Galatians

Chapter 1

1 Paul, an apostle, not from men nor through man, but through Jesus Christ and God the Father, who raised him from the dead

2 and all the brothers with me, to the churches of Galatia:

3 grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ,

4 who gave himself for our sins, so that he might deliver us from the present evil age, according to the will of our God and Father,

5 to whom be the glory forever and ever. Amen.

6 I am amazed that you are so quickly turning away from the one who called you in the grace of Christ to a different gospel

7 not that there is another one, but there are some who are troubling you and wanting to distort the gospel of Christ.

8 But even if we, or an angel from heaven, should preach to you a gospel contrary to the one we preached to you, let him be accursed.

9 As we have said before, so now I say again: if anyone preaches to you a gospel contrary to what you received, let him be accursed.

10 For am I now seeking the approval of men, or of God? Or am I trying to please men? If I were still pleasing men, I would not be a servant of Christ.

11 For I make known to you, brothers, that the gospel preached by me is not according to man;

12 for I did not receive it from man, nor was I taught it, but it came through a revelation of Jesus Christ.

13 For you have heard of my former way of life in Judaism, how I persecuted the church of God beyond measure and was destroying it,

14 and I was advancing in Judaism beyond many of my contemporaries among my people, being far more zealous for the traditions of my fathers.

15 But when God, who had set me apart from my mother's womb and called me through his grace, was pleased

16 to reveal his Son in me, so that I might preach him among the Gentiles, I did not immediately consult with flesh and blood,

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 after three years I went up to Jerusalem to visit Cephas, and I stayed with him fifteen days.

19 But I saw none of the other apostles except James, the Lord's brother.

21 Then I went into the regions of Syria and Cilicia.

22 And I was unknown by face to the churches of Judea that are in Christ.

23 They only kept hearing, "He who once persecuted us is now preaching the faith he once tried to destroy,"

24 and they glorified God because of me.

Chapter 2

1 Then after fourteen years I went up again to Jerusalem with Barnabas, taking Titus along also;

2 and I went up in accordance with a revelation, and I laid before them the gospel which I preach among the Gentiles, but privately before those of repute, lest somehow I should be running, or had run, in vain.

3 But not even Titus, who was with me, though he was a Greek, was compelled to be circumcised;

4 and this because of the false brothers secretly brought in, who slipped in to spy out our freedom which we have in Christ Jesus, so that they might enslave us

5 to whom we did not yield in submission even for an hour, so that the truth of the gospel might remain with you.

6 But from those who seemed to be something—whatever they once were makes no difference to me; God shows no partiality to any man, for those of repute added nothing to me;

7 but on the contrary, seeing that I had been entrusted with the gospel to the uncircumcised, just as Peter with that to the circumcised

8 for he who worked in Peter for the apostleship to the circumcised worked also in me for the Gentiles

9 and recognizing the grace given to me, James and Cephas and John, who seemed to be pillars, gave to me and Barnabas the right hand of fellowship, that we should go to the Gentiles, and they to the circumcised;

10 only that we should remember the poor, the very thing which I was also eager to do.

11 But when Cephas came to Antioch, I opposed him to his face, because he stood condemned.

12 For before certain men came from James, he used to eat with the Gentiles; but when they came, he drew back and separated himself, fearing those of the circumcision.

13 And the rest of the Jews joined him in this hypocrisy, so that even Barnabas was carried away by their hypocrisy.

14 But when I saw that they were not walking straight according to the truth of the gospel, I said to Cephas before them all: If you, being a Jew, live like a Gentile and not like a Jew, how can you compel the Gentiles to live like Jews?

15 We are Jews by nature and not sinners from among the Gentiles;

16 yet knowing that a man is not justified by works of the law but through faith in Jesus Christ, we too believed in Christ Jesus, so that we might be justified by faith in Christ and not by works of the law, because by works of the law no flesh will be justified.

17 But if, while seeking to be justified in Christ, we ourselves were found to be sinners, is Christ then a servant of sin? By no means.

18 For if I build up again the things I tore down, I show myself to be a transgressor.

19 For through the law I died to the law, so that I might live to God. I have been crucified with Christ;

20 and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life I now live in the flesh, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself up for me.

21 I do not set aside the grace of God; for if righteousness comes through the law, then Christ died for nothing.

Chapter 3

1 O foolish Galatians, who has bewitched you, before whose eyes Jesus Christ was publicly portrayed as crucified?

2 This only I wish to learn from you: did you receive the Spirit by works of the law, or by the hearing of faith?

3 Are you so foolish? Having begun in the Spirit, are you now being perfected by the flesh?

4 Did you suffer so many things in vain—if indeed it was in vain?

5 He therefore who supplies the Spirit to you and works miracles among you, does he do it by works of the law, or by the hearing of faith?

6 Just as Abraham believed God, and it was reckoned to him as righteousness.

7 Know therefore that those who are of faith, these are sons of Abraham.

8 And the scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, preached the gospel beforehand to Abraham: "In you shall all the nations be blessed."

9 So then those who are of faith are blessed with the faithful Abraham.

10 For as many as are of works of the law are under a curse; for it is written, "Cursed is everyone who does not abide by all the things written in the book of the law, to do them."

11 And that no one is justified before God by the law is evident, for "the righteous shall live by faith."

12 But the law is not of faith; rather, "he who does them shall live by them."

13 Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law, having become a curse for us—for it is written, "Cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree"

14 so that the blessing of Abraham might come to the Gentiles in Christ Jesus, so that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith.

15 Brothers, I speak in human terms: even a man's covenant, once ratified, no one annuls or adds to.

16 Now the promises were spoken to Abraham and to his seed. It does not say, "and to seeds," as of many, but as of one: "and to your seed," who is Christ.

17 And this I say: the law, which came four hundred and thirty years afterward, does not annul a covenant previously ratified by God, so as to nullify the promise.

18 For if the inheritance is of the law, it is no longer of promise; but God granted it to Abraham through a promise.

19 Why then the law? It was added because of transgressions, until the seed should come to whom the promise had been made, being ordained through angels by the hand of a mediator.

20 Now a mediator is not of one, but God is one.

21 Is the law then against the promises of God? By no means! For if a law had been given that could give life, righteousness would indeed have been by the law.

22 But the scripture confined all things under sin, so that the promise, by faith in Jesus Christ, might be given to those who believe.

23 But before faith came, we were kept in custody under the law, confined until the faith that was to be revealed.

24 So the law has become our tutor unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith.

25 But now that faith has come, we are no longer under a tutor.

26 For you are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus.

27 For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ.

28 There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is no male and female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus.

29 And if you are Christ's, then you are Abraham's seed, heirs according to promise.

Chapter 4

1 I say, then, that as long as the heir is a child, he differs in nothing from a slave, though he is lord of all,

2 but is under guardians and stewards until the time appointed by the father.

3 So also we, when we were children, were enslaved under the elemental principles of the world.

4 But when the fullness of time had come, God sent forth his Son, born of a woman, born under the law,

5 to redeem those under the law, so that we might receive the adoption as sons.

6 And because you are sons, God has sent forth 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 also an heir through God.

8 But at that time, not knowing God, you were enslaved to those which by nature are not gods;

9 but now, having come to know God or rather, having been known by God, how is it that you turn back again to the weak and beggarly elements, to which you wish to be enslaved all over again?

10 You observe days and months and seasons and years.

11 I fear for you, lest somehow I have labored over you in vain.

12 Become as I am, for I also have become as you are, brothers, I beg of you. You have done me no wrong.

13 You know that it was because of a weakness of the flesh that I first preached the gospel to you,

14 and though my condition in the flesh was a trial to you, you did not despise or spurn me, but received me as an angel of God, as Christ Jesus.

15 Where, then, is your blessedness? For I bear you witness that, if possible, you would have torn out your eyes and given them to me.

16 Have I then become your enemy by telling you the truth?

17 They are zealous for you, but not in a good way; rather, they wish to shut you out, so that you may be zealous for them.

18 But it is good to be zealously courted in a good cause always, and not only when I am present with you.

19 My children, for whom I am again in the pains of childbirth until Christ is formed in you

20 I wish I could be present with you now and change my tone, for I am perplexed about you.

21 Tell me, you who wish to be under the law, do you not hear the law?

22 For it is written that Abraham had two sons, one by the slave woman and one by the free woman.

23 But the one by the slave woman was born according to the flesh, while the one by the free woman was born through the promise.

24 These things are spoken allegorically: for these women are two covenants, one from Mount Sinai, bearing children for slavery, which is Hagar.

25 Now Hagar is Mount Sinai in Arabia; and she corresponds to the present Jerusalem, for she is in slavery with her children.

26 But the Jerusalem above is free, and she is our mother.

27 For it is written: "Rejoice, O barren one who does not bear; break forth and cry aloud, you who are not in labor; for the children of the desolate one are many more than those of her who has a husband."

28 And you, brothers, like Isaac, are children of promise.

29 But just as at that time the one born according to the flesh persecuted the one born according to the Spirit, so also it is now.

30 But what does the scripture say? "Cast out the slave woman and her son; for the son of the slave woman shall by no means inherit with the son of the free woman."

31 Therefore, brothers, we are not children of a slave woman but of the free woman.

Chapter 5

1 For freedom Christ has set us free; stand firm, therefore, and do not be subject again to a yoke of slavery.

2 Look, I, Paul, say to you that if you are circumcised, Christ will be of no benefit to you.

3 And I testify again to every man who is circumcised that he is obligated to keep the whole law.

4 You who are justified by the law have been severed from Christ; you have fallen away from grace.

5 For we, by the Spirit, from faith, eagerly await the hope of righteousness.

6 For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision has any power nor uncircumcision, but faith working through love.

7 You were running well; who hindered you from obeying the truth?

8 This persuasion is not from the one who calls you.

9 A little leaven leavens the whole lump.

10 I am confident in you in the Lord that you will think nothing otherwise; but the one who is troubling you will bear the judgment, whoever he may be.

11 But I, brothers, if I still preach circumcision, why am I still persecuted? Then the stumbling block of the cross has been abolished.

12 Would that those who are unsettling you would even castrate themselves!

13 For you were called to freedom, brothers; only do not use freedom as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another.

14 For the whole law is fulfilled in one word, in this: You shall love your neighbor as yourself.

15 But if you bite and devour one another, watch out that you are not consumed by one another.

16 But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not fulfill the desire of the flesh.

17 For the flesh desires against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh, for these are opposed to one another, so that you may not do the things you wish.

18 But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law.

19 Now the works of the flesh are evident, which are: sexual immorality, impurity, licentiousness,

20 idolatry, sorcery, enmities, strife, jealousy, fits of anger, rivalries, dissensions, factions,

21 envyings, drunkenness, carousings, and things like these, about which I warn you, as I said before, that those who do such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.

22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,

23 gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.

24 And those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.

25 If we live by the Spirit, let us also walk by the Spirit.

26 Let us not become conceited, provoking one another, envying one another.

Chapter 6

1 Brothers, if a person is caught in some transgression, you who are spiritual restore such a one in a spirit of gentleness, watching yourself, lest you also be tempted.

2 Bear one another's burdens, and thus you will fulfill the law of Christ.

3 For if anyone thinks he is something, being nothing, he deceives himself.

4 But let each one test his own work, and then he will have his boast in himself alone and not in another;

5 for each one will bear his own load.

6 Let the one who is taught the word share in all good things with the one who teaches.

7 Do not be deceived: God is not mocked. For whatever a man sows, that he will also reap;

8 because the one who sows to his own flesh will from the flesh reap corruption, but the one who sows to the Spirit will from the Spirit reap eternal life.

9 And let us not grow weary in doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up.

10 So then, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all, and especially to those of the household of faith.

11 See with what large letters I have written to you with my own hand.

12 As many as wish to make a good showing in the flesh, these compel you to be circumcised, only so that they may not be persecuted for the cross of Christ.

13 For not even those who are circumcised keep the law themselves, but they want you to be circumcised so that they may boast in your flesh.

14 But far be it from me to boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world.

15 For neither circumcision is anything nor uncircumcision, but a new creation.

16 And as many as will walk by this rule, peace be upon them and mercy, and upon the Israel of God.

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

18 The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit, brothers. Amen.