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?”

But you know it was because of a physical illness that I first proclaimed the gospel to you,

I wish those agitators ¹  would go so far as to ²  castrate themselves! ³ 

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

But ¹  we did not surrender to them ²  even for a moment, ³  in order that the truth of the gospel would remain with you. ⁴ 

They court you eagerly, ¹  but for no good purpose; ²  they want to exclude you, so that you would seek them eagerly. ³ 

Listen! I, Paul, tell you that if you let yourselves be circumcised, Christ will be of no benefit to you at all!

Is the law therefore opposed to the promises of God? ¹  Absolutely not! For if a law had been given that was able to give life, then righteousness would certainly have come by the law. ² 

They were only hearing, “The one who once persecuted us is now proclaiming the good news ¹  of the faith he once tried to destroy.”

But just as at that time the one born by natural descent ¹  persecuted the one born according to the Spirit, ²  so it is now.

For you have heard of my former way of life ¹  in Judaism, how I was savagely persecuting the church of God and trying to destroy it.

But the scripture imprisoned ¹  everything and everyone ²  under sin so that the promise could be given – because of the faithfulness ³  of Jesus Christ – to those who believe.

You who are trying to be declared righteous ¹  by the law have been alienated ²  from Christ; you have fallen away from grace!

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.

However, it is good ¹  to be sought eagerly ²  for a good purpose ³  at all times, and not only when I am present with you.

in order that in Christ Jesus the blessing of Abraham would come to the Gentiles, ¹  so that we could receive the promise of the Spirit by faith.

For those who are circumcised do not obey the law themselves, but they want you to be circumcised so that they can boast about your flesh. ¹ 

Are you so foolish? Although you began ¹  with ²  the Spirit, are you now trying to finish ³  by human effort? ⁴ 

not that there really is another gospel, ¹  but ²  there are some who are disturbing you and wanting ³  to distort the gospel of Christ.

Now Hagar represents Mount Sinai in Arabia and corresponds to the present Jerusalem, for she is in slavery with her children.