Peter

18Then after three years I went up to Jerusalem to see Peter, and abode with him fifteen days.

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

19But other of the apostles saw I none, save James the Lord’s brother.

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

20Now the things which I write unto you, behold, before God, I lie not.

God is my witness that what I am writing to you is true. I am not lying.

21Afterwards I came into the regions of Syria and Cilicia;

After that I went to the regions of Syria and Cilicia.

22And was unknown by face unto the churches of Judaea which were in Christ:

The churches in Judea that belong to Christ had never met me face to face.

23But they had heard only, That he which persecuted us in times past now preacheth the faith which once he destroyed.

They only heard people saying, "The man who used to attack us is now preaching the faith he once tried to destroy."

24And they glorified God in me.

And they praised God because of me.

1Then fourteen years after I went up again to Jerusalem with Barnabas, and took Titus with me also.

Fourteen years later I went up to Jerusalem again. Barnabas came with me, and I took Titus along too.

2And 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.

I went because God showed me I should go. I laid out for them the good news I preach to people who are not Jews. I spoke privately with the men everyone looked up to. I did not want my work, past or present, to be wasted.

3But neither Titus, who was with me, being a Greek, was compelled to be circumcised:

Titus was with me, and he was a Greek. Even so, no one forced him to be circumcised.

4And 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:

The question came up because some false brothers had slipped in. They came pretending to belong, to spy on the freedom we have in Christ Jesus. They wanted to tie us down like slaves.

5To whom we gave place by subjection, no, not for an hour; that the truth of the gospel might continue with you.

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

6But 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:

Those highly respected leaders added nothing to my message. Whatever they were makes no difference to me. God does not treat one person as more important than another.

7But contrariwise, when they saw that the gospel of the uncircumcision was committed unto me, as the gospel of the circumcision was unto Peter;

In fact, they saw the opposite. They saw that God had trusted me to bring the good news to people who are not Jews, just as He had trusted Peter to bring it to the Jews.

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

God was at work in Peter, sending him as a messenger to the Jews. The same God worked powerfully in me for the people who are not Jews.

9And 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.

James, Cephas, and John were looked up to as pillars of the church. They saw that God had been kind to me and given me this work. So they shook hands with me and Barnabas as partners. We would go to the Gentiles, and they would go to the Jews.

10Only they would that we should remember the poor; the same which I also was forward to do.

They asked only one thing: that we remember the poor. That was something I was already eager to do.

11But when Peter was come to Antioch, I withstood him to the face, because he was to be blamed.

But when Peter came to Antioch, I stood up to him face to face. He was clearly in the wrong.

12For 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.

Before certain men arrived from James, Peter used to eat with the Gentile believers. But when those men came, he pulled back and kept away from the Gentiles. He was afraid of the men who insisted on circumcision.

13And the other Jews dissembled likewise with him; insomuch that Barnabas also was carried away with their dissimulation.

The other Jewish believers joined him in this pretending. Even Barnabas got swept along by their play-acting.

14But 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?

I saw that they were not walking straight with the truth of the good news. So I said to Peter, in front of them all, "You are a Jew, yet you live like a Gentile and not like a Jew. Why then do you force Gentiles to live like Jews?"

15We who are Jews by nature, and not sinners of the Gentiles,

We are Jews by birth. We are not the kind of people our nation calls "Gentile sinners."

16Knowing 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.

Yet we know that no one is made right with God by keeping the law. It happens by trusting Jesus Christ. So we too put our trust in Christ Jesus, to be made right by that trust and not by keeping the law. No one at all is made right with God by keeping the law.

17But if, while we seek to be justified by Christ, we ourselves also are found sinners, is therefore Christ the minister of sin? God forbid.

We look to Christ to be made right with God. Suppose we ourselves are then found to be sinners. Does that make Christ someone who serves sin? Absolutely not.

18For if I build again the things which I destroyed, I make myself a transgressor.

If I build up again the very thing I tore down, I show myself to be a lawbreaker.

19For I through the law am dead to the law, that I might live unto God.

Through the law I died to the law, so that I could live for God.

20I 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.

I was put to death on the cross with Christ. I no longer live; Christ lives in me. The life I now live in my body, I live by trusting the Son of God. He loved me and gave himself for me.

21I do not frustrate the grace of God: for if righteousness come by the law, then Christ is dead in vain.

I do not push aside God's grace, his free gift of kindness. If being right with God came through the law, then Christ died for nothing.