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Paul Called by God

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

13 For you have heard of (E)my former conduct in Judaism, how I (F)used to persecute (G)the church of God beyond measure and (H)tried to destroy it. 14 And I (I)was advancing in Judaism beyond many of my contemporaries among my countrymen, being far more zealous for the traditions of my (J)fathers. 15 But when God, who had set me apart from my mother’s womb and (K)called me through His grace, was pleased 16 to reveal His Son in me so that I might (L)proclaim Him as good news among the Gentiles, (M)I did not immediately consult with [a](N)flesh and blood, 17 (O)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 (P)Damascus.

18 Then (Q)three years later I went up (R)to Jerusalem to [b]become acquainted with (S)Cephas, and stayed with him fifteen days. 19 But I did not see any other of the apostles except [c](T)James, the Lord’s brother. 20 (Now in what I am writing to you, [d]I assure you (U)before God that I am not lying!) 21 Then (V)I went into the regions of (W)Syria and (X)Cilicia. 22 And I was still unknown by [e]sight to (Y)the churches of Judea which are (Z)in Christ; 23 but only, they kept hearing, “He who once persecuted us is now proclaiming the good news of (AA)the faith which he once (AB)tried to destroy.” 24 And they (AC)were glorifying God [f]because of me.

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Footnotes

  1. Galatians 1:16 Human beings
  2. Galatians 1:18 Or visit Cephas
  3. Galatians 1:19 Or Jacob; James is the Eng form of Jacob; so in Gal
  4. Galatians 1:20 Lit behold before God
  5. Galatians 1:22 Lit face
  6. Galatians 1:24 Lit in me

Paul’s Message Comes from Christ

11 Dear brothers and sisters, I want you to understand that the gospel message I preach is not based on mere human reasoning. 12 I received my message from no human source, and no one taught me. Instead, I received it by direct revelation from Jesus Christ.[a]

13 You know what I was like when I followed the Jewish religion—how I violently persecuted God’s church. I did my best to destroy it. 14 I was far ahead of my fellow Jews in my zeal for the traditions of my ancestors.

15 But even before I was born, God chose me and called me by his marvelous grace. Then it pleased him 16 to reveal his Son to me[b] so that I would proclaim the Good News about Jesus to the Gentiles.

When this happened, I did not rush out to consult with any human being.[c] 17 Nor did I go up to Jerusalem to consult with those who were apostles before I was. Instead, I went away into Arabia, and later I returned to the city of Damascus.

18 Then three years later I went to Jerusalem to get to know Peter,[d] and I stayed with him for fifteen days. 19 The only other apostle I met at that time was James, the Lord’s brother. 20 I declare before God that what I am writing to you is not a lie.

21 After that visit I went north into the provinces of Syria and Cilicia. 22 And still the churches in Christ that are in Judea didn’t know me personally. 23 All they knew was that people were saying, “The one who used to persecute us is now preaching the very faith he tried to destroy!” 24 And they praised God because of me.

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Footnotes

  1. 1:12 Or by the revelation of Jesus Christ.
  2. 1:16a Or in me.
  3. 1:16b Greek with flesh and blood.
  4. 1:18 Greek Cephas.