Add parallel Print Page Options

Greetings and Grace

Paul, (A)an apostle—(B)not sent from men nor through man, but (C)through Jesus Christ and God the Father, who (D)raised Him from the dead— and all (E)the brothers who are with me,

To (F)the churches of Galatia:

(G)Grace to you and peace from [a]God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ, who (H)gave Himself for our sins so that He might rescue us from (I)this present evil [b]age, according to the will of (J)our God and Father, (K)to whom be the glory forever and ever. Amen.

Distorting the Gospel

I marvel that you are so quickly deserting (L)Him who called you [c]by the grace of Christ for a (M)different gospel, which is really not another, only there are some who are (N)disturbing you and want to distort the gospel of Christ. But even if we, or (O)an angel from heaven, should proclaim to you a gospel [d]contrary to the gospel we have proclaimed to you, let him be [e](P)accursed! As we (Q)have said before, so I say again now, (R)if any man is proclaiming to you a gospel [f]contrary to what you received, let him be [g](S)accursed!

10 For am I now (T)seeking the favor of men, or of God? Or am I striving to please men? If I were still trying to please men, I would not be a (U)slave of Christ.

Paul Called by God

11 For (V)I make known to you, brothers, that the gospel which I am proclaiming as good news is (W)not according to man. 12 For (X)I neither received it from man, nor was I taught it, but I received it through a (Y)revelation of Jesus Christ.

13 For you have heard of (Z)my former conduct in Judaism, how I (AA)used to persecute (AB)the church of God beyond measure and (AC)tried to destroy it. 14 And I (AD)was advancing in Judaism beyond many of my contemporaries among my countrymen, being far more zealous for the traditions of my (AE)fathers. 15 But when God, who had set me apart from my mother’s womb and (AF)called me through His grace, was pleased 16 to reveal His Son in me so that I might (AG)proclaim Him as good news among the Gentiles, (AH)I did not immediately consult with [h](AI)flesh and blood, 17 (AJ)nor did I go up to Jerusalem to those who were apostles before me, but I went away to Arabia, and returned once more to (AK)Damascus.

18 Then (AL)three years later I went up (AM)to Jerusalem to [i]become acquainted with (AN)Cephas, and stayed with him fifteen days. 19 But I did not see any other of the apostles except [j](AO)James, the Lord’s brother. 20 (Now in what I am writing to you, [k]I assure you (AP)before God that I am not lying!) 21 Then (AQ)I went into the regions of (AR)Syria and (AS)Cilicia. 22 And I was still unknown by [l]sight to (AT)the churches of Judea which are (AU)in Christ; 23 but only, they kept hearing, “He who once persecuted us is now proclaiming the good news of (AV)the faith which he once (AW)tried to destroy.” 24 And they (AX)were glorifying God [m]because of me.

Footnotes

  1. Galatians 1:3 Two early mss God the Father, and our Lord Jesus Christ
  2. Galatians 1:4 Or world
  3. Galatians 1:6 Lit in
  4. Galatians 1:8 Or other than, more than
  5. Galatians 1:8 Gr anathema
  6. Galatians 1:9 Or other than, more than
  7. Galatians 1:9 Gr anathema
  8. Galatians 1:16 Human beings
  9. Galatians 1:18 Or visit Cephas
  10. Galatians 1:19 Or Jacob; James is the Eng form of Jacob; so in Gal
  11. Galatians 1:20 Lit behold before God
  12. Galatians 1:22 Lit face
  13. Galatians 1:24 Lit in me

Greeting

Paul,(A) an apostle—not from men or by man, but by Jesus Christ and God the Father(B) who raised him from the dead(C) and all the brothers who are with me:

To the churches of Galatia.(D)

Grace to you and peace from God the Father and our Lord[a] Jesus Christ, who gave himself for our sins(E) to rescue us from this present evil age,(F) according to the will of our God and Father.(G) To him be the glory forever and ever. Amen.

No Other Gospel

I am amazed that you are so quickly turning away from him who called(H) you by the grace of Christ and are turning to a different gospel— not that there is another gospel,(I) but there are some(J) who are troubling you and want to distort the gospel of Christ. But even if we or an angel(K) from heaven should preach to you a gospel contrary to what we have preached to you,(L) a curse be on him![b] As we have said before, I now say again: If anyone is preaching to you a gospel contrary to what you received,(M) a curse be on him!

10 For am I now trying to persuade people,[c] or God?(N) Or am I striving to please people? If I were still trying to please people, I would not be a servant of Christ.

The Origin of Paul’s Gospel

11 For I want you to know, brothers and sisters, that the gospel preached by me is not of human origin. 12 For I did not receive it from a human source and I was not taught it, but it came by a revelation(O) of Jesus Christ.(P)

13 For you have heard about my former way of life(Q) in Judaism:(R) I intensely persecuted(S) God’s church and tried to destroy it. 14 I advanced in Judaism beyond many contemporaries among my people, because I was extremely zealous for the traditions of my ancestors.(T) 15 But when God, who from my mother’s womb set me apart and called(U) me by his grace, was pleased 16 to reveal his Son(V) in me, so that I could preach him among the Gentiles, I did not immediately consult with anyone.[d] 17 I did not go up to Jerusalem(W) to those who had become apostles(X) before me; instead I went to Arabia(Y) and came back to Damascus.(Z)

18 Then after three years I did go up to Jerusalem(AA) to get to know Cephas,[e](AB) and I stayed with him fifteen days. 19 But I didn’t see any of the other apostles except James,(AC) the Lord’s brother. 20 I declare in the sight of God: I am not lying in what I write to you.

21 Afterward, I went to the regions of Syria(AD) and Cilicia.(AE) 22 I remained personally unknown to the Judean churches that are in Christ. 23 They simply kept hearing, “He who formerly persecuted(AF) us now preaches the faith(AG) he once tried to destroy.” 24 And they glorified God because of me.[f]

Footnotes

  1. 1:3 Other mss read God our Father and the Lord
  2. 1:8 Or you, let him be condemned, or you, let him be condemned to hell; Gk anathema
  3. 1:10 Or win the approval of people
  4. 1:16 Lit flesh and blood
  5. 1:18 Other mss read Peter
  6. 1:24 Or in me

Paul, an apostle(A)—sent not from men nor by a man,(B) but by Jesus Christ(C) and God the Father,(D) who raised him from the dead(E) and all the brothers and sisters[a] with me,(F)

To the churches in Galatia:(G)

Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ,(H) who gave himself for our sins(I) to rescue us from the present evil age,(J) according to the will of our God and Father,(K) to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen.(L)

No Other Gospel

I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting the one who called(M) you to live in the grace of Christ and are turning to a different gospel(N) which is really no gospel at all. Evidently some people are throwing you into confusion(O) and are trying to pervert(P) the gospel of Christ. But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach a gospel other than the one we preached to you,(Q) let them be under God’s curse!(R) As we have already said, so now I say again: If anybody is preaching to you a gospel other than what you accepted,(S) let them be under God’s curse!

10 Am I now trying to win the approval of human beings, or of God? Or am I trying to please people?(T) If I were still trying to please people, I would not be a servant of Christ.

Paul Called by God

11 I want you to know, brothers and sisters,(U) that the gospel I preached(V) is not of human origin. 12 I did not receive it from any man,(W) nor was I taught it; rather, I received it by revelation(X) from Jesus Christ.(Y)

13 For you have heard of my previous way of life in Judaism,(Z) how intensely I persecuted the church of God(AA) and tried to destroy it.(AB) 14 I was advancing in Judaism beyond many of my own age among my people and was extremely zealous(AC) for the traditions of my fathers.(AD) 15 But when God, who set me apart from my mother’s womb(AE) and called me(AF) by his grace, was pleased 16 to reveal his Son in me so that I might preach him among the Gentiles,(AG) my immediate response was not to consult any human being.(AH) 17 I did not go up to Jerusalem to see those who were apostles before I was, but I went into Arabia. Later I returned to Damascus.(AI)

18 Then after three years,(AJ) I went up to Jerusalem(AK) to get acquainted with Cephas[b] and stayed with him fifteen days. 19 I saw none of the other apostles—only James,(AL) the Lord’s brother. 20 I assure you before God(AM) that what I am writing you is no lie.(AN)

21 Then I went to Syria(AO) and Cilicia.(AP) 22 I was personally unknown to the churches of Judea(AQ) that are in Christ.(AR) 23 They only heard the report: “The man who formerly persecuted us is now preaching the faith(AS) he once tried to destroy.”(AT) 24 And they praised God(AU) because of me.

Footnotes

  1. Galatians 1:2 The Greek word for brothers and sisters (adelphoi) refers here to believers, both men and women, as part of God’s family; also in verse 11; and in 3:15; 4:12, 28, 31; 5:11, 13; 6:1, 18.
  2. Galatians 1:18 That is, Peter