1 Then after a period of fourteen years I went up again to Jerusalem with Barnabas, taking Titus also with me. 2 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. 3 But not even Titus, who was with me, being a Greek, was compelled to be circumcised. 4 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, 5 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. 6 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, 7 but to the contrary, when they saw that I had been entrusted with the Good News for the uncircumcised, even as Peter with the Good News for the circumcised— 8 for he who worked through Peter in the apostleship with the circumcised also worked through me with the Gentiles— 9 and when they perceived the grace that was given to me, James and Cephas and John, those who were reputed to be pillars, gave to Barnabas and me the right hand of fellowship, that we should go to the Gentiles, and they to the circumcision. 10 They only asked us to remember the poor—which very thing I was also zealous to do.

11 But when Peter came to Antioch, I resisted him to his face, because he stood condemned. 12 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. 13 And the rest of the Jews joined him in his hypocrisy, so that even Barnabas was carried away with their hypocrisy. 14 But when I saw that they didn’t 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 do, and not as the Jews do, why do you compel the Gentiles to live as the Jews do?

15 "We, being Jews by nature and not Gentile sinners, 16 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 might 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. 17 But if while we sought to be justified in Christ, we ourselves also were found sinners, is Christ a servant of sin? Certainly not! 18 For if I build up again those things which I destroyed, I prove myself a law-breaker. 19 For I through the law died to the law, that I might live to God. 20 I have been crucified with Christ, and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives 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. 21 I don’t reject the grace of God. For if righteousness is through the law, then Christ died for nothing!"

1 Daarna, veertien jaar later, het ek weer na Jerusalem opgegaan met Barnabas, en Titus ook saamgeneem.

2 Maar ek het opgegaan op grond van 'n openbaring en hulle die evangelie voorgelê wat ek onder die heidene verkondig; en afsonderlik aan die wat in aansien was, dat ek nie miskien tevergeefs sou loop of geloop het nie.

3 Maar selfs is Titus, wat by my was, nie gedwing om besny te word nie, alhoewel hy 'n Griek is;

4 en dit vanweë die ingesmokkelde valse broeders wat ingesluip het om ons vryheid te bespied wat ons in Christus Jesus het, sodat hulle ons in diensbaarheid kon bring;

5 aan wie ons selfs nie 'n oomblik in onderworpenheid toegegee het nie, sodat die waarheid van die evangelie by julle bestendig sou bly.

6 Maar van die wat in aansien was -- wat hulle vroeër was, maak by my geen verskil nie; God neem die persoon van die mens nie aan nie -- hulle dan wat in aansien was, het my niks meer opgelê nie.

7 Maar, inteendeel, toe hulle sien dat aan my die evangelie vir die onbesnedenes toevertrou is, net soos aan Petrus die vir die besnedenes --

8 want Hy wat Petrus bekragtig het met die oog op die apostelskap vir die besnedenes, het my ook bekragtig met die oog op die heidene --

9 en toe hulle merk die genade wat aan my gegee is, het Jakobus en C,fas en Johannes, wat as pilare geag is, aan my en Barnabas die regterhand van gemeenskap gegee, sodat ons na die heidene en hulle na die besnedenes kon gaan;

10 alleen moes ons aan die armes dink, wat ek my juis ook beywer het om te doen.

11 Maar toe Petrus in Antioch¡ë gekom het, het ek hom openlik teëgestaan, omdat hy veroordeeld gestaan het.

12 Want voordat sommige van Jakobus af gekom het, was hy gewoond om saam met die heidene te eet; maar n hulle koms het hy hom teruggetrek en hom eenkant gehou uit vrees vir die wat uit die besnydenis is.

13 En saam met hom het ook die ander Jode geveins, sodat selfs Barnabas hom laat meevoer het deur hulle geveins.

14 Maar toe ek sien dat hulle nie reguit loop volgens die waarheid van die evangelie nie, het ek vir Petrus in teenwoordigheid van almal gesê: As jy wat 'n Jood is, soos 'n heiden lewe en nie soos 'n Jood nie, waarom dwing jy die heidene om soos Jode te lewe?

15 Ons wat van nature Jode en nie sondaars uit die heidene is nie,

16 terwyl ons weet dat die mens nie geregverdig word uit die werke van die wet nie, maar alleen deur die geloof in Jesus Christus, selfs ons het in Christus Jesus geglo, sodat ons geregverdig kan word uit die geloof in Christus en nie uit die werke van die wet nie; omdat uit die werke van die wet geen vlees geregverdig sal word nie.

17 Maar as ons wat streef om in Christus geregverdig te word, self ook sondaars bevind is, is Christus dan 'n dienaar van die sonde? Nee, stellig nie!

18 Want as ek weer opbou wat ek afgebreek het, dan betoon ek myself 'n oortreder;

19 want deur die wet is ek vir die wet dood om vir God te lewe.

20 Ek is met Christus gekruisig, en ,k leef nie meer nie, maar Christus leef in my. En wat ek nou in die vlees lewe, leef ek deur die geloof in die Seun van God wat my liefgehad het en Homself vir my oorgegee het.

21 Ek verwerp nie die genade van God nie; want as daar geregtigheid deur die wet is, dan het Christus tevergeefs gesterwe.