Paul’s letter to the believers in Galatia
Paul, an apostle – sent not from men nor by man, but by Yahusha the Messiah and Yahuah the Father, who raised Him from the dead – and all the brothers with me,
To the churches in Galatia:
Gracious generosity and peace to you from Yahuah our Father and Lord Yahusha the Messiah, who gave Himself for our sins to rescue us from the present evil age, according to the will of our Yahuah and Father, to whom be glory for ever and ever, Halleluyah!
I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting the one who called you by the generosity of the Messiah and are turning to different “good news” – which is really not good news at all.
Evidently some people are throwing you into confusion and are trying to pervert the good news of the Messiah. But even if we or a messenger from heaven should preach news other than what we first preached to you, let him be eternally condemned! As we have already said, so now I say again: if anybody is preaching to you a message other than what you accepted, let him be eternally condemned!
Am I now trying to win the approval of men, or of Yahuah? Or am I trying to please men? If I were still trying to please men, I would not be a servant of the Messiah.
I want you to know, brothers, that the good news I preached is not something that man made up. I did not receive it from any man, nor was I taught it; rather, I received it by revelation from Yahusha the Messiah.
For you have heard of my previous way of life in Yahudaism/Judaism, how intensely I persecuted the fellowship of Yahuah and tried to destroy it. I was advancing in Yahudaism beyond many Yahudim of my own age and was extremely zealous for the traditions of my fathers.
But when Yahuah, who set me apart from birth and called me by his generous grace, was pleased to reveal his Son in me so that I might preach him among the Gentilim, I did not consult any man, nor did I go up to Yarushalayim/Jerusalem to see those who were apostles before I was, but I went immediately into Arabia and later returned to Damascus.
Then after three years, I went up to Yerushalayim to get acquainted with Cephas/Peter and stayed with him fifteen days. I saw none of the other apostles – only James, the Lord’s brother. I assure you before Yahuah that what I am writing to you is no lie. Later I went to Syria and Cilicia. I was personally unknown to the fellowships of Yahudea that are in the Messiah. They only heard the report: “The man who formerly persecuted us is now preaching the faith he once tried to destroy.” And they praised Yahuah because of me.
Fourteen years later I went up again to Yerushalayim, this time with Barnabas. I took Titus along also. I went in response to a revelation and set before them the good news that I preach among the Gentilim. But I did this privately to those who seemed to be leaders, for fear that I was running or had run my race in vain. Yet not even Titus, who was with me, was compelled to be circumcised, even though he was a Greek. This matter arose because some false brothers had infiltrated our ranks to spy on the freedom we have in Yahusha the Messiah and to make us slaves. We did not give in to them for a moment, so that the truth of the good news might remain with you.
As for those who seemed to be important – whatever they were makes no difference to me; Yahuah does not judge by external appearance – those men added nothing to my message. On the contrary, they saw I had been entrusted with the task of preaching the good news to the Gentilim, just as Cephas had been to the Yahudim. For Yahuah, who was at work in the ministry of Cephas as an apostle to the Yahudim, was also at work in my ministry as an apostle to the Gentilim. James, Cephas, and Yochanan, those reputed to be pillars, gave me and Barnabas the right hand of fellowship when they recognised the generous grace given to me. They agreed that we should go to the Gentilim, and they to the Yahudim. All they asked was that we should continue to remember the poor, the very thing I was eager to do.
When Cephas came to Antioch, I opposed him to his face, because he was clearly in the wrong. Before certain men came from James, he used to eat with the Gentilim. But when they arrived, he began to draw back and separate himself from the Gentilim because he was afraid of those who belonged to the circumcision group. The other Yahudim joined him in his hypocrisy, so that by their hypocrisy even Barnabas was led astray.
When I saw that they were not acting in line with the truth of the good news, I said to Cephas in front of them all,
“You are a Yahuden, yet you live like a Gentile and not like a Yahuden. How is it, then, that you force the Gentilim to follow the customs of the Yahudim? We who are Yahudim by birth and not ‘Gentilim sinners’ know that a man is not justified by observing the law, but by faith in Yahusha the Messiah. So we, too, have put our faith in the Messiah Yahusha that we may be justified by faith in the Messiah and not by observing the law, because by observing the law no-one will be justified. “If, while we seek to be justified in the Messiah, it becomes evident that we ourselves are sinners, does that mean that the Messiah promotes sin? Absolutely not! If I rebuild what I destroyed, I prove that I am a law-breaker. For through the law I died to the law so that I might live for Yahuah. I have been crucified with the Messiah and I no longer live, but the Messiah lives in me. The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of Yahuah, who loved me and gave himself for me. I do not set aside the generous grace of Yahuah, for if righteousness could be gained through the law, the Messiah died for nothing!”
You foolish Galatians! Who has bewitched you? Before your very eyes Yahusha the Messiah was clearly portrayed as crucified.
I would like to learn just one thing from you: Did you receive the Ruach/Spirit by observing the law, or by believing what you heard? Are you so foolish? After beginning with the Ruach, are you now trying to attain your goal by human effort? Have you suffered so much for nothing – if it really was for nothing? Does Yahuah give you his Ruach and work miracles among you because you observe the law, or because you believe what you heard?
Consider Abraham: “He believed Yahuah, and it was credited to him as righteousness.” Understand, then, that those who believe are children of Abraham. The Scripture foresaw that Yahuah would justify the Gentilim by faith, and announced the good news in advance to Abraham: “All nations will be blessed through you.” So those who have faith are blessed along with Abraham, the man of faith.
All who rely on observing the law are under a curse, for it is written: “Cursed is everyone who does not continue to do everything written in the Book of the Law.” Clearly no-one is justified before Yahuah by the law, because, “The righteous will live by faith.” The law is not based on faith; on the contrary, “The man who does these things will live by them.” The Messiah redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us, for it is written: “Cursed is everyone who is hanged on a tree.” He redeemed us in order that the blessing given to Abraham might come to the Gentilim through the Messiah Yahusha, so that by faith we might receive the promise of the Ruach.
Brothers, let me take an example from everyday life. Just as no-one can set aside or add to a human covenant that has been duly established, so it is in this case. The promises were spoken to Abraham and to his seed. The Scripture does not say “and to seeds”, meaning many people, but “and to your seed”, meaning one person, who is the Messiah. What I mean is this: the law, introduced 430 years later, does not set aside the covenant previously established by Yahuah and thus do away with the promise. For if the inheritance depends on the law, then it no longer depends on a promise; but Yahuah in his generous grace gave it to Abraham through a promise.
What, then, was the purpose of the law? It was added because of transgressions until the Seed to whom the promise referred had come. The law was put into effect through angels by a mediator. A mediator, however, does not represent just one party; but Yahuah is one.
Is the law, therefore, opposed to the promises of Yahuah? Absolutely not! For if a law had been given that could impart life, then righteousness would certainly have come by the law. But the Scripture declares that the whole world is a prisoner of sin, so that what was promised, being given through faith in Yahusha the Messiah, might be given to those who believe.
Before this faith came, we were held prisoners by the law, locked up until faith should be revealed. So the law was put in charge to lead us to the Messiah that we might be justified by faith. Now that faith has come, we are no longer under the supervision of the law.
You are all sons of Yahuah through faith in the Messiah Yahusha, for all of you who were baptised into the Messiah have clothed yourselves with the Messiah. There is neither Yahudim nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female, for you all are one in the Messiah Yahusha. If you belong to the Messiah, then you are Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise.
What I am saying is that as long as the heir is a child, he is no different from a slave, although he owns the whole estate. He is subject to guardians and trustees until the time set by his father. So also, when we were children, we were in slavery under the basic principles of the world. But when the time had fully come, Yahuah sent his Son, born of a woman, born under law, to redeem those under law, that we might receive the full rights of sons. Because you are sons, Yahuah sent the Ruach of his Son into our hearts, the Ruach who calls out, “Abba, Father.” So you are no longer a slave, but a son; and since you are a son, Yahuah has made you also an heir.
Formerly, when you did not know Yahuah, you were slaves to those who by nature are not Aluah. But now that you know Yahuah – or rather are known by Yahuah – how is it that you are turning back to those weak and miserable principles? Do you wish to be enslaved by them all over again? You are observing special days and months and seasons and years! I fear for you, that somehow I have wasted my efforts on you.
I plead with you, brothers, become like me, for I became like you. You have done me no wrong. As you know, it was because of an illness that I first preached the good news to you. Even though my illness was a trial to you, you did not treat me with contempt or scorn. Instead you welcomed me as if I were a messenger of Yahuah come to you direct from heaven, as if I were the Messiah Yahusha himself! What has happened to all your joy? I can testify that, if you could have done so, you would have torn out your eyes and given them to me. Have I now become your enemy by telling you the truth?
Those people are zealous to win you over, but for no good. What they want is to alienate you from us, so that you may be zealous for them. It is fine to be zealous, provided the purpose is good, and to be so always and not just when I am with you. My dear children, for whom I am again in the pains of childbirth until the Messiah is formed in you, how I wish I could be with you now and change my tone, because I am perplexed about you!
Tell me, you who want to be under the law, are you not aware of what the law says? For it is written that Abraham had two sons, one by the slave woman and the other by the free woman. His son by the slave woman was born in the ordinary way; but his son by the free woman was born as the result of a promise.
These things may be taken figuratively, for the women represent two covenants. One covenant is from Mount Sinai and bears children who are to be slaves: This is Hagar. Now Hagar stands for Mount Sinai in Arabia and corresponds to the present city of Yerushalayim, because she is in slavery with her children. But the Yerushalayim that is above is free, and she is our mother. For it is written:
“Be glad, O barren woman, who bears no children; break forth and cry aloud, you who have no labour pains; because more are the children of the desolate woman than of her who has a husband.”
Now you, brothers, like Isaac, are children of promise. At that time the son born in the ordinary way persecuted the son born by the power of the Ruach. It is the same now. But what does the Scripture say? “Get rid of the slave woman and her son, for the slave woman’s son will never share in the inheritance with the free woman’s son.” Therefore, brothers, we are no children of the slave woman, but of the free woman.
It is for freedom that the Messiah has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery.
Mark my words! I, Paul, tell you that if you let yourselves be circumcised, the Messiah will be of no value to you at all. Again I declare to every man who lets himself be circumcised that he is required to obey the whole law. You who are trying to be justified by law have been alienated from the Messiah; you have fallen away from generous grace. But by faith we eagerly await through the Ruach the righteousness for which we hope. For in the Messiah Yahusha neither circumcision nor uncircumcision has any value. The only thing that counts is faith expressing itself through love.
You were running a good race. Who cut in on you and kept you from obeying the truth? That kind of persuasion does not come from the one who calls you. “A little yeast works through the whole batch of dough.” I am confident in the Lord that you will take no other view. The one who is throwing you into confusion will pay the penalty, whoever he may be. Brothers, if I am still preaching circumcision, why am I being persecuted? In that case the offence of the cross has been abolished. As for those agitators, I wish they would go the whole way and emasculate themselves!
You, my brothers, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the sinful nature; rather, serve one another in love. The entire law is summed up in a single command: “Love your neighbour as yourself.” If you keep on biting and devouring each other, watch out or you will be destroyed by each other.
So I say, live by the Ruach, and you will not gratify the desires of the sinful nature. For the sinful nature desires what is contrary to the Ruach, and the Ruach what is contrary to the sinful nature. They are in conflict with each other, so that you do not do what you want. But if you are led by the Ruach, you are not under law.
The acts of the sinful nature are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of Yahuah.
But the fruit of the Ruach is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. Those who belong to the Messiah Yahusha have crucified the sinful nature with its passions and desires. Since we live by the Ruach, let us keep in step with the Ruach. Let us not become conceited, provoking and envying each other.
Brothers, if someone is caught in a sin, you who are Ruach-filled should restore him gently. But watch yourself, or you also may be tempted.
Carry each other’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfil the law of the Messiah.
If anyone thinks he is something when he is nothing, he deceives himself. Each one should test his own actions. Then he can take pride in himself, without comparing himself to somebody else, for each one should carry his own load.
Anyone who receives instruction in the word must share all good things with his instructor.
Do not be deceived: Yahuah cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows. The one who sows to please his sinful nature, from that nature will reap destruction; the one who sows to please the Ruach, from the Ruach will reap eternal life. Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up. Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially those who belong to the family of believers.
See what large letters I use as I write to you with my own hand!
Those who want to make a good impression outwardly are trying to compel you to be circumcised. The only reason they do this is to avoid being persecuted for the cross of the Messiah. Not even those who are circumcised obey the law, yet they want you to be circumcised that they may boast about your flesh. May I never boast except in the cross of our Lord Yahusha the Messiah, through which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world. Neither circumcision nor uncircumcision means anything; what counts is a new creation.
Peace and mercy to all who follow this rule, even to the Yasharal/Israel of Yahuah.
Finally, let no-one cause me trouble, for I bear on my body the marks of Yahusha.
The generous grace of our Lord Yahusha the Messiah be with your ruach, brothers. Halleluyah!
