And all who will behave ¹  in accordance with this rule, peace and mercy be on them, and on the Israel of God. ² 

Now the promises were spoken to Abraham and to his descendant. ¹  Scripture ²  does not say, “and to the descendants,” ³  referring to many, but “and to your descendant,” ⁴  referring to one, who is Christ.

So then, ¹  whenever we have an opportunity, let us do good to all people, and especially to those who belong to the family of faith. ² 

But when I saw that they were not behaving consistently with the truth of the gospel, I said to Cephas ¹  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 ²  the Gentiles to live like Jews?”

(for he who empowered ¹  Peter for his apostleship ²  to the circumcised ³  also empowered me for my apostleship to the Gentiles) ⁴ 

For all who ¹  rely on doing the works of the law are under a curse, because it is written, “Cursed is everyone who does not keep on doing everything written in the book of the law.” ² 

For if the inheritance is based on the law, it is no longer based on the promise, but God graciously gave ¹  it to Abraham through the promise.

Now, brothers and sisters, ¹  if I am still preaching circumcision, why am I still being persecuted? ²  In that case the offense of the cross ³  has been removed. ⁴ 

So ¹  they glorified God because of me. ² 

Those who want to make a good showing in external matters ¹  are trying to force you to be circumcised. They do so ²  only to avoid being persecuted ³  for the cross of Christ.

Brothers and sisters, ¹  I offer an example from everyday life: ²  When a covenant ³  has been ratified, ⁴  even though it is only a human contract, no one can set it aside or add anything to it.

But now that faith has come, we are no longer under a guardian. ¹ 

I ¹  was advancing in Judaism beyond many of my contemporaries in my nation, ²  and was ³  extremely zealous for the traditions of my ancestors. ⁴ 

I do not set aside ¹  God’s grace, because if righteousness ²  could come through the law, then Christ died for nothing! ³ 

But one, the son by the slave woman, was born by natural descent, ¹  while the other, the son by the free woman, was born through the promise.

But from those who were influential ¹  (whatever they were makes no difference to me; God shows no favoritism between people ² ) – those influential leaders ³  added ⁴  nothing to my message. ⁵ 

I assure you ¹  that, before God, I am not lying about what I am writing to you! ² 

Yet ¹  not even Titus, who was with me, was compelled to be circumcised, although he was a Greek.

So then those who believe ¹  are blessed along with Abraham the believer.

Thus the law had become our guardian ¹  until Christ, so that we could be declared righteous ²  by faith.