Peter

18Three years later I went up to Jerusalem to talk with Peter. I stayed with him for fifteen days.

Then after three years I went up to Jerusalem to see Peter, and abode with him fifteen days.

NotePeter was one of the very first apostles and a leader of them. He had walked with Jesus and knew him well. Fifteen days is about two weeks.

19I did not see any of the other apostles. The only other one I saw was James, the Lord's brother.

But other of the apostles saw I none, save James the Lord’s brother.

NoteJames was one of Jesus' younger brothers. He grew up in the same house. At first he did not believe Jesus, but later he led the believers in Jerusalem.

20God knows that what I am writing to you is true. I am not lying.

Now the things which I write unto you, behold, before God, I lie not.

NotePaul is making a strong promise here. It is like saying, "God is listening, and I am telling the truth."

21After that I went to the areas called Syria and Cilicia.

Afterwards I came into the regions of Syria and Cilicia;

NoteSyria and Cilicia were two areas north of Jerusalem. Paul's home town, Tarsus, was in Cilicia. So he went back near where he grew up.

22The churches in Judea that belong to Christ had never met me. They did not know my face.

And was unknown by face unto the churches of Judaea which were in Christ:

NoteJudea was the area around Jerusalem. It is where Jesus lived, died, and rose again.

23They only heard people say, "The man who used to hurt us now tells people the faith. He once tried to wipe it out."

But they had heard only, That he which persecuted us in times past now preacheth the faith which once he destroyed.

Note"The faith" was a name for the whole message about Jesus. It also meant the group of people who believed it.

24And they praised God because of me.

And they glorified God in me.

NoteThe King James says they "glorified God." To glorify God means to say good things about him. They were thanking God for changing Paul so much.

1Fourteen years later I went back to the city of Jerusalem. Barnabas came with me. I took Titus too.

Then fourteen years after I went up again to Jerusalem with Barnabas, and took Titus with me also.

NoteJerusalem was the most important city for Jewish people. The first leaders of the believers met there. Barnabas and Titus were friends who traveled with Paul.

2I went because God showed me to go. I told them the good news I preach to Gentiles, people who are not Jewish. I talked privately with the leaders there. I did not want my work to be wasted.

And I went up by revelation, and communicated unto them that gospel which I preach among the Gentiles, but privately to them which were of reputation, lest by any means I should run, or had run, in vain.

NoteGentiles means everyone in the world who is not Jewish. "Preach" means to stand up and tell people about God. The "good news" is the message that Jesus came to save people.

3Titus was with me, and he was Greek, not Jewish. Still, no one made him get circumcised.

But neither Titus, who was with me, being a Greek, was compelled to be circumcised:

NoteCircumcision was a small cut made on a boy's body. It was a sign that his family belonged to God's people, the Jews. Some people said Gentiles had to do this too. Paul said no.

4This came up because some false brothers had sneaked in. They pretended to be friends. They came to spy on the freedom we have in Christ Jesus. They wanted to tie us up with rules again.

And that because of false brethren unawares brought in, who came in privily to spy out our liberty which we have in Christ Jesus, that they might bring us into bondage:

NoteBelievers called each other brothers and sisters. So "false brothers" means men who only pretended to be believers.

5We did not give in to them, not even for a moment. We wanted the true good news to stay with you.

To whom we gave place by subjection, no, not for an hour; that the truth of the gospel might continue with you.

6Some men there were treated as very important. What they were makes no difference to me. God does not treat one person as better than another. Those leaders added nothing to my message.

But of these who seemed to be somewhat, (whatsoever they were, it maketh no matter to me: God accepteth no man’s person:) for they who seemed to be somewhat in conference added nothing to me:

7Instead they saw something clearly. God had given me the job of telling the good news to people who are not Jewish. Peter had the job of telling it to Jewish people.

But contrariwise, when they saw that the gospel of the uncircumcision was committed unto me, as the gospel of the circumcision was unto Peter;

NotePeter was one of Jesus' closest friends. He became a leader of the believers.

8God worked in Peter and sent him out to the Jewish people. The same God worked powerfully in me and sent me to the Gentiles.

(For he that wrought effectually in Peter to the apostleship of the circumcision, the same was mighty in me toward the Gentiles:)

9James, Cephas, and John were seen as pillars, the leaders who held the group up. They saw the kind gift God had given me. They shook hands with me and Barnabas as partners. We would go to people who are not Jewish. They would go to Jewish people.

And when James, Cephas, and John, who seemed to be pillars, perceived the grace that was given unto me, they gave to me and Barnabas the right hands of fellowship; that we should go unto the heathen, and they unto the circumcision.

NoteCephas is another name for Peter. It is the same man. A pillar is a big stone post that holds up a roof. People called these three men pillars because the whole group leaned on them. Shaking right hands was a promise to work together.

10They asked us for only one thing. They wanted us to remember poor people. I was already glad to do that.

Only they would that we should remember the poor; the same which I also was forward to do.

NoteMany believers in Jerusalem had very little food or money. Paul collected gifts from other towns to help them.

11But then Peter came to the city of Antioch. I told him to his face that he was wrong. He deserved the blame.

But when Peter was come to Antioch, I withstood him to the face, because he was to be blamed.

NoteAntioch was a large city far from Jerusalem. Many Gentiles there had become believers.

12Before some men came from James, Peter ate meals with the Gentiles. When those men came, Peter pulled back. He stopped eating with the Gentiles. He was afraid of the men from the circumcision group.

For before that certain came from James, he did eat with the Gentiles: but when they were come, he withdrew and separated himself, fearing them which were of the circumcision.

NoteJewish people had rules about what food to eat. Many would not share a meal with Gentiles. So eating together showed that everyone belonged. The circumcision group means Jewish people who kept the rule of circumcision.

13The other Jewish believers acted in the same fake way. Even Barnabas was pulled along with them.

And the other Jews dissembled likewise with him; insomuch that Barnabas also was carried away with their dissimulation.

NoteActing "fake" means acting one way but believing another. Peter still thought Gentiles belonged. He just stopped showing it.

14I saw they were not walking straight with the truth of the good news. So I spoke to Peter in front of everyone. I said, "You are a Jew, but you live like a Gentile. So why do you push Gentiles to live like Jews?"

But when I saw that they walked not uprightly according to the truth of the gospel, I said unto Peter before them all, If thou, being a Jew, livest after the manner of Gentiles, and not as do the Jews, why compellest thou the Gentiles to live as do the Jews?

15We were born Jewish. We are not the kind of people others call "Gentile sinners."

We who are Jews by nature, and not sinners of the Gentiles,

NoteSome Jewish people used "sinner" as a name for anyone not Jewish. Paul is repeating a name others used, not agreeing with it.

16But we know how God makes a person right with himself. It does not happen by obeying the law. It happens by trusting Jesus Christ. So we trusted Christ Jesus, to be made right with God. It was not by obeying the law. No one at all is made right with God by obeying the law.

Knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law, but by the faith of Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Jesus Christ, that we might be justified by the faith of Christ, and not by the works of the law: for by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified.

Note"The law" means the rules God gave to Moses long ago. They are written in the first books of the Bible. "Made right with God" means God says you belong to him.

17We look to Christ to make us right with God. What if we are still found to be sinners? Does that make Christ a helper of sin? No, not at all.

But if, while we seek to be justified by Christ, we ourselves also are found sinners, is therefore Christ the minister of sin? God forbid.

18I tore down the old way of rules. If I build it up again, I show that I am a rule breaker.

For if I build again the things which I destroyed, I make myself a transgressor.

19The law itself brought me to death, so the law no longer rules my life. Now I live for God.

For I through the law am dead to the law, that I might live unto God.

NotePaul means the old rules no longer have power over him. That part of his life is over, like something that has died.

20I was put on the cross with Christ. It is no longer I who live. Christ lives in me. The life I live now in my body, I live by trusting the Son of God. He loved me. He gave himself for me.

I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.

NoteA cross was made of two wooden beams. Roman soldiers killed people by nailing them to one. Jesus died that way. Paul did not really die on a cross. He means his old life ended when he began following Jesus.

21I do not push God's kindness aside. If people could be made right with God by obeying the law, then Christ died for nothing.

I do not frustrate the grace of God: for if righteousness come by the law, then Christ is dead in vain.

NoteKindness here means a gift God gives for free. You cannot earn it or pay for it.