Bible Time

¹THEN, 14 years later, I went up again to Jerusalem with Barnabas, and I also took Titus with me. ²And I went up because of a revelation, and I declared to them the gospel which I preached among the Gentiles, and I privately explained to those who were considered leaders among us, lest by any means I had labored or should labor in vain. ³And Titus, who was also with me, being Aramean, was not compelled to be circumcised, ⁴But because of the false brothers who have come against us to spy out the freedom which we have in Jesus Messiah, with the intention of enslaving us; ⁵To those false brothers we did not submit, not even for an hour, that the truth of the gospel might remain with you. ⁶Now those who were considered to be important, what they are makes no difference to me, for God does not discriminate among men, even these very persons, did not contribute additional knowledge to me. ⁷But on the contrary, when they saw that the gospel of the uncircumcision was entrusted to me, as the gospel of the circumcision had been entrusted to Peter ⁸For he who made Kepa vigorous in the apostleship of the circumcision has also made me mighty in the apostleship of the Gentiles. ⁹And when they knew that the grace had been given to me, then Jacob, Kepa, and John, who were considered to be pillars, gave to me and Barnabas the right hand of fellowship, that we might labor among the Gentiles, and they, among the people of circumcision; ¹⁰Only they would that we should remember the poor, and that I have endeavored to do.

¹¹But when Kepa came to Antioch, I reprimanded him to his face, because he was to be blamed. ¹²For before certain men came from Jacob, Kepa ate with the Gentiles; but after they came, he withdrew and separated himself because he was afraid of those who belonged to the circumcision. ¹³And all the other Jewish converts cast their lot with him on this issue, so that Barnabas was also carried away by their dissimulation. ¹⁴But when I saw that they were not following uprightly according to the truth of the gospel, I said to Peter in the presence of them all, If you being a Jew live after the manner of Gentiles and not as the Jews, why do you compel the Gentile converts to live as the Jews? ¹⁵For if we who are of Jewish origin and not sinners of the Gentiles ¹⁶Know that a man is not justified by the works of the law but by the faith in Jesus Messiah, even we have believed in Jesus Messiah, that we might be justified by the faith in Messiah and not by the works of the law; for by the works of the law will no human being be justified. ¹⁷But if, while we seek to be justified by Messiah, we ourselves are also found sinners, is therefore our Lord Jesus Messiah a minister of sin? Far be it. ¹⁸For if I build again the things which I destroyed, I will prove myself to be a transgressor of the law. ¹⁹For through the law I am dead to the law, that I might live to God. ²⁰I am crucified with Messiah; from now on it is not I who live, but Messiah who lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. ²¹I do not frustrate the grace of God; for if righteousness comes by means of the law, then Messiah died in vain.