Galatians 2:11-3:14

New International Version

Paul Opposes Cephas

¹¹ When Cephas^(A) came to Antioch,^(B) I opposed him to his face, because he stood condemned. ¹² For before certain men came from James,^(C) he used to eat with the Gentiles.^(D) 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.^{(E) 13} The other Jews joined him in his hypocrisy, so that by their hypocrisy even Barnabas^(F) was led astray.

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

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

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

¹⁹ “For through the law I died to the law^(R) so that I might live for God.^{(S) 20} I have been crucified with Christ^(T) and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me.^(U) The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God,^(V) who loved me^(W) and gave himself for me.^{(X) 21} I do not set aside the grace of God, for if righteousness could be gained through the law,^(Y) Christ died for nothing!”^[b]

Faith or Works of the Law

3 You foolish^(Z) Galatians!^(AA) Who has bewitched you?^(AB) Before your very eyes Jesus Christ was clearly portrayed as crucified.^{(AC) 2} I would like to learn just one thing from you: Did you receive the Spirit^(AD) by the works of the law,^(AE) or by believing what you heard?^{(AF) 3} Are you so foolish? After beginning by means of the Spirit, are you now trying to finish by means of the flesh?^{[c] 4} Have you experienced^[d] so much in vain—if it really was in vain? ⁵ So again I ask, does God give you his Spirit and work miracles^(AG) among you by the works of the law, or by your believing what you heard?^{(AH) 6} So also Abraham “believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness.”^[e](AI)

⁷ Understand, then, that those who have faith^(AJ) are children of Abraham.^{(AK) 8} Scripture foresaw that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, and announced the gospel in advance to Abraham: “All nations will be blessed through you.”^{[f](AL) 9} So those who rely on faith^(AM) are blessed along with Abraham, the man of faith.^(AN)

¹⁰ For all who rely on the works of the law^(AO) are under a curse,^(AP) as it is written: “Cursed is everyone who does not continue to do everything written in the Book of the Law.”^{[g](AQ) 11} Clearly no one who relies on the law is justified before God,^(AR) because “the righteous will live by faith.”^{[h](AS) 12} The law is not based on faith; on the contrary, it says, “The person who does these things will live by them.”^{[i](AT) 13} Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law^(AU) by becoming a curse for us, for it is written: “Cursed is everyone who is hung on a pole.”^{[j](AV) 14} He redeemed us in order that the blessing given to Abraham might come to the Gentiles through Christ Jesus,^(AW) so that by faith we might receive the promise of the Spirit.^(AX)