1:1 From Paul,1 an apostle (not from men, nor by human agency, but by Jesus Christ and God the Father who raised him from the dead) 1:2 and all the brothers with me, to the churches of Galatia. 1:3 Grace and peace to you2 from God the Father and our3 Lord Jesus Christ, 1:4 who gave himself for our sins to rescue us from this present evil age according to the will of our God and Father, 1:5 to whom be glory forever and ever! Amen.
Occasion of the Letter
1:6 I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting the one4 who called you by the grace of Christ5 and are following6 a different7 gospel— 1:7 not that there really is another gospel,8 but9 there are some who are disturbing you and wanting10 to distort the gospel of Christ. 1:8 But even if we (or an angel from heaven) should preach11 a gospel contrary to the one we preached to you,12 let him be condemned to hell!13 1:9 As we have said before, and now I say again, if any one is preaching to you a gospel contrary to what you received, let him be condemned to hell!14 1:10 Am I now trying to gain the approval of people,15 or of God? Or am I trying to please people?16 If I were still trying to please17 people,18 I would not be a slave19 of Christ!
Paul’s Vindication of His Apostleship
1:11 Now20 I want you to know, brothers and sisters,21 that the gospel I preached is not of human origin.22 1:12 For I did not receive it or learn it from any human source;23 instead I received it24 by a revelation of Jesus Christ.25
1:13 For you have heard of my former way of life26 in Judaism, how I was savagely persecuting the church of God and trying to destroy it. 1:14 I27 was advancing in Judaism beyond many of my contemporaries in my nation,28 and was29 extremely zealous for the traditions of my ancestors.30 1:15 But when the one31 who set me apart from birth32 and called me by his grace was pleased 1:16 to reveal his Son in33 me so that I could preach him34 among the Gentiles, I did not go to ask advice from35 any human being,36 1:17 nor did I go up to Jerusalem37 to see those who were apostles before me, but right away I departed to Arabia,38 and then returned to Damascus.
1:18 Then after three years I went up to Jerusalem39 to visit Cephas40 and get information from him,41 and I stayed with him fifteen days. 1:19 But I saw none of the other apostles42 except James the Lord’s brother. 1:20 I assure you43 that, before God, I am not lying about what I am writing to you!44 1:21 Afterward I went to the regions of Syria and Cilicia. 1:22 But I was personally45 unknown to the churches of Judea that are in Christ. 1:23 They were only hearing, “The one who once persecuted us is now proclaiming the good news46 of the faith he once tried to destroy.” 1:24 So47 they glorified God because of me.48
Confirmation from the Jerusalem Apostles