Galatians 2
2
Paul Accepted by the Apostles
1Then after fourteen years I went up again to Jerusalem with Barnabas, taking Titus along with me. 2I went up because of a revelation and set before them (though privately before those #ver. 6, 9 who seemed influential) the gospel that #1 Tim. 3:16 I proclaim among the Gentiles, #ch. 4:11; 1 Thess. 3:5 in order to make sure I was not running or had not #Phil. 2:16run in vain. 3But even Titus, who was with me, #[Acts 16:3]was not forced to be circumcised, though he was a Greek. 4#Acts 15:24; 2 Cor. 11:26; [ch. 5:12] Yet because of false brothers secretly brought in—who #[2 Pet. 2:1; Jude 4] slipped in to spy out #See ch. 5:1 our freedom that we have in Christ Jesus, #ch. 4:3, 9, 24, 25; 2 Cor. 11:20; [Rom. 8:15]so that they might bring us into slavery— 5to them we did not yield in submission even for a moment, so that #ver. 14; [ch. 4:16; 5:7; Titus 1:14; 2 John 1]the truth of the gospel might be preserved for you. 6And from those #ver. 2, 9; [ch. 6:3; Acts 5:36]; See 1 Cor. 3:7 who seemed to be influential (what they were makes no difference to me; #See Deut. 10:17 God shows no partiality)—those, I say, who seemed influential #[2 Cor. 11:5; 12:11]added nothing to me. 7On the contrary, when they saw that I had been #1 Thess. 2:4; 1 Tim. 1:11; See 1 Cor. 9:17 entrusted with #ch. 1:16; See Acts 9:15the gospel to the uncircumcised, just as Peter had been entrusted with the gospel to the circumcised 8(for he who worked through Peter for his apostolic ministry to the circumcised worked also through me for mine to the Gentiles), 9and when James and Cephas and John, #[See ver. 6 above] who seemed to be #Jer. 1:18; Rev. 3:12 pillars, perceived the #See Rom. 1:5 grace that was given to me, they #[2 Pet. 3:15]gave the right hand of fellowship to Barnabas and me, that we should go to the Gentiles and they to the circumcised. 10Only, they asked us to remember the poor, #See Acts 24:17the very thing I was eager to do.
Paul Opposes Peter
11But #[Acts 15:1, 35] when Cephas came to Antioch, I opposed him #Job 21:31to his face, because he stood condemned. 12For before certain men came from James, #Acts 11:3; [ver. 14; Acts 10:28]; See Luke 15:2 he was eating with the Gentiles; but when they came he drew back and separated himself, fearing #See Acts 11:2the circumcision party.#2:12 Or fearing those of the circumcision 13And the rest of the Jews acted hypocritically along with him, so that even Barnabas was led astray by their hypocrisy. 14But when I saw that their #Heb. 12:13 conduct was not in step with #See ver. 5 the truth of the gospel, I said to Cephas #1 Tim. 5:20 before them all, “If you, though a Jew, #See ver. 12live like a Gentile and not like a Jew, how can you force the Gentiles to live like Jews?”
Justified by Faith
15We ourselves are Jews by birth and not #ver. 17; [Eph. 2:3, 12]Gentile sinners; 16yet we know that #ch. 3:11; See Acts 13:39 a person is not justified#2:16 Or counted righteous (three times in verse 16); also verse 17 by works of the law #See Rom. 9:30 but through faith in Jesus Christ, so we also have believed in Christ Jesus, in order to be justified by faith in Christ and not by works of the law, #Rom. 3:20; [Ps. 143:2]because by works of the law no one will be justified.
17But if, in our endeavor to be justified in Christ, we too were found #ver. 15to be sinners, is Christ then a servant of sin? Certainly not! 18For if I rebuild what I tore down, I prove myself to be a transgressor. 19For through the law I #See Rom. 6:2; 7:4 died to the law, so that I might #Luke 20:38; Rom. 6:11; 14:7, 8; 2 Cor. 5:15; 1 Thess. 5:10; Heb. 9:14; 1 Pet. 4:2live to God. 20I have been #ch. 5:24; 6:14; Rom. 6:6 crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives #See John 17:23 in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, #See Rom. 8:37 who loved me and #See ch. 1:4gave himself for me. 21I do not nullify the grace of God, for #[ch. 3:21; Heb. 7:11] if righteousness#2:21 Or justification were through the law, #[ch. 5:4]then Christ died for no purpose.
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The Holy Bible, English Standard Version® (ESV®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.
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Galatians 2
2
Paul defends his message
1Fourteen years later I went to Jerusalem with Barnabas. I also took along Titus.#Ac 11.30; 15.2. 2But I went there because God had told me to go, and I explained the good news that I had been preaching to the Gentiles. Then I met privately with the ones who seemed to be the most important leaders. I wanted to make sure that my work in the past and my future work would not be for nothing.
3Titus went to Jerusalem with me. He was a Greek, but still he wasn't forced to be circumcised. 4We went there because of those who pretended to be followers and had sneaked in among us as spies. They had come to take away the freedom that Christ Jesus had given us, and they were trying to make us their slaves. 5But we wanted you to have the true message. That's why we didn't give in to them, not even for a second.
6Some of them were supposed to be important leaders, but I didn't care who they were. God doesn't have any favourites! None of these so called special leaders added anything to my message.#Dt 10.17. 7They realized that God had sent me with the good news for Gentiles, and that he had sent Peter with the same message for Jews. 8God, who had sent Peter on a mission to the Jews, was now using me to preach to the Gentiles.
9James, Peter,#2.9 Peter: The Greek text has “Cephas”, which is an Aramaic name meaning “rock”. Peter is the Greek name with the same meaning. and John realized that God had given me the message about his undeserved kindness. And these men are supposed to be the backbone of the church. They even gave Barnabas and me a friendly handshake. This was to show that we would work with Gentiles and that they would work with Jews. 10They only asked us to remember the poor, and that was something I had always been eager to do.
Paul corrects Peter at Antioch
11When Peter came to Antioch, I told him face to face that he was wrong. 12He used to eat with Gentile followers of the Lord, until James sent some Jewish followers. Peter was afraid of the Jews and soon stopped eating with Gentiles. 13He and the other Jews hid their true feelings so well that even Barnabas was fooled. 14But when I saw that they were not really obeying the truth that is in the good news, I corrected Peter in front of everyone and said:
Peter, you are a Jew, but you live like a Gentile. So how can you force Gentiles to live like Jews?
15We are Jews by birth and are not sinners like Gentiles. 16But we know that God accepts only those who have faith in Jesus Christ. No one can please God by simply obeying the Law. So we put our faith in Christ Jesus, and God accepted us because of our faith.#Ps 143.2; Ro 3.20; Ro 3.22.
17When we Jews started looking for a way to please God, we discovered that we are sinners too. Does this mean that Christ is the one who makes us sinners? No, it doesn't! 18But if I tear down something and then build it again, I prove that I was wrong at first. 19It was the Law itself that killed me and freed me from its power, so that I could live for God.
I have been nailed to the cross with Christ. 20I have died, but Christ lives in me. And I now live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave his life for me. 21I don't turn my back on God's undeserved kindness. If we can be acceptable to God by obeying the Law, it was useless for Christ to die.
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