 Paul's letter to the Galatian Church. This is a LibriVox recording. All LibriVox recordings are in the public domain. For more information or to volunteer, please visit LibriVox.org. Paul. An apostle. Not from men. Neither through men. But through Jesus Christ. And God the Father who raised him from the dead. And all the brothers who are with me. To the assemblies of Galatia, grace to you and peace from God the Father and our Lord Jesus Christ who gave himself for our sins that he might deliver us out of this present evil age according to the will of our God and Father to whom be the glory forever and ever. Amen. I marvel that you are so quickly deserting him who called you in the grace of Christ to a different good news. And there isn't another good news. Only there are some who trouble you and want to bevert the good news of Christ. But even though we, or an angel from heaven should preach to you any good news other than that which we preached to you, let him be cursed. As we have said before, so I say again now, if any man preaches to you any good news other than that which you received, let him be cursed. For am I now seeking the favour of men? Or of God? Or am I striving to please men? For if I were still pleasing men I would not be a servant of Christ. But I make known to you brothers concerning the good news which was preached by me that it is not according to man. For neither did I receive it from men, nor was I taught it. But it came to me through revelation of Jesus Christ. For you have heard of my way of living in time past in the Jews' religion, how that beyond measure I persecuted the assembly of God and ravaged it. I advanced in the Jews' religion beyond many of my own age among my countrymen being more exceedingly zealous for the traditions of my fathers. But when it was the good pleasure of God who separated me from my mother's womb and called me through his grace to reveal his son in me that I might preach him among the Gentiles, I did not immediately confer with flesh and blood, nor did I go up to Jerusalem to those who were apostles before me, but I went away to Arabia. Then I returned to Damascus. Then after three years I went up to Jerusalem to visit Peter and stayed with him fifteen days. But of the other apostles I saw no one except James the Lord's brother. Now about the things which I write to you, behold before God I am not lying. Then I came to the regions of Syria and Cilicia. I was still unknown by faith to the assemblies of Judea which were in Christ. But they only heard, he who once persecuted us now preaches the faith that he once tried to destroy. And they glorified God in me. Then after a period of fourteen years I went up again to Jerusalem with Barnabas taking Titus also with me. I went up by revelation and I laid before them the good news which I preach among the Gentiles but privately before those who were respected for fear that I might be running or had run in vain. But not even Titus who was with me, being a Greek, was compelled to be circumcised. This was because of the false brothers secretly brought in who stole in to spy out our liberty which we have in Christ Jesus that they might bring us into bondage to whom we gave no place in the way of subjection, not for an hour that the truth of the good news might continue with you. But from those who were reputed to be important, whatever they were, it makes no difference to me. God doesn't show partiality to man. They, I say, who were respected, imparted nothing to me. But to the contrary, when they saw that I had been entrusted with the good news for the uncircumcision even as Peter with the good news for the circumcision for he who appointed Peter to the apostleship of the circumcised appointed me also to the Gentiles. And when they perceived the grace that was given to me James, Cetus and John those who were reputed to be pillars gave to me and Barnabas the right hand of fellowship that we should go to the Gentiles and they to the circumcision. They only asked us to remember the poor which very thing I also was zealous to do. But when Peter came to Antioch I resisted him to his face because he stood condemned for before some people came from James he ate with the Gentiles. But when they came he drew back and separated himself fearing those who were of the circumcision and the rest of the Jews joined him in hypocrisy so that even Barnabas was carried away with their hypocrisy but when I saw that they did not walk uprightly according to the truth of the good news I said to Peter before them all if you, being a Jew live as the Gentiles and not as the Jews do why do you compel the Gentiles to live as the Jews do? We, being Jews by nature and not Gentile sinners yet knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law but through faith in Jesus Christ even we believed in Christ Jesus that we may be justified by faith in Christ and not by the works of the law because no flesh will be justified by the works of the law but if, while we sought to be justified in Christ we ourselves were also found sinners Is Christ a servant of sin? Certainly not for if I build up again those things which I destroyed I prove myself a law breaker for I, through the law, died to the law that I might live to God I have been crucified with Christ and it is no longer I that live but Christ living in me that life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God who loved me and gave himself up for me I don't make void the grace of God for if righteousness is through the law then Christ died for nothing Foolish Galatians, who has bewitched you not to obey the truth before whose eyes Jesus Christ was openly set forth among you as crucified I just want to learn this from you Did you receive the spirit by the works of the law or by hearing of faith? Are you so foolish having begun in the spirit? Are you now completed in the flesh? Did you suffer so many things in vain? If it is indeed in vain He therefore who supplies the spirit to you and works miracles among you does he do it by the works of the law or by hearing of faith even as Abraham believed God and it was countered to him for righteousness know therefore that those who are of faith the same are children of Abraham the scripture for seeing that God would justify the Gentiles by faith preached the good news beforehand to Abraham saying in you all the nations will be blessed so then those who are of faith are blessed with a faithful Abraham for as many as are of the works of the law are under a curse for it is written cursed is everyone who doesn't continue in all the things that are written in the book of the law to do them now that no man is justified by the law before God is evident for the righteous will live by faith the law is not of faith but the man who does them will live by them Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law having become a curse for us for it is written cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree that the blessing of Abraham might come on the Gentiles through Jesus Christ that we might receive the promise of the spirit through faith brothers speaking of human terms though it is only a man's covenant yet when it is being confirmed no one makes it void or adds to it now the promises were spoken to Abraham and to his seed he doesn't say to seeds as if to many but as of one to your seed which is Christ now I say this a covenant confirmed beforehand by God in Christ the law which came 430 years after does not annul so as to make the promise of no effect for if the inheritance is of the law it is no more of promise but God granted it to Abraham by promise for what then is the law it is added because of transgressions until the seed should come to whom the promise has been made it was ordained through angels by the hand of a mediator now a mediator is not between one but God is one is the law then against the promises of God certainly not for if there had been a law given which could make life most certainly righteousness would have been of the law but the scriptures imprisoned all things under sin that the promise by faith in Jesus Christ might be given to those who believe but before faith came we were kept in custody under the law confined for the faith which should afterwards be revealed so that the law has become our tutor to bring us to Christ that we might be justified by faith but now the faith has come we are no longer under a tutor you are all children of God through faith in Christ Jesus for as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ there is neither Jew nor Greek there is neither slave nor free man there is neither male nor female for you are all one in Christ Jesus if you are Christ's then you are Abraham's seed and heirs according to promise but I say that so long as the heir is a child he is no different from a bond servant though he is a lord of all but is under guardians and stewards until the day appointed by the father so also we, when we were children were held in bondage under the elemental principles of the world but when the fullness of the time came God sent out his son born to a woman born under the law that he might redeem those who were under the law that we might receive the adoption of children and because you are children God sent out the spirit of his son into your hearts crying Abba, father so you are no longer a bond servant but a son and if a son then an heir of God through Christ however at that time not knowing God you were in bondage to those who by nature are not God's but now that you have come to know God or rather to be known by God why do you turn back again to the weak and miserable elemental principles to which you desire to be in bondage all over again you observe days, months, seasons and years I am afraid for you that I might have wasted my labour for you I beg you brothers become as I am for I also have become as you are you did me no wrong but you know that because of weakness of the flesh I preached the good news to you the first time that which was a temptation to you in my flesh you didn't despise or reject but you received me as an angel of God even as Christ Jesus what was the blessing you enjoyed for I testified to you that if possible you would have plucked out your eyes and given them to me so then have I become your enemy by telling you the truth they zealously seek you in no good way no they desire to alienate you that you may seek them but it is always good to be zealous in a good cause and not only when I am present with you my little children of whom I am a gain in travail until Christ is formed in you but I could wish to be present with you now and to change my tone for I am perplexed about you tell me you that desire to be under the law don't you listen to the law for it is written that Abraham had two sons one by the handmaid and one by the free woman however the son by the handmaid was born according to the flesh but the son by the free woman was born through promise these things contain allegory for these are two covenants one is from Mount Sinai bearing children to bondage which is Hagar for this Hagar is Mount Sinai in Arabia and answers to the Jerusalem that exists now for she is in bondage with her children but the Jerusalem that is above is free which is the mother of us all for it is written rejoice you barren who don't bear and forth and shout you that don't travail for more are the children of the desolate than of her that has a husband now we brothers as Isaac was are children of promise but as then he who was born according to the flesh persecuted him who was born according to the spirit so also it is now however what does the scripture say throw out the handmaid and her son for the son of the handmaid will not inherit with the son of the free woman so then brothers we are not children of a handmaid but of the free woman stand firm therefore in the liberty by which Christ has made us free and don't be entangled again with the yoke of bondage behold I Paul tell you that if you receive circumcision Christ will profit you nothing yes I testify again to every man who received circumcision that he is a debtor to do the whole law you are alienated from Christ you who desire to be justified by the law you have fallen away from grace for we through the spirit by faith wait for the hope of righteousness for in Christ Jesus circumcision amounts to anything nor uncircumcision but faith working through love you were running well who interfered with you that you should not obey the truth this persuasion is not from him who calls you the little yeast grows through the whole lump I have confidence toward you in the Lord that you will think no other way but he who troubles you will bear his judgment whoever he is but I brothers if I still preach circumcision why am I still persecuted then the stumbling block of the cross has been removed I wish that those who disturb you would cut themselves off for you brothers were called for freedom only don't use your freedom for gain to the flesh but through love be servants to one another for the whole law is fulfilled in one word in this you shall love your neighbor as yourself but if you bite and devour one another be careful that you don't consume one another but I say walk by the spirit and you won't fulfill the lust of the flesh and these are contrary to one another so that you may not do the things that you desire but if you are led by the spirit you are not under the law now the works of the flesh are obvious which are adultery, sexual immorality and cleanliness, lustfulness, idolatry, sorcery, hatred, strife jealousies, outbursts of anger, rivalries, divisions, heresies enviings, murders, drunkenness, orgies and things like these of which I forewarn you even as I also forewarned you that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God but the fruit of the spirit is love, joy, peace, patience kindness, goodness, faith, gentleness and self-control against such things there is no law those who belong to Christ have crucified the flesh with its passions and lusts if we live by the spirit let's also walk by the spirit let's not become conceited, provoking one another and envying one another brothers, even if a man is caught in some fault you who are spiritual must restore such one in a spirit of gentleness looking to yourself so that you also aren't tempted bear one another's burdens and so fulfil the law of Christ for if a man thinks himself to be something when he is nothing he deceives himself but let each man test his own work and then he will take pride in himself and not in his neighbour for each man will bear his own burden but let him who is taught in the word share all good things with him who teaches don't be deceived, God is not mocked for whatever a man sows that he will also reap for he who sows to his own flesh will from the flesh reap corruption but he who sows to the spirit will from the spirit reap eternal life let us not be weary in doing good for we will reap in due season if we don't give up so then, as we have opportunity let's do what is good towards all men and especially toward those who are of the household of faith see with what large letters I write to you with my own hand as many as desire to look good in the flesh they compel you to be circumcised only that they may not be persecuted for the cross of Christ for even they who receive circumcision don't keep the law themselves but they desire to have you circumcised that they may boast in your flesh but far be it from me to boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ through which the world has been crucified to me and I to the world for in Christ Jesus neither is circumcision anything nor uncircumcision but a new creation as many as walk by this rule peace and mercy be on them and on God's Israel from now on let no one cause me any trouble for I bear the marks of the Lord Jesus branded on my body the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit brothers Amen End of Paul's Letter to the Galatian Church