Galatians 1-6

English Standard Version

Greeting

1 Paul, an ^(A)apostle—^(B)not from men nor through man, but ^(C)through Jesus Christ and God the Father, ^(D)who raised him from the dead— ² and all ^(E)the brothers^[a] who are with me,

To ^(F)the churches of Galatia:

^3 (G)Grace to you and peace ^(H)from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ, ^4 (I)who gave himself for our sins to deliver us from the present ^(J)evil age, according to the will of ^(K)our God and Father, ⁵ to whom be the glory forever and ever. Amen.

No Other Gospel

⁶ I am astonished that you are ^(L)so quickly deserting ^(M)him who called you in the grace of Christ and are turning to ^(N)a different gospel— ^7 (O)not that there is another one, but ^(P)there are some who trouble you and want to distort the gospel of Christ. ⁸ But even if we or ^(Q)an angel from heaven should preach to you a gospel contrary to the one we preached to you, ^(R)let him be accursed. ⁹ As we have said before, so now I say again: If anyone is preaching to you a gospel contrary to the one you received, ^(S)let him be accursed.

¹⁰ For am I now seeking the approval of man, or of God? Or am I trying ^(T)to please man? If I were still trying to please man, I would not be a ^(U)servant^[b] of Christ.

Paul Called by God

¹¹ For ^(V)I would have you know, brothers, that ^(W)the gospel that was preached by me is not man's gospel.^{[c] 12 (X)}For I did not receive it from any man, nor was I taught it, but I received it ^(Y)through a revelation of Jesus Christ. ¹³ For you have heard of ^(Z)my former life in Judaism, how ^(AA)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 ^(AB)zealous was I for ^(AC)the traditions of my fathers. ¹⁵ But when he ^(AD)who had set me apart ^(AE)before I was born,^[d] and who ^(AF)called me by his grace, ¹⁶ was pleased to reveal his Son to^[e] me, in order ^(AG)that I might preach him among the Gentiles, I did not immediately consult with anyone;^{[f] 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 ^(AH)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 ^(AI)the Lord's brother. ²⁰ (In what I am writing to you, ^(AJ)before God, I do not lie!) ^21 (AK)Then I went into the regions of Syria and Cilicia. ²² And I was still unknown in person to ^(AL)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 ^(AM)who seemed influential) the gospel that ^(AN)I proclaim among the Gentiles, ^(AO)in order to make sure I was not running or had not ^(AP)run in vain. ³ But even Titus, who was with me, ^(AQ)was not forced to be circumcised, though he was a Greek. ^4 (AR)Yet because of false brothers secretly brought in—who ^(AS)slipped in to spy out ^(AT)our freedom that we have in Christ Jesus, ^(AU)so that they might bring us into slavery— ⁵ to them we did not yield in submission even for a moment, so that ^(AV)the truth of the gospel might be preserved for you. ⁶ And from those ^(AW)who seemed to be influential (what they were makes no difference to me; ^(AX)God shows no partiality)—those, I say, who seemed influential ^(AY)added nothing to me. ⁷ On the contrary, when they saw that I had been ^(AZ)entrusted with ^(BA)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, ^(BB)who seemed to be ^(BC)pillars, perceived the ^(BD)grace that was given to me, they ^(BE)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, ^(BF)the very thing I was eager to do.

Paul Opposes Peter

¹¹ But ^(BG)when Cephas came to Antioch, I opposed him ^(BH)to his face, because he stood condemned. ¹² For before certain men came from James, ^(BI)he was eating with the Gentiles; but when they came he drew back and separated himself, fearing ^(BJ)the circumcision party.^{[g] 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 ^(BK)conduct was not in step with ^(BL)the truth of the gospel, I said to Cephas ^(BM)before them all, “If you, though a Jew, ^(BN)live like a Gentile and not like a Jew, how can you force the Gentiles to live like Jews?”

Justified by Faith

¹⁵ We ourselves are Jews by birth and not ^(BO)Gentile sinners; ¹⁶ yet we know that ^(BP)a person is not justified^[h] by works of the law ^(BQ)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, ^(BR)because by works of the law no one will be justified.

¹⁷ But if, in our endeavor to be justified in Christ, we too were found ^(BS)to be sinners, is Christ then a servant of sin? Certainly not! ¹⁸ For if I rebuild what I tore down, I prove myself to be a transgressor. ¹⁹ For through the law I ^(BT)died to the law, so that I might ^(BU)live to God. ²⁰ I have been ^(BV)crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives ^(BW)in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, ^(BX)who loved me and ^(BY)gave himself for me. ²¹ I do not nullify the grace of God, for ^(BZ)if righteousness^[i] were through the law, ^(CA)then Christ died for no purpose.

By Faith, or by Works of the Law?

3 O foolish Galatians! Who has bewitched you? ^(CB)It was before your eyes that Jesus Christ was publicly ^(CC)portrayed as crucified. ² Let me ask you only this: ^(CD)Did you receive the Spirit by works of the law or by ^(CE)hearing with faith? ³ Are you so foolish? ^(CF)Having begun by the Spirit, are you now being perfected by^[j] the flesh? ^4 (CG)Did you suffer^[k] so many things in vain—if indeed it was in vain? ⁵ Does he who supplies the Spirit to you and ^(CH)works miracles among you do so ^(CI)by works of the law, or by hearing with faith— ⁶ just as ^(CJ)Abraham “believed God, and it was counted to him as righteousness”?

⁷ Know then that it is ^(CK)those of faith who are ^(CL)the sons of Abraham. ⁸ And the Scripture, foreseeing that ^(CM)God would justify^[l] the Gentiles by faith, preached the gospel beforehand to Abraham, saying, ^(CN)“In you shall all the nations be blessed.” ⁹ So then, those who are of faith are blessed along with Abraham, the man of faith.

The Righteous Shall Live by Faith

¹⁰ For all who rely on works of the law are ^(CO)under a curse; for it is written, ^(CP)“Cursed be everyone who does not ^(CQ)abide by all things written in the Book of the Law, and do them.” ¹¹ Now it is evident that ^(CR)no one is justified before God by the law, for ^(CS)“The righteous shall live by faith.”^{[m] 12} But the law is not of faith, rather ^(CT)“The one who does them shall live by them.” ¹³ Christ ^(CU)redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us—for it is written, ^(CV)“Cursed is everyone who is hanged ^(CW)on a tree”— ¹⁴ so that in Christ Jesus the blessing of Abraham might ^(CX)come to the Gentiles, so that ^(CY)we might receive ^(CZ)the promised Spirit^[n] through faith.

The Law and the Promise

^15 (DA)To give a human example, brothers:^{[o] (DB)}even with a man-made covenant, no one annuls it or adds to it once it has been ratified. ¹⁶ Now ^(DC)the promises were made ^(DD)to Abraham and to his offspring. It does not say, “And to offsprings,” referring to many, but referring to one, ^(DE)“And to your offspring,” who is Christ. ¹⁷ This is what I mean: the law, which came ^(DF)430 years afterward, does not annul a covenant previously ratified by God, so as ^(DG)to make the promise void. ¹⁸ For if the inheritance comes by the law, it no longer comes by promise; but ^(DH)God gave it to Abraham by a promise.

¹⁹ Why then the law? ^(DI)It was added because of transgressions, ^(DJ)until the offspring should come to whom the promise had been made, and it was ^(DK)put in place through angels ^(DL)by an intermediary. ²⁰ Now ^(DM)an intermediary implies more than one, but ^(DN)God is one.

²¹ Is the law then contrary to the promises of God? Certainly not! For ^(DO)if a law had been given that could give life, then righteousness would indeed be by the law. ²² But the Scripture ^(DP)imprisoned everything under sin, so that ^(DQ)the promise by faith in Jesus Christ might be given ^(DR)to those who believe.

²³ Now before faith came, we were held captive under the law, ^(DS)imprisoned until the coming faith would be revealed. ²⁴ So then, ^(DT)the law was our ^(DU)guardian until Christ came, ^(DV)in order that we might be justified by faith. ²⁵ But now that faith has come, we are no longer under a guardian, ²⁶ for in Christ Jesus ^(DW)you are all sons of God, through faith. ²⁷ For as many of you as ^(DX)were baptized ^(DY)into Christ have ^(DZ)put on Christ. ^28 (EA)There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave^[p] nor free, ^(EB)there is no male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. ²⁹ And ^(EC)if you are Christ's, then you are Abraham's offspring, ^(ED)heirs according to promise.

Sons and Heirs

4 I mean that the heir, as long as he is a child, is no different from a slave,^[q] though he is the owner of everything, ² but he is under guardians and managers until the date set by his father. ³ In the same way we also, when we were children, ^(EE)were enslaved to the elementary principles^[r] of the world. ⁴ But ^(EF)when the fullness of time had come, God sent forth his Son, ^(EG)born ^(EH)of woman, born ^(EI)under the law, ^5 (EJ)to redeem those who were under the law, so that we might receive ^(EK)adoption as sons. ⁶ And because you are sons, God has sent ^(EL)the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, crying, “Abba! Father!” ⁷ So you are no longer a slave, but a son, and if a son, then ^(EM)an heir through God.

Paul's Concern for the Galatians

⁸ Formerly, when you ^(EN)did not know God, you ^(EO)were enslaved to those that by nature ^(EP)are not gods. ⁹ But now that you have come to know God, or rather ^(EQ)to be known by God, ^(ER)how can you turn back again to ^(ES)the weak and worthless elementary principles of the world, whose slaves you want to be once more? ^10 (ET)You observe days and months and seasons and years! ¹¹ I am afraid ^(EU)I may have labored over you in vain.

¹² Brothers,^{[s] (EV)}I entreat you, become as I am, for I also have become as you are. ^(EW)You did me no wrong. ¹³ You know it was ^(EX)because of a bodily ailment that I preached the gospel to you ^(EY)at first, ¹⁴ and though my condition was a trial to you, you did not scorn or despise me, but received me ^(EZ)as an angel of God, ^(FA)as Christ Jesus. ¹⁵ What then has become of your blessedness? For I testify to you that, if possible, you would have gouged out your eyes and given them to me. ¹⁶ Have I then become your enemy by ^(FB)telling you the truth?^{[t] 17} They make much of you, but for no good purpose. They want to shut you out, that you may make much of them. ¹⁸ It is always good to be made much of for a good purpose, and ^(FC)not only when I am present with you, ^19 (FD)my little children, ^(FE)for whom I am again in the anguish of childbirth until Christ ^(FF)is formed in you! ²⁰ I wish I could be present with you now and change my tone, for I am perplexed about you.

Example of Hagar and Sarah

²¹ Tell me, you who desire to be under the law, do you not listen to the law? ²² For it is written that Abraham had two sons, ^(FG)one by a slave woman and ^(FH)one by a free woman. ²³ But ^(FI)the son of the slave was born according to the flesh, while ^(FJ)the son of the free woman was born through promise. ²⁴ Now this may be interpreted allegorically: these women are two ^(FK)covenants. ^(FL)One is from Mount Sinai, bearing children for slavery; she is Hagar. ²⁵ Now Hagar is Mount Sinai in Arabia;^[u] she corresponds to the present Jerusalem, for she is in slavery with her children. ²⁶ But ^(FM)the Jerusalem above is free, and she is our mother. ²⁷ For it is written,

²⁸ Now you,^[v] brothers, ^(FO)like Isaac, ^(FP)are children of promise. ²⁹ But just as at that time he who was born according to the flesh ^(FQ)persecuted him who was born according to the Spirit, ^(FR)so also it is now. ³⁰ But what does the Scripture say? ^(FS)“Cast out the slave woman and her son, for the son of the slave woman shall not inherit with the son of the free woman.” ³¹ So, brothers, we are not children of the slave but ^(FT)of the free woman.

Christ Has Set Us Free

5 For ^(FU)freedom Christ has ^(FV)set us free; ^(FW)stand firm therefore, and do not submit again to ^(FX)a yoke of ^(FY)slavery.

² Look: I, Paul, say to you that ^(FZ)if you accept circumcision, ^(GA)Christ will be of no advantage to you. ³ I testify again to every man who accepts circumcision that ^(GB)he is obligated to keep the whole law. ⁴ You are ^(GC)severed from Christ, ^(GD)you who would be justified^[w] by the law; ^(GE)you have fallen away from grace. ⁵ For through the Spirit, by faith, we ourselves eagerly ^(GF)wait for the hope of righteousness. ⁶ For in Christ Jesus ^(GG)neither circumcision nor uncircumcision counts for anything, but ^(GH)only faith working through love.

^7 (GI)You were running well. Who hindered you from obeying ^(GJ)the truth? ⁸ This persuasion is not from ^(GK)him who calls you. ^9 (GL)A little leaven leavens the whole lump. ^10 (GM)I have confidence in the Lord that you will ^(GN)take no other view, and ^(GO)the one who is troubling you will bear the penalty, whoever he is. ¹¹ But if I, brothers,^[x] still preach^[y] circumcision, ^(GP)why am I still being persecuted? In that case ^(GQ)the offense of the cross has been removed. ¹² I wish ^(GR)those who unsettle you would emasculate themselves!

¹³ For you were called to freedom, brothers. ^(GS)Only do not use your freedom as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love ^(GT)serve one another. ¹⁴ For ^(GU)the whole law is fulfilled in one word: ^(GV)“You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” ¹⁵ But if you ^(GW)bite and devour one another, watch out that you are not consumed by one another.

Keep in Step with the Spirit

¹⁶ But I say, ^(GX)walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify ^(GY)the desires of the flesh. ¹⁷ For ^(GZ)the desires of the flesh are against the Spirit, and the desires of the Spirit are against the flesh, for these are opposed to each other, ^(HA)to keep you from doing the things you want to do. ¹⁸ But if you are ^(HB)led by the Spirit, ^(HC)you are not under the law. ¹⁹ Now ^(HD)the works of the flesh are evident: sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality, ²⁰ idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, fits of anger, rivalries, dissensions, ^(HE)divisions, ²¹ envy,^[z] drunkenness, orgies, and things like these. I warn you, as I warned you before, that ^(HF)those who do^[aa] such things will not inherit the kingdom of God. ²² But ^(HG)the fruit of the Spirit is ^(HH)love, joy, peace, patience, ^(HI)kindness, goodness, faithfulness, ^23 (HJ)gentleness, ^(HK)self-control; ^(HL)against such things there is no law. ²⁴ And those who belong to Christ Jesus ^(HM)have crucified the flesh with its ^(HN)passions and desires.

²⁵ If we live by the Spirit, ^(HO)let us also keep in step with the Spirit. ^26 (HP)Let us not become conceited, provoking one another, envying one another.

Bear One Another's Burdens

6 Brothers,^{[ab] (HQ)}if anyone is caught in any transgression, ^(HR)you who are spiritual should restore him in ^(HS)a spirit of gentleness. Keep watch on yourself, lest you too be tempted. ^2 (HT)Bear one another's burdens, and ^(HU)so fulfill ^(HV)the law of Christ. ³ For ^(HW)if anyone thinks he is something, ^(HX)when he is nothing, he deceives himself. ⁴ But let each one ^(HY)test his own work, and then his reason to boast will be in himself alone and not in his neighbor. ⁵ For ^(HZ)each will have to bear his own load.

^6 (IA)Let the one who is taught the word share all good things with the one who teaches. ^7 (IB)Do not be deceived: God is not mocked, for ^(IC)whatever one sows, that will he also reap. ⁸ For ^(ID)the one who sows to his own flesh ^(IE)will from the flesh reap corruption, but ^(IF)the one who sows to the Spirit will from the Spirit reap eternal life. ⁹ And ^(IG)let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, ^(IH)if we do not give up. ¹⁰ So then, ^(II)as we have opportunity, let us ^(IJ)do good to everyone, and especially to those who are ^(IK)of the household of faith.

Final Warning and Benediction

¹¹ See with what large letters I am writing to you ^(IL)with my own hand. ^12 (IM)It is those who want to make a good showing in the flesh ^(IN)who would force you to be circumcised, and only ^(IO)in order that they may not be persecuted for the cross of Christ. ¹³ For even those who are circumcised do not themselves keep the law, but they desire to have you circumcised that they may boast in your flesh. ¹⁴ But far be it from me to boast ^(IP)except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by which^[ac] the world ^(IQ)has been crucified to me, and I to the world. ¹⁵ For ^(IR)neither circumcision counts for anything, nor uncircumcision, but ^(IS)a new creation. ¹⁶ And as for all who walk by this rule, ^(IT)peace and mercy be upon them, and upon ^(IU)the Israel of God.

¹⁷ From now on let no one cause me trouble, for I bear on my body the marks of Jesus.

^18 (IV)The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be ^(IW)with your spirit, brothers. Amen.