Dec 8 - Galatians 1-3
Galatians
1Paul, an Apostle, not from men and not through man, but through Jesus Christ, and God the Father, who raised him from the dead2and all the brothers who are with me: to the churches of Galatia3Grace and peace to you from God the Father, and from our Lord Jesus Christ4who gave himself on behalf of our sins, so that he might deliver us from this present wicked age, according to the will of God our Father5To him is glory forever and ever. Amen6I wonder that you have been so quickly transferred, from him who called you into the grace of Christ, over to another gospel7For there is no other, except that there are some persons who disturb you and who want to overturn the Gospel of Christ8But if anyone, even we ourselves or an Angel from Heaven, were to preach to you a gospel other than the one that we have preached to you, let him be anathema9Just as we have said before, so now I say again: If anyone has preached a gospel to you, other than that which you have received, let him be anathema10For am I now persuading men, or God? Or, am I seeking to please men? If I still were pleasing men, then I would not be a servant of Christ11For I would have you understand, brothers, that the Gospel which has been preached by me is not according to man12And I did not receive it from man, nor did I learn it, except through the revelation of Jesus Christ13For you have heard of my former behavior within Judaism: that, beyond measure, I persecuted the Church of God and fought against Her14And I advanced in Judaism beyond many of my equals among my own kind, having proven to be more abundant in zeal toward the traditions of my fathers15But, when it pleased him who, from my mother’s womb, had set me apart, and who has called me by his grace16to reveal his Son within me, so that I might evangelize him among the Gentiles, I did not next seek the consent of flesh and blood17Neither did I go to Jerusalem, to those who were Apostles before me. Instead, I went into Arabia, and next I returned to Damascus18And then, after three years, I went to Jerusalem to see Peter; and I stayed with him for fifteen days19But I saw none of the other Apostles, except James, the brother of the Lord20Now what I am writing to you: behold, before God, I am not lying21Next, I went into the regions of Syria and Cilicia22But I was unknown by face to the churches of Judea, which were in Christ23For they had only heard that: "He, who formerly persecuted us, now evangelizes the faith which he once fought.24And they glorified God in me
1Next, after fourteen years, I went up again to Jerusalem, taking with me Barnabas and Titus2And I went up according to revelation, and I debated with them about the Gospel that I am preaching among the Gentiles, but away from those who were pretending to be something, lest perhaps I might run, or have run, in vain3But even Titus, who was with me, though he was a Gentile, was not compelled to be circumcised4but only because of false brothers, who were brought in unknowingly. They entered secretly to spy on our liberty, which we have in Christ Jesus, so that they might reduce us to servitude5We did not yield to them in subjection, even for an hour, in order that the truth of the Gospel would remain with you6and away from those who were pretending to be something. (Whatever they might have been once, it means nothing to me. God does not accept the reputation of a man.) And those who were claiming to be something had nothing to offer me7But it was to the contrary, since they had seen that the Gospel to the uncircumcised was entrusted to me, just as the Gospel to the circumcised was entrusted to Peter8For he who was working the Apostleship to the circumcised in Peter, was also working in me among the Gentiles9And so, when they had acknowledged the grace that was given to me, James and Cephas and John, who seemed like pillars, gave to me and to Barnabas the right hand of fellowship, so that we would go to the Gentiles, while they went to the circumcised10asking only that we should be mindful of the poor, which was the very thing that I also was solicitous to do11But when Cephas had arrived at Antioch, I stood against him to his face, because he was blameworthy12For before certain ones arrived from James, he ate with the Gentiles. But when they had arrived, he drew apart and separated himself, fearing those who were of the circumcision13And the other Jews consented to his pretense, so that even Barnabas was led by them into that falseness14But when I had seen that they were not walking correctly, by the truth of the Gospel, I said to Cephas in front of everyone: "If you, while you are a Jew, are living like the Gentiles and not the Jews, how is it that you compel the Gentiles to keep the customs of the Jews?15By nature, we are Jews, and not of the Gentiles, sinners16And we know that man is not justified by the works of the law, but only by the faith of Jesus Christ. And so we believe in Christ Jesus, in order that we may be justified by the faith of Christ, and not by the works of the law. For no flesh will be justified by the works of the law17But if, while seeking to be justified in Christ, we ourselves are also found to be sinners, would then Christ be the minister of sin? Let it not be so18For if I rebuild the things that I have destroyed, I establish myself as a prevaricator19For through the law, I have become dead to the law, so that I may live for God. I have been nailed to the cross with Christ20I live; yet now, it is not I, but truly Christ, who lives in me. And though I live now in the flesh, I live in the faith of the Son of God, who loved me and who delivered himself for me21I do not reject the grace of God. For if justice is through the law, then Christ died in vain
1O senseless Galatians, who has so fascinated you that you would not obey the truth, even though Jesus Christ has been presented before your eyes, crucified among you2I wish to know only this from you: Did you receive the Spirit by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith3Are you so foolish that, though you began with the Spirit, you would now end with the flesh4Have you been suffering so much without a reason? If so, then it is in vain5Therefore, does he who distributes the Spirit to you, and who works miracles among you, act by the works of the law, or by the hearing of the faith6It is just as it was written: "Abraham believed God, and it was reputed to him unto justice.7Therefore, know that those who are of faith, these are the sons of Abraham8Thus Scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, foretold to Abraham: "All nations shall be blessed in you.9And so, those who are of faith shall be blessed with faithful Abraham10For as many as are of the works of the law are under a curse. For it has been written: "Cursed is everyone who does not continue in all the things that have been written in the book of the Law, so as to do them.11And, since in the law no one is justified with God, this is manifest: "For the just man lives by faith.12But the law is not of faith; instead, "he who does these things shall live by them.13Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the law, since he became a curse for us. For it is written: "Cursed is anyone who hangs from a tree.14This was so that the blessing of Abraham might reach the Gentiles through Christ Jesus, in order that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith15Brothers (I speak according to man), if a man’s testament has been confirmed, no one would reject it or add to it16The promises were made to Abraham and to his offspring. He did not say, "and to descendents," as if to many, but instead, as if to one, he said, "and to your offspring," who is Christ17But I say this: the testament confirmed by God, which, after four hundred and thirty years became the Law, does not nullify, so as to make the promise empty18For if the inheritance is of the law, then it is no longer of the promise. But God bestowed it to Abraham through the promise19Why, then, was there a law? It was established because of transgressions, until the offspring would arrive, to whom he made the promise, ordained by Angels through the hand of a mediator20Now a mediator is not of one, yet God is one21So then, was the law contrary to the promises of God? Let it not be so! For if a law had been given, which was able to give life, truly justice would be of the law22But Scripture has enclosed everything under sin, so that the promise, by the faith of Jesus Christ, might be given to those who believe23But before the faith arrived, we were preserved by being enclosed under the law, unto that faith which was to be revealed24And so the law was our guardian in Christ, in order that we might be justified by faith25But now that faith has arrived, we are no longer under a guardian26For you are all sons of God, through the faith which is in Christ Jesus27For as many of you as have been baptized in Christ have become clothed with Christ28There is neither Jew nor Greek; there is neither servant nor free; there is neither male nor female. For you are all one in Christ Jesus29And if you are Christ’s, then are you the offspring of Abraham, heirs according to the promise