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Fourteen Years Later The Jerusalem Apostles Added Nothing To My Gospel

Then after fourteen years I again went up to Jerusalem with Barnabas, having also taken along Titus with me. And I went up based-on[a] a revelation, and laid-before them the good-news which I am proclaiming among the Gentiles— but privately, to the ones having-the-reputation-of [b] being somethingthat somehow[c] I might not be running, or have run, in vain[d]. But not even Titus, the one with me, being a Greek, was compelled to be circumcised. Now[e] this arose[f] because of the false-brothers secretly-brought-in, who sneaked-in to spy-out our freedom which we have in Christ Jesus in order that they might enslave[g] us— to whom we yielded in submission not-even for an hour, in order that the truth of the good-news might continue[h] with you. And from the ones having-the-reputation-of being something— of-what-sort they ever[i] were makes no difference to me; God does not receive the face[j] of a human— indeed to me the ones having-the-reputation communicated nothing. But on-the-contrary, having seen that I have been entrusted the good-news for the uncircumcised just as Peter for the circumcised— for the One having worked[k] in Peter for an apostleship of the circumcised worked also in me for the Gentiles— and having recognized the grace having been given to me, James and Cephas and John, the ones having-the-reputation-of being pillars, gave the right hands of fellowship to me and Barnabas, that we should go to the Gentiles and they to the circumcised. 10 They asked only that we should be remembering[l] the poor— as to which, I also was eager to do this very thing.

In Antioch I Rebuked Peter When He Erred With Respect To Gentile Christians

11 And when Cephas came to Antioch, I opposed him to his face— because he was condemned[m]. 12 For before certain ones came from James, he was eating with the Gentiles. But when they came, he was drawing-back and separating himself, fearing[n] the ones of the circumcision. 13 And the other Jews also joined-in-hypocrisy with him, so that even Barnabas was carried-away by their hypocrisy. 14 But when I saw that they were not walking-straight[o] with regard to the truth of the good-news, I said to Cephas in front of everyone— “If you being a Jew are living Gentile-ly[p] and not Jewish-ly[q], how is it you are compelling the Gentiles to Judaize[r]?”

Even We Jews Are Declared Righteous By Faith In Christ, Not By Works of The Law

15 We[s] are Jews by nature, and not sinners from the Gentiles. 16 But knowing that a person[t] is not declared-righteous by works of the Law except[u] through faith in Jesus Christ, even we believed in Christ Jesus, in order that we might be declared-righteous by faith in Christ and not by works of the Law, because by works of the Law no flesh will be declared-righteous.

And We Died To The Law As a Rule of Life, And Now Live By Faith In The Son of God

17 But if [v] while seeking to be declared-righteous in Christ, we also ourselves were found to be sinners[w], is then Christ a minister of sin[x]? May it never be! 18 For if I am building again these[y] things which I tore-down[z], I am demonstrating[aa] myself to be a transgressor. 19 For through the Law I died to the Law in order that I might live to God. I have been crucified-with Christ! 20 And I no longer am living, but Christ is living in me. And what I am now[ab] living in the flesh[ac], I am living by[ad] faith in the Son of God— the One having loved me and handed Himself over for me. 21 I am not setting-aside[ae] the grace of God! For if righteousness comes through the Law, then Christ died without-a-reason!

Footnotes

  1. Galatians 2:2 Or, in accordance with.
  2. Galatians 2:2 Or, being-recognized-as, being-acknowledged-as.
  3. Galatians 2:2 This rendering expresses Paul’s fear that his work might come to no effect because of the opposition of some in Jerusalem. Or, ‘whether somehow I am running or have run in vain’, expressing the subject to be discussed.
  4. Galatians 2:2 Or, for nothing, to no result.
  5. Galatians 2:4 Or, But, And.
  6. Galatians 2:4 Or, we went up; it was.
  7. Galatians 2:4 Or, enslave us under them, reduce us to slavery.
  8. Galatians 2:5 Or, remain continually.
  9. Galatians 2:6 Or, once, formerly.
  10. Galatians 2:6 That is, God is impartial.
  11. Galatians 2:8 That is, miraculously worked.
  12. Galatians 2:10 Or, keeping in mind.
  13. Galatians 2:11 That is, in a state of condemnation, due to his actions.
  14. Galatians 2:12 The issue here is not Gentiles keeping the Law (as in Acts 15), but Jewish Christians (like Peter) keeping the Law.
  15. Galatians 2:14 Or, being-straightforward.
  16. Galatians 2:14 That is, in a partially Gentile manner.
  17. Galatians 2:14 That is, in a totally Jewish manner.
  18. Galatians 2:14 That is, live like Jews.
  19. Galatians 2:15 Verses 15-21 may still be part of Paul’s quotation of what he said that day; or it may be his present explanation of that event to the Galatians.
  20. Galatians 2:16 That is, a Jewish person.
  21. Galatians 2:16 Or, unless through, if not through. That is, if he does not come through. It is the faith, not the works, that bring the result.
  22. Galatians 2:17 That is, assuming that.
  23. Galatians 2:17 That is, equivalent to Gentiles in status before God.
  24. Galatians 2:17 That is, for leading us to live Gentile-ly with our Gentile fellow-Christians.
  25. Galatians 2:18 That is, these works of the Law as my rule of life and basis of relationship with others.
  26. Galatians 2:18 That is, to be declared-righteous by God, since His only required condition is faith.
  27. Galatians 2:18 Or, showing, exhibiting. That is, because I am erecting conditions in violation of God’s only condition, faith.
  28. Galatians 2:20 That is, as a Christian declared righteous by faith, with Christ living in me.
  29. Galatians 2:20 That is, in my continued existence on earth.
  30. Galatians 2:20 Or, in; that is, in the sphere of faith, not law.
  31. Galatians 2:21 Or, nullifying, rejecting.

Paul Accepted by the Apostles

Then after fourteen years, I went up again to Jerusalem,(A) this time with Barnabas.(B) I took Titus(C) along also. I went in response to a revelation(D) and, meeting privately with those esteemed as leaders, I presented to them the gospel that I preach among the Gentiles.(E) I wanted to be sure I was not running and had not been running my race(F) in vain. Yet not even Titus,(G) who was with me, was compelled to be circumcised, even though he was a Greek.(H) This matter arose because some false believers(I) had infiltrated our ranks to spy on(J) the freedom(K) we have in Christ Jesus and to make us slaves. We did not give in to them for a moment, so that the truth of the gospel(L) might be preserved for you.

As for those who were held in high esteem(M)—whatever they were makes no difference to me; God does not show favoritism(N)—they added nothing to my message.(O) On the contrary, they recognized that I had been entrusted with the task(P) of preaching the gospel to the uncircumcised,[a](Q) just as Peter(R) had been to the circumcised.[b] For God, who was at work in Peter as an apostle(S) to the circumcised, was also at work in me as an apostle(T) to the Gentiles. James,(U) Cephas[c](V) and John, those esteemed as pillars,(W) gave me and Barnabas(X) the right hand of fellowship when they recognized the grace given to me.(Y) They agreed that we should go to the Gentiles,(Z) and they to the circumcised. 10 All they asked was that we should continue to remember the poor,(AA) the very thing I had been eager to do all along.

Paul Opposes Cephas

11 When Cephas(AB) came to Antioch,(AC) I opposed him to his face, because he stood condemned. 12 For before certain men came from James,(AD) he used to eat with the Gentiles.(AE) But when they arrived, he began to draw back and separate himself from the Gentiles because he was afraid of those who belonged to the circumcision group.(AF) 13 The other Jews joined him in his hypocrisy, so that by their hypocrisy even Barnabas(AG) was led astray.

14 When I saw that they were not acting in line with the truth of the gospel,(AH) I said to Cephas(AI) in front of them all, “You are a Jew, yet you live like a Gentile and not like a Jew.(AJ) How is it, then, that you force Gentiles to follow Jewish customs?(AK)

15 “We who are Jews by birth(AL) and not sinful Gentiles(AM) 16 know that a person is not justified by the works of the law,(AN) but by faith in Jesus Christ.(AO) So we, too, have put our faith in Christ Jesus that we may be justified by faith in[d] Christ and not by the works of the law, because by the works of the law no one will be justified.(AP)

17 “But if, in seeking to be justified in Christ, we Jews find ourselves also among the sinners,(AQ) doesn’t that mean that Christ promotes sin? Absolutely not!(AR) 18 If I rebuild what I destroyed, then I really would be a lawbreaker.

19 “For through the law I died to the law(AS) so that I might live for God.(AT) 20 I have been crucified with Christ(AU) and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me.(AV) The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God,(AW) who loved me(AX) and gave himself for me.(AY) 21 I do not set aside the grace of God, for if righteousness could be gained through the law,(AZ) Christ died for nothing!”[e]

Footnotes

  1. Galatians 2:7 That is, Gentiles
  2. Galatians 2:7 That is, Jews; also in verses 8 and 9
  3. Galatians 2:9 That is, Peter; also in verses 11 and 14
  4. Galatians 2:16 Or but through the faithfulness of … justified on the basis of the faithfulness of
  5. Galatians 2:21 Some interpreters end the quotation after verse 14.