As we have said before, and now I say again, if any one is preaching to you a gospel contrary to what you received, let him be condemned to hell!

For you have heard of my former way of life in Judaism, how I was savagely persecuting the church of God and trying to destroy it.

Now this matter arose because of the false brothers with false pretenses who slipped in unnoticed to spy on our freedom that we have in Christ Jesus, to make us slaves.

yet we know that no one is justified by the works of the law but by the faithfulness of Jesus Christ. And we have come to believe in Christ Jesus, so that we may be justified by the faithfulness of Christ and not by the works of the law, because by the works of the law no one will be justified.

But if while seeking to be justified in Christ we ourselves have also been found to be sinners, is Christ then one who encourages sin? Absolutely not!

I have been crucified with Christ, and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me. So the life I now live in the body, I live because of the faithfulness of the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.

Have you suffered so many things for nothing? -- if indeed it was for nothing.

Is the law therefore opposed to the promises of God? Absolutely not! For if a law had been given that was able to give life, then righteousness would certainly have come by the law.

For all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ.

But now that you have come to know God (or rather to be known by God), how can you turn back again to the weak and worthless basic forces? Do you want to be enslaved to them all over again?

I fear for you that my work for you may have been in vain.

I beg you, brothers and sisters, become like me, because I have become like you. You have done me no wrong!

Where then is your sense of happiness now? For I testify about you that if it were possible, you would have pulled out your eyes and given them to me!

So then, have I become your enemy by telling you the truth?

For it is written: "Rejoice, O barren woman who does not bear children; break forth and shout, you who have no birth pains, because the children of the desolate woman are more numerous than those of the woman who has a husband."

You who are trying to be declared righteous by the law have been alienated from Christ; you have fallen away from grace!

Now those who belong to Christ have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.

So then, whenever we have an opportunity, let us do good to all people, and especially to those who belong to the family of faith.