The Letter from Paul the Apostle to the Galatians

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Paul, an apostle—not from people nor by people, but by Jesus Christ, and God the father, who raised him up from the dead— 2 and all the brothers who are with me, to the communities of Galatia. 3 Grace to you and peace from God the Father, and our Lord Jesus Christ, 4 who gave himself for our sins, that he might free us from the present evil age according to the will of our God and father, 5 to whom be glory for an age of ages, Amen.

6 I am astonished that you have been so quickly moved away from Christ who called you by grace into another gospel, 7 though it is no other, except that there are some who disturb you and wish to turn the gospel of Christ on its head. 8 But if somehow we, or an angel from heaven, shall proclaim to you a gospel other than that which we have proclaimed to you, may he be accursed. 9 As we said before, I also say again now: If anyone shall proclaim a gospel other than that which you have received, may he be accursed. 10 For now do I persuade people, or God? Or do I want to please people? For if I were still pleasing people, I would in no way be a servant of Christ.

11 For I want to make you know, brothers, that the gospel which is proclaimed by me is not according to people, 12 for neither did I receive it, nor learn it, from people; but by the revelation of Jesus Christ. 13 For you heard of my activity previously in Judaism, how beyond measure I would harass and depopulate the community of God, 14 and I profited in Judaism above many peers in my nation, being more and more studious in the traditions of the institutions of my superiors. 15 But when God, who set me apart from the womb of my mother, and called me by his grace, 16 saw fit to reveal his son by me, that I might preach him among the nations, at once, I did not confer with flesh and blood, 17 nor did I go up to Jerusalem to those who were apostles before me, but I went into Arabia, and returned anew to Damascus; 18 then after three years I went back to Jerusalem to see Peter, and stay with him for fifteen days, 19 but I saw none of the other apostles except James the brother of the Lord. 20 Now the things which I write to you, behold before God, I do not lie. 21 Then I came into the regions of Syria and Cilicia. 22 And I was unknown according to the face of the communities of Judaea who were in Christ, 23 but such a rumor as this was with them, “The one who harassed us beforetimes now proclaims the faith that he once destroyed”; 24 and they glorified God in me.

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Then fourteen years later I went back up to Jerusalem along with Barnabas, taking Titus with me at the same time. 2 And I went up according to revelation; and communicated with them the gospel which I proclaim among the nations, but privately with those who were of value, lest at all I would run, or have run, in vain. 3 But not even Titus, who was with me, being Greek, was compelled to be circumcised; 4 because of false brothers secretly entered in who came in stealthily to spy on our freedom which we have in Christ Jesus, to bring us back into servitude; 5 to whom at no time did we cease through the subjection, that the truth of the gospel might remain with you; 6 but from these who seemed to be something—whatever they were, it makes no difference to me, for God does not show partiality to people—for those who seemed of value to me added nothing. 7 On the other hand, when they saw the gospel of the uncircumcision to have been placed in my trust, as that of the circumcision was to Peter— 8 for the one who was effective in Peter to the apostleship of circumcision was also effective in me toward the nations— 9 and when they saw the grace given to me, James, Cephas and John, who seemed to be pillars, they gave the right hand of fellowship to me and Barnabas, that we should take apostleship to the nations and they to the circumcision; 10 only that we be mindful of the poor, in which I had also been diligent to do that already by myself.

11 But when Peter came to Antioch, I told him off to his face, for he was worthy of blame. 12 For before some people came to James he would have dinner with foreigners; but when they had come, he went aside and separated himself from them, fearing those who were from the circumcision, 13 and the Jews themselves joined with him in hypocrisy such that even Barnabas was carried away in their hypocrisy. 14 But when I saw that they did not walk rightly to the truth of the gospel, I told Peter in front of all of them, “If you, being a Jew, live like a gentile, and not like a Jew, why do you think to make the nations Jewish?”

15 We are sinners by the nature of Jews, and not of the nations, 16 for we know a person not to be justified from works of the law, except by the faith of Jesus Christ; and we believe in Jesus Christ, that we may be justified from the faith of Christ, and not from works of the law. For all flesh shall not be justified from works of the law. 17 For if while we seek to be justified by Christ, we too are found to be sinners, is Christ therefore the minister of sin? Never! 18 For if I build again those things which I destroyed, I set myself up as a transgressor. 19 For I by law was dead of the law, that in Christ I might live. 20 I am crucified with Christ; but I live, no longer myself, but Christ lives in me. And the life which I now live in flesh, I live by the faith of the son of God who loved me and gave himself up for me. 21 I do not spurn the grace of God; for if righteousness is by law, then Christ is dead for nothing.

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Foolish Galatians! Who has brainwashed you into not believing the truth, before whose eyes Jesus Christ was shown crucified among you? 2 This alone I wish to learn from you—whether it was from works of law that you received the spirit, or from the proclamation of faith? 3 Are you that stupid? Having been founded in the spirit, are you now completed in the flesh? 4 Have you suffered so much for nothing (if it is yet for nothing)? 5 So whoever it is that is ministering the spirit to you, and working powers in you, is he doing it from works of the law, or from the proclamation of faith? 6 As it is written, Abraham believed in God, and it was reckoned to him as righteousness. 7 Therefore you know that those who are from faith are sons of Abraham. 8 The scripture, also, foreseeing that God would justify the nations from faith, first proclaimed this joyful thing to Abraham: In you shall all peoples be blessed. 9 Therefore those who are of faith are blessed with faithful Abraham. 10 For so many as are from works of the law are under the curse, for it is written, Cursed is everyone who does not remain in all things which are written in the book of the law, to do them. 11 Furthermore, though, in the law none is made righteous with God. It is made clear, for certainly the righteous lives from his faith, but the law is not from faith. 12 Rather, the person who does them lives in them. 13 Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law, when he became a curse for us—for it is written, Cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree— 14 that in the nations the blessing of Abraham may come by Christ Jesus, that we may receive the spirit of promise by faith.

15 Brothers (I am speaking according to people), a person’s testament though it is, if yet it shall be confirmed, no one rejects or adds anything to it. 16 Now to Abraham the promises were spoken, and to his seed. It does not say, “And to seeds”, as if of many; but as of one, And to your seed, who is Christ. 17 And this I also say, the testament previously confirmed by God toward Christ, the law which was founded after four hundred thirty years, cannot erase or abrogate the promise. 18 For if inheritance is from the law, it is not still from promise; but God gave it to Abraham by a promise.

19 So what about the law? Because of transgressions it was added, until the seed shall come, to whom the promise had been made, set in order by angels in the hand of an intercessor, 20 and there is not a single intercessor, but God is one. 21 Then is the law against the promises of God? Never! For if a law had been given which could bring to life, truly righteousness would be from the law. 22 But the scripture has closed all things in under sin, that the promise from the faith of Jesus Christ might be given to believers. 23 But before faith had come, we were guarded under the law, closed into that faith which was yet to be revealed. 24 Therefore the law was our headmaster to Christ, that we might be made righteous from faith. 25 But after the faith has come, we are no longer under such a headmaster.

26 For you are all sons of God, those of you who believe in Christ Jesus. 27 For as many of you as have been baptized have donned Christ. 28 There is no Jew nor Greek, there is no slave nor free, there is no male or female. For you all are one in Christ Jesus. 29 And if you are of Christ, then you people are the seed of Abraham, and heirs according to the promise.

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I say this also: So long as the heir is a child he differs none from a servant, though he is lord of all things; 2 but he is under tutors and masters until the time the father has determined. 3 Thus also we, being children, are under the elements of the world, governed in servitude. 4 And when the fulness of time came God sent forth his son, made from woman, made under the conditions of the law, 5 so that those who were under the conditions of the law might be redeemed, and that they, that is, we, might be lawfully adopted as his sons. 6 And because you are sons, God sent forth the spirit of his son into your hearts, which cry, “Abba—Father!”— 7 making you no more a servant but a son; and if a son, then an heir of God by Christ.

8 But then indeed, when you people did not know God, you served those who are by their nature not gods. 9 And now that you have known God, or rather, are known to God, how can you turn back to the weak and beggarly elements to which you desire to be wholly enslaved? 10 You observe days, months, seasons, years. 11 I fear for you, that all I have done for you was for nothing. 12 I ask you to be as I am, as also I am as you are. You have harmed me not at all. 13 You know that by weakness of the flesh I have evangelized you first, 14 and my temptation, which was in the flesh, you have not spurned or rejected, but you received me as a messenger of God, like Christ Jesus. 15 So where is your blessedness? For I give you witness that, if it were possible, you would have given me your own gouged-out eyes. 16 So have I become an enemy to you, speaking the truth to you? 17 They affect you not well; indeed, they want to shut you out from affecting them. 18 But it is good to be so affected in good things, and not only when I am present with you.

19 My little children, with whom I am once again in labor until Christ shall be formed in you, 20 I want to be with you right now, and to change my voice; for I am confused about you. 21 Tell me, you who want to be under the law: have you not heard the law itself? 22 For it is written that Abraham had two sons, one from a maid, one from a free woman. 23 Truly the one born of a maid is born according to the flesh; but the one born of the free woman, by promise; 24 which things are spoken by allegory. For these are two testaments; one indeed from Mount Sinai, which generates into slavery, which is Hagar. 25 For Hagar is Mount Sinai in Arabia, and answers to that which is now called Jerusalem, and is in slavery with her sons. 26 And the forementioned Jerusalem is free, which is the mother of all of us, 27 for it is written:

Rejoice, barren one who has not given birth;
break forth and shout, you who have not been in labor;
for many are the children of the desolate one,
greater than the one who has a husband.

28 And we, brothers, are according to Isaac sons of the promise. 29 But then as the one who was born according to the flesh persecuted the one who was born according to the spirit, it is thus even now. 30 And what does the scripture say? Cast out the maid and her son; for the son of the maid shall not be heir with the son of the free woman. 31 Therefore, brothers, we are not sons of the maid, but of the free woman.

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Therefore, stand firm in the freedom with which Christ has freed us, and do not get tangled back up in the yoke of slavery. 2 Look, I, Paul say this to you: if you shall become circumcised, Christ will profit you nothing. 3 And I bear witness of everyone who has been circumcised, that he is a debtor to serving the whole of the law. 4 Christ is become useless to you, any of you who are made righteous by the law; you have fallen away from the grace. 5 For we, in the spirit from faith, await the hope of righteousness. 6 For in Christ Jesus neither does circumcision have any value, nor uncircumcision; but faith, working by love. 7 You ran well; who impeded you, that you should not believe in the truth? 8 This persuasion did not originate from the one who has called you; 9 a little yeast ruins the whole lump of dough. 10 I have faith in you through the Lord that you will be of no other mind, but that the one who disturbs you shall carry his judgment, whoever he shall be. 11 But I, brothers, if I shall still proclaim circumcision, why do I still suffer persecution? Therefore the stumbling block of the cross is abolished. 12 If but those who mocked you would be cut off!

13 But you were called in freedom, brothers; just do not give the freedom as an occasion to flesh, but by love be servants to one another. 14 For all the law can be summed up in one word, namely this, Love your neighbor like yourself. 15 But if you are gnawing at and devouring one another, see that you do not consume one another. 16 I say also: Walk in the spirit, and you will not fulfill the lusts of the flesh. 17 For flesh lusts against spirit, and spirit against flesh; and these things stand against each other, such that you are not doing what you want to. 18 But if you shall be led by the spirit, you are not under the law. 19 Now the works of the flesh are revealed, which are these—adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lustfulness, 20 worship of idols, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, rage, divisions, seditions, heresies, 21 envy, murder, drunkenness, orgies and the like, of which I tell you, as I have told you before, that those who do such things are not heirs of the kingdom of God. 22 On the other hand, the fruit of the spirit are love, joy, peace, lenity, kindness, goodness, faith, 23 meekness, self-control, restraint, purity—against these things there is no law. 24 But those who are of Christ have crucified their flesh, along with their passion and lusts. 25 If we are living in the spirit, the spirit also moves us. 26 May we not desire the empty glory, provoking each other, envying each other.

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Furthermore, brothers, if a person shall be occupied in the act, of any sort of act, you should, being spiritual, restore such a person in the spirit of meekness, keeping your own self in mind lest you shall fall into the same temptation. 2 All of you, carry one another’s burdens, and thus complete the law of Christ. 3 For if anyone shall deem himself to be something when he shall be nothing, he fails his own spirit. 4 But let each of you prove your own work, and thus in your own self you will have glorying, and not in another. 5 For each one of you shall carry your own burden. 6 But may the one who shall be taught the word communicate to the one who teaches, in all good things. 7 Do not fool yourselves; God will not be mocked. 8 For whatever a person shall plant, that is also what he shall reap. For the one who plants by his own flesh, from flesh reaps corruption; but the one who plants by the spirit, from the spirit reaps life eternal. 9 And do not exhaust yourselves in doing good; for in its time we shall reap, not being exhausted. 10 Therefore while we have time, we shall do good things, toward all people, most of all toward those of the household of faith.

11 See how much of a letter I have written with my own hand! 12 As many as desire to please according to the flesh think to circumcise you, so much as they will not suffer the cross of Christ. 13 But neither do those themselves who have been circumcised keep the law, so as to be able to glory in your flesh. 14 But as for me, far be it from me to glory except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom the world is crucified to me, and I to the world. 15 For in Christ Jesus neither does circumcision, nor the lack of circumcision, have any worth; but the newly created being. 16 And upon whoever shall walk according to this rule be peace and mercy, as also upon the Israel of God. 17 From henceforth, may no one bother me; for I carry the scars of the Lord Jesus in my own body. 18 May the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit, brothers. Amen.

To the Galatians. Written from Rome.