Gal 2 | ISV | STEP | How Paul Was Accepted by the Apostles in Jerusalem Then fourteen years later I again went up to Jerusalem with Barnabas, taking Titus with me.

Galatians 2

1 How Paul Was Accepted by the Apostles in JerusalemThen fourteen years later I again went up to Jerusalem with Barnabas, taking Titus with me.Acts 15:2 2 I went in response to a revelation, and in a private meeting with the reputed leaders I set before them the gospel I proclaim among the Gentiles. I did this because I was afraid that ^{▼▼Lit. Lest somehow} I was running or had run for nothing.Acts 15:12; Phil 2:16; 1Thes 3:5 3 But not even Titus, who was with me, was forced to be circumcised, even though he was a Greek. 4 However, false brothers were secretly brought in. They slipped in to spy on the freedom we have in Christ Jesus so that they might enslave us.Acts 15:1, 24; Acts 15:1, 24, 2Cor 11:20, 26; Gal 3:25 5 But we did not give in to them for a moment, so that the truth of the gospel might always remain with you.Gal 2:14; 3:1; 4:16

6 Now those who were reputed to be important added nothing to my message. ^{▼▼Lit. to me} (What sort of people they were makes no difference to me, since God pays no attention to outward appearances.)Acts 10:34; Rom 2:11; 2Cor 12:11; Gal 6:3 7 In fact, they saw that I had been entrusted with the gospel for the uncircumcised, just as Peter had been entrusted with the gospel for the circumcised.Acts 13:46; Rom 1:5; 11:13; 1Thes 2:4; 1Tim 2:7; 2Tim 1:11 8 For the one who worked through Peter by making him an apostle to the circumcised also worked through me by sending me to the Gentiles.Acts 9:15; 13:2; 22:21; 26:17-18; 1Cor 15:10; Gal 1:16; 3:5; Col 1:29 9 So when James, Cephas, ^{▼▼I.e. Peter} and John (who were reputed to be leaders) ^{▼▼Lit. pillars} recognized the grace that had been given me, they gave Barnabas and me the right hand of fellowship, agreeing that we should go to the Gentiles and they to the circumcised.Matt 16:18; Rom 1:5; 15:15; 1Cor 15:10; Eph 2:20; 3:8; Rev 21:14 10 The only thing they asked us to do was to remember the destitute, the very thing I was eager to do.Acts 11:30; 24:17; Rom 15:25; 1Cor 16:1; 2Cor 8:1-13; 9:1-27

11 Paul Confronts Cephas in AntiochBut when Cephas came to Antioch, I opposed him to his face, because he was clearly wrong. ^{▼▼Or was self-condemned}Acts 15:35 12 For until some men came from James, he was in the habit of eating with the Gentiles, but after they came he drew back and would not associate himself with them, being afraid of the circumcision party.Acts 10:28; 11:3 13 The other Jews also joined him in this hypocrisy, to the extent that even Barnabas was caught up in their hypocrisy. 14 But when I saw that they were not acting consistently with the truth of the gospel, I told Cephas in front of everyone, “Though you are a Jew, you live like a Gentile and not like a Jew. So how can you insist that the Gentiles must live like Jews?”Acts 10:28; 11:3; Gal 2:5; 1Tim 5:20

15 Jews, Like Gentiles, Are Saved by FaithWe ourselves are Jews by birth, and not Gentile sinners,Matt 9:11; Acts 15:10-11; Eph 2:3, 12 16 yet we know that a person is not justified by the works of the law but by the faithfulness of Jesus Christ. ^{▼▼Or by faith in Jesus Christ} We, too, have believed in Christ Jesus so that we might be justified by the faith of Christ ^{▼▼Or by faith in Christ} and not by the works of the law, for no human being ^{▼▼Lit. no flesh} will be justified by the works of the law.Ps 143:2; Acts 13:38-39; Rom 1:17; 8:3; Gal 3:11, 24; Heb 7:18-19

17 Now if we, while trying to be justified in Christ, have been found to be sinners, does that mean that Christ is a minister of sin? Of course not!1John 3:8-9 18 For if I rebuild something that I tore down, I demonstrate that I am a wrongdoer. 19 For through the law I died to the law so that I might live for God. I have been crucified with Christ.Rom 6:11, 14; 8:2; 2Cor 5:15; 1Thes 5:10; Heb 9:14; 1Pet 4:2 20 I no longer live, but Christ lives in me, and the life that I now live in the flesh I live by the faithfulness of the Son of God, ^{▼▼Or by faith in the Son of God} who loved me and gave himself for me.Rom 6:6; 2Cor 5:15; Gal 1:4; 5:24; 6:14; Eph 5:2; 1Thes 5:10; Titus 2:14; 1Pet 4:2 21 I do not set aside the grace of God, for if righteousness comes through the law, then Christ died for nothing.Rom 11:6; Gal 3:21; 5:4; Heb 7:11