The Independence of the Apostle’s Gospel

11 I remind you, friends, that the good news which I told is no mere human invention. 12 I, at least, did not receive it from any human being, nor was I taught it, but it came to me through a revelation made by Jesus Christ.

13 You heard, no doubt, of my conduct when I was devoted to Judaism – how I persecuted the church of God to an extent beyond belief, and tried to destroy it, 14 and how, in my devotion to Judaism, I surpassed many of my contemporaries among my own people in my intense earnestness in upholding the traditions of my ancestors. 15 But when God, who had set me apart even before my birth, and who called me by his love, 16 saw fit to reveal his Son in me, so that I might tell the good news of him among the Gentiles, then at once, instead of consulting any human being, 17 or even going up to Jerusalem to see those who were apostles before me, I went to Arabia, and came back again to Damascus. 18 Three years afterwards I went up to Jerusalem to make the acquaintance of Peter, and I stayed a fortnight with him. 19 I did not, however, see any other apostle, except James, the Master’s brother. 20 (As to what I am now writing to you, I call God to witness that I am speaking the truth). 21 Afterwards I went to the districts of Syria and Cilicia. 22 But I was still unknown even by sight to the Christian churches in Judea; 23 all that they had heard was – “The man who once persecuted us is now telling the good news of the faith of which he once tried to destroy.” 24 And they praised God for my sake.

2 Fourteen years afterwards I went up to Jerusalem again with Barnabas, and I took Titus also with me. 2 It was in obedience to a revelation that I went; and I laid before the apostles the good news that I am proclaiming among the Gentiles. I did this privately before those who are thought highly of because I was afraid that I might possibly be taking, or might have already taken, a course which would prove useless. 3 Yet even my companion, Titus, though a Greek, was not compelled to be circumcised. 4 But, because of those who pretended to be followers who had stolen in, the intruders who had crept in to spy on the liberty which we have through union with Christ Jesus, in order to bring us back to slavery – 5 Why, we did not for a moment yield submission to them, so that the truth of the good news might be yours always! 6 Of those who are thought somewhat highly of – what they once were makes no difference to me; God does not recognise human distinctions – those, I say, who are thought highly of added nothing to my message. 7 On the contrary, they saw that I had been entrusted with the good news for the Gentiles, just as Peter had been for the Jews. 8 For he who gave Peter power for his mission to the Jews gave me, also, power to go to the Gentiles. 9 Recognising the charge entrusted to me, James, Peter, and John, who were regarded as pillars of the church, openly acknowledged Barnabas and me as fellow workers, agreeing that we should go to the Gentiles, and they to the Jews. 10 Only we were to remember the poor – the thing I was myself anxious to do. 11 But, when Peter came to Antioch, I opposed him to his face; for he stood self-condemned. 12 Before certain persons came from James, he had been in the habit of eating with the Gentile converts; but, when they came, he began to withdraw and hold aloof, because he was afraid of offending those who still held to circumcision. 13 The rest of the Jewish converts were guilty of the same hypocrisy, so that even Barnabas was led away by it. 14 But, when I saw that they were not dealing straightforwardly with the truth of the good news, I said to Peter, before them all, ‘If you, who were born a Jew, adopt Gentile customs, instead of Jewish, why are you trying to compel the Gentile converts to adopt Jewish customs?’