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Greeting

From Paul—an apostle chosen not by any group or individual but by Yeshua Christ and God the Father who brought him back to life— and all the believers who are with me.

To the churches in Galatia.

Good will[a] and peace are yours from God the Father and our Lord Yeshua Christ! In order to free us from this present evil world, Christ took the punishment for our sins, because that was what our God and Father wanted. Glory belongs to our God and Father forever! Amen.

Follow the Good News We Gave You

I’m surprised that you’re so quickly deserting Christ, who called you in his kindness,[b] to follow a different kind of good news. But what some people are calling good news is not really good news at all. They are confusing you. They want to distort the Good News about Christ. Whoever tells you good news that is different from the Good News we gave you should be condemned to hell, even if he is one of us or an angel from heaven. I’m now telling you again what we’ve told you in the past: If anyone tells you good news that is different from the Good News you received, that person should be condemned to hell.

10 Am I saying this now to win the approval of people or God? Am I trying to please people? If I were still trying to please people, I would not be Christ’s servant.

Jesus Alone Gave Paul the Good News He Spreads

11 I want you to know, brothers and sisters, that the Good News I have spread is not a human message. 12 I didn’t receive it from any person. I wasn’t taught it, but Yeshua Christ revealed it to me.

13 You heard about the way I once lived when I followed the Jewish religion. You heard how I violently persecuted God’s church and tried to destroy it. 14 You also heard how I was far ahead of other Jews in my age group in following the Jewish religion. I had become that fanatical for the traditions of my ancestors.

15 But God, who appointed me before I was born and who called me by his kindness, was pleased 16 to show me his Son. He did this so that I would tell people who are not Jewish that his Son is the Good News. When this happened, I didn’t talk it over with any other person. 17 I didn’t even go to Jerusalem to see those who were apostles before I was. Instead, I went to Arabia and then came back to Damascus.

18 Then, three years later I went to Jerusalem to become personally acquainted with Cephas.[c] I stayed with him for fifteen days. 19 I didn’t see any other apostle. I only saw James, the Lord’s brother. 20 (God is my witness that what I’m writing is not a lie.) 21 Then I went to the regions of Syria and Cilicia. 22 The churches of Christ in Judea didn’t know me personally. 23 The only thing they had heard was this: “The man who persecuted us is now spreading the faith that he once tried to destroy.” 24 So they praised God for what had happened to me.

Footnotes

  1. Galatians 1:3 Or “Grace.”
  2. Galatians 1:6 Or “grace.”
  3. Galatians 1:18 Cephas is the Aramaic name for the apostle Peter.

This letter is from Paul. I am a missionary sent by Jesus Christ and God the Father Who raised Jesus from the dead. I am not sent by men or by any one man. All the Christians join me in writing to you who are in the churches in the country of Galatia. May you have loving-favor and peace from God our Father and from the Lord Jesus Christ. He gave Him-self to die for our sins. He did this so we could be saved from this sinful world. This is what God wanted Him to do. May He have all the honor forever. Let it be so.

Men Must Not Change the Good News

I am surprised you are leaving Christ so soon. You were chosen through His loving-favor. But now you are turning and listening to another kind of good news. No! There is not another kind of good news. There are some who would like to lead you in the wrong way. They want to change the Good News about Christ. Even if we or an angel from heaven should preach another kind of good news to you that is not the one we preached, let him be cursed. As we said before, I will say it again. If any man is preaching another good news to you which is not the one you have received, let him be cursed.

This Good News Is from God

10 Do you think I am trying to get the favor of men, or of God? If I were still trying to please men, I would not be a servant owned by Christ.

11 Christian brothers, I want you to know the Good News I preached to you was not made by man. 12 I did not receive it from man. No one taught it to me. I received it from Jesus Christ as He showed it to me.

13 You have heard of my old life when I followed the Jewish religion. I made it as hard as I could for the Christians and did everything I could to destroy the Christian church. 14 I had learned more about the Jewish religion than many of the Jews my age. I had a much stronger desire than they to follow the ways of our early fathers. 15 But God chose me before I was born. By His loving-favor He called me to work for Him. 16 His Son was to be seen in me. He did this so I could preach about Christ to the people who are not Jews. When this happened, I did not talk to men. 17 I did not even go to Jerusalem to talk to those who were missionaries before me. Instead, I went to the country of Arabia. Later I returned to the city of Damascus.

18 Three years later I went to Jerusalem to meet Peter. I stayed with him fifteen days. 19 I did not see any of the other missionaries except James, the Lord’s brother. 20 I am writing the truth. God knows I am not lying.

21 I went from Jerusalem to the countries of Syria and Cilicia. 22 None of the Christians in the churches in the country of Judea had ever seen me. 23 The only thing they heard was, “The one who tried to destroy the Christian church is now preaching the Good News!” 24 And they gave thanks to God because of 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