Galatians 2

1 After 14 years passed, I went up again to Jerusalem with Barnabas. I took Titus also.

Then after fourteen years again I went up to Jerusalem with Barnabas, having also taken Titus with me;

2 But [I tell you that] I went up there because of what God revealed to me. [It was not because someone there asked me to come]. I told people what was the good message that I was preaching in regions where non-Jews live. But I talked privately to those whom your new teachers highly respect. I did that in order that what I was doing and what I had done [MET] might not become useless [MET] [as a result of people rejecting my message because they thought that I was teaching something that was not true].

and I went up by revelation, and submitted the good news to them that I preach among the nations, and privately to those esteemed, lest I ran or might run in vain;

3 But [even though the leaders of the believers usually insisted that when non-Jews trusted in Christ someone must circumcise them], they did not even insist that Titus be circumcised, even though he was a Greek man who was with me.

but not even Titus, who [is] with me, being a Greek, was compelled to be circumcised—

4 [I talked to them privately] because some people [successfully] pretended that they were fellow believers and associated with the true believers. They did that in order that they might observe closely what we do because we are free [from having to obey all the Jewish laws and rituals] because of our close relationship with Christ Jesus [MET]. Those people wanted to make us [like] slaves [MET] [of those rituals by convincing us that we cannot trust Christ solely but that we must also obey all the Jewish rituals].

and [that] because of the false brothers brought in unaware, who came in secretly to spy out our liberty that we have in Christ Jesus, that they might bring us under bondage,

5 But not even briefly did we [(exc)] do what they wanted [about circumcision. We(exc) resisted them] in order that the truth of the message about Christ might continue to [benefit] you.

to whom not even for an hour we gave place by subjection, that the truth of the good news might remain to you.

6 The [leaders in Jerusalem], whom your new teachers respect, did not add anything to what I preach. [And I would add that] what status those leaders had did not influence me, because God does not favor certain/important persons [IDM] more than others.

And from those who were esteemed to be something—whatever they were then, it makes no difference to me. God does not accept the face of man, for to me those esteemed added nothing,

7 Instead of those leaders adding to the message that I tell people, they understood that I had been given the good message {God had given the good message to me} so that I might proclaim it to the non-Jews [MTY], just like [God] had given the good message to Peter so that he might tell it to those who are Jews [MTY].

but on the contrary, having seen that I have been entrusted with the good news of the uncircumcision, as Peter with [that] of the circumcision,

8 That is, just like [God] had empowered/authorized Peter in order that he might be an apostle [to bring God’s message] to the Jews [MTY], he also had empowered/authorized me in order that I might be an apostle to [bring his message to] the non-Jews.

for He who worked with Peter to the apostleship of the circumcision, worked also in me in regard to the nations,

9 And [those leaders] knew that God had kindly given to me this special work. So James, Peter, and John, the ones whom your new teachers [respect because they are] leaders [MET] [of the believers], shook hands with us [IDM] [to show that they agreed that Barnabas and I are serving the Lord just like they are, and that we are preaching the same message that they are preaching]. They also agreed that we [(exc)] are the ones whom God was sending to [tell his message to] non-Jews, but that God is sending them to [tell his message to] Jews [MTY].

and having known the grace that was given to me, James, and Cephas, and John, who were esteemed to be pillars, they gave to me a right hand of fellowship, and to Barnabas, that we may go to the nations, and they to the circumcision,

10 They merely urged that we [(exc)] still remember to help the poor [fellow believers who live in Jerusalem]. That is exactly what I have been eager to do.

only, that we should be mindful of the poor, which I also was diligent—this very thing—to do.

11 But [later while I was at] Antioch [city], after Peter came there, I told him directly [SYN] that what he was doing was wrong.

And when Peter came to Antioch, I stood up against him to the face, because he was blameworthy,

12 [This is what happened]: [Peter went to Antioch and started eating regularly with non-Jewish believers there]. Later there were certain [Jewish believers who] came [to Antioch who claimed that] James, [the leader of the congregations in Jerusalem], had sent them. But when [those certain] men came, Peter gradually quit [eating] with the non-Jewish believers and would not associate with them. He was afraid that the Jewish [believers from Jerusalem would criticize him for associating with non-Jews].

for before the coming of some from James, he was eating with the nations, and when they came, he was withdrawing and separating himself, fearing those of circumcision,

13 Also, the other Jewish [believers who were in Antioch] [SYN] acted (insincerely/in a way that they knew was not right) along with [Peter]. The result was that they convinced even Barnabas to [stop associating with the non-Jewish believers]!

and the other Jews acted hypocritically with him, so that Barnabas was also carried away by their hypocrisy.

14 But when I realized that they were not acting according to the truth of the message about Christ, [when] all [the fellow believers there] were present, I told Peter [the following]: “Although you [(sg)] are a Jew, [you often conduct yourself] like non-Jews [do by disregarding Jewish laws about food. When you are among non-Jews], you [(sg)] do not customarily conduct yourself at all like Jews [do]. So, (now it is wrong that you [(sg)] are causing non-Jews [to think that they must obey all] the Jewish rituals and customs!/why are you [(sg)] causing non-Jews [to think that they must obey all] the Jewish rituals and customs?) [RHQ]”

But when I saw that they are not walking uprightly to the truth of the good news, I said to Peter before all, “If you, being a Jew, live in the manner of the nations, and not in the manner of the Jews, how do you compel the nations to live like Jews?

15 Some of us [believers] were born as Jews. We [(exc)] were not born as non-Jews. [We Jews have always considered non-Jews to be] ‘sinners’ [because they do not obey the Jewish rituals and laws].

We by nature Jews, and not sinners of the nations,

16 But we [(exc)] now know that it is not because some person obeys the laws [that God gave to Moses] that [God] erases the record of that person’s sins. [God erases the record of a person’s sins only if that person trusts in what Jesus Christ has done]. Even we [(exc)] Jews trusted Christ Jesus. We [(exc)] did that in order that [God] would erase the record of our sins because of our trusting Christ, and not because of our obeying the laws [that God gave to Moses. God has said that] he will [never] erase the record of people’s sins just because of their obeying those laws.

having also known that a man is not declared righteous by works of law, but through faith from Jesus Christ, we also believed in Christ Jesus, that we might be declared righteous by faith from Christ, and not by works of law, because no flesh will be declared righteous by works of law.”

17 Furthermore, because we [(exc) Jews] desired that [God] would erase the record of our sins because of our relationship with Christ, [it means that] we realized that we ourselves were sinners [like non-Jews, whom we called] sinners, [because we(exc) also were not obeying the Jewish rituals and laws]. [But] ([we(inc) certainly cannot conclude] that it is Christ who causes us to sin./[should we conclude] that it is Christ who causes us to sin?) [RHQ] [No, Christ] certainly does not [cause anyone to sin].

And if, seeking to be declared righteous in Christ, we were also ourselves found sinners, [is] Christ then a servant of sin? Let it not be!

18 So if I should again believe [that God would erase the record of my sins because of my obeying the laws that he gave to Moses] [MET], [I would be like a man who] rebuilds an old building that he tore down. It would [soon] be clear that I am one who disobeys those same laws [that God gave to Moses].

For if the things I threw down, these again I build up, I set myself forth [as] a transgressor;

19 When [I realized that I could not earn God’s favor] by [obeying] the laws [that he gave to Moses, I decided not] to [respond to what those laws demanded] [MET], [just like] a dead person [does not respond to anything]. Now I live to [honor/serve] God.

for I died through law that I may live to God;

20 [It is as though] I was with Christ when he was crucified {died on the cross} [MET] (OR, [It is as though] my [old way of life ended when] Christ died on the cross.) No longer am I [directing the way I behave as I did before I believed in Christ]. Now Christ [is directing how] I [behave. And whatever I do] now while I live, I do it trusting in God’s Son. He is the one who loved me and offered himself [as a sacrifice] for me.

I have been crucified with Christ, and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me; and that which I now live in the flesh—I live in the faith of the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me;

21 I am not rejecting [as useless] what God [did for me] ([kindly/that I did not deserve]), [as my opponents are doing. I fully accept that God saved me by acting kindly towards me]. If it is because people [obey the] laws [that God gave to Moses] that God erases the record of their sins, then Christ died (for nothing/needlessly).

I do not make the grace of God void, for if righteousness [is] through law—then Christ died in vain.