1Až o štrnásť rokov som sa znova vybral do Jeruzalema, tentoraz s Barnabášom a Títom.2Dostal som totiž od Boha pokyn, aby som všetko, čo učím v pohanských krajinách, predložil na uváženie významným osobnostiam cirkvi. Všetko sme v súkromí prerokovali a nikto nemal námietky.3Ba ani Títa, ktorý bol Grék, nenútili, aby sa dal obrezať.4Otázku obriezky rozvírili až niektorí falošní bratia, ktorým sa nepáčil náš kristovsky slobodný postoj voči nariadeniam Mojžišovho zákona. Chceli by nás znova urobiť otrokmi starých príkazov a zákazov,5ale tomu sme sa bránili, aj ubránili. Nikto vás nesmie nútiť, aby ste verili, že spása je v plnení židovských nariadení.6Ani nikto z predstaviteľov cirkvi nepokladal za potrebné dodávať niečo k tomu, čo som vás učil. Mimochodom, pred Bohom ani oni nie sú viac ako my, pred Bohom sme si všetci rovní.7Naopak, keď Peter, Jakub a Ján, stĺpy kresťanského zboru v Jeruzaleme, videli, ako slávne napreduje Božie dielo medzi pohanmi8a že mi v tom Boh pomáha rovnako ako Petrovi v jeho práci medzi Židmi,9podali mne i Barnabášovi pravicu na znak súhlasu. „Pokračujme ďalej v našej práci,“ povedali. „Vy medzi pohanmi a my medzi Židmi!“10Odporúčali nám iba, aby sme nezabúdali na chudobných. A to i mne vždy ležalo na srdci.11Keď však Peter prišiel do Antiochie, musel som ho verejne pokarhať, pretože si to ozaj zaslúžil.12Prišli k nám totiž niektorí bratia od apoštola Jakuba z Jeruzalema, ktorí veľmi úzkostlivo dbali na dodržiavanie obriezky a iných Mojžišových zákonov. Predtým Peter pokojne stoloval s neobrezanými kresťanmi. Teraz sa však zľakol, čo by na to povedali tí „pravoverní“, a začal sa od nich izolovať.13Po ňom sa takisto správali aj ďalší kresťania zo Židov, dokonca aj Barnabáš sa dal strhnúť týmto pokrytectvom.14Keď som to videl, hneď mi bolo jasné, že to nie je v súlade s evanjeliom. Preto som povedal Petrovi verejne pred všetkými: „Ty si rodom Žid, ale zákon už dávno nedodržiavaš. Prečo chceš zrazu svojím správaním nútiť bratov z pohanov, aby zachovávali židovské predpisy?15My obaja sme síce rodom Židia,16ale ako kresťania vieme, že ospravedlnenie nedosahujeme plnením nariadení zákona, ale iba vierou v Ježiša Krista. Skutky podľa zákona nikoho pred Bohom neospravedlnia.
Ospravedlnenie vierou
17My sa teda usilujeme, aby sme boli ospravedlnení v Kristu.18Ale ak by sa ukázalo, že viera v Krista na ospravedlnenie nestačí, že je nevyhnutné dať sa aj obrezať a dodržiavať celý zákon, či by to neznamenalo, že viera v Krista nás vlastne zahubila? Sami vidíte, aký by to bol nezmysel! Veď by som hrešil, keby som teraz podporoval to, proti čomu som až doteraz hovoril!19Zákon ma totiž odsúdil na smrť a rozsudok bol vykonaný; to znamená, že môj starý život sa skončil a ja žijem teraz novým životom pre Boha. S Kristom som bol ukrižovaný aj ja.20Žijem síce, ale to už nie je môj život, to vo mne žije Kristus. Zmysel tomuto životu dáva viera v Božieho Syna, ktorý ma miloval a obetoval sa za mňa.21Nepohŕdam touto Božou milosťou. Keby totiž na ospravedlnenie stačilo plniť nariadenia zákona, bola by obeť Pána Ježiša Krista zbytočná.
1Then after fourteen years I went up again to Jerusalem with Barnabas, taking Titus along with me.2I went up because of a revelation and set before them (though privately before those who seemed influential) the gospel that I proclaim among the Gentiles, in order to make sure I was not running or had not run in vain. (Gal 2,6; Gal 2,9; Gal 4,11; Flp 2,16; 1 Sol 3,5; 1 Tim 3,16)3But even Titus, who was with me, was not forced to be circumcised, though he was a Greek. (Sk 16,3)4Yet because of false brothers secretly brought in—who slipped in to spy out our freedom that we have in Christ Jesus, so that they might bring us into slavery— (Sk 15,24; Rim 8,15; 2 Kor 11,20; 2 Kor 11,26; Gal 4,3; Gal 4,9; Gal 4,24; Gal 5,1; Gal 5,12; 2 Pt 2,1; Júd 1,4)5to them we did not yield in submission even for a moment, so that the truth of the gospel might be preserved for you. (Gal 2,14; Gal 4,16; Gal 5,7; Tit 1,14; 2 Jn 1,1)6And from those who seemed to be influential (what they were makes no difference to me; God shows no partiality)—those, I say, who seemed influential added nothing to me. (Dt 10,17; Sk 5,36; 1 Kor 3,7; 2 Kor 11,5; 2 Kor 12,11; Gal 2,2; Gal 2,9; Gal 6,3)7On the contrary, when they saw that I had been entrusted with the gospel to the uncircumcised, just as Peter had been entrusted with the gospel to the circumcised (Sk 9,15; 1 Kor 9,17; Gal 1,16; 1 Sol 2,4; 1 Tim 1,11)8(for he who worked through Peter for his apostolic ministry to the circumcised worked also through me for mine to the Gentiles),9and when James and Cephas and John, who seemed to be pillars, perceived the grace that was given to me, they gave the right hand of fellowship to Barnabas and me, that we should go to the Gentiles and they to the circumcised. (Jer 1,18; Rim 1,5; Gal 2,6; 2 Pt 3,15; Zjv 3,12)10Only, they asked us to remember the poor, the very thing I was eager to do. (Sk 24,17)
Paul Opposes Peter
11But when Cephas came to Antioch, I opposed him to his face, because he stood condemned. (Jób 21,31; Sk 15,1; Sk 15,35)12For before certain men came from James, he was eating with the Gentiles; but when they came he drew back and separated himself, fearing the circumcision party.[1] (Lk 15,2; Sk 10,28; Sk 11,2; Sk 11,3; Gal 2,14)13And the rest of the Jews acted hypocritically along with him, so that even Barnabas was led astray by their hypocrisy.14But when I saw that their conduct was not in step with the truth of the gospel, I said to Cephas before them all, “If you, though a Jew, live like a Gentile and not like a Jew, how can you force the Gentiles to live like Jews?” (Gal 2,5; Gal 2,12; 1 Tim 5,20; Hebr 12,13)
Justified by Faith
15We ourselves are Jews by birth and not Gentile sinners; (Gal 2,17; Ef 2,3; Ef 2,12)16yet we know that a person is not justified[2] by works of the law but through faith in Jesus Christ, so we also have believed in Christ Jesus, in order to be justified by faith in Christ and not by works of the law, because by works of the law no one will be justified. (Ž 143,2; Sk 13,39; Rim 3,20; Rim 9,30; Gal 3,11)17But if, in our endeavor to be justified in Christ, we too were found to be sinners, is Christ then a servant of sin? Certainly not! (Gal 2,15)18For if I rebuild what I tore down, I prove myself to be a transgressor.19For through the law I died to the law, so that I might live to God. (Lk 20,38; Rim 6,2; Rim 6,11; Rim 7,4; Rim 14,7; 2 Kor 5,15; 1 Sol 5,10; Hebr 9,14; 1 Pt 4,2)20I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. (Jn 17,23; Rim 6,6; Rim 8,37; Gal 1,4; Gal 5,24; Gal 6,14)21I do not nullify the grace of God, for if righteousness[3] were through the law, then Christ died for no purpose. (Gal 3,21; Gal 5,4; Hebr 7,11)