2: 6. ever they were, it makes no difference to me—God accepts no man's person-they, I say, whose reputations are high communicated nothing to me: but, on the contrary, when they saw that I was entrusted with the Good News for the uncircumcised, just as Peter was for the circumcised-for he who worked for Peter for the accomplishment of his apostleship to the circumcised, worked for me also, for the accomplishment of my duty to the heathen—and when they became aware of the divine favor which had been given to me, James, and Cephas, and John, those who are considered as pillars, gave to me and Barnabas the right hand of fellowship, so that we should go to the heathen, and they to the circumcised: only they desired that we should remember the poor; the very thing which I was also zealous to do. But when Cephas came to Antioch, I resisted him to his face, because he stood condemned. For before some men came from James he made a practice of eating with the heathen. But when they came he gradually withdrew and separated himself, because he was afraid of those who belonged to the party of the circumcised. And the rest of the Jews also played the hypocrite with him; so that even Barnabas was carried away by their hypocrisy. But when I saw they were not acting properly towards the truth as set forth in the Good News, I said to Cephas before them all GAL. 2: 14. SET RIGHT BY FAITH. 125 “If you, a Jew, are living as a heathen and not as a Jew, how is it you are compelling the heathen to live as Jews? We are by nature Jews, and not wrong-doers from among the heathen. But we know that a man is not set right in God's sight by doing what the law requires, but only by faith in Christ Jesus, and we ourselves believed in Christ Jesus, so that we might be set right in God's sight by faith in Christ, and not by doing what the law requires: because by doing what the law requires shall no one be set right. But if, while we were seeking to be set right in Christ, we ourselves also were found to be sinners, is then Christ sin's servant? By no means. For if I build up again those things which I pulled down, I prove myself a wrong-doer. For I myself, by means of the law, died to the law, so that I might live to God. I have been crucified with Christ. But I am living. And yet it is no longer I who am living. It is Christ living in me.. Yes, the life which I am now living in the flesh, I am living by means of faith, the faith which has for its object the Son of God, him who loved me and handed himself over for me. I am not doing away with the favor of God. For if to be set right in his sight is ours by means of the law, then Christ died to no purpose. 3: 1. And O foolish Galatians, who bewitched you? it was before your eyes Jesus Christ was plainly depicted, crucified. This is all I desire to learn from you: Was it by doing what the law requires you received the Spirit, or was it by paying faithful attention to what you heard? Are you so foolish? Having begun with the Spirit, will you end with the flesh? Did you suffer so many things in vain? If, indeed, it really is in vain. So he who supplied you with the Spirit, and provided you with such powers, did he do it because of your doing what the law requires, or because of your paying faithful attention to what you heard? Just as Abraham believed God And his faith was considered as goodness. So I want you to know that those whose principles of action are derived from faith,—they are sons of Abraham. Now Scripture foresaw that God sets the heathen right as a result of faith, and so proclaimed beforehand the Good News to Abraham and said: In thee shall all the nations be blessed. So, then, those whose principles of action are derived from faith are blessed with the faithful Abraham. For as many as derive their principles of action from doing, what the law requires are under a curse. For it is written : GAL. 3: 10. ABRAHAM'S TESTIMONY. Cursed is every one who does not continue to do 127 Now that no one is set right in God's sight by means of the law is evident. For The good man will live because of his faith. But the law does not originate with faith. contrary, On the He who does them shall live by means of them. Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us,-For it is written : Cursed is every one who hangs on a tree,— so that to the heathen the blessing of Abraham might come in Jesus Christ, so that we might receive the promise of the Spirit by means of faith. A man's Brothers, I am speaking as a man: established agreement, though it is but a man's, yet no one does away with it, or adds new conditions to it. Now to Abraham were the promises made And to his descendant. He does not say: And to his descendants, as of many, but as of one, who is Christ. And to thy descendant, Now this I say: An agreement established be forehand by God, the law, which came four hundred and thirty years later, does not invalidate, so as to make the promise of no effect. For if the 3: 18. inheritance is derived from the law it is no longer derived from the promise. But God has freely given it to Abraham by means of a promise. What, then, is the object of the law? It was added because of wrong-doings, till the descendant should come to whom the promise has been made; and it was ordained by means of angels in the hand of a mediator. Now a mediator is not a mediator of one, but God is one. Is the law then against the promises of God? By no means. For if a law had been given which was able to make alive, surely by means of the law would goodness have resulted. On the contrary, Scripture has shut up all under sin, so that the promise which springs from faith in Jesus Christ might be given to believers. Now before faith came we were kept in ward by the law, shut up with a view to the dispensation of faith which was afterwards to be revealed. So, then, the law has been our tutor to bring us to Christ, so that we may be set right because of faith. But now that faith has come, we are no longer under a tutor. For you are all sons of God by means of the faith which is in Christ Jesus. For as many of you as were purified so as to partake of Christ's nature, put on Christ. There is among such neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor freeman, there is no male and female. For you |