| Berean Study Bible | NET Bible |
| 1Fourteen years later I went up again to Jerusalem, accompanied by Barnabas. I took Titus along also. | 1Then after fourteen years I went up to Jerusalem again with Barnabas, taking Titus along too. |
| 2I went in response to a revelation and set before them the gospel that I preach among the Gentiles. But I spoke privately to those recognized as leaders, for fear that I was running or had already run in vain. | 2I went there because of a revelation and presented to them the gospel that I preach among the Gentiles. But I did so only in a private meeting with the influential people, to make sure that I was not running--or had not run--in vain. |
| 3Yet not even Titus, who was with me, was compelled to be circumcised, even though he was a Greek. | 3Yet not even Titus, who was with me, was compelled to be circumcised, although he was a Greek. |
| 4This issue arose because some false brothers had come in under false pretenses to spy on our freedom in Christ Jesus, in order to enslave us. | 4Now this matter arose because of the false brothers with false pretenses who slipped in unnoticed to spy on our freedom that we have in Christ Jesus, to make us slaves. |
| 5We did not give in to them for a moment, so that the truth of the gospel would remain with you. | 5But we did not surrender to them even for a moment, in order that the truth of the gospel would remain with you. |
| 6But as for the highly esteemed—whatever they were makes no difference to me; God does not show favoritism—those leaders added nothing to me. | 6But from those who were influential (whatever they were makes no difference to me; God shows no favoritism between people)--those influential leaders added nothing to my message. |
| 7On the contrary, they saw that I had been entrusted to preach the gospel to the uncircumcised, just as Peter had been to the circumcised. | 7On the contrary, when they saw that I was entrusted with the gospel to the uncircumcised just as Peter was to the circumcised |
| 8For the One who was at work in Peter’s apostleship to the circumcised was also at work in my apostleship to the Gentiles. | 8(for he who empowered Peter for his apostleship to the circumcised also empowered me for my apostleship to the Gentiles) |
| 9And recognizing the grace that I had been given, James, Cephas, and John—those reputed to be pillars—gave me and Barnabas the right hand of fellowship, so that we should go to the Gentiles, and they to the circumcised. | 9and when James, Cephas, and John, who had a reputation as pillars, recognized the grace that had been given to me, they gave to Barnabas and me the right hand of fellowship, agreeing that we would go to the Gentiles and they to the circumcised. |
| 10They only asked us to remember the poor, the very thing I was eager to do. | 10They requested only that we remember the poor, the very thing I also was eager to do. |
| 11When Cephas came to Antioch, however, I opposed him to his face, because he stood to be condemned. | 11But when Cephas came to Antioch, I opposed him to his face, because he had clearly done wrong. |
| 12For 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, for fear of those in the circumcision group. | 12Until certain people came from James, he had been eating with the Gentiles. But when they arrived, he stopped doing this and separated himself because he was afraid of those who were pro-circumcision. |
| 13The other Jews joined him in his hypocrisy, so that by their hypocrisy even Barnabas was led astray. | 13And the rest of the Jews also joined with him in this hypocrisy, so that even Barnabas was led astray with them by their hypocrisy. |
| 14When I saw that they were not walking in line with the truth of the gospel, I said to Cephas in front of them all, “If you, who are a Jew, live like a Gentile and not like a Jew, how can you compel the Gentiles to live like Jews?” | 14But when I saw that they were not behaving consistently with the truth of the gospel, I said to Cephas in front of them all, "If you, although you are a Jew, live like a Gentile and not like a Jew, how can you try to force the Gentiles to live like Jews?" |
| 15We who are Jews by birth and not Gentile “sinners” | 15We are Jews by birth and not Gentile sinners, |
| 16know that a man is not justified by works of the law, but by faith in Jesus Christ. So we, too, have believed in Christ Jesus, that we may be justified by faith in Christ and not by works of the law, because by works of the law no one will be justified. | 16yet we know that no one is justified by the works of the law but by the faithfulness of Jesus Christ. And we have come to believe in Christ Jesus, so that we may be justified by the faithfulness of Christ and not by the works of the law, because by the works of the law no one will be justified. |
| 17But if, while we seek to be justified in Christ, we ourselves are found to be sinners, does that make Christ a minister of sin? Certainly not! | 17But if while seeking to be justified in Christ we ourselves have also been found to be sinners, is Christ then one who encourages sin? Absolutely not! |
| 18If I rebuild what I have already torn down, I prove myself to be a lawbreaker. | 18But if I build up again those things I once destroyed, I demonstrate that I am one who breaks God's law. |
| 19For through the law I died to the law so that I might live to God. | 19For through the law I died to the law so that I may live to God. |
| 20I 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 up for me. | 20I have been crucified with Christ, and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me. So the life I now live in the body, I live because of the faithfulness of the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. |
| 21I do not set aside the grace of God. For if righteousness comes through the law, Christ died for nothing. | 21I do not set aside God's grace, because if righteousness could come through the law, then Christ died for nothing! |
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