¹⁰ Am I now trying to win the approval of human beings, or of God? Or am I trying to please people?^(A) If I were still trying to please people, I would not be a servant of Christ.

Paul Called by God

¹¹ I want you to know, brothers and sisters,^(B) that the gospel I preached^(C) is not of human origin. ¹² I did not receive it from any man,^(D) nor was I taught it; rather, I received it by revelation^(E) from Jesus Christ.^(F)

¹³ For you have heard of my previous way of life in Judaism,^(G) how intensely I persecuted the church of God^(H) and tried to destroy it.^{(I) 14} I was advancing in Judaism beyond many of my own age among my people and was extremely zealous^(J) for the traditions of my fathers.^{(K) 15} But when God, who set me apart from my mother’s womb^(L) and called me^(M) by his grace, was pleased ¹⁶ to reveal his Son in me so that I might preach him among the Gentiles,^(N) my immediate response was not to consult any human being.^{(O) 17} I did not go up to Jerusalem to see those who were apostles before I was, but I went into Arabia. Later I returned to Damascus.^(P)

¹⁸ Then after three years,^(Q) I went up to Jerusalem^(R) to get acquainted with Cephas^[a] and stayed with him fifteen days. ¹⁹ I saw none of the other apostles—only James,^(S) the Lord’s brother. ²⁰ I assure you before God^(T) that what I am writing you is no lie.^(U)

²¹ Then I went to Syria^(V) and Cilicia.^{(W) 22} I was personally unknown to the churches of Judea^(X) that are in Christ.^{(Y) 23} They only heard the report: “The man who formerly persecuted us is now preaching the faith^(Z) he once tried to destroy.”^{(AA) 24} And they praised God^(AB) because of me.

Paul Accepted by the Apostles

2 Then after fourteen years, I went up again to Jerusalem,^(AC) this time with Barnabas.^(AD) I took Titus^(AE) along also. ² I went in response to a revelation^(AF) and, meeting privately with those esteemed as leaders, I presented to them the gospel that I preach among the Gentiles.^(AG) I wanted to be sure I was not running and had not been running my race^(AH) in vain. ³ Yet not even Titus,^(AI) who was with me, was compelled to be circumcised, even though he was a Greek.^{(AJ) 4} This matter arose because some false believers^(AK) had infiltrated our ranks to spy on^(AL) the freedom^(AM) we have in Christ Jesus and to make us slaves. ⁵ We did not give in to them for a moment, so that the truth of the gospel^(AN) might be preserved for you.

⁶ As for those who were held in high esteem^(AO)—whatever they were makes no difference to me; God does not show favoritism^(AP)—they added nothing to my message.^{(AQ) 7} On the contrary, they recognized that I had been entrusted with the task^(AR) of preaching the gospel to the uncircumcised,^[b](AS) just as Peter^(AT) had been to the circumcised.^{[c] 8} For God, who was at work in Peter as an apostle^(AU) to the circumcised, was also at work in me as an apostle^(AV) to the Gentiles. ⁹ James,^(AW) Cephas^[d](AX) and John, those esteemed as pillars,^(AY) gave me and Barnabas^(AZ) the right hand of fellowship when they recognized the grace given to me.^(BA) They agreed that we should go to the Gentiles,^(BB) and they to the circumcised. ¹⁰ All they asked was that we should continue to remember the poor,^(BC) the very thing I had been eager to do all along.

Paul Opposes Cephas

¹¹ When Cephas^(BD) came to Antioch,^(BE) I opposed him to his face, because he stood condemned. ¹² For before certain men came from James,^(BF) he used to eat with the Gentiles.^(BG) But when they arrived, he began to draw back and separate himself from the Gentiles because he was afraid of those who belonged to the circumcision group.^{(BH) 13} The other Jews joined him in his hypocrisy, so that by their hypocrisy even Barnabas^(BI) was led astray.

¹⁴ When I saw that they were not acting in line with the truth of the gospel,^(BJ) I said to Cephas^(BK) in front of them all, “You are a Jew, yet you live like a Gentile and not like a Jew.^(BL) How is it, then, that you force Gentiles to follow Jewish customs?^(BM)

¹⁵ “We who are Jews by birth^(BN) and not sinful Gentiles^{(BO) 16} know that a person is not justified by the works of the law,^(BP) but by faith in Jesus Christ.^(BQ) So we, too, have put our faith in Christ Jesus that we may be justified by faith in^[e] Christ and not by the works of the law, because by the works of the law no one will be justified.^(BR)

¹⁷ “But if, in seeking to be justified in Christ, we Jews find ourselves also among the sinners,^(BS) doesn’t that mean that Christ promotes sin? Absolutely not!^{(BT) 18} If I rebuild what I destroyed, then I really would be a lawbreaker.

¹⁹ “For through the law I died to the law^(BU) so that I might live for God.^{(BV) 20} I have been crucified with Christ^(BW) and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me.^(BX) The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God,^(BY) who loved me^(BZ) and gave himself for me.^{(CA) 21} I do not set aside the grace of God, for if righteousness could be gained through the law,^(CB) Christ died for nothing!”^[f]