<t /><p class="bodytext">Now<n id="1" /> I want you to know, brothers and sisters,<n id="2" /> that the gospel I preached is not of human origin.<n id="3" />

They were only hearing, &#8220;The one who once persecuted us is now proclaiming the good news<n id="1" /> of the faith he once tried to destroy.&#8221;

And the rest of the Jews also joined with him in this hypocrisy, so that even Barnabas was led astray with them<n id="1" /> by their hypocrisy.

I do not set aside<n id="1" /> God&#8217;s grace, because if righteousness<n id="2" /> could come through the law, then Christ died for nothing!<n id="3" />p>

Does God then give<n id="1" /> you the Spirit and work miracles among you by your doing the works of the law<n id="2" /> or by your believing what you heard?<n id="3" />p>

Now it is clear no one is justified before God by the law, because <i><b>the righteous one will live by faithb>i>.<n id="1" />

But the law is not based on faith,<n id="1" /> but <b><i>the one who doesi>b> the works of the law<n id="2" /> <b><i>will live by themi>b>.<n id="3" />

So also we, when we were minors,<n id="1" /> were enslaved under the basic forces<n id="2" /> of the world.

For it is written that Abraham had two sons, one by the<n id="1" /> slave woman and the other by the free woman.

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

<p class="bodytext">But the fruit of the Spirit<n id="1" /> is love,<n id="2" /> joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,<n id="3" />

I went there<n id="1" /> because of<n id="2" /> a revelation and presented<n id="3" /> to them the gospel that I preach among the Gentiles. But I did so<n id="4" /> only in a private meeting with the influential people,<n id="5" /> to make sure that I was not running &#8211; or had not run<n id="6" /> &#8211; in vain.

<p class="bodytext">But from those who were influential<n id="1" /> (whatever they were makes no difference to me; God shows no favoritism between people<n id="2" />) &#8211; those influential leaders<n id="3" /> added<n id="4" /> nothing to my message.<n id="5" />

to reveal his Son in<n id="1" /> me so that I could preach him<n id="2" /> among the Gentiles, I did not go to ask advice from<n id="3" /> any human being,<n id="4" />

Now this matter arose<n id="1" /> because of the false brothers with false pretenses<n id="2" /> who slipped in unnoticed to spy on<n id="3" /> our freedom that we have in Christ Jesus, to make us slaves.<n id="4" />

and though my physical condition put you to the test, you did not despise or reject me.<n id="1" /> Instead, you welcomed me as though I were an angel of God,<n id="2" /> as though I were Christ Jesus himself!<n id="3" />

Where then is your sense of happiness<n id="1" /> now? For I testify about you that if it were possible, you would have pulled out your eyes and given them to me!

I am confident<n id="1" /> in the Lord that you will accept no other view.<n id="2" /> But the one who is confusing<n id="3" /> you will pay the penalty,<n id="4" /> whoever he may be.

<p class="bodytext">Those who want to make a good showing in external matters<n id="1" /> are trying to force you to be circumcised. They do so<n id="2" /> only to avoid being persecuted<n id="3" /> for the cross of Christ.

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.<n id="1" />