Galatians 1
1 Paul, an apostle (not from humans, nor through humans, but through Jesus Christ, and God the Father, who raised him from the dead),
[I], Paul, [write this letter to you. I remind you that I am] an apostle. That is not because a group of people [appointed me], nor because a human being [sent me to be an apostle]. Instead, Jesus Christ and God [our heavenly] Father, who caused Jesus to become alive again after he died, have [appointed and] sent [me to be an apostle].
2 and all the brothers who are with me, to the churches of Galatia:
All the fellow believers [who are here] with me [approve of this message that I am writing. I am sending this letter] to the congregations that [are] in Galatia [province].
3 Grace to you and peace from God our Father, and the Lord Jesus Christ,
[I pray that] God, our Father, and the Lord Jesus Christ will kindly [help] you and enable [you to have inner] peace.
4 who gave himself for our sins, that he might deliver us out of this present evil age, according to the will of our God and Father— (aiōn g165)
Christ offered himself [as a sacrifice] in order that [he might remove the guilt for] our sins. He did that in order that he might enable us to not [do the evil things that people who do not know him] do. [He did this] because God, who is our Father, wanted it. (aiōn g165)
[I pray that people will] praise God forever. (May it be so!/Amen!) (aiōn g165)
6 I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting him who called you by the grace of Christ to a different Good News;
I am very disappointed [IRO] that so soon [after you trusted in Christ] you have turned away from [God]. He chose you in order that [you might have what] Christ freely/kindly gives. I am also disappointed that so soon you are believing a different [message which some say is] “good news.”
7 and there is not another Good News. Only there are some who trouble you, and want to pervert the Good News of Christ.
Their message is not a true message. [What is happening is that] certain persons are confusing your [minds]. They are desiring to change the good message (that Christ [revealed/about] Christ) [and are creating another message].
8 But even though we, or an angel from heaven, should preach to you a Good News other than that which we preached to you, let him be cursed.
But even if we [(exc) apostles] or an angel from heaven would tell you a message that is different from the good message that we told you [before], I [appeal to God] that [he] punish such a person [forever].
9 As we have said before, so I now say again: if anyone preaches to you a Good News other than that which you received, let him be cursed.
As I told you previously, so now I tell you this once more: Someone is telling you [what he says is] a good message, but it is a message that is different from [the good message] that I gave you. So I [appeal to God] that [he] severely punish that person.
10 For am I now seeking the favor of people, or of God? Or am I striving to please people? For if I were still pleasing people, I would not be a servant of Christ.
[I said that] because [RHQ] I do not desire that people approve me, [contrary to what some have said about me]. It is God whom I desire to approve me. [Specifically, I do not say and do] [RHQ] things just to please people. If it were still people whom I was trying to please, then I would not be one who [willingly and completely] serves Christ.
11 But I make known to you, brothers, concerning the Good News which was preached by me, that it is not of human origin.
My fellow believers, I want you to know that the message about Christ that I proclaim to people is not one that some person [created/thought up].
12 For neither did I receive it from a human, nor was I taught it, but it came to me through revelation of Jesus Christ.
I did not receive this message from a human [messenger], and no [human being] taught it to me. Instead, Jesus Christ revealed it to me.
13 For you have heard of my former way of life in Judaism, how I severely persecuted the church of God, and tried to destroy it.
People have told you how I used to behave when [I practiced] the Jewish religion. They told you that I continually did very harmful things to the groups of believers that God [established], and they told you that I tried to get rid of those people.
14 I advanced in Judaism beyond many of my own age among my countrymen, being more exceedingly zealous for the traditions of my fathers.
I practiced the Jewish religion more thoroughly than many [other Jews] who were my age practiced it. I much more enthusiastically tried to get others to obey the traditions that my ancestors [kept].
15 But when God, who had set me apart from my mother's womb and called me through his grace, was pleased
Nevertheless, before I was born, [God] (set me apart/selected me). He chose me [to live eternally], something that I did not deserve.
16 to reveal his Son to me, that I might preach him among those who are not Jewish, I did not immediately confer with flesh and blood,
He wanted me to know that Jesus is (his Son/the man who is also God), so that I would tell others the message about him in regions where non-Jews live. But I did not immediately go to any human beings [SYN] in order to gain [an understanding of that message. I received it directly from Christ!]!
17 nor did I go up to Jerusalem to those who were apostles before me, but I went away into Arabia. Then I returned to Damascus.
I did not [immediately] leave Damascus and go to Jerusalem [for that purpose] to those who were apostles before I was. Instead, I went away to Arabia [region, a desert area]. Later I returned once more to Damascus [city].
18 Then after three years I went up to Jerusalem to see Cephas and get information from him, and stayed with him fifteen days.
Then three years after [God revealed this good message to me], I went up to Jerusalem in order that I might meet Peter. But I stayed with him for [only] 15 days, [which was not long enough for him to teach me thoroughly about Christ].
19 But of the other apostles I saw no one, except James, the Lord's brother.
I also saw James, the brother of our Lord [Jesus and the leader of the believers there, but] I did not see any other apostle.
20 Now about the things which I write to you, look, before God, I'm not lying.
God knows that what I am writing to you is completely true [LIT]!
21 Then I came to the regions of Syria and Cilicia.
After [I left Jerusalem], I went to [the regions of] Syria and Cilicia.
22 I was still unknown by face to the churches of Judea which were in Christ,
[At that time, people in] the Christian congregations that are in Judea [province] still had not met me [SYN] personally.
23 but they only heard: "He who once persecuted us now preaches the faith that he once tried to destroy."
They only heard [others say about me] repeatedly, “[Paul], the one who was formerly doing harmful things to us, is now telling the [same message] which we believe and which formerly he was trying (to destroy/to cause people to stop believing)!”
24 And they glorified God because of me.
And they praised God because of [what had happened to] me.
