Brothers and sisters, I no longer preach that people must be circumcised. If I did, why am I still being opposed? If I preached that, then the cross wouldn’t upset anyone.

弟兄们，我若仍旧传割礼，为什么还受逼迫呢？若是这样，那十字架讨厌的地方就没有了。

弟兄们，我若仍旧传割礼，为什么还受迫害呢？若是这样，十字架绊倒人的地方就没有了。

弟兄们，我若仍旧传割礼，为什么还受迫害呢？若是这样，十字架绊倒人的地方就没有了。

弟兄姊妹，如果我仍旧主张行割礼，怎么还会受迫害呢？如果是那样，十字架冒犯人的地方就被消除了。

弟兄们，如果我仍旧传割礼，我为什么还受迫害呢？若是这样，十字架绊倒人的地方就没有了。

弟兄们，如果我仍然传讲割礼，我为什么还受逼迫呢？如果我这样做，十字架使人绊脚的地方早就没有了。

弟兄們，我若仍舊傳割禮，為甚麼還受逼迫呢？若是這樣，那十字架討厭的地方就沒有了。

弟兄們，我若仍舊傳割禮，為甚麼還受迫害呢？若是這樣，十字架絆倒人的地方就沒有了。

弟兄們，我若仍舊傳割禮，為甚麼還受迫害呢？若是這樣，十字架絆倒人的地方就沒有了。

弟兄姊妹，如果我仍舊主張行割禮，怎麼還會受迫害呢？如果是那樣，十字架冒犯人的地方就被消除了。

弟兄們，如果我仍舊傳割禮，我為甚麼還受迫害呢？若是這樣，十字架絆倒人的地方就沒有了。

至於我呢、弟兄們，我若還在宣傳割禮，為甚麼還受逼迫呢？若是那樣，十字架之被看為信仰障礙不就早已除掉了麼！

弟兄們，如果我仍然傳講割禮，我為什麼還受逼迫呢？如果我這樣做，十字架使人絆腳的地方早就沒有了。

兄弟乎、若我尚宣割禮、何至猶見窘逐乎、若然、則十架之蹇礙已廢矣、

兄弟乎、若我言人當受割禮、何至今猶窘逐我乎、彼亦不厭十字架之道矣、

兄弟乎、若我仍傳割禮、何至尚受窘逐乎、若傳割禮、則十字架之道、不被人厭棄矣、

兄弟乎、苟我今猶鼓吹割禮、則何為尚受排擯耶？夫然則十字架亦不當復被視為眼中釘矣。

Brothers and sisters, if I am still preaching circumcision, why am I still being persecuted? In that case the offense of the cross has been abolished.

But if I, brothers, still preach circumcision, why am I still being persecuted? In that case the offense of the cross has been removed.

Dear brothers and sisters, if I were still preaching that you must be circumcised— as some say I do— why am I still being persecuted? If I were no longer preaching salvation through the cross of Christ, no one would be offended.

Now brothers and sisters, if I still preach circumcision, why am I still persecuted? In that case the offense of the cross has been abolished.

But as for me, brothers and sisters, if I still preach circumcision, why am I still persecuted? Then the stumbling block of the cross has been eliminated.

And I, brethren, if I still preach circumcision, why do I still suffer persecution? Then the offense of the cross has ceased.

But I, brethren, if I still preach circumcision, why am I still persecuted? then hath the stumbling- block of the cross been done away.

Now brothers, if I still preach circumcision, why am I still persecuted? In that case the offense of the cross has been abolished.

And I, brethren, if I yet preach circumcision, why do I yet suffer persecution? then is the offence of the cross ceased.

Now, brothers and sisters, if I am still preaching circumcision, why am I still being persecuted? In that case the offense of the cross has been removed.

But I, brothers, if I still preach circumcision, why am I still persecuted? Then the stumbling block of the cross has been removed.

But we preach about Christ and his death on the cross. That is very hard for Jews to accept. And everyone else thinks it’s foolish.

Some people are worried about how things look on the outside. They are trying to force you to be circumcised. They do it for only one reason. They don’t want to suffer by being connected with the cross of Christ.

At that time, the son born in the usual way tried to hurt the other son. The other son was born by the power of the Holy Spirit. It is the same now.

And why would we put ourselves in danger every hour?

Titus was with me. He was a Greek. But even he was not forced to be circumcised.

They have been told that you teach Jews to turn away from the Law of Moses. You teach this to the Jews who live among the Gentiles. They think that you teach those Jews not to circumcise their children. They think that you teach them to give up our Jewish ways.

Paul wanted to take him along on the journey. So he circumcised Timothy because of the Jews who lived in that area. They all knew that Timothy’s father was a Greek.

“ Then the Lord said to me,‘ Go. I will send you far away to people who are not Jews.’ ”The crowd listened to Paul until he said this. Then they shouted,“ Kill him! He isn’t fit to live!”

Are they serving Christ? I am serving him even more. I’m out of my mind to talk like this! I have worked much harder. I have been in prison more often. I have suffered terrible beatings. Again and again I almost died.Five times the Jews gave me 39 strokes with a whip.Three times I was beaten with sticks. Once they tried to kill me by throwing stones at me. Three times I was shipwrecked. I spent a night and a day in the open sea.I have had to keep on the move. I have been in danger from rivers. I have been in danger from robbers. I have been in danger from my fellow Jews and in danger from Gentiles. I have been in danger in the city, in the country, and at sea. I have been in danger from people who pretended they were believers.

Then the Lord will be a holy place of safety for you. But that’s not true for many people in Israel and Judah. He will be a stone that causes them to trip. He will be a rock that makes them fall. And for the people of Jerusalem he will be a trap and a snare.

From now on, let no one cause trouble for me. My body has marks that show I belong to Jesus.

“ Fellow Israelites, help us!” they shouted.“ This is the man who teaches everyone in all places against our people. He speaks against our law and against this holy place. Besides, he has brought Greeks into the temple. He has made this holy place‘ unclean.’ ”

Why not? Because they tried to do it without faith. They tried to be right with God by what they did. They tripped over the stone that causes people to trip and fall.It is written,“ Look! In Zion I am laying a stone that causes people to trip. It is a rock that makes them fall. The one who believes in him will never be put to shame.”( Isaiah 8:14; 28:16)

And,“ It is a stone that causes people to trip. It is a rock that makes them fall.”( Isaiah 8:14) They trip and fall because they do not obey the message. That is also what God planned for them.But God chose you to be his people. You are royal priests. You are a holy nation. You are God’s special treasure. You are all these things so that you can give him praise. God brought you out of darkness into his wonderful light.

The message of the cross seems foolish to those who are lost and dying. But it is God’s power to us who are being saved.

More than 40 men took part in this plan.They went to the chief priests and the elders. They said,“ We have made a special promise to God. We will not eat anything until we have killed Paul.