you that if you are to continue to follow the rite of circumcision, Christ will be no profit to you.

I solemnly testify to every man who submits to circumcision that he obligates himself to keep the whole Law.

You that are justified by law, have withdrawn from Christ: you have fallen from grace.

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.

For in union with Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor lack of it counts for anything; but only faith that is spurred on to action by love.

Ye were running well: - who hath hindered you, that, by truth, ye are not to be persuaded?

The persuasion, is not of him that calleth you: -

As for me, I am fully trusting you in the Lord that you will be no otherwise minded; but he who is trying to unsettle you will have to bear his punishment, whoever he may be.

Now brothers, if I still preach circumcision, why am I still persecuted? In that case the offense of the cross has been abolished.

Would to God that those who are trying to unsettle you would even have themselves mutilated.

For ye have been called unto liberty, brethren; only use not that liberty as a pretext for carnality, but in love be subject one to another.

But if you are given to fighting with one another, take care that you are not the cause of destruction one to another.

For the desire of the flesh is against that of the Spirit, and the desire of the Spirit is against that of the flesh, for they two are antagonistic, so that you may not do those things that you wish.

envy, drunkenness, revellings, and things like these. I tell you beforehand, as I have already told you, that those who practise such sins shall not inherit the kingdom of God.

gentleness, self-control. Against such things there is no law.

And they that are Christ's have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts.

Even if any one should be overtaken in a fault, brothers, you that are spiritual ought, in a gentle spirit, to restore such a one, each one of you looking to himself, lest you too be tempted.

Bear one another's burdens, and in that way carry out the law of the Christ.

For if a man has an idea that he is something when he is nothing, he is tricked by himself.