< Προς Γαλατας 2 >

1 επειτα δια δεκατεσσαρων ετων παλιν ανεβην εις ιεροσολυμα μετα βαρναβα συμπαραλαβων και τιτον
Fourteen years later I returned to Jerusalem with Barnabas. I took Titus along with me.
2 ανεβην δε κατα αποκαλυψιν και ανεθεμην αυτοις το ευαγγελιον ο κηρυσσω εν τοις εθνεσιν κατ ιδιαν δε τοις δοκουσιν μηπως εις κενον τρεχω η εδραμον
I went because of what God had shown me. I met with the recognized church leaders there in private and explained to them the good news I was sharing with the foreigners. I didn't want the course I had followed, and what I was working so hard for, to come to nothing.
3 αλλ ουδε τιτος ο συν εμοι ελλην ων ηναγκασθη περιτμηθηναι
But as it turned out, nobody even insisted that Titus who was with me should be circumcised, though he was Greek.
4 δια δε τους παρεισακτους ψευδαδελφους οιτινες παρεισηλθον κατασκοπησαι την ελευθεριαν ημων ην εχομεν εν χριστω ιησου ινα ημας καταδουλωσωνται
(That issue only arose because some false Christians slipped in to spy on the freedom we have in Christ Jesus, trying to make us slaves.
5 οις ουδε προς ωραν ειξαμεν τη υποταγη ινα η αληθεια του ευαγγελιου διαμεινη προς υμας
We never gave into them, not even for a moment. We wanted to make sure to keep the truth of the good news unchanged for you.)
6 απο δε των δοκουντων ειναι τι οποιοι ποτε ησαν ουδεν μοι διαφερει προσωπον θεος ανθρωπου ου λαμβανει εμοι γαρ οι δοκουντες ουδεν προσανεθεντο
But those considered to be important didn't add anything to what I said. (It doesn't concern me what kind of leaders they were, because God doesn't judge people the way we do.)
7 αλλα τουναντιον ιδοντες οτι πεπιστευμαι το ευαγγελιον της ακροβυστιας καθως πετρος της περιτομης
On the contrary, once they realized that I'd been given responsibility to share the good news with the foreigners just as Peter had been given the responsibility to share the good news with the Jews,
8 ο γαρ ενεργησας πετρω εις αποστολην της περιτομης ενηργησεν και εμοι εις τα εθνη
(for the same God who worked through Peter as apostle to the Jews also worked through me as apostle to the foreigners),
9 και γνοντες την χαριν την δοθεισαν μοι ιακωβος και κηφας και ιωαννης οι δοκουντες στυλοι ειναι δεξιας εδωκαν εμοι και βαρναβα κοινωνιας ινα ημεις εις τα εθνη αυτοι δε εις την περιτομην
and once they recognized the grace that had been given to me, then James, Peter, and John, who bore the responsibility of church leadership, shook Barnabas and me by the hand as their fellow-workers.
10 μονον των πτωχων ινα μνημονευωμεν ο και εσπουδασα αυτο τουτο ποιησαι
We were to work for the foreigners, while they would work for the Jews. Their only instruction was to remember to look after the poor, something I was already very committed to.
11 οτε δε ηλθεν πετρος εις αντιοχειαν κατα προσωπον αυτω αντεστην οτι κατεγνωσμενος ην
However, when Peter came to Antioch I did have to confront him directly, because he was clearly wrong in what he did.
12 προ του γαρ ελθειν τινας απο ιακωβου μετα των εθνων συνησθιεν οτε δε ηλθον υπεστελλεν και αφωριζεν εαυτον φοβουμενος τους εκ περιτομης
Before some of James' friends arrived, Peter used to eat with the foreigners. But when these people came he stopped doing this and stayed away from the foreigners. He was afraid of being criticized by those who insisted that men had to be circumcised.
13 και συνυπεκριθησαν αυτω και οι λοιποι ιουδαιοι ωστε και βαρναβας συναπηχθη αυτων τη υποκρισει
As well as Peter, other Jewish Christians became hypocritical too, to the extent that even Barnabas was persuaded to follow their hypocrisy.
14 αλλ οτε ειδον οτι ουκ ορθοποδουσιν προς την αληθειαν του ευαγγελιου ειπον τω πετρω εμπροσθεν παντων ει συ ιουδαιος υπαρχων εθνικως ζης και ουκ ιουδαικως τι τα εθνη αναγκαζεις ιουδαιζειν
When I realized that they weren't taking a firm stand for the truth of the good news, I said to Peter in front of everyone, “If you're a Jew yet live like the foreigners and not like Jews, why are you forcing the foreigners to live like Jews?
15 ημεις φυσει ιουδαιοι και ουκ εξ εθνων αμαρτωλοι
We may be Jews by birth, and not ‘sinners’ like the foreigners,
16 ειδοτες οτι ου δικαιουται ανθρωπος εξ εργων νομου εαν μη δια πιστεως ιησου χριστου και ημεις εις χριστον ιησουν επιστευσαμεν ινα δικαιωθωμεν εκ πιστεως χριστου και ουκ εξ εργων νομου διοτι ου δικαιωθησεται εξ εργων νομου πασα σαρξ
but we know that nobody is made right by doing what the law demands—it is only through trusting in Jesus Christ. We have trusted in Christ Jesus so that we could be made right by placing our confidence in Christ, and not through doing what the law says—because nobody is made right by observing the requirements of the law.”
17 ει δε ζητουντες δικαιωθηναι εν χριστω ευρεθημεν και αυτοι αμαρτωλοι αρα χριστος αμαρτιας διακονος μη γενοιτο
For if, as we look to be made right in Christ, we ourselves prove to be sinners, does that then mean that Christ is in the service of sin? Of course not!
18 ει γαρ α κατελυσα ταυτα παλιν οικοδομω παραβατην εμαυτον συνιστημι
For if I were to rebuild what I've destroyed, then I only demonstrate I'm a law-breaker.
19 εγω γαρ δια νομου νομω απεθανον ινα θεω ζησω
For through the law I died to the law in order that I could live for God.
20 χριστω συνεσταυρωμαι ζω δε ουκετι εγω ζη δε εν εμοι χριστος ο δε νυν ζω εν σαρκι εν πιστει ζω τη του υιου του θεου του αγαπησαντος με και παραδοντος εαυτον υπερ εμου
I've been crucified with Christ— so it's no longer I who lives, but it is Christ living in me. The life I now live in this body, I live by trusting in the Son of God, who loved me, and who gave himself for me.
21 ουκ αθετω την χαριν του θεου ει γαρ δια νομου δικαιοσυνη αρα χριστος δωρεαν απεθανεν
How could I dismiss God's grace? For if we could be made right through keeping the law then Christ died a pointless death!

< Προς Γαλατας 2 >