How he was recognized by the apostolate

1Fourteen years later I went up to Jerusalem again, with Barnabas, taking Titus along as well.

2I went on the basis of a revelation and set before them [the main apostles] the Gospel that I proclaim among the nations/Gentiles. ¹⁵—Now I did this privately to those with influence, lest somehow I might run, or had run, in vain.

3However, not even Titus, who was with me, was compelled to be circumcised, for being a Greek.

4This came up because of the false brothers who were smuggled in ¹⁶(who stole in to spy out our freedom, that we have in Christ Jesus, so as to reduce us to slavery),

5to whom we did not yield, even for a moment, so that the truth of the Gospel might continue with you.—

6Now from those who seemed to be important (whatever they were makes no difference to me; God shows favoritism to no man)—those with influence contributed nothing to me,

7but on the contrary, upon seeing that I had been entrusted with the Gospel for the uncircumcised, just as was Peter for the circumcised

8(for He who was at work with Peter for the apostleship to the circumcised was also at work with me for that to the uncircumcised),

9and upon perceiving the grace that had been given to me, James and Cephas and John, those reputed to be pillars, gave me and Barnabas the right hand of fellowship, that we should go to the Gentiles, while they to the Jews. ¹⁷

10They did ask us to keep remembering the poor, the very thing I also was eager to do. ¹⁸

Paul has to rebuke Peter

11But, when Peter came to Antioch, I opposed him to his face, because he was blameworthy.

12Before certain men came from James, ¹⁹he used to eat with the Gentiles; but when they came he began to draw back and separate himself, fearing those of the circumcision party.

13And the rest of the Jews played the hypocrite with him as well, so that even Barnabas was carried away with their hypocrisy. ²⁰

14So when I saw that they were not walking straight according to the truth of the Gospel, I said to Peter in front of them all: “If you, being a Jew, live like a Gentile and not like a Jew, why do you compel the Gentiles to live like Jews?

15We natural Jews (and not ‘Gentile sinners’), ²¹

16knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law but by faith in Jesus Christ, we ourselves have believed into Christ Jesus, so as to be justified by faith in Christ and not by works of the law; because no one will be justified by works of law. ²²

17But if ²³while seeking to be justified in Christ we ourselves were discovered to be sinners, then is Christ a minister of sin? Of course not!

18“Now if I rebuild the things that I destroyed, I acknowledge that I am a transgressor. ²⁴

19For through the law I died to the law in order to live to God. ²⁵

20I have been crucified with Christ, so it is no longer I who live but Christ lives in me; what I now live in this body I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself in my place. ²⁶

21I do not nullify the grace of God; for if righteousness is through the law, then Christ died for nothing!” ²⁷