Galatians 2

1Then, fourteen years later, I went up to Jerusalem again, accompanied by Barnabas, and I took Titus with us as well.

2I went up in response to a revelation. I presented to them the gospel I preach among the Gentiles—but privately, to those who had a reputation—for fear that I might be running, or had run, for nothing.

3Yet even Titus, my companion, was not made to be circumcised, Greek though he was.

4This was because of false brothers who had been smuggled in, who sneaked in to spy out our freedom that we have in Christ Jesus, so as to make slaves of us.

5We did not give way and submit to them even briefly, so that the truth of the gospel would stay with you.

6As for those reputed to be something—what they once were does not matter to me; God does not show favoritism—those with a reputation contributed nothing to me.

7Instead, they saw that the gospel for the uncircumcised had been entrusted to me, as the gospel for the circumcised had been to Peter.

8For the one who was at work in Peter for an apostleship to the circumcised was also at work in me for the Gentiles.

9And recognizing the grace I had been given, James, Cephas, and John, who were reputed to be pillars, gave Barnabas and me their right hands in partnership, with the understanding that we would go to the Gentiles and they to the circumcised.

10Their only request was that we keep the poor in mind, which is the very thing I also made every effort to do.

11But when Cephas came to Antioch, I stood against him face to face, because he had been shown to be in the wrong.

12For before some men from James arrived, he regularly ate with the Gentiles. But once they came, he started pulling back and keeping himself apart, because he was afraid of the circumcision faction.

13The other Jews also joined him in playing the hypocrite, with the result that even Barnabas was swept along by their pretense.

14But when I saw that they were not walking straight in line with the truth of the gospel, I said to Cephas with everyone present, “If you, who are a Jew, live as the Gentiles do and not as the Jews do, how is it that you are pressuring the Gentiles to take up Jewish ways?”

15We ourselves were born Jews, not sinners from the Gentiles,

16but we know that a person is not justified by works of the law but only through faith in Jesus Christ. So we too have put our faith in Christ Jesus, so that we may be justified by faith in Christ and not by works of the law, since by works of the law no human being will be justified.

17Now if, as we seek to be justified in Christ, it turns out that we ourselves are sinners too, does that make Christ one who serves sin? By no means!

18For if I build up again the very things I demolished, I establish myself as a transgressor.

19For I, through the law, died to the law, in order to live for God.

20I have been crucified with Christ. I am no longer the one living; Christ is the one living in me. The life I am now living in the flesh, I am living by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and handed himself over for me.

21I do not cast aside God’s grace. For if righteousness comes by way of the law, then Christ died needlessly.