1Then after fourteen years, I went back up to Jerusalem with Barnabas, and I took Titus with me also.
2I went up in response to a revelation, and I met privately with those who were regarded as church leaders, and presented to them the gospel message that I was preaching among the Gentiles. I did this to be sure I was not running, or had run, my race in vain.
3But they supported me, nor did they even insist that Titus, who was with me, being a Greek, be circumcised;
4And this issue arose because of some false believers had infiltrated our ranks unawares, who had come in to spy on our freedom we have in Christ Jesus, to try to force us to follow their Jewish regulations;
5But we refused to give in to them for a single moment, that the truth of the gospel might be preserved for you.
6As for those leaders of the church who seemed to be held in high esteem - whatever they were makes no difference to me; God shows no favoritism - for they had nothing to add to my message;
7But, on the contrary, when they recognized that I was entrusted with preaching the gospel to the Gentiles (the uncircumcised), just as the gospel to the Jews (circumcision) was entrusted to Peter,
8For the same God, Who was at work in Peter as an apostle to the Jews, was also mightily at work in me toward the Gentiles.
9And when James, Cephas (Peter), and John, who seemed to be pillars of the church, perceived the grace that was given to me, they gave their right hands of fellowship to Barnabas and me, that we should go and preach to the Gentiles, while they went to the Jews.
10All they asked was that we should remember the poor; the same thing I had also been eager to do.
11But when Peter came to Antioch, I confronted him to his face, because he was wrong.
12Because, before certain men came from James, he ate with the Gentiles; but as soon as they arrived, he drew back and separated himself from the Gentiles, fearing (criticism from) those of the circumcision (Jews).
13And the other Jews joined him in this hypocrisy; so that even Barnabas was led astray by their hypocrisy.
14But when I saw that they were not acting in line with the truth of the gospel, I said to Peter in front of them all, “If you, being a Jew, live like the Gentiles, and not as a Jew, why do you compel the Gentiles to live like the Jews?”
15You and I are Jews by birth, and not Gentile ‘sinners’,
16Know that a person is not justified by the works of the law, but by the faith in Jesus Christ. So we, too, have put our faith in Jesus Christ, that we might be justified by our faith in Christ, and not by the works of the law; for no one shall ever be justified by obeying the law.
17But if, in seeking to be justified by Christ, we find ourselves to be sinners, is Christ then the minister (or servant) of sin? Certainly not!
18For if I reconstruct the things which I destroyed (the old system of law), then I would really prove myself to be a lawbreaker.
19For when I tried to keep the law, it condemned me. So I died to the law (stopped trying to meet all its requirements), so that I might live for God by faith.
20I have been crucified with Christ: I no longer live; but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the body (flesh) I live by faith in the Son of God, Who loved me, and gave Himself for me.
21I do not disregard the grace of God; for if righteousness could be gained by the law, then Christ died for nothing. Easy Reader Bible: Purple Letter Edition © 2023 by Jim Musser. Used by Permission. All rights Reserved. Bible Hub |
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