1 Fourteen years later I went to Jerusalem with Barnabas. I also took along Titus. 2 But I went there because God had told me to go, and I explained the good news I had been preaching to the Gentiles. Then I met privately with the ones who seemed to be the most important leaders. I wanted to make sure my work in the past and my future work would not be for nothing.
3 Titus went to Jerusalem with me. He was a Greek, but still he wasn't forced to be circumcised. 4 We went there because of those who pretended to be followers and had sneaked in among us as spies. They had come to take away the freedom Christ Jesus had given us, and they were trying to make us their slaves. 5 But we wanted you to have the true message. This is why we didn't give in to them, not even for a second.
6 Some of them were supposed to be important leaders, but I didn't care who they were. God doesn't have any favorites! None of these so-called special leaders added anything to my message. 7 They realized God had sent me with the good news for Gentiles, and he had sent Peter with the same message for Jews. 8 God, who had sent Peter on a mission to the Jews, was now using me to preach to the Gentiles.
9 James, Peter, and John realized that God had given me the message about his gift of undeserved grace. And these men are supposed to be the backbone of the church. They even gave Barnabas and me a friendly handshake. This was to show that we would work with Gentiles and that they would work with Jews. 10 They only asked us to remember the poor, and this was something I had always been eager to do.
Paul Corrects Peter at Antioch
11 When Peter came to Antioch, I told him face to face that he was wrong. 12 He used to eat with Gentile followers of the Lord, until James sent some Jewish followers. Peter was afraid of the Jews and soon stopped eating with Gentiles. 13 He and the others hid their true feelings so well that even Barnabas was fooled. 14 But when I saw they were not really obeying the truth that is in the good news, I corrected Peter in front of everyone and said:
Peter, you are a Jew, but you live like a Gentile. So how can you force Gentiles to live like Jews?
15 We are Jews by birth and are not sinners like Gentiles. 16 But we know that God accepts only those who have faith in Jesus Christ. No one can please God by simply obeying the Law. So we put our faith in Christ Jesus, and God accepted us because of our faith.
17 When we Jews started looking for a way to please God, we discovered that we are sinners too. Does this mean that Christ is the one who makes us sinners? No, it doesn't! 18 But if I tear down something and then build it again, I prove that I was wrong at first. 19 It was the Law itself that killed me and freed me from its power, so I could live for God.
I have been nailed to the cross with Christ. 20 I have died, but Christ lives in me. And I now live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave his life for me. 21 I don't turn my back on God's gift of undeserved grace. If we can be acceptable to God by obeying the Law, it was useless for Christ to die.
Pārējie apustuļi pieņem Pāvilu
1 Kad pagāja četrpadsmit gadu, es vēlreiz devos uz Jeruzālemi kopā ar Barnabu, līdzi ņemdams arī Titu. 2 Turp es devos, atklāsmes vadīts, un iepazīstināju viņus ar evaņģēliju, ko sludinu pagāniem. Atsevišķi es to darīju tiem, kas bija īpaši ietekmīgi draudzē, lai es nebūtu dzinies pa tukšo vai velti skrējis. 3 Bet arī Titu, grieķi, kas bija ieradies kopā ar mani, tie nespieda apgraizīties. 4 Lai gan bija sūtīti arī viltus brāļi un tie bija iezagušies izokšķerēt mūsu brīvību, kas mums ir Jēzū Kristū, lai mūs paverdzinātu, 5 mēs ne mirkli tiem nepiekāpāmies un nepakļāvāmies, lai pie jums saglabātos evaņģēlija patiesība. 6 Bet tie, kurus draudzē uzskatīja par ietekmīgiem – kādi tie bija, man ir vienalga, jo Dievs cilvēku neskata pēc ārienes, – tie manai mācībai neko klāt nav pielikuši. 7 Tieši otrādi, redzēdami, ka man uzticēta evaņģēlija sludināšana pie neapgraizītajiem tāpat kā Pēterim pie apgraizītajiem – 8 jo Dievs, kas darbojās caur Pēteri viņa apustuļa darbā pie apgraizītajiem, darbojās arī caur mani pie pagāniem, – 9 un uzzinājuši par žēlastību, kas man dota, Jēkabs, Kēfa un Jānis, kurus uzskatīja par draudzes pīlāriem, apliecinādami vienību, sniedza man un Barnabam roku, lai mēs darbotos pie pagāniem, bet viņi – pie apgraizītajiem; 10 vienīgi – lai atceramies nabagus, ko arī čakli esmu centies darīt.
Pāvils nostājas pret Pēteri
11 Bet, kad Kēfa ieradās Antiohijā, es atklāti nostājos pret viņu, tādēļ ka viņš bija apsūdzams. 12 Jo, pirms bija ieradušies kādi no Jēkaba, Kēfa ēda kopā ar pagāniem, bet, kad tie ieradās, viņš, baidīdamies no apgraizītajiem, novērsās no pagāniem un turējās atsevišķi. 13 Tad arī pārējie jūdi sāka liekuļot tāpat kā viņš, un pat Barnaba tika ierauts līdz ar viņiem liekulībā. 14 Kad es redzēju, ka viņi nerīkojas pēc evaņģēlija patiesības, es Kēfam visu priekšā sacīju: ja tu, būdams jūds, nedzīvo kā jūds, bet kā pagāns, kā tad tu pagānus spied dzīvot pēc jūdu paražām?
Gan jūdi, gan pagāni tiek attaisnoti ticībā
15 Pat mēs, kas esam dzimuši jūdi, nevis pagānu grēcinieki, 16 zinādami, ka neviens cilvēks nekļūst attaisnots ar bauslības darbiem, bet vienīgi ticībā Jēzum Kristum, esam sākuši ticēt uz Jēzu Kristu, lai kļūtu attaisnoti Kristus ticībā, nevis pēc bauslības darbiem, jo pēc bauslības darbiem neviens cilvēks nekļūst attaisnots. 17 Ja mēs, kas meklējam attaisnošanu Kristū, paši nu izrādāmies grēcinieki – vai tad Kristus kalpo grēkam? Nē, taču! 18 Ja es no jauna uzceļu to, ko nojaucu, tad es pats sevi padaru par pārkāpēju. 19 Bet caur bauslību es bauslībai esmu nomiris, lai dzīvotu Dievam. Līdz ar Kristu esmu pienaglots krustā, 20 tādēļ nevis es dzīvoju, bet manī dzīvo Kristus. Un mana dzīve miesā tagad ir ticībā uz Dieva Dēlu, kas mani ir mīlējis un atdevis sevi par mani. 21 Es neatstumju Dieva žēlastību; jo Kristus veltīgi būtu miris, ja Dieva taisnība nāktu caur bauslību.
