Galatians

 

1   Paulus, an ambassador, (not from people, nor even through people, but through Yeshua the Anointed, and God the father, who raised him from the dead), and all the brothers with me.

   To the assemblies of Galatia.

   Grace to you, and peace, from God the father and our lord Yeshua the Anointed, who gave himself for our sins so that he may deliver us from the present wicked age, according to the will of God our father, to whom be glory throughout the age of ages.

   Amen^a.

   I marvel at how quickly you are being transposed from the one who called you in the grace of the Anointed, to a different good news, (which isn’t actually another one, except there are some who are confusing you and wanting to distort the good news of the Anointed). But even if we, or a messenger from heaven, should bring you good news which is different from what we brought to you, let him be accursed. As we have declared before, and I now say again, if anyone brings you good news different from what you have accepted, let him be accursed.

   For am I now persuading people or God? Or am I seeking to please people? For if I was still pleasing people, then I wouldn’t be a slave of the Anointed. But I am making known to you brothers, that the good news which was brought by me, isn’t according to a person. For I didn’t receive it from a person, nor was I taught it, but I received it through a revelation of Yeshua the Anointed.

   For you heard of my behaviour in Judaism, that I inordinately persecuted the assembly of God and tried to destroy it. And I was advancing in Judaism beyond many contemporaries of my own generation, and was by nature an extreme zealot of the traditions of my fathers. But when God, who set me apart from my mother’s belly and called me through his grace, was delighted to reveal his son in me, so that I might bring the good news of him to the nations, I didn’t communicate straightaway with flesh and blood, nor did I go up to Jerusalem to those who were ambassadors before me, but I went into Arabia, and then later returned again to Damascus.

   Whereupon, after three years, I went up to Jerusalem to inquire of Petros and I stayed with him for fifteen days. But I didn’t see any of the other ambassadors, except Yaakov the brother of the lord. (And what I’m writing to you. Look. In the sight of God, I am not lying). After that I went into the regions of Syria and Cilicia. And I was unknown to the face of the assemblies of Judea that are in the Anointed, and they were only hearing, “The one who persecutes us is now bringing the good news - the faith which in the past he tried to destroy.” And they glorified God in me.

2   Fourteen years after that I went up again to Jerusalem with Barnabas and Titus. I went up in response to a revelation, and I laid out for them the good news which I proclaim among the nations. But only privately to those of whom I thought highly, in case somehow I was running, or had run, for nothing.

   But not even Titus, (who was with me), despite being a Greek, was compelled to be circumcised. This came about through those false brothers, brought in secretly, who had come in to spy out our freedom which we have in Anointed Yeshua, so they might enslave us. But to whom we didn’t submit, not even for an hour, so that the truth of the good news might remain with you.

   But from those who were thought to be something, whatever they were was nothing to me. It is of no consequence. God doesn’t accept a person based on their appearance. For those who were thought highly of contributed nothing to me. But on the contrary, they saw that I have been trusted with the good news to the uncircumcision, just as Petros has been to the circumcision. For the one who acted in Petros for the ambassadorship to the circumcision, acted also in me to the nations. And perceiving the grace which had been given to me, Yaakov, and Cephas, and Yohannes, those thought of as pillars, gave me, (and Barnabas), the right hand of partnership^a so that we would go to the nations, but they themselves, to the circumcision - only that we should remember the poor, which was also the very thing I was eager to do.

   But when Petros came to Antioch, I stood up to him to his face because he was clearly wrong^b. For before certain people from Yaakov arrived, he ate together with nationals, but after they came he withdrew and separated himself from them, being afraid of those of the circumcision. And the rest of the Jews played along with him, so that even Barnabas was led astray with them by their hypocrisy.

   But when I saw that they weren’t walking uprightly toward the truth of the good news, I said to Petros in front of everyone, “If you, being a Jew by birth, live like the nations and not like the Jews, why do you compel the nationals to imitate the Jews? We who are Jews by birth and not ‘foreign^c sinners’, knowing that people aren’t declared righteous on the basis of works of law, but on the basis of the faith of Yeshua the Anointed, we trusted in Anointed Yeshua so that we may be declared righteous on the basis of the faith of the Anointed, and not on the basis of works of law. Therefore also, no flesh will be declared righteous on the basis of works of law. And if, seeking to be declared righteous in the Anointed, we ourselves were also found to be sinners, then the Anointed is a servant of sin? May it never be! For if I build up again what I have demolished, I prove myself to be a transgressor. For through the law I died to the law, so that I should live to God. I have been executed^d with the Anointed, and I am no longer alive, but the Anointed lives in me. And what I now live in the flesh is in the faith of the son of God, who loves me and gave himself up on my behalf. I do not set aside the grace of God, for if righteousness is through the law then the Anointed died for nothing.”

3   O foolish Galatians! Who has bewitched you to not have confidence in the truth,? You to whom Yeshua the Anointed was set forth among you, before your eyes, as having been executed^a. I only want to learn this from you - did you receive the spirit on the basis of works of law, or on the basis of faith in what you heard? Are you so foolish? Having begun by the spirit, you are now being completed by the flesh? Did you suffer so much for no reason? If indeed it is without reason.

   So then, does the one who supplies you the spirit, and who works powers among you, do so on the basis of works of law, or on the basis of faith in what you heard? Just as Abraham trusted God, and it was accounted to him as righteousness. You perceive then that those who are on the basis of faith - these are the sons of Abraham. But the writing foresaw that God would declare the nations righteous on the basis of faith, since he brought the good news before to Abraham, “All the nations will be blessed in you.” So that those who are on the basis of faith are blessed together with faithful Abraham.

   For as many as are on the basis of works of law are under a curse, for it has been written, “Everyone who doesn’t continue to do all the things which have been written in the scroll of the law is accursed.” But that nobody is declared righteous with God in the law is evident because, “The righteous will live on the basis of faith.” But the law isn’t on the basis of faith, but, “The person who does them will live by them.”

   The anointed redeemed us from the curse of the law, having become a curse on our behalf, (for it has been written, “Everyone who hangs on a pole^b is accursed.”), in order that the blessing of Abraham may come to the nations in Anointed Yeshua - so that we may obtain the promise of the spirit through faith.

   Brothers, I will say it in human terms. - it is like a covenant which has been confirmed by a person, nobody sets it aside or adds to it. So the promises were declared to Abraham and his seed. (It doesn’t say “to the seeds” as in many, but as in one, “and to your seed”, who is the Anointed). And this is what I am saying - the law, coming four hundred and thirty years later, doesn’t invalidate a covenant which has been confirmed by God in the Anointed, so as to nullify the promise. For if the inheritance is on the basis of law, then it is no longer on the basis of a promise. But God granted it to Abraham through a promise.

   What then? The law of transgressions was graciously added until the seed had come, (to whom he had promised), who had been appointed through messengers in the hand of a mediator. But a mediator isn’t a mediator of only one [side], but God is one.

   Is the law against the promises of God then? May it never be! For if the law that was given was able to make us alive, then righteousness really would have been on the basis of law. But the writing imprisons all things together under sin, so that the promise may be given on the basis of the faith of Yeshua the Anointed to those who trust. But before the coming of the faith, we were kept under guard together, under law, having been imprisoned together, for the faith which was about to be revealed.

   So the law became our childhood guardian, to bring us to the Anointed so that we may be declared righteous on the basis of faith. And now that faith has come, we are no longer under the childhood guardian. For you are all sons of God through faith in Anointed Yeshua. For as many as are immersed into the Anointed have put on the Anointed. There is neither Jew nor Greek, neither slave nor free, neither male or female, for all of you are one in Anointed Yeshua. And if you are of the Anointed then you are the seed of Abraham, and according to the promise, heirs.

4   And I say that the heir, as long as they are an infant, is no different to a slave, (even though they are lord of all), but they are under managers and stewards until the day appointed by the father. In the same way too, when we were infants, we were enslaved to the fundamentals of the world. But when the time was fulfilled, God sent his son, coming from a woman, under law, so that he may redeem those who are under law, that we may receive sonship.

   And because you are sons, God sent the spirit of his son into your hearts, crying out, “Abba^a. Father.” So that you are no longer a slave, but a son. And if you are a son, you are also an heir of God through the Anointed. But then indeed, not knowing God, you were a slave to those who are not by nature gods. But now, perceiving God, or rather, being perceived by God - how is it that you turn back again to the weak and poor fundamentals to which you want to become enslaved all over again? You are observing days and months, and seasons and years! I am afraid for you, in case somehow I have laboured among you for no reason.

   Become like me, because I am also like you. Brothers. I am pleading with you. You haven’t done me any wrong, but you know that it was through the weakness of the flesh that I first brought the good news to you. And you didn’t scorn my trial that is in my flesh, nor spit me out, but you welcomed me as if I was a messenger of God, as if I was Anointed Yeshua.

   Where then is your blessedness? For I testify of you that if it was possible you would have gouged out your own eyes and given them to me. Have I become your enemy because I told you the truth? They are zealous for you, not for good, but to exclude you - they want you to be zealous for them. But it is good to always be zealous in doing good, and not only when I am present with you.

   My little ones, of whom I am again in labour until the Anointed may be formed among you, I want to be present with you now, and to change my voice, because I am at a loss about you. Tell me, you who want to be under the law - don’t you listen to the law? For it has been written that Abraham had two sons - one by the slave girl, and one by the free. But the one by the slave girl was indeed born according to the flesh, and the one by the free through the promise.

   These things are figurative, because there are two covenants. The one indeed from Mount Sinai which gives birth into slavery, which is Hagar, (for Hagar is Mount Sinai in Arabia, and corresponds to the present Jerusalem, for she is in slavery with her children). But the Jerusalem above is free, and she is the mother of all of us. For it has been written, “Celebrate barren one who doesn’t bear children. Burst forth and shout - you who aren’t in labour, because the children of the desolate are more than those of the one who has a husband.” And we, brothers, just like Isaac, are children of the promise.

   But just as it was then, the one born according to flesh persecuted the one born according to spirit, so it is also now. But what does the writing say? “Throw out the slave girl and her son. For the son of the slave girl shouldn’t share an inheritance with the son of the free.” So then brothers, we aren’t children of the slave girl, but of the free.

5   It was for freedom that the Anointed freed us - so stand then, and don’t become entangled again by a yoke of slavery. Look, I, Paulus, say to you that if you become circumcised the Anointed will be of no benefit to you. And I am testifying again to all people who have been circumcised, that they are debtors, to do the whole law. You who are declared righteous by the law, have been nullified from the Anointed, you have fallen from grace. For we, by the spirit, on the basis of faith, are anticipating an expectation of righteousness.

   For in Anointed Yeshua, neither circumcision nor uncircumcision has any power, but faith works through love. You were running well. Who hindered you from being persuaded by the truth? This persuasion didn’t come from the one who calls you. A little yeast leavens the whole lump of dough. I have confidence in you in the lord, that you won’t have any other thinking. But the one who is disturbing you will bear the condemnation, whoever it is.

   But brothers, if I still proclaim circumcision then why am I still being pursued? Has the snare of the stake^a been nullified? Those who are unsettling you ought to cut themselves off. Because you were called to freedom brothers - only not the freedom which is a starting point for the flesh, but through love to serve one another as slaves. For the entire law is fulfilled in one saying, “Love your neighbour as you love yourself.” But if you bite and devour one another, watch out that you aren’t destroyed by one another.

   And I say, walk by the spirit and you won’t fulfil the desire of flesh. For the flesh desires against the spirit, and the spirit against the flesh. And these things are opposing one another, so that you don’t do what you want to do. But if you are led by the spirit you aren’t under law. And the works of the flesh are obvious, adultery, fornication, uncleanness, sexual immorality, idolatry, drugs, hatred, contentions, jealousies, furies, self interests, dissensions, sects, envies, murders, drunkenness, revelries and the like. These things of which I spoke to you before, and just as I said before, those who practise such things won’t inherit the kingdom of God.

   But the fruit of the spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faith, gentleness, self-control. Against such things there is no law. But those who are of the Anointed have executed^b the flesh, together with its passions and desires. If we live by the spirit, then let us also be in line with the spirit. Let us not become conceited, challenging one another to fights and envying one another.

6   Brothers, if a person is overtaken by some transgression, the spiritual of you should restore such a one in a spirit of gentleness, taking note yourself so that you won’t also be tested. Bear one another’s burdens, and thus fulfil the law of the Anointed. For if anyone supposes themselves to be something when they are nothing, then they are deluding themselves. But let each one discern their own work, and then they may boast regarding themselves alone, and not regarding others. For each one will bear their own load.

   And let the one who is instructed in the message share in common everything good with the one who instructs. Don’t be led astray, God isn’t sneered at, for whatever a person sows, this they will also reap. Because the one who sows to their own flesh will reap decay from the flesh. But the one who sows to the spirit will reap everlasting life from the spirit. Let us not lose heart in doing good, for in our own time, if we don’t give up, we will reap.

   So then, as we have occasion, we work good toward all, and especially toward those who are of our household of the faith.

   You see with what large writing I write to you with my own hand.

   As many as want to make a good appearance in the flesh, these only require you to be circumcised so that they might not be persecuted because of the stake^a of the Anointed. For those who are circumcised don’t keep the law themselves either, but they want you to be circumcised so that they may boast about your flesh. But for me, may it never be that I boast except in the stake^a of our lord Yeshua the Anointed, through which the world has been executed^b to me, and I also to the world.

   For in Anointed Yeshua neither is circumcision any power, nor is uncircumcision, but only a new creation. And to as many as are in line with this standard^c, peace on them, and mercy, and on the Yisrael of God. For the rest, don’t let anyone give me trouble, for I bear the marks of the lord Yeshua in my body. The grace of our lord Yeshua the Anointed is with your spirit brothers. Amen^d.