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Confirmation from the Jerusalem Apostles

¹ Then after fourteen years I went up to Jerusalem again with Barnabas, taking Titus along too. ² I went there because of a revelation and presented to them the gospel that I preach among the Gentiles. But I did so only in a private meeting with the influential people, to make sure that I was not running—or had not run—in vain. ³ Yet not even Titus, who was with me, was compelled to be circumcised, although he was a Greek. ⁴ 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. ⁵ But we did not surrender to them even for a moment, in order that the truth of the gospel would remain with you.

⁶ But from those who were influential (whatever they were makes no difference to me; God shows no favoritism between people)—those influential leaders added nothing to my message. ⁷ On the contrary, when they saw that I was entrusted with the gospel to the uncircumcised just as Peter was entrusted with the gospel to the circumcised ⁸ (for he who empowered Peter for his apostleship to the circumcised also empowered me for my apostleship to the Gentiles) ⁹ and when James, Cephas, and John, who had a reputation as pillars, recognized the grace that had been given to me, they gave to Barnabas and me the right hand of fellowship, agreeing that we would go to the Gentiles and they to the circumcised. ¹⁰ They requested only that we remember the poor, the very thing I also was eager to do.

Paul Rebukes Peter

¹¹ But when Cephas came to Antioch, I opposed him to his face, because he had clearly done wrong. ¹² Until certain people came from James, he had been eating with the Gentiles. But when they arrived, he stopped doing this and separated himself because he was afraid of those who were pro-circumcision. ¹³ And the rest of the Jews also joined with him in this hypocrisy, so that even Barnabas was led astray with them by their hypocrisy. ¹⁴ But when I saw that they were not behaving consistently with the truth of the gospel, I said to Cephas in front of them all, "If you, although you are a Jew, live like a Gentile and not like a Jew, how can you try to force the Gentiles to live like Jews?"

Jews and Gentiles Are Justified by Faith

¹⁵ We are Jews by birth and not Gentile sinners, ¹⁶ 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. ¹⁷ 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! ¹⁸ But if I build up again those things I once destroyed, I demonstrate that I am one who breaks God's law. ¹⁹ For through the law I died to the law so that I may live to God. ²⁰ 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. ²¹ I do not set aside God's grace, because if righteousness could come through the law, then Christ died for nothing!