¹⁸ Was any man called when he was already circumcised? He is not to become uncircumcised. Has anyone been called in uncircumcision? ^(A)He is not to be circumcised.

Peter (Cephas) Opposed by Paul

¹¹ But when ^(A)Cephas came to ^(B)Antioch, I opposed him to his face, because he ^[a]stood condemned.

¹⁴ But when I saw that they ^(A)were not ^[a]straightforward about ^(B)the truth of the gospel, I said to ^(C)Cephas in the presence of all, “If you, being a Jew, ^(D)live like the Gentiles and not like the Jews, how is it that you compel the Gentiles to live like Jews?^[b]

² Look! I, ^(A)Paul, tell you that if you have yourselves ^(B)circumcised, Christ will be of no benefit to you. ³ And I ^(C)testify again to every man who has himself ^(D)circumcised, that he is obligated to ^(E)keep the whole Law. ⁴ You have been severed from Christ, you who ^[a]are seeking to be justified by the ^[b]Law; you have ^(F)fallen from grace. ⁵ For we, ^[c]through the Spirit, ^[d]by faith, are ^(G)waiting for the hope of righteousness. ⁶ For in ^(H)Christ Jesus ^(I)neither circumcision nor uncircumcision means anything, but ^(J)faith working through love.

⁷ You were ^(K)running well; who hindered you from obeying the truth? ⁸ This persuasion did not come from ^(L)Him who calls you. ^9 (M)A little ^[e]leaven leavens the whole lump of dough. ^10 (N)I have confidence ^[f]in you in the Lord, that you ^(O)will adopt no other view; but the one who is ^(P)disturbing you will bear the punishment, whoever he is. ¹¹ But as for me, brothers and sisters, if I still preach circumcision, why am I still ^(Q)persecuted? Then ^(R)the stumbling block of the cross has been eliminated. ¹² I wish that ^(S)those who are troubling you would even ^[g](T)emasculate themselves.

¹³ For you were called to ^(U)freedom, brothers and sisters; ^(V)only do not turn your freedom into an opportunity for the flesh, but ^(W)serve one another through love. ¹⁴ For ^(X)the whole Law is fulfilled in one word, in the statement, “^(Y)You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” ¹⁵ But if you ^(Z)bite and devour one another, take care that you are not consumed by one another.

¹⁶ But I say, ^(AA)walk by the Spirit, and you will not carry out ^(AB)the desire of the flesh. ¹⁷ For ^(AC)the desire of the flesh is against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; for these are in opposition to one another, ^(AD)in order to keep you from doing whatever you want. ¹⁸ But if you are ^(AE)led by the Spirit, ^(AF)you are not under the Law. ¹⁹ Now the deeds of the flesh are evident, which are: ^(AG)sexual immorality, impurity, indecent behavior, ²⁰ idolatry, ^(AH)witchcraft, hostilities, ^(AI)strife, jealousy, outbursts of anger, ^(AJ)selfish ambition, dissensions, ^(AK)factions, ²¹ envy, ^(AL)drunkenness, carousing, and things like these, of which I forewarn you, just as I have forewarned you, that those who practice such things will not ^(AM)inherit the kingdom of God. ²² But ^(AN)the fruit of the Spirit is ^(AO)love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, ²³ gentleness, ^(AP)self-control; against such things ^(AQ)there is no law. ²⁴ Now those who ^[h]belong to ^(AR)Christ Jesus ^(AS)crucified the flesh with its passions and ^(AT)desires.

²⁵ If we live by the Spirit, let’s follow ^(AU)the Spirit as well. ²⁶ Let’s not become ^(AV)boastful, challenging one another, envying one another.