Galatians 2:11-20

Lexham English Bible

Paul Confronts Peter at Antioch

¹¹ But when Cephas came to Antioch, I opposed him to his face, because he was condemned. ¹² For before certain people came from James, he used to eat with the Gentiles, but when they came, he withdrew and separated himself, because he^[a] was afraid of those who were of the circumcision, ¹³ and the rest of the Jews also joined in this hypocrisy with him, so that even Barnabas was carried away with them in their hypocrisy. ¹⁴ But when I saw that they were not being straightforward with the truth of the gospel, I said to Cephas in the presence of them all, “If you, although you^[b] are a Jew, live like a Gentile and not like a Jew, how can you try to compel the Gentiles to live like Jews?”

Justified by Faith in Christ

¹⁵ We are Jews by nature and not sinners from among the Gentiles, ¹⁶ but knowing that a person is not justified by the works of the law, if not by faith in Jesus Christ,^[c] and we have believed in Christ Jesus so that we may be justified by faith in Christ^[d] and not by the works of the law, because by the works of the law no human being will be justified^[e]. ¹⁷ But if while seeking to be justified by Christ, we ourselves also have been found to be sinners, then is Christ an agent of sin? May it never be! ¹⁸ For if I build up again these things which I destroyed, I show myself to be a transgressor. ¹⁹ For through the law I died to the law, in order that I might live to God. I have been crucified with Christ, ²⁰ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me, and that life I now live in the flesh, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.