Galatians 2

1 Later still, after an interval of fourteen years, I again went up to Jerusalem in company with Barnabas, taking Titus also with me.

Then after a period of fourteen years I went up again to Jerusalem with Barnabas, taking Titus also with me.

2 I went up in obedience to a revelation of God's will; and I explained to them the Good News which I proclaim among the Gentiles. To the leaders of the Church this explanation was made in private, lest by any means I should be running, or should already have run, in vain.

I went up by revelation, and I explained to them the gospel which I preach among those who are not Jewish, but privately before those who were respected, for fear that I might be running, or had run, in vain.

3 But although my companion Titus was a Greek they did not insist upon even his being circumcised.

But not even Titus, who was with me, being a Greek, was compelled to be circumcised.

4 Yet there was danger of this through the false brethren secretly introduced into the Church, who had stolen in to spy out the freedom which is ours in Christ Jesus, in order to rob us of it.

This was because of the false brothers secretly brought in, who stole in to spy out our liberty which we have in Messiah Jesus, that they might bring us into bondage;

5 But not for an hour did we give way and submit to them; in order that the Good News might continue with you in its integrity.

to whom we gave no place in the way of subjection, not for an hour, that the truth of the gospel might continue with you.

6 From those leaders I gained nothing new. Whether they were men of importance or not, matters nothing to me--God recognizes no external distinctions. To me, at any rate, the leaders imparted nothing new.

But from those who were reputed to be important (whatever they were, it makes no difference to me; God shows no favoritism between people)—they, I say, who were respected imparted nothing to me,

7 Indeed, when they saw that I was entrusted with the preaching of the Good News to the Gentiles as Peter had been with that to the Jews--

but to the contrary, when they saw that I had been entrusted with the gospel for the uncircumcision, even as Peter with the gospel for the circumcision

8 for He who had been at work within Peter with a view to his Apostleship to the Jews had also been at work within me with a view to my Apostleship to the Gentiles--

(for he who appointed Peter to be an apostle of the circumcision appointed me also to the non-Jews);

9 and when they perceived the mission which was graciously entrusted to me, they (that is to say, James, Peter, and John, who were considered to be the pillars of the Church) welcomed Barnabas and me to their fellowship on the understanding that we were to go to the Gentiles and they to the Jews.

and when they perceived the grace that was given to me, James and Cephas and John, they who were reputed to be pillars, gave to me and Barnabas the right hand of fellowship, that we should go to the non-Jews, and they to the circumcised.

10 Only they urged that we should remember their poor--a thing which was uppermost in my own mind.

They only asked us to remember the poor—which very thing I was also zealous to do.

11 Now when Peter visited Antioch, I remonstrated with him to his face, because he had incurred just censure.

But when Cephas came to Antioch, I resisted him to his face, because he stood condemned.

12 For until certain persons came from James he had been accustomed to eat with Gentiles; but as soon as these persons came, he withdrew and separated himself for fear of the Circumcision party.

For before some people came from James, he ate with those who were not Jewish. But when they came, he drew back and separated himself, fearing those who were of the circumcision.

13 And along with him the other Jews also concealed their real opinions, so that even Barnabas was carried away by their lack of straightforwardness.

And the rest of the Jewish believers joined him in his hypocrisy; so that even Barnabas was carried away with their hypocrisy.

14 As soon as I saw that they were not walking uprightly in the spirit of the Good News, I said to Peter, before them all, "If you, though you are a Jew, live as a Gentile does, and not as a Jew, how can you make the Gentiles follow Jewish customs?

But when I saw that they did not walk uprightly according to the truth of the gospel, I said to Cephas before them all, "If you, being a Jew, live as the non-Jews do, and not as the Jews do, how can you compel the non-Jews to live as the Jews do?

15 You and I, though we are Jews by birth and not Gentile sinners,

"We, being Jews by birth, and not non-Jewish sinners,

16 know that it is not through obedience to Law that a man can be declared free from guilt, but only through faith in Jesus Christ. We have therefore believed in Christ Jesus, for the purpose of being declared free from guilt, through faith in Christ and not through obedience to Law. For through obedience to Law no human being shall be declared free from guilt.

yet knowing that no one is justified by the works of the law but through faith in Jesus (the) Messiah, even we believed in Messiah Jesus, that we might be justified by faith in Messiah, and not by the works of the law, because no flesh will be justified by the works of the law.

17 But if while we are seeking in Christ acquittal from guilt we ourselves are convicted of sin, Christ then encourages us to sin! No, indeed.

But if, while we sought to be justified in Messiah, we ourselves also were found sinners, is Messiah a servant of sin? Certainly not.

18 Why, if I am now rebuilding that structure of sin which I had demolished, I am thereby constituting myself a transgressor;

For if I build up again those things which I destroyed, I prove myself a law-breaker.

19 for it is by the Law that I have died to the Law, in order that I may live to God.

For I, through the law, died to the law, that I might live to God.

20 I have been crucified with Christ, and it is no longer I that live, but Christ that lives in me; and the life which I now live in the body I live through faith in the Son of God who loved me and gave Himself up to death on my behalf.

I have been crucified with Messiah, and it is no longer I that live, but Messiah living in me. That life which I now live in the flesh, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself up for me.

21 I do not nullify the grace of God; for if acquittal from guilt is obtainable through the Law, then Christ has died in vain."

I do not make void the grace of God. For if righteousness is through the law, then Messiah died for nothing."