¹¹ And he received circumcision as a sign, a seal of the righteousness that he had by faith while he was still uncircumcised.^(A) So then, he is the father^(B) of all who believe^(C) but have not been circumcised, in order that righteousness might be credited to them.

²⁸ A person is not a Jew who is one only outwardly,^(A) nor is circumcision merely outward and physical.^{(B) 29} No, a person is a Jew who is one inwardly; and circumcision is circumcision of the heart,^(C) by the Spirit,^(D) not by the written code.^(E) Such a person’s praise is not from other people, but from God.^(F)

¹⁸ Was a man already circumcised when he was called? He should not become uncircumcised. Was a man uncircumcised when he was called? He should not be circumcised.^{(A) 19} Circumcision is nothing and uncircumcision is nothing.^(B) Keeping God’s commands is what counts. ²⁰ Each person should remain in the situation they were in when God called them.^(C)

³ Yet not even Titus,^(A) who was with me, was compelled to be circumcised, even though he was a Greek.^{(B) 4} This matter arose because some false believers^(C) had infiltrated our ranks to spy on^(D) the freedom^(E) we have in Christ Jesus and to make us slaves. ⁵ We did not give in to them for a moment, so that the truth of the gospel^(F) might be preserved for you.

⁶ As for those who were held in high esteem^(G)—whatever they were makes no difference to me; God does not show favoritism^(H)—they added nothing to my message.^(I)

¹² For before certain men came from James,^(A) he used to eat with the Gentiles.^(B) But when they arrived, he began to draw back and separate himself from the Gentiles because he was afraid of those who belonged to the circumcision group.^{(C) 13} The other Jews joined him in his hypocrisy, so that by their hypocrisy even Barnabas^(D) was led astray.

¹⁴ When I saw that they were not acting in line with the truth of the gospel,^(E) I said to Cephas^(F) in front of them all, “You are a Jew, yet you live like a Gentile and not like a Jew.^(G) How is it, then, that you force Gentiles to follow Jewish customs?^(H)

¹⁵ “We who are Jews by birth^(I) and not sinful Gentiles^{(J) 16} know that a person is not justified by the works of the law,^(K) but by faith in Jesus Christ.^(L) So we, too, have put our faith in Christ Jesus that we may be justified by faith in^[a] Christ and not by the works of the law, because by the works of the law no one will be justified.^(M)