Gal 2 | ESV | STEP | Then after fourteen years I went up again to Jerusalem with Barnabas , taking Titus along with me.

1 Then after fourteen years I went up again to Jerusalem with Barnabas, taking Titus along with me. 2 I went up because of a revelation and set before them (though privately before those ^awho seemed influential) the gospel that ^bI proclaim among the Gentiles, ^cin order to make sure I was not running or had not ^drun in vain. 3 But even Titus, who was with me, ^ewas not forced to be circumcised, though he was a Greek. 4 ^fYet because of false brothers secretly brought in—who ^gslipped in to spy out ^hour freedom that we have in Christ Jesus, ⁱso that they might bring us into slavery— 5 to them we did not yield in submission even for a moment, so that ^jthe truth of the gospel might be preserved for you. 6 And from those ^kwho seemed to be influential (what they were makes no difference to me; ^lGod shows no partiality)—those, I say, who seemed influential ^madded nothing to me. 7 On the contrary, when they saw that I had been ⁿentrusted with ^othe gospel to the uncircumcised, just as Peter had been entrusted with the gospel to the circumcised 8 (for he who worked through Peter for his apostolic ministry to the circumcised worked also through me for mine to the Gentiles), 9 and when James and Cephas and John, ^pwho seemed to be ^qpillars, perceived the ^rgrace that was given to me, they ^sgave the right hand of fellowship to Barnabas and me, that we should go to the Gentiles and they to the circumcised. 10 Only, they asked us to remember the poor, ^tthe very thing I was eager to do.

Paul Opposes Peter

11 But ^uwhen Cephas came to Antioch, I opposed him ^vto his face, because he stood condemned. 12 For before certain men came from James, ^whe was eating with the Gentiles; but when they came he drew back and separated himself, fearing ^xthe circumcision party. ^{▼▼Or fearing those of the circumcision} 13 And the rest of the Jews acted hypocritically along with him, so that even Barnabas was led astray by their hypocrisy. 14 But when I saw that their ^zconduct was not in step with ^aathe truth of the gospel, I said to Cephas ^abbefore them all, “If you, though a Jew, ^aclive like a Gentile and not like a Jew, how can you force the Gentiles to live like Jews?”

Justified by Faith

15 We ourselves are Jews by birth and not ^adGentile sinners; 16 yet we know that ^aea person is not justified ^{▼▼Or counted righteous (three times in verse 16); also verse 17} by works of the law ^agbut through faith in Jesus Christ, so we also have believed in Christ Jesus, in order to be justified by faith in Christ and not by works of the law, ^ahbecause by works of the law no one will be justified.

17 But if, in our endeavor to be justified in Christ, we too were found ^aito be sinners, is Christ then a servant of sin? Certainly not! 18 For if I rebuild what I tore down, I prove myself to be a transgressor. 19 For through the law I ^ajdied to the law, so that I might ^aklive to God. 20 I have been ^alcrucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives ^amin me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, ^anwho loved me and ^aogave himself for me. 21 I do not nullify the grace of God, for ^apif righteousness ^{▼▼Or justification} were through the law, ^arthen Christ died for no purpose.