Galatians 1
1 Paul, an Apostle, not from men and not through man, but through Jesus Christ, and God the Father, who raised him from the dead,
To the churches in Galatia, from Paul, an apostle whose commission is not from any human authority and is given, not by human beings, but by Jesus Christ and God the Father who raised him from the dead;
2 and all the brothers who are with me: to the churches of Galatia.
and from all the followers of the Lord here.
3 Grace and peace to you from God the Father, and from our Lord Jesus Christ,
May God, our Father, and the Lord Jesus Christ, bless you and give you peace.
4 who gave himself on behalf of our sins, so that he might deliver us from this present wicked age, according to the will of God our Father. (aiōn g165)
For Christ, to rescue us from this present wicked age, gave himself for our sins, in accordance with the will of our God and Father, (aiōn g165)
to whom be ascribed all glory for ever and ever. Amen. (aiōn g165)
6 I wonder that you have been so quickly transferred, from him who called you into the grace of Christ, over to another gospel.
I am astonished at your so soon deserting him, who called you through the love of Christ, for a different ‘good news,’
7 For there is no other, except that there are some persons who disturb you and who want to overturn the Gospel of Christ.
which is really no good news at all. But then, I know that there are people who are harassing you, and who want to pervert the good news of the Christ.
8 But if anyone, even we ourselves or an Angel from Heaven, were to preach to you a gospel other than the one that we have preached to you, let him be anathema.
Yet even if we – or if an angel from heaven were to tell you any other ‘good news’ than that which we told you, may he be accursed!
9 Just as we have said before, so now I say again: If anyone has preached a gospel to you, other than that which you have received, let him be anathema.
We have said it before, and I repeat it now – If anyone tells you a ‘good news’ other than that which you received, may he be accursed!
10 For am I now persuading men, or God? Or, am I seeking to please men? If I still were pleasing men, then I would not be a servant of Christ.
Is this, I ask, trying to conciliate people, or God? Am I seeking to please people? If I were still trying to please people, I should not be a servant of Christ.
11 For I would have you understand, brothers, that the Gospel which has been preached by me is not according to man.
I remind you, friends, that the good news which I told is no mere human invention.
12 And I did not receive it from man, nor did I learn it, except through the revelation of Jesus Christ.
I, at least, did not receive it from any human being, nor was I taught it, but it came to me through a revelation made by Jesus Christ.
13 For you have heard of my former behavior within Judaism: that, beyond measure, I persecuted the Church of God and fought against Her.
You heard, no doubt, of my conduct when I was devoted to Judaism – how I persecuted the church of God to an extent beyond belief, and tried to destroy it,
14 And I advanced in Judaism beyond many of my equals among my own kind, having proven to be more abundant in zeal toward the traditions of my fathers.
and how, in my devotion to Judaism, I surpassed many of my contemporaries among my own people in my intense earnestness in upholding the traditions of my ancestors.
15 But, when it pleased him who, from my mother’s womb, had set me apart, and who has called me by his grace,
But when God, who had set me apart even before my birth, and who called me by his love,
16 to reveal his Son within me, so that I might evangelize him among the Gentiles, I did not next seek the consent of flesh and blood.
saw fit to reveal his Son in me, so that I might tell the good news of him among the Gentiles, then at once, instead of consulting any human being,
17 Neither did I go to Jerusalem, to those who were Apostles before me. Instead, I went into Arabia, and next I returned to Damascus.
or even going up to Jerusalem to see those who were apostles before me, I went to Arabia, and came back again to Damascus.
18 And then, after three years, I went to Jerusalem to see Peter; and I stayed with him for fifteen days.
Three years afterward I went up to Jerusalem to make the acquaintance of Peter, and I stayed a fortnight with him.
19 But I saw none of the other Apostles, except James, the brother of the Lord.
I did not, however, see any other apostle, except James, the Master’s brother.
20 Now what I am writing to you: behold, before God, I am not lying.
(As to what I am now writing to you, I call God to witness that I am speaking the truth).
21 Next, I went into the regions of Syria and Cilicia.
Afterward I went to the districts of Syria and Cilicia.
22 But I was unknown by face to the churches of Judea, which were in Christ.
But I was still unknown even by sight to the Christian churches in Judea;
23 For they had only heard that: “He, who formerly persecuted us, now evangelizes the faith which he once fought.”
all that they had heard was – ‘The man who once persecuted us is now telling the good news of the faith of which he once tried to destroy.’
24 And they glorified God in me.
And they praised God for my sake.
