New Revised Standard NRS
The Bible in Basic English BBE
1 Then after fourteen years I went up again to Jerusalem with Barnabas, taking Titus along with me.
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Then after the space of fourteen years I went up again to Jerusalem with Barnabas, taking Titus with me.
2 I went up in response to a revelation. Then I laid before them (though only in a private meeting with the acknowledged leaders) the gospel that I proclaim among the Gentiles, in order to make sure that I was not running, or had not run, in vain.
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And I went up by revelation; and I put before them the good news which I was preaching among the Gentiles, but privately before those who were of good name, so that the work which I was or had been doing might not be without effect.
3 But even Titus, who was with me, was not compelled to be circumcised, though he was a Greek.
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But not even Titus who was with me, being a Greek, was made to undergo circumcision:
4 But because of false believers secretly brought in, who slipped in to spy on the freedom we have in Christ Jesus, so that they might enslave us—
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And that because of the false brothers let in secretly, who came searching out our free condition which we have in Christ Jesus, so that they might make servants of us;
5 we did not submit to them even for a moment, so that the truth of the gospel might always remain with you.
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To whom we gave way not even for an hour; so that the true words of the good news might still be with you.
6 And from those who were supposed to be acknowledged leaders (what they actually were makes no difference to me; God shows no partiality)—those leaders contributed nothing to me.
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But from those who seemed to be important (whatever they were has no weight with me: God does not take man's person into account): those who seemed to be important gave nothing new to me;
7 On the contrary, when 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
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But, quite the opposite, when they saw that I had been made responsible for preaching the good news to those without circumcision, even as Peter had been for those of the circumcision
8 (for he who worked through Peter making him an apostle to the circumcised also worked through me in sending me to the Gentiles),
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(Because he who was working in Peter as the Apostle of the circumcision was working no less in me among the Gentiles);
9 and when James and Cephas and John, who were acknowledged pillars, recognized the grace that had been given to me, they gave to Barnabas and me the right hand of fellowship, agreeing that we should go to the Gentiles and they to the circumcised.
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When they saw the grace which was given to me, James and Cephas and John, who had the name of being pillars, gave to me and Barnabas their right hands as friends so that we might go to the Gentiles, and they to the circumcision;
10 They asked only one thing, that we remember the poor, which was actually what I was eager to do.
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Only it was their desire that we would give thought to the poor; which very thing I had much in mind to do.
11 But when Cephas came to Antioch, I opposed him to his face, because he stood self-condemned;
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But when Cephas came to Antioch, I made a protest against him to his face, because he was clearly in the wrong.
12 for until certain people came from James, he used to eat with the Gentiles. But after they came, he drew back and kept himself separate for fear of the circumcision faction.
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For before certain men came from James, he did take food with the Gentiles: but when they came, he went back and made himself separate, fearing those who were of the circumcision.
13 And the other Jews joined him in this hypocrisy, so that even Barnabas was led astray by their hypocrisy.
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And the rest of the Jews went after him, so that even Barnabas was overcome by their false ways.
14 But when I saw that they were not acting consistently with the truth of the gospel, I said to Cephas before them all, "If you, though a Jew, live like a Gentile and not like a Jew, how can you compel the Gentiles to live like Jews?"
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But when I saw that they were not living uprightly in agreement with the true words of the good news, I said to Cephas before them all, If you, being a Jew, are living like the Gentiles, and not like the Jews, how will you make the Gentiles do the same as the Jews?
15 We ourselves are Jews by birth and not Gentile sinners;
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We being Jews by birth, and not sinners of the Gentiles,
16 yet we know that a person is justified not by the works of the law but through faith in Jesus Christ. And we have come to believe in Christ Jesus, so that we might be justified by faith in Christ, and not by doing the works of the law, because no one will be justified by the works of the law.
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Being conscious that a man does not get righteousness by the works of the law, but through faith in Jesus Christ, we had faith in Christ Jesus, so that we might get righteousness by faith in Christ, and not by the works of the law: because by the works of the law will no flesh get righteousness.
17 But if, in our effort to be justified in Christ, we ourselves have been found to be sinners, is Christ then a servant of sin? Certainly not!
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But if, while we were desiring to get righteousness through Christ, we ourselves were seen to be sinners, is Christ a servant of sin? In no way!
18 But if I build up again the very things that I once tore down, then I demonstrate that I am a transgressor.
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For if I put up again those things which I gave to destruction, I am seen to be a wrongdoer.
19 For through the law I died to the law, so that I might live to God. I have been crucified with Christ;
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For I, through the law, have become dead to the law, so that I might be living to God.
20 and it is no longer I who live, but it is Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.
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I have been put to death on the cross with Christ; still I am living; no longer I, but Christ is living in me; and that life which I now am living in the flesh I am living by faith, the faith of the Son of God, who in love for me, gave himself up for me.
21 I do not nullify the grace of God; for if justification comes through the law, then Christ died for nothing.
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I do not make the grace of God of no effect: because if righteousness is through the law, then Christ was put to death for nothing.
New Revised Standard Version Bible, copyright 1989, Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
The Bible in Basic English is in the public domain.