We (are) born-Jews,
and not pagan sinners.

But,
– knowing that a person is not declared righteous
        by means of works of the Jewish Law
  but rather through the faithfulness of Jesus Christ, 
we have also placed our trust in Christ Jesus, 
– so we will be declared righteous
on the basis of the faithfulness of Christ
and not on the basis of works of the Jewish Law, 
because on the basis of works of the Jewish Law
“all flesh is not declared righteous.” (Ps 143:2)

Steer the ship of my life, good Lord, to your quiet harbour,
where I can be safe from the storms of sin and conflict.
Show me the course I should take.
Renew in me the gift of discernment,
so that I can always see the right direction in which I should go.
And give me the strength and the courage to choose the right course,
even when the sea is rough and the waves are high,
knowing that through enduring hardship and danger in your name
we shall find comfort and peace.
Amen

Basil of Caesarea (c.329-379)

But when Cephas came to Antioch, 
I opposed him to his face, 
because he had been ‘condemned’.

For until certain people came from James
he was eating with the gentiles.

But when they came, 
he drew back and separated himself
fearing the ‘circumcision’
and the other Jews play-acted with him.
so that even Barnabas was led astray by their charade. 

But when I saw that they were not being straight, 
with the truth of the gospel, 
I said to Cephas
before them all
‘If you, Jewish, live a gentile lifestyle  and not the Jewish lifestyle,
how do you force gentiles to adopt Jewishness?’

Take from us,
O God, all pride and vanity,
all boasting and self-assertion,
and give us the true courage that shows itself in gentleness,
the true wisdom that shows itself in simplicity,
and the true power that shows itself in modesty.

Charles Kingsley

And from those who appeared to be something…
-whatever they once were made no difference to me in any way,
God shows no partiality between people –
for (they) added nothing to me. 
But these seeing that
      I had been trusted with the gospel
          for the uncircumcision
      as Peter for the circumcision,
                 (for the one who empowered Peter for the circumcision 
                   also empowered me for the pagan nations. )
and knowing the grace
                which had been given to me
Jacob (James)  and Cephas, and John,
               the ones considered to be  pillars
gave the right hand of fellowship to Barnabas and me,
          so that we (might go) to the pagan nations,
          and they to the circumcision.

Only that (we)  continue to remember the poor.,
which
– this very thing –
I was also eager to do. 

O thou, who art the light of the minds that know thee,
the life of the souls that love thee,
and the strength of the wills that serve thee;
help us so to know thee that we may truly love thee;
so to love thee that we may fully serve thee,
whom to serve is perfect freedom.
Amen

Then after fourteen years I went up again to Jerusalem,
with Barnabas
taking along Titus also. 

But I went in accordance with a revelation,
and I set before them the gospel, 
which I preach to the pagan nations
privately 
to the influential people
lest somehow I am running (or I ran) in vain.

But not even, Titus,
who was with me,
being Greek, 
was compelled to be circumcised…

… but because of some false believers, 
who had been brought in un der false pretences,   
to spy on our freedom
which we have in Christ Jesus,
so that they might enslave us…

… we did not give in to them
for a moment
in submission, 
in order that the truth of the gospel
might remain with you. 

God be in head and in my understanding;
God be in my eyes and in my looking;
God be in my mouth and in my speaking;
God be in my heart and in my thinking;
God be at my end and at my departing.

Then after three years
I went to Jerusalem,
to visit Cephas,
– I stayed with him for fifteen days,
and I did not see another of the apostles
except Jacob ( James) the brother of the Lord.

And in what I am writing to you,
– look here –
before God,
I am not lying!

Then I went to the regions of Syria and Cilicia.

I , was unknown,
by sight,
to the ‘congregations of the Judeans who are in Christ.’

But they were only hearing:
‘The one who once was persecuting us
now preaches the Faith,
which once he ravaged’,
– and they were glorifying God because of me. 

Lord God,
your feed us with the living bread from heaven.
You renew our faith
increase our hope
and strengthen our love.
Teach us to hunger for Christ
who is the true and living bread
and live by every word that comes from your mouth,
through Jesus Christ our Lord.

For you heard about
  our way of life, 
  formerly  in Jewishness
that
I  was intensively persecuting
        the Church of God
and I was ravaging it, 

and I was advancing in Judaism,
beyond many peers,
              among my people, 
                       more  (than them)
a zealot for my ancestral traditions.

When he (God)
            who having selected me from my mother’s womb,
and  called (me), through his grace,
was pleased  to unveil his son in me,
in order that I might preach him amongst the pagan nations, 
immediately 
I did not consult with flesh and blood,
nor did I go up
to Jerusalem, to those who were apostles before me, 

but I went into Arabia, and 

I returned again to Damascus.

God, give me grace to accept with serenity
the things that cannot be changed,
Courage to change the things
which should be changed,
and the Wisdom to distinguish
the one from the other.

Living one day at a time,
Enjoying one moment at a time,
Accepting hardship as a pathway to peace,
Taking, as Jesus did,
This sinful world as it is,
Not as I would have it,
Trusting that You will make all things right,
If I surrender to Your will,
So that I may be reasonably happy in this life,
And supremely happy with You forever in the next.

Amen.

For I making known to you all,
brothers and sisters, 
      the gospel
                which was preached by me, 
        is not according to humans.
For
I neither received it from humans,
nor have I been taught (it by humans)
but through what Jesus Christ unveiled (to me).

Be thou my vision, O Lord of my heart;
Naught be all else to me, save that thou art –
Thou my best thought, by day or by night;
Waking or sleeping, thy presence my light.

I am amazed
that so quickly
you turn away from
the one who called you
by the grace of Christ
to an alternative gospel. 

Not that there is another, 
– except there are some people who trouble you,
and wish to pervert the gospel of Christ. 

But even if we
or an angel from heaven
preach
against what we announced to you, 
let them be cursed.

As we said before
and  I say again now
if anyone preaches to you against what you received
let them be cursed. 

For am I now seeking to win over people or God?
Or am I seeking to please people?
if I was still people pleasing, I would not be Christ’s slave.

Lord, you have given me so much,
I ask for one more thing –
a grateful heart.

George Herbert

Paul,
– apostle
not (sent out) from humans,
neither through a human, 
but through Jesus Christ
and Father God, 
who raised him from the dead people, 

and those who are with me,
all the brothers and sisters

to the congregations of Galatia:

grace to you
and peace from God, our father
and the Lord Jesus Christ, 
who gave himself
because of our sins
in order that he might rescue us
out of the present evil age
according to the will  of God and our Father,
to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen.

God, give me grace to accept with serenity
the things that cannot be changed,
Courage to change the things
which should be changed,
and the Wisdom to distinguish
the one from the other.

Living one day at a time,
Enjoying one moment at a time,
Accepting hardship as a pathway to peace,
Taking, as Jesus did,
This sinful world as it is,
Not as I would have it,
Trusting that You will make all things right,
If I surrender to Your will,
So that I may be reasonably happy in this life,
And supremely happy with You forever in the next.

Amen.