2:1 Fourteen years later I went up again to Jerusalem, this time with Barnabas. I took Titus along also.
2:2 I went in response to a revelation and set before them the gospel that I preach among the Gentiles. But I did this privately to those who seemed to be leaders, for fear that I was running or had run my race in vain.
2:3 Yet not even Titus, who was with me, was compelled to be circumcised, even though he was a Greek.
2:4 This matter arose because some false brothers had infiltrated our ranks to spy on the freedom we have in Christ Jesus and to make us slaves.
2:5 We did not give in to them for a moment, so that the truth of the gospel might remain with you.
2:6 As for those who seemed to be important–whatever they were makes no difference to me; God does not judge by external appearance–those men added nothing to my message.
2:7 On the contrary, they saw that I had been entrusted with the task of preaching the gospel to the Gentiles, just as Peter had been to the Jews.
2:8 For God, who was at work in the ministry of Peter as an apostle to the Jews, was also at work in my ministry as an apostle to the Gentiles.
2:9 James, Peter and John, those reputed to be pillars, gave me and Barnabas the right hand of fellowship when they recognized the grace given to me. They agreed that we should go to the Gentiles, and they to the Jews.
2:10 All they asked was that we should continue to remember the poor, the very thing I was eager to do.
2:11 When Peter came to Antioch, I opposed him to his face, because he was clearly in the wrong.
2:12 Before certain men came from James, he used to eat with the Gentiles. But when they arrived, he began to draw back and separate himself from the Gentiles because he was afraid of those who belonged to the circumcision group.
2:13 The other Jews joined him in his hypocrisy, so that by their hypocrisy even Barnabas was led astray.
2:14 When I saw that they were not acting in line with the truth of the gospel, I said to Peter in front of them all, “You are a Jew, yet you live like a Gentile and not like a Jew. How is it, then, that you force Gentiles to follow Jewish customs?
2:15 “We who are Jews by birth and not ‘Gentile sinners’
2:16 know that a man is not justified by observing the law, but by faith in Jesus Christ. So we, too, have put our faith in Christ Jesus that we may be justified by faith in Christ and not by observing the law, because by observing the law no one will be justified.
2:17 “If, while we seek to be justified in Christ, it becomes evident that we ourselves are sinners, does that mean that Christ promotes sin? Absolutely not!
2:18 If I rebuild what I destroyed, I prove that I am a lawbreaker.
2:19 For through the law I died to the law so that I might live for God.
2:20 I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.
2:21 I do not set aside the grace of God, for if righteousness could be gained through the law, Christ died for nothing!”
2:1 Then after a period of fourteen years I went up again to Jerusalem with Barnabas, taking Titus with me also.
2:2 And I went up according to revelation, and I laid before them the gospel which I proclaim among the Gentiles, but privately to those who were of repute, lest perhaps I should be running, or had run, in vain.
2:3 But not even Titus, who was with me, though he is a Greek, was compelled to be circumcised;
2:4 And this, because of the false brothers, brought in secretly, who stole in to spy out our freedom which we have in Christ Jesus, that they might bring us into slavery.
2:5 To them we yielded with the subjection demanded not even for an hour, that the truth of the gospel might remain with you.
2:6 But from those who were reputed to be something ? whatever they were makes no difference to me; God does not accept man s person; for to me those who were of repute added nothing.
2:7 But on the contrary, seeing that I had been entrusted with the gospel to the uncircumcision, even as Peter with the gospel to the circumcision,
2:8 (For He who operated in Peter for the apostleship to the circumcision operated also in me for the Gentiles),
2:9 And perceiving the grace given to me, James and Cephas and John, who were reputed to be pillars, gave to me and to Barnabas the right hand of fellowship that we should go to the Gentiles, and they, to the circumcision.
2:10 Only they requested that we remember the poor, which very thing I was also eager to do.
2:11 But when Cephas came to Antioch, I opposed him to his face because he stood condemned.
2:12 For before some came from James, he continually ate with the Gentiles; but when they came, he began to shrink back and separate himself, fearing those of the circumcision.
2:13 And the rest of the Jews also joined him in this hypocrisy, so that even Barnabas was carried away in their hypocrisy.
2:14 But when I saw that they were not walking in a straightforward way in relation to the truth of the gospel, I said to Cephas before them all, If you, being a Jew, live like the Gentiles and not like the Jews, how is it that you compel the Gentiles to live like the Jews?
2:15 We are Jews by nature and not sinners from among the Gentiles;
2:16 And knowing that a man is not justified out of works of law, but through faith in Jesus Christ, we also have believed into Christ Jesus that we might be justified out of faith in Christ and not out of the works of law, because out of the works of law no flesh will be justified.
2:17 But if, while seeking to be justified in Christ, we ourselves also have been found sinners, is then Christ a minister of sin? Absolutely not!
2:18 For if I build again the things which I have destroyed, I prove myself to be a transgressor.
2:19 For I through law have died to law that I might live to God.
2:20 I am crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but it is Christ who lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live in faith, the faith of the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself up for me.
2:21 I do not nullify the grace of God; for if righteousness is through law, then Christ has died for nothing.