Galatians 1
Common English Bible
Greeting
1 From Paul, an apostle who is not sent from human authority or commissioned through human agency, but sent through Jesus Christ and God the Father who raised him from the dead; 2 and from all the brothers and sisters with me.
To the churches in Galatia.
3 Grace and peace to you from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. 4 He gave himself for our sins, so he could deliver us from this present evil age, according to the will of our God and Father. 5 To God be the glory forever and always! Amen.
The gospel challenged in Galatia
6 I’m amazed that you are so quickly deserting the one who called you by the grace of Christ to follow another gospel. 7 It’s not really another gospel, but certain people are confusing you and they want to change the gospel of Christ. 8 However, even if we ourselves or a heavenly angel should ever preach anything different from what we preached to you, they should be under a curse. 9 I’m repeating what we’ve said before: if anyone preaches something different from what you received, they should be under a curse!
Paul’s leadership
10 Am I trying to win over human beings or God? Or am I trying to please people? If I were still trying to please people, I wouldn’t be Christ’s slave. 11 Brothers and sisters, I want you to know that the gospel I preached isn’t human in origin. 12 I didn’t receive it or learn it from a human. It came through a revelation from Jesus Christ.
13 You heard about my previous life in Judaism, how severely I harassed God’s church and tried to destroy it. 14 I advanced in Judaism beyond many of my peers, because I was much more militant about the traditions of my ancestors. 15 But God had set me apart from birth and called me through his grace. He was pleased 16 to reveal his Son to me, so that I might preach about him to the Gentiles. I didn’t immediately consult with any human being. 17 I didn’t go up to Jerusalem to see the men who were apostles before me either, but I went away into Arabia and I returned again to Damascus. 18 Then after three years I went up to Jerusalem to visit Cephas and stayed with him fifteen days. 19 But I didn’t see any other of the apostles except James the brother of the Lord. 20 Before God, I’m not lying about the things that I’m writing to you! 21 Then I went into the regions of Syria and Cilicia, 22 but I wasn’t known personally by the Christian churches in Judea. 23 They only heard a report about me: “The man who used to harass us now preaches the faith that he once tried to destroy.” 24 So they were glorifying God because of me.
Galatians 1
Jubilee Bible 2000
1 ¶ Paul, apostle (not from men neither through man, but through Jesus Christ and God the Father, who raised him from the dead)
2 and all the brethren who are with me, unto the congregations {Gr. ekklesia – called out ones} of Galatia:
3 Grace be unto you and peace from God the Father and from our Lord Jesus Christ,
4 who gave himself for our sins that he might deliver us from this present evil age, according to the will of our God and Father,
5 unto whom be the glory for the ages of the ages. Amen.
6 ¶ I marvel that ye are so soon removed from him that called you into the grace of Christ unto another gospel,
7 for there is not another; but there are some that trouble you and would pervert the gospel of the Christ.
8 But even if we, or an angel from heaven, were to preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be anathema.
9 As we said before, so do I say now again, If anyone preaches any other gospel unto you than what ye have received, let him be anathema.
10 ¶ For do I now persuade men or God? or do I seek to please men? for if I yet pleased men, I should not be the slave of Christ.
11 But I make known unto you, brethren, that the gospel which was preached of me is not according to man.
12 For I did not receive it nor learn it from man, but by the revelation of Jesus Christ.
13 For ye have heard of my conversation in time past in Judaism, how that beyond measure I was persecuting and destroying the congregation {Gr. ekklesia – called out ones} of God
14 And profited in Judaism above many of my equals in my own nation, being exceedingly more zealous of the traditions of my fathers.
15 But when it pleased God, who separated me from my mother’s womb and called me by his grace,
16 to reveal his Son in me that I might preach him among the Gentiles, immediately I did not confer with flesh and blood,
17 neither did I go up to Jerusalem to those who were apostles before me, but I went into Arabia and returned again unto Damascus.
18 Then after three years I went up to Jerusalem to see Peter and abode with him fifteen days.
19 But I saw none of the other apostles, except James the Lord’s brother.
20 Now the things which I write unto you, behold, before God, I do not lie.
21 Afterwards I came into the regions of Syria and Cilicia
22 and was unknown by face unto the congregations {Gr. ekklesia – called out ones} of Judaea which were in Christ,
23 but they had only heard, That he who persecuted us in time past now preaches the faith which he once destroyed.
24 And they glorified God in me.
Galatians 1
Amplified Bible, Classic Edition
1 Paul, an apostle—[special messenger appointed and commissioned and sent out] not from [any body of] men nor by or through [a]any man, but by and through Jesus Christ (the Messiah) and God the Father, Who raised Him from among the dead—
2 And all the brethren who are with me, to the churches of Galatia:
3 Grace and spiritual blessing be to you and [soul] peace from God the Father and our Lord Jesus Christ (the Messiah),
4 Who gave (yielded) Himself up [[b]to atone] for our sins [and [c]to save and sanctify us], in order to rescue and deliver us from this present wicked age and world order, in accordance with the will and purpose and plan of our God and Father—
5 To Him [be ascribed all] the glory through all the ages of the ages and the eternities of the eternities! Amen (so be it).
6 I am surprised and astonished that you are so quickly [d]turning renegade and deserting Him Who invited and called you [e]by the grace (unmerited favor) of Christ (the Messiah) [and that you are transferring your allegiance] to a different [even an opposition] gospel.
7 Not that there is [or could be] any other [genuine Gospel], but there are [obviously] some who are troubling and disturbing and bewildering you [[f]with a different kind of teaching which they offer as a gospel] and want to pervert and distort the Gospel of Christ (the Messiah) [into something which it absolutely is not].
8 But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach to you a gospel contrary to and different from that which we preached to you, let him be accursed (anathema, devoted to destruction, doomed to eternal punishment)!
9 As we said before, so I now say again: If anyone is preaching to you a gospel different from or contrary to that which you received [from us], let him be accursed (anathema, devoted to destruction, doomed to eternal punishment)!
10 Now am I trying to win the favor of men, or of God? Do I seek to please men? If I were still seeking popularity with men, I should not be a bond servant of Christ (the Messiah).
11 For I want you to know, brethren, that the Gospel which was proclaimed and made known by me is not man’s gospel [a human invention, according to or patterned after any human standard].
12 For indeed I did not receive it from man, nor was I taught it, but [it came to me] through a [direct] revelation [given] by Jesus Christ (the Messiah).
13 You have heard of my earlier career and former manner of life in the Jewish religion (Judaism), how I persecuted and abused the church of God furiously and extensively, and [with fanatical zeal did my best] to make havoc of it and destroy it.
14 And [you have heard how] I outstripped many of the men of my own generation among the people of my race in [my advancement in study and observance of the laws of] Judaism, so extremely enthusiastic and zealous I was for the traditions of my ancestors.
15 But when He, Who had chosen and set me apart [even] before I was born and had called me by His grace (His undeserved favor and blessing), saw fit and was pleased(A)
16 To reveal (unveil, disclose) His Son within me so that I might proclaim Him among the Gentiles (the non-Jewish world) as the glad tidings (Gospel), immediately I did not confer with flesh and blood [did not consult or counsel with any frail human being or communicate with anyone].
17 Nor did I [even] go up to Jerusalem to those who were apostles (special messengers of Christ) before I was, but I went away and retired into Arabia, and afterward I came back again to Damascus.
18 Then three years later, I did go up to Jerusalem to become [personally] acquainted with Cephas (Peter), and remained with him for fifteen days.
19 But I did not see any of the other apostles (the special messengers of Christ) except James the brother of our Lord.
20 Now [note carefully what I am telling you, for it is the truth], I write this as if I were standing before the bar of God; I do not lie.
21 Then I went into the districts (countries, regions) of Syria and Cilicia.
22 And so far I was still unknown by sight to the churches of Christ in Judea (the country surrounding Jerusalem).
23 They were only hearing it said, He who used to persecute us is now proclaiming the very faith he once reviled and which he set out to ruin and tried with all his might to destroy.
24 And they glorified God [as the Author and Source of what had taken place] in me.
Footnotes
- Galatians 1:1 Marvin Vincent, Word Studies in the New Testament.
- Galatians 1:4 Marvin Vincent, Word Studies in the New Testament.
- Galatians 1:4 Marvin Vincent, Word Studies in the New Testament.
- Galatians 1:6 Joseph P. Lightfoot, Notes on the Epistles of Saint Paul.
- Galatians 1:6 Marvin Vincent, Word Studies in the New Testament.
- Galatians 1:7 Marvin Vincent, Word Studies in the New Testament.
Copyright © 2011 by Common English Bible
Copyright © 2013, 2020 by Ransom Press International
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