| International Standard Version | Holman Christian Standard Bible |
| 1Then fourteen years later, I again went up to Jerusalem with Barnabas, taking Titus with me. | 1Then after 14 years I went up again to Jerusalem with Barnabas, taking Titus along also. |
| 2I went in response to a revelation, and in a private meeting with the reputed leaders, I explained to them the gospel that I'm proclaiming to the gentiles. I did this because I was afraid that I was running or had run my life's race for nothing. | 2I went up according to a revelation and presented to them the gospel I preach among the Gentiles--but privately to those recognized as leaders--so that I might not be running, or have run the race, in vain. |
| 3But not even Titus, who was with me, was forced to be circumcised, even though he was a Greek. | 3But not even Titus who was with me, though he was a Greek, was compelled to be circumcised. |
| 4However, false brothers were secretly brought in. They slipped in to spy on the freedom we have in the Messiah Jesus so that they might enslave us. | 4This issue arose because of false brothers smuggled in, who came in secretly to spy on the freedom that we have in Christ Jesus, in order to enslave us. |
| 5But we did not give in to them for a moment, so that the truth of the gospel might always remain with you. | 5But we did not give up and submit to these people for even an hour, so that the truth of the gospel would be preserved for you. |
| 6Now those who were reputed to be important added nothing to my message. (What sort of people they were makes no difference to me, since God pays no attention to outward appearances.) | 6Now from those recognized as important (what they really were makes no difference to me; God does not show favoritism)--they added nothing to me. |
| 7In fact, they saw that I had been entrusted with the gospel for the uncircumcised, just as Peter had been entrusted with the gospel for the circumcised. | 7On the contrary, they saw that I had been entrusted with the gospel for the uncircumcised, just as Peter was for the circumcised, |
| 8For the one who worked through Peter by making him an apostle to the circumcised also worked through me by sending me to the gentiles. | 8since the One at work in Peter for an apostleship to the circumcised was also at work in me for the Gentiles. |
| 9So when James, Cephas, and John (who were reputed to be leaders) recognized the grace that had been given me, they gave Barnabas and me the right hand of fellowship, agreeing that we should go to the gentiles and they to the circumcised. | 9When James, Cephas, and John, recognized as pillars, acknowledged the grace that had been given to me, they gave the right hand of fellowship to me and Barnabas, agreeing that we should go to the Gentiles and they to the circumcised. |
| 10The only thing they asked us to do was to remember the destitute, the very thing I was eager to do. | 10They asked only that we would remember the poor, which I made every effort to do. |
| 11But when Cephas came to Antioch, I opposed him to his face, because he was clearly wrong. | 11But when Cephas came to Antioch, I opposed him to his face because he stood condemned. |
| 12Until some men arrived from James, he was in the habit of eating with the gentiles, but after those men came, he withdrew from the gentiles and would not associate with them any longer, because he was afraid of the circumcision party. | 12For he regularly ate with the Gentiles before certain men came from James. However, when they came, he withdrew and separated himself, because he feared those from the circumcision party. |
| 13The other Jews also joined him in this hypocritical behavior, to the extent that even Barnabas was caught up in their hypocrisy. | 13Then the rest of the Jews joined his hypocrisy, so that even Barnabas was carried away by their hypocrisy. |
| 14But when I saw that they were not acting consistently with the truth of the gospel, I told Cephas in front of everyone, "Though you are a Jew, you have been living like a gentile and not like a Jew. So how can you insist that the gentiles must live like Jews?" | 14But when I saw that they were deviating from the truth of the gospel, I told Cephas in front of everyone, "If you, who are a Jew, live like a Gentile and not like a Jew, how can you compel Gentiles to live like Jews?" |
| 15We ourselves are Jews by birth, and not gentile sinners, | 15We who are Jews by birth and not "Gentile sinners" |
| 16yet we know that a person is not justified by doing what the Law requires, but rather by the faithfulness of Jesus the Messiah. We, too, have believed in the Messiah Jesus so that we might be justified by the faithfulness of the Messiah and not by doing what the Law requires, for no human being will be justified by doing what the Law requires. | 16know that no one is justified by the works of the law but by faith in Jesus Christ. And we have believed in Christ Jesus so that we might be justified by faith in Christ and not by the works of the law, because by the works of the law no human being will be justified. |
| 17Now if we, while trying to be justified by the Messiah, have been found to be sinners, does that mean that the Messiah is serving the interests of sin? Of course not! | 17But if we ourselves are also found to be "sinners" while seeking to be justified by Christ, is Christ then a promoter of sin? Absolutely not! |
| 18For if I rebuild something that I tore down, I demonstrate that I am a wrongdoer. | 18If I rebuild the system I tore down, I show myself to be a lawbreaker. |
| 19For through the Law I died to the Law so that I might live for God. I have been crucified with the Messiah. | 19For through the law I have died to the law, so that I might live for God. I have been crucified with Christ |
| 20I no longer live, but the Messiah lives in me, and the life that I am now living in this body I live by the faithfulness of the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. | 20and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me. |
| 21I do not misapply God's grace, for if righteousness comes about by doing what the Law requires, then the Messiah died for nothing. | 21I do not set aside the grace of God, for if righteousness comes through the law, then Christ died for nothing. |
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