Galatians

1

¹ Paul, an apostle (not from men nor through man but through Jesus Christ and God the Father, who raised Him from the dead),
² And all the brothers who are with me, to the churches of Galatia:
³ Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ,
⁴ Who gave Himself for our sins that He might rescue us out of the present evil age according to the will of our God and Father,
⁵ To whom be the glory forever and ever. Amen.
⁶ I marvel that you are so quickly removing from Him who has called you in the grace of Christ to a different gospel,
⁷ Which is not another gospel, only there are some who trouble you and desire to pervert the gospel of Christ.
⁸ But if even we or an angel out of heaven should announce to you a gospel beyond that which we have announced to you, let him be accursed.
⁹ As we have said before, now also I say again, If anyone announces to you a gospel beyond that which you have received, let him be accursed.
¹⁰ For am I now trying to win the assent of men or of God? Or am I seeking to please men? If I were still trying to please men, I would not be a slave of Christ.
¹¹ For I make known to you, brothers, concerning the gospel announced by me, that it is not according to man.
¹² For neither did I receive it from man, nor was I taught it, but I received it through a revelation by Jesus Christ.
¹³ For you have heard of my manner of life formerly in Judaism, that I persecuted the church of God excessively and ravaged it.
¹⁴ And I advanced in Judaism beyond many contemporaries in my race, being more abundantly a zealot for the traditions of my fathers.
¹⁵ But when it pleased God, who set me apart from my mother’s womb and called me through His grace,
¹⁶ To reveal His Son in me that I might announce Him as the gospel among the Gentiles, immediately I did not confer with flesh and blood,
¹⁷ Neither did I go up to Jerusalem to those who were apostles before me, but I went away to Arabia and again returned to Damascus.
¹⁸ Then after three years I went up to Jerusalem to visit Cephas, and I remained with him fifteen days.
¹⁹ But I saw none of the other apostles except James, the brother of the Lord.
²⁰ Now concerning the things which I am writing to you, behold, before God, I am not lying.
²¹ Then I went into the regions of Syria and Cilicia.
²² Yet I was still unknown by face to the churches of Judea, which are in Christ.
²³ But they only heard this: He who was formerly persecuting us is now announcing as the gospel the faith which formerly he ravaged.
²⁴ And they glorified God because of me.

2

¹ Then after a period of fourteen years I went up again to Jerusalem with Barnabas, taking Titus with me also.
² And I went up according to revelation, and I laid before them the gospel which I proclaim among the Gentiles, but privately to those who were of repute, lest perhaps I should be running, or had run, in vain.
³ But not even Titus, who was with me, though he is a Greek, was compelled to be circumcised;
⁴ And this, because of the false brothers, brought in secretly, who stole in to spy out our freedom which we have in Christ Jesus, that they might bring us into slavery.
⁵ To them we yielded with the subjection demanded not even for an hour, that the truth of the gospel might remain with you.
⁶ But from those who were reputed to be something — whatever they were makes no difference to me; God does not accept man’s person; for to me those who were of repute added nothing.
⁷ But on the contrary, seeing that I had been entrusted with the gospel to the uncircumcision, even as Peter with the gospel to the circumcision,
⁸ (For He who operated in Peter for the apostleship to the circumcision operated also in me for the Gentiles),
⁹ And perceiving the grace given to me, James and Cephas and John, who were reputed to be pillars, gave to me and to Barnabas the right hand of fellowship that we should go to the Gentiles, and they, to the circumcision.
¹⁰ Only they requested that we remember the poor, which very thing I was also eager to do.
¹¹ But when Cephas came to Antioch, I opposed him to his face because he stood condemned.
¹² For before some came from James, he continually ate with the Gentiles; but when they came, he began to shrink back and separate himself, fearing those of the circumcision.
¹³ And the rest of the Jews also joined him in this hypocrisy, so that even Barnabas was carried away in their hypocrisy.
¹⁴ But when I saw that they were not walking in a straightforward way in relation to the truth of the gospel, I said to Cephas before them all, If you, being a Jew, live like the Gentiles and not like the Jews, how is it that you compel the Gentiles to live like the Jews?
¹⁵ We are Jews by nature and not sinners from among the Gentiles;
¹⁶ And knowing that a man is not justified out of works of law, but through faith in Jesus Christ, we also have believed into Christ Jesus that we might be justified out of faith in Christ and not out of the works of law, because out of the works of law no flesh will be justified.
¹⁷ But if, while seeking to be justified in Christ, we ourselves also have been found sinners, is then Christ a minister of sin? Absolutely not!
¹⁸ For if I build again the things which I have destroyed, I prove myself to be a transgressor.
¹⁹ For I through law have died to law that I might live to God.
²⁰ I am crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but it is Christ who lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live in faith, the faith of the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself up for me.
²¹ I do not nullify the grace of God; for if righteousness is through law, then Christ has died for nothing.

3

¹ O foolish Galatians, who has bewitched you, before whose eyes Jesus Christ was openly portrayed crucified?
² This only I wish to learn from you, Did you receive the Spirit out of the works of law or out of the hearing of faith?
³ Are you so foolish? Having begun by the Spirit, are you now being perfected by the flesh?
⁴ Have you suffered so many things in vain, if indeed it was in vain?
⁵ He therefore who bountifully supplies to you the Spirit and does works of power among you, does He do it out of the works of law or out of the hearing of faith?
⁶ Even as “Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him as righteousness.”
⁷ Know then that they who are of faith, these are sons of Abraham.
⁸ And the Scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the Gentiles out of faith, announced the gospel beforehand to Abraham: “In you shall all the nations be blessed.”
⁹ So then they who are of faith are blessed with believing Abraham.
¹⁰ For as many as are of the works of law are under a curse; for it is written, “Cursed is everyone who does not continue in all the things written in the book of the law to do them.”
¹¹ And that by law no one is justified before God is evident because, “The righteous one shall have life and live by faith”;
¹² But the law is not of faith, yet, “He who does them shall live because of them.”
¹³ Christ has redeemed us out of the curse of the law, having become a curse on our behalf; because it is written, “Cursed is everyone hanging on a tree”;
¹⁴ In order that the blessing of Abraham might come to the Gentiles in Christ Jesus, that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith.
¹⁵ Brothers, I speak according to man, though it is a man’s covenant, yet when it has been ratified, no one nullifies it or makes additions to it.
¹⁶ But to Abraham were the promises spoken and to his seed. He does not say, And to the seeds, as concerning many, but as concerning one: “And to your seed,” who is Christ.
¹⁷ And I say this: A covenant previously ratified by God, the law, having come four hundred and thirty years after, does not annul so as to make the promise of none effect.
¹⁸ For if the inheritance is of law, it is no longer of promise; but to Abraham God has graciously given it through promise.
¹⁹ Why then the law? It was added because of the transgressions until the seed should come to whom the promise was made, it being ordained through angels in the hand of a mediator.
²⁰ But a mediator is not a mediator for one, but God is one.
²¹ Is then the law against the promises of God? Absolutely not! For if a law had been given which was able to give life, righteousness would have indeed been of law.
²² But the Scripture has shut up all under sin in order that the promise out of faith in Jesus Christ might be given to those who believe.
²³ But before faith came we were guarded under law, being shut up unto the faith which was to be revealed.
²⁴ So then the law has become our child-conductor unto Christ that we might be justified out of faith.
²⁵ But since faith has come, we are no longer under a child-conductor.
²⁶ For you are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus.
²⁷ For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ.
²⁸ There cannot be Jew nor Greek, there cannot be slave nor free man, there cannot be male and female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus.
²⁹ And if you are of Christ, then you are Abraham’s seed, heirs according to promise.

4

¹ But I say, As long as the heir is a child, he does not differ at all from a slave, though he is lord of all;
² But he is under guardians and stewards until the time appointed by the father.
³ So also we, when we were children, were kept in slavery under the elements of the world;
⁴ But when the fullness of the time came, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under law,
⁵ That He might redeem those under law that we might receive the sonship.
⁶ And because you are sons, God has sent forth the Spirit of His Son into our hearts, crying, Abba, Father!
⁷ So then you are no longer a slave but a son; and if a son, an heir also through God.
⁸ However at that time, not knowing God, you were slaves to the gods which by nature are not gods;
⁹ But now, having come to know God, or rather having been known by God, how is it that you turn again to the weak and poor elements, to which you desire to be enslaved yet again?
¹⁰ You observe days and months and seasons and years;
¹¹ I fear for you, lest I have labored upon you in vain.
¹² Become as I am, because I also am as you are, brothers, I beseech you; you have not wronged me at all.
¹³ And you know that because of weakness of my flesh I announced the gospel to you the first time.
¹⁴ And that which was a trial to you in my flesh you did not despise nor loathe, but you received me as an angel of God, indeed as Christ Jesus.
¹⁵ Where then is your felicitation? For I testify concerning you that if possible you would have plucked out your eyes and given them to me.
¹⁶ So then have I become your enemy by presenting the truth to you?
¹⁷ They are zealous of you, but not rightly; but they desire to shut you out that you may be zealous of them.
¹⁸ But it is always good to be zealous in a good thing, and not only when I am present with you.
¹⁹ My children, with whom I travail again in birth until Christ is formed in you,
²⁰ Indeed, I wish I could be present with you now and change my tone because I am perplexed about you.
²¹ Tell me, you who desire to be under the law, do you not hear the law?
²² For it is written that Abraham had two sons, one of the maidservant and one of the free woman.
²³ However the one of the maidservant was born according to the flesh, but the one of the free woman was born through promise.
²⁴ These things are spoken allegorically, for these women are two covenants, one from Mount Sinai, bringing forth children unto slavery, which is Hagar.
²⁵ Now this Hagar is Sinai the mountain in Arabia and corresponds to the Jerusalem which now is, for she is in slavery with her children.
²⁶ But the Jerusalem above is free, which is our mother;
²⁷ For it is written, “Rejoice, barren one who does not bear; break forth and shout, you who are not travailing, because many are the children of her who is desolate rather than of her who has her husband.”
²⁸ But you, brothers, in the way Isaac was, are children of promise.
²⁹ But just as at that time he who was born according to the flesh persecuted him who was born according to the Spirit, so also it is now.
³⁰ But what does the Scripture say? “Cast out the maidservant and her son, for the son of the maidservant shall by no means inherit with the son of the free woman.”
³¹ So then, brothers, we are not children of the maidservant but of the free woman.

5

¹ It is for freedom that Christ has set us free; stand fast therefore, and do not be entangled with a yoke of slavery again.
² Behold, I Paul say to you that if you become circumcised, Christ will profit you nothing.
³ And I testify again to every man who becomes circumcised that he is a debtor to do the whole law.
⁴ You have been brought to nought, separated from Christ, you who are being justified by law; you have fallen from grace.
⁵ For we by the Spirit out of faith eagerly await the hope of righteousness.
⁶ For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision avails anything nor uncircumcision, but faith avails, operating through love.
⁷ You were running well. Who hindered you that you would not believe and obey the truth?
⁸ This persuasion is not of Him who calls you.
⁹ A little leaven leavens the whole lump.
¹⁰ I am confident in the Lord concerning you that you will be of no other mind; but he who is troubling you shall bear the judgment, whoever he may be.
¹¹ But I, brothers, if I still preach circumcision, why am I still being persecuted? Then the stumbling block of the cross has been annulled.
¹² I wish that those upsetting you would even cut themselves off.
¹³ For you were called for freedom, brothers; only do not turn this freedom into an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another.
¹⁴ For the whole law is fulfilled in one word, in this, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.”
¹⁵ But if you bite and devour one another, beware lest you be consumed by one another.
¹⁶ But I say, Walk by the Spirit and you shall by no means fulfill the lust of the flesh.
¹⁷ For the flesh lusts against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; for these oppose each other that you would not do the things that you desire.
¹⁸ But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law.
¹⁹ And the works of the flesh are manifest, which are such things as fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness,
²⁰ Idolatry, sorcery, enmities, strife, jealousy, outbursts of anger, factions, divisions, sects,
²¹ Envyings, bouts of drunkenness, carousings, and things like these, of which I tell you beforehand, even as I have said before, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.
²² But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, long-suffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,
²³ Meekness, self-control; against such things there is no law.
²⁴ But they who are of Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and its lusts.
²⁵ If we live by the Spirit, let us also walk by the Spirit.
²⁶ Let us not become vainglorious, provoking one another, envying one another.

6

¹ Brothers, even if a man is overtaken in some offense, you who are spiritual restore such a one in a spirit of meekness, looking to yourself lest you also be tempted.
² Bear one another’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ completely.
³ For if anyone thinks he is something when he is nothing, he deceives himself.
⁴ But let each man prove his own work, and then he will have his boast in regard to himself alone and not in regard to another.
⁵ For each one shall bear his own load.
⁶ But let him who is instructed in the word share in all good things with him who instructs.
⁷ Do not be deceived: God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, this he will also reap.
⁸ For he who sows unto his own flesh will reap corruption of the flesh, but he who sows unto the Spirit will of the Spirit reap eternal life.
⁹ And let us not lose heart in doing what is good, for in the proper season we will reap if we do not faint.
¹⁰ So then, as we have the opportunity, let us do what is good toward all, but especially toward those of the household of the faith.
¹¹ See with what large letters I have written to you with my own hand.
¹² As many as desire to make a good show in the flesh, these compel you to be circumcised, but only that they may not be persecuted for the cross of Christ.
¹³ For neither do they that become circumcised keep the law themselves, but they desire you to be circumcised that they may boast in your flesh.
¹⁴ But far be it from me to boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom the world has been crucified to me and I to the world.
¹⁵ For neither is circumcision anything nor uncircumcision, but a new creation is what matters.
¹⁶ And as many as walk by this rule, peace be upon them and mercy, even upon the Israel of God.
¹⁷ Henceforth let no one trouble me, for I bear in my body the brands of Jesus.
¹⁸ The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit, brothers. Amen.