Galatians 1
1 [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].
Paul, an Apostle (not from men, and not through man, but through Jesus Christ, and God the Father, who made him come back from the dead),
2 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].
And all the brothers who are with me, to the churches of Galatia:
3 [I pray that] God, our Father, and the Lord Jesus Christ will kindly [help] you and enable [you to have inner] peace.
Grace to you and peace from God the Father and our Lord Jesus Christ,
4 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)
Who gave himself for our sins, so that he might make us free from this present evil world, after the purpose of our God and Father: (aiōn g165)
To whom be the glory for ever and ever. So be it. (aiōn g165)
6 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.”
I am surprised that you are being so quickly turned away from him whose word came to you in the grace of Christ, to good news of a different sort;
7 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].
Which is not another sort: only there are some who give you trouble, desiring to make changes in the good news of Christ.
8 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].
But even if we, or an angel from heaven, were to be a preacher to you of good news other than that which we have given you, let there be a curse on him.
9 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.
As we have said before, so say I now again, If any man is a preacher to you of any good news other than that which has been given to you, let there be a curse on him.
10 [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.
Am I now using arguments to men, or God? or is it my desire to give men pleasure? if I was still pleasing men, I would not be a servant of Christ.
11 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].
Because I say to you, my brothers, that the good news of which I was the preacher is not man's.
12 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.
For I did not get it from man, and I was not given teaching in it, but it came to me through revelation of Jesus Christ.
13 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.
For news has come to you of my way of life in the past in the Jews' religion, how I was cruel without measure to the church of God, and did great damage to it:
14 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].
And I went farther in the Jews' religion than a number of my generation among my countrymen, having a more burning interest in the beliefs handed down from my fathers.
15 Nevertheless, before I was born, [God] (set me apart/selected me). He chose me [to live eternally], something that I did not deserve.
But when it was the good pleasure of God, by whom I was marked out even from my mother's body, through his grace,
16 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!]!
To give the revelation of his Son in me, so that I might give the news of him to the Gentiles; then I did not take the opinion of flesh and blood,
17 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].
And I went not up to Jerusalem to those who were Apostles before me; but I went away into Arabia, and again I came back to Damascus.
18 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].
Then after three years I went up to Jerusalem to see Cephas, and was there with him fifteen days.
19 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.
But of the other Apostles I saw only James, the Lord's brother.
20 God knows that what I am writing to you is completely true [LIT]!
Now God is witness that the things which I am writing to you are true.
21 After [I left Jerusalem], I went to [the regions of] Syria and Cilicia.
Then I came to the parts of Syria and Cilicia.
22 [At that time, people in] the Christian congregations that are in Judea [province] still had not met me [SYN] personally.
And the churches of Judaea which were in Christ still had no knowledge of my face or person:
23 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)!”
Only it came to their ears that he who at one time was cruel to us is now preaching the faith which before had been attacked by him;
24 And they praised God because of [what had happened to] me.
And they gave glory to God in me.
