Study Desk

Paul, ^(C1)an apostle (^(C2)not sent from men nor through human agency, but ^(C3)through Jesus Christ and God the Father, who ^(C4)raised Him from the dead),

and all ^(C1)the brothers who are with me, To ^(C2)the churches of Galatia:

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Cross References:  

^(C1)Grace to you and peace from ^(F1)God the Father and our Lord Jesus Christ,

who ^(C1)gave Himself for our sins so that He might rescue us from ^(C2)this present evil ^(F1)age, according to the will of ^(C3)our God and Father,

^(C1)to whom be the glory forevermore. Amen.

I am amazed that you are so quickly deserting ^(C1)Him who called you ^(F1)by the grace of Christ, for a ^(C2)different gospel,

which is not just another account; but there are some who are ^(C1)disturbing you and want to distort the gospel of Christ.

But even if we, or ^(C1)an angel from heaven, should preach to you a gospel contrary to what we have preached to you, he is to be ^(F1)(C2)accursed!

As we ^(C1)have said before, even now I say again: ^(C2)if anyone is preaching to you a gospel contrary to what you received, he is to be ^(F1)(C3)accursed!

For am I now ^(C1)seeking the favor of people, or of God? Or am I striving to please people? If I were still trying to please people, I would not be a ^(C2)bond-servant of Christ.

For ^(C1)I would have you know, brothers and sisters, that the gospel which was preached by me is ^(C2)not ^(F1)of human invention.

For ^(C1)I neither received it from man, nor was I taught it, but I received it through a ^(C2)revelation of Jesus Christ.

For you have heard of ^(C1)my former way of life in Judaism, how I ^(C2)used to persecute ^(C3)the church of God beyond measure and ^(C4)tried to destroy it;

and I ^(C1)was advancing in Judaism beyond many of my contemporaries among my ^(F1)countrymen, being more extremely zealous for my ^(C2)ancestral traditions.

But when ^(F1)He who had set me apart even from my mother's womb and ^(C1)called me through His grace was pleased

to reveal His Son in me so that I might ^(C1)preach Him among the Gentiles, ^(C2)I did not immediately consult with ^(F1)(C3)flesh and blood,

^(C1)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 ^(C2)Damascus.

Then ^(C1)three years later I went up ^(C2)to Jerusalem to ^(F1)become acquainted with ^(F2)(C3)Cephas, and stayed with him for fifteen days.

But I did not see another one of the apostles except ^(F1)(C1)James, the Lord's brother.

(Now in what I am writing to you, ^(F1)I assure you ^(C1)before God that I am not lying.)

Then ^(C1)I went into the regions of ^(C2)Syria and ^(C3)Cilicia.

I was still unknown by ^(F1)sight to ^(C1)the churches of Judea which are ^(C2)in Christ;

but they only kept hearing, "The man who once persecuted us is now preaching ^(C1)the faith which he once ^(C2)tried to destroy."

And they ^(C1)were glorifying God ^(F1)because of me.

Then after an interval of fourteen years I ^(C1)went up again to Jerusalem with ^(C2)Barnabas, taking ^(C3)Titus along also.

^(F1)It was because of a ^(C1)revelation that I went up; and I submitted to them the ^(C2)gospel which I preach among the Gentiles, but I did so in private to those who were of reputation, for fear that somehow I might be ^(C3)running, or had run, in vain.

But not even ^(C1)Titus, who was with me, though he was a Greek, was ^(C2)compelled to be circumcised.

Yet it was a concern because of the ^(C1)false brothers secretly brought in, who ^(C2)had sneaked in to spy on our ^(C3)freedom which we have in Christ Jesus, in order to ^(C4)enslave us.

But we did not yield in subjection to them, even for an hour, so that ^(C1)the truth of the gospel would remain with you.

But from those who ^(F1)were of considerable ^(C1)repute (what they were makes no difference to me; ^(C2)God shows no favoritism)—well, those who were of repute contributed nothing to me.

But on the contrary, seeing that I had been ^(C1)entrusted with the ^(C2)gospel ^(F1)to the uncircumcised, just as ^(C3)Peter had been ^(F2)to the circumcised

(for He who was at work for Peter in his ^(C1)apostleship ^(F1)to the circumcised was at work for me also to the Gentiles),

and recognizing ^(C1)the grace that had been given to me, ^(F1)(C2)James and ^(F2)(C3)Cephas and John, who were ^(C4)reputed to be ^(C5)pillars, gave to me and ^(C6)Barnabas the ^(C7)right ^(F3)hand of fellowship, so that we might ^(C8)go to the Gentiles, and they to the circumcised.

They only asked us to remember the poor—^(C1)the very thing I also was eager to do.

But when ^(C1)Cephas came to ^(C2)Antioch, I opposed him to his face, because he ^(F1)stood condemned.

For prior to the coming of some men from ^(F1)(C1)James, he used to ^(C2)eat with the Gentiles; but when they came, he began to withdraw and separate himself, ^(C3)fearing those from the circumcision.

The rest of the Jews joined him in hypocrisy, with the result that even ^(C1)Barnabas was carried away by their hypocrisy.

But when I saw that they ^(C1)were not ^(F1)straightforward about ^(C2)the truth of the gospel, I said to ^(C3)Cephas in the presence of all, "If you, being a Jew, ^(C4)live like the Gentiles and not like the Jews, how is it that you compel the Gentiles to live like Jews?^(F2)

"We are ^(C1)Jews by nature and not ^(C2)sinners from the Gentiles;

nevertheless, knowing that ^(C1)a person is not justified by works of ^(F1)the Law but through faith in Christ Jesus, even we have believed in Christ Jesus, so that we may be justified by ^(C2)faith in Christ and not by works of ^(F1)the Law; since ^(C3)by works of ^(F1)the Law no ^(F2)flesh will be justified.

"But if, while seeking to be justified in Christ, we ourselves have also been found ^(C1)sinners, is Christ then a servant of sin? ^(F1)(C2)Far from it!

"For if I rebuild what I have once destroyed, I ^(C1)prove myself to be a wrongdoer.

"For through ^(F1)the Law I ^(C1)died to ^(F1)the Law, so that I might live for God.

"I have been ^(C1)crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but ^(C2)Christ lives in me; and ^(F1)the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in ^(C3)the Son of God, who ^(C4)loved me and ^(C5)gave Himself up for me.

"I do not nullify the grace of God, for ^(C1)if righteousness comes through ^(F1)the Law, then Christ died needlessly."