Chapter Text
1:1 Paul, an apostle—not sent from men nor through man, but through Jesus Christ and God the Father, who raised Him from the dead—
1:2 and all the brothers who are with me, To the churches of Galatia:
1:3 Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ,
1:4 who gave Himself for our sins so that He might rescue us from this present evil age, according to the will of our God and Father,
1:5 to whom be the glory forever and ever. Amen.
1:6 I marvel that you are so quickly deserting Him who called you by the grace of Christ for a different gospel,
1:7 which is really not another, only there are some who are disturbing you and want to distort the gospel of Christ.
1:8 But even if we, or an angel from heaven, should proclaim to you a gospel contrary to the gospel we have proclaimed to you, let him be accursed!
1:9 As we have said before, so I say again now, if any man is proclaiming to you a gospel contrary to what you received, let him be accursed!
1:10 For am I now 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 slave of Christ.
1:11 For I make known to you, brothers, that the gospel which I am proclaiming as good news is not according to man.
1:12 For I neither received it from man, nor was I taught it, but I received it through a revelation of Jesus Christ.
1:13 For you have heard of my former conduct in Judaism, how I used to persecute the church of God beyond measure and tried to destroy it.
1:14 And I was advancing in Judaism beyond many of my contemporaries among my countrymen, being far more zealous for the traditions of my fathers.
1:15 But when God, who had set me apart from my mother’s womb and called me through His grace, was pleased
1:16 to reveal His Son in me so that I might proclaim Him as good news among the Gentiles, I did not immediately consult with flesh and blood,
1:17 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 Damascus.
1:18 Then three years later I went up to Jerusalem to become acquainted with Cephas, and stayed with him fifteen days.
1:19 But I did not see any other of the apostles except James, the Lord’s brother.
1:20 (Now in what I am writing to you, I assure you before God that I am not lying!)
1:21 Then I went into the regions of Syria and Cilicia.
1:22 And I was still unknown by sight to the churches of Judea which are in Christ;
1:23 but only, they kept hearing, “He who once persecuted us is now proclaiming the good news of the faith which he once tried to destroy.”
1:24 And they were glorifying God because of me.