A Tree and Its Fruit

¹⁵ “Beware of the ^(A)false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly are ^(B)ravenous wolves.

⁸ But even if we, or ^(A)an angel from heaven, should preach to you a gospel ^[a]contrary to what we have preached to you, he is to be ^[b](B)accursed! ⁹ As we ^(C)have said before, so I say again now, ^(D)if any man is preaching to you a gospel ^[c]contrary to what you received, he is to be ^[d](E)accursed!

¹⁰ For am I now ^(F)seeking the favor of men, or of God? Or am I striving to please men? If I were still trying to please men, I would not be a ^(G)bond-servant of Christ.

Paul Defends His Ministry

¹¹ For ^(H)I would have you know, brethren, that the gospel which was preached by me is ^(I)not according to man. ¹² For ^(J)I neither received it from man, nor was I taught it, but I received it through a ^(K)revelation of Jesus Christ.

¹³ For you have heard of ^(L)my former manner of life in Judaism, how I ^(M)used to persecute ^(N)the church of God beyond measure and ^(O)tried to destroy it; ¹⁴ and I ^(P)was advancing in Judaism beyond many of my contemporaries among my ^[e]countrymen, being more extremely zealous for my ^(Q)ancestral traditions. ¹⁵ But when God, who had set me apart even from my mother’s womb and ^(R)called me through His grace, was pleased ¹⁶ to reveal His Son in me so that I might ^(S)preach Him among the Gentiles, ^(T)I did not immediately consult with ^[f](U)flesh and blood, ^17 (V)nor did I go up to Jerusalem to those who were apostles before me; but I went away to Arabia, and returned once more to ^(W)Damascus.

¹⁸ Then ^(X)three years later I went up ^(Y)to Jerusalem to ^[g]become acquainted with ^(Z)Cephas, and stayed with him fifteen days. ¹⁹ But I did not see any other of the apostles except ^[h](AA)James, the Lord’s brother. ²⁰ (Now in what I am writing to you, ^[i]I assure you ^(AB)before God that I am not lying.) ²¹ Then ^(AC)I went into the regions of ^(AD)Syria and ^(AE)Cilicia. ²² I was still unknown by ^[j]sight to ^(AF)the churches of Judea which were ^(AG)in Christ; ²³ but only, they kept hearing, “He who once persecuted us is now preaching ^(AH)the faith which he once ^(AI)tried to destroy.” ²⁴ And they ^(AJ)were glorifying God ^[k]because of me.

⁶ Now we command you, brethren, ^(A)in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you ^[a](B)keep away from every brother who ^[b]leads an ^[c](C)unruly life and not according to ^(D)the tradition which ^[d]you received from us.

¹⁴ If anyone does not obey our ^[a]instruction ^[b](A)in this letter, take special note of that person ^[c](B)and do not associate with him, so that he will be ^(C)put to shame.

^10 (A)Reject a ^(B)factious man ^(C)after a first and second warning,

¹⁰ If anyone comes to you and does not bring this teaching, ^(A)do not receive him into your house, and do not give him a greeting;