Galatians 1:11-2:14

English Standard Version

Paul Called by God

¹¹ For ^(A)I would have you know, brothers, that ^(B)the gospel that was preached by me is not man's gospel.^{[a] 12 (C)}For I did not receive it from any man, nor was I taught it, but I received it ^(D)through a revelation of Jesus Christ. ¹³ For you have heard of ^(E)my former life in Judaism, how ^(F)I persecuted the church of God violently and tried to destroy it. ¹⁴ And I was advancing in Judaism beyond many of my own age among my people, so extremely ^(G)zealous was I for ^(H)the traditions of my fathers. ¹⁵ But when he ^(I)who had set me apart ^(J)before I was born,^[b] and who ^(K)called me by his grace, ¹⁶ was pleased to reveal his Son to^[c] me, in order ^(L)that I might preach him among the Gentiles, I did not immediately consult with anyone;^{[d] 17} nor did I go up to Jerusalem to those who were apostles before me, but I went away into Arabia, and returned again to Damascus.

¹⁸ Then ^(M)after three years I went up to Jerusalem to visit Cephas and remained with him fifteen days. ¹⁹ But I saw none of the other apostles except James ^(N)the Lord's brother. ²⁰ (In what I am writing to you, ^(O)before God, I do not lie!) ^21 (P)Then I went into the regions of Syria and Cilicia. ²² And I was still unknown in person to ^(Q)the churches of Judea that are in Christ. ²³ They only were hearing it said, “He who used to persecute us is now preaching the faith he once tried to destroy.” ²⁴ And they glorified God because of me.

Paul Accepted by the Apostles

2 Then after fourteen years I went up again to Jerusalem with Barnabas, taking Titus along with me. ² I went up because of a revelation and set before them (though privately before those ^(R)who seemed influential) the gospel that ^(S)I proclaim among the Gentiles, ^(T)in order to make sure I was not running or had not ^(U)run in vain. ³ But even Titus, who was with me, ^(V)was not forced to be circumcised, though he was a Greek. ^4 (W)Yet because of false brothers secretly brought in—who ^(X)slipped in to spy out ^(Y)our freedom that we have in Christ Jesus, ^(Z)so that they might bring us into slavery— ⁵ to them we did not yield in submission even for a moment, so that ^(AA)the truth of the gospel might be preserved for you. ⁶ And from those ^(AB)who seemed to be influential (what they were makes no difference to me; ^(AC)God shows no partiality)—those, I say, who seemed influential ^(AD)added nothing to me. ⁷ On the contrary, when they saw that I had been ^(AE)entrusted with ^(AF)the 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), ⁹ and when James and Cephas and John, ^(AG)who seemed to be ^(AH)pillars, perceived the ^(AI)grace that was given to me, they ^(AJ)gave the right hand of fellowship to Barnabas and me, that we should go to the Gentiles and they to the circumcised. ¹⁰ Only, they asked us to remember the poor, ^(AK)the very thing I was eager to do.

Paul Opposes Peter

¹¹ But ^(AL)when Cephas came to Antioch, I opposed him ^(AM)to his face, because he stood condemned. ¹² For before certain men came from James, ^(AN)he was eating with the Gentiles; but when they came he drew back and separated himself, fearing ^(AO)the circumcision party.^{[e] 13} And the rest of the Jews acted hypocritically along with him, so that even Barnabas was led astray by their hypocrisy. ¹⁴ But when I saw that their ^(AP)conduct was not in step with ^(AQ)the truth of the gospel, I said to Cephas ^(AR)before them all, “If you, though a Jew, ^(AS)live like a Gentile and not like a Jew, how can you force the Gentiles to live like Jews?”