Introduction

Paul, (A)an apostle ((B)not sent from men nor through human agency, 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 the Father and our 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 forevermore. Amen.

Distortion of the Gospel

I am amazed that you are so quickly deserting (L)Him who called you [c]by the grace of Christ, for a (M)different gospel, which is not just another account; but 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 preach to you a gospel contrary to what we have preached to you, he is to be [d](P)accursed! As we (Q)have said before, even now I say again: (R)if anyone is preaching to you a gospel contrary to what you received, he is to be [e](S)accursed!

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

Paul Defends His Ministry

11 For (V)I would have you know, brothers and sisters, that the gospel which was preached by me is (W)not [f]of human invention. 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 way of life 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 [g]countrymen, being more extremely zealous for my (AE)ancestral traditions. 15 But when [h]He who had set me apart even 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)preach Him among the Gentiles, (AH)I did not immediately consult with [i](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 [j]become acquainted with [k](AN)Cephas, and stayed with him for fifteen days. 19 But I did not see another one of the apostles except [l](AO)James, the Lord’s brother. 20 (Now in what I am writing to you, [m]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 I was still unknown by [n]sight to (AT)the churches of Judea which are (AU)in Christ; 23 but they only kept hearing, “The man who once persecuted us is now preaching (AV)the faith which he once (AW)tried to destroy.” 24 And they (AX)were glorifying God [o]because of me.

Footnotes

  1. Galatians 1:3 One early ms God our Father, and the Lord Jesus Christ
  2. Galatians 1:4 Or world
  3. Galatians 1:6 Lit in
  4. Galatians 1:8 Gr anathema
  5. Galatians 1:9 Gr anathema
  6. Galatians 1:11 Lit according to man
  7. Galatians 1:14 Lit race
  8. Galatians 1:15 One early ms God who
  9. Galatians 1:16 I.e., people
  10. Galatians 1:18 Or visit
  11. Galatians 1:18 I.e., Peter
  12. Galatians 1:19 Or Jacob
  13. Galatians 1:20 Lit behold before God
  14. Galatians 1:22 Lit face
  15. Galatians 1:24 Lit in me

Greetings from Paul

From:[a] Paul—an apostle not sent[b] from men or by a man, but by Jesus the Messiah,[c] and God the Father, who raised him from the dead— and all the brothers who are with me.

To: The churches in Galatia.

May grace and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus, the Messiah,[d] be yours! He gave himself for our sins in order to rescue us from this present evil age according to the will of our God and Father. To him be the glory forever and ever! Amen.

There is No Other Gospel

I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting the one who called you by the grace of the Messiah[e] and, instead, are following[f] a different gospel, not that another one really exists. To be sure, there are certain people who are troubling you and want to distort the gospel about the Messiah.[g] But even if we or an angel from heaven should proclaim to you[h] a gospel contrary to what we proclaimed to you, let that person be condemned! What we have told you in the past I am now telling you again: If anyone proclaims to you a gospel contrary to what you received, let that person be condemned! 10 Am I now trying to win the approval of people or of God? Or am I trying to please people? If I were still trying to please people, I would not be the Messiah’s[i] servant.[j]

Jesus Himself Gave Paul His Message

11 For[k] I want you to know, brothers, that the gospel that was proclaimed by me is not of human origin. 12 For I did not receive it from a man, nor was I taught it, but it was revealed to me by Jesus the Messiah.[l] 13 For you have heard about my earlier life in Judaism—how I kept violently persecuting God’s church and was trying to destroy it. 14 I advanced in Judaism beyond many of my contemporaries, because I was far more zealous for the traditions of my ancestors.

15 But when God, who set me apart before I was born and who called me by his grace, was pleased 16 to reveal his Son to me so that I might proclaim him among the gentiles, I did not confer with another human being[m] at any time, 17 nor did I go up to Jerusalem to see[n] those who were apostles before me. Instead, I went away to Arabia and then came back to Damascus.

18 Then three years later, I went up to Jerusalem to become acquainted with Cephas,[o] and I stayed with him for fifteen days. 19 But I did not see any other apostle except James, the Lord’s brother. 20 (Before God, what I’m writing to you is the truth.)[p] 21 Then I went to the regions of Syria and Cilicia. 22 But the churches of the Messiah[q] that are in Judea did not yet know me personally. 23 The only thing they kept hearing was this: “The man who used to persecute us is now proclaiming the faith he once tried to destroy!” 24 So they kept glorifying God for what had happened to[r] me.

Footnotes

  1. Galatians 1:1 The Gk. lacks From
  2. Galatians 1:1 The Gk. lacks sent
  3. Galatians 1:1 Or Christ
  4. Galatians 1:3 Or Christ
  5. Galatians 1:6 Or Christ
  6. Galatians 1:6 Lit. Messiah for
  7. Galatians 1:7 Or Christ
  8. Galatians 1:8 Other mss. lack to you
  9. Galatians 1:10 Or Christ’s
  10. Galatians 1:10 Or slave
  11. Galatians 1:11 Other mss. read Now
  12. Galatians 1:12 Or Christ
  13. Galatians 1:16 Lit. with flesh and blood
  14. Galatians 1:17 The Gk. lacks see
  15. Galatians 1:18 I.e. Peter
  16. Galatians 1:20 Lit. is not a lie
  17. Galatians 1:22 Or Christ
  18. Galatians 1:24 The Gk. lacks what had happened to