Paul Confronts Cephas

11 When Cephas came to Antioch, however, I opposed [him] to his face, because he stood condemned. 12 For before certain men came from James, he used to eat with the Gentiles. But when they arrived, he began to draw back and separate himself, for fear of those in [the] circumcision [ group ]. 13 The other Jews joined him in his hypocrisy so that by their hypocrisy even Barnabas was led astray.

14 When I saw that they were not walking in line with the truth of the gospel, I said to Cephas in front of [them] all, “If you, who are a Jew, live like a Gentile and not like a Jew, how can you compel the Gentiles to live like Jews?”[fn]

15 We [who are] Jews by birth and not Gentile “sinners” 16 know that a man is not justified by works of [the] law, but by faith in Jesus Christ. So we, too have believed in Christ Jesus, that we may be justified by faith in Christ and not by works of the law, because by works of the law no one will be justified.

17 But if, while we seek to be justified in Christ, we ourselves are found to be sinners, does that make Christ a minister of sin? Certainly not! 18 If I rebuild what I have already torn down, I prove myself [to be] a lawbreaker.

19 For through [the] law I died to [the] law so that I might live to God. 20 I have been crucified with Christ, and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The [life] I live in [the] body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself up for me. 21 I do not set aside the grace of God. For if righteousness [comes] through the law, then Christ died for nothing.