Galatians 1
1 Paul, an Apostle sent not from men nor by any man, but by Jesus Christ and by God the Father, who raised Jesus from among 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 brethren 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 May grace and peace be granted to you from God the Father, and from our 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 to suffer for our sins in order to rescue us from the present wicked age in accordance with 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 marvel that you are so readily leaving Him who called you by the grace of Christ, and are adhering 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 For other "Good News" there is none; but there are some persons who are troubling you, and are seeking to distort the Good News concerning 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 if even we or an angel from Heaven should bring you a Good News different from that which we have already brought you, let him be accursed.
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 What I have just said I repeat--if any one is preaching to you a Good News other than that which you originally received, let him be accursed.
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 is it man's favour or God's that I aspire to? Or am I seeking to please men? If I were still a man-pleaser, I should not be Christ's bondservant.
[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 For I must tell you, brethren, that the Good News which was proclaimed by me is not such as man approves of.
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, in fact, it was not from man that I received or learnt it, but by a revelation from 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 early career in Judaism--how I furiously persecuted the Church of God, and made havoc of 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 and how in devotion to Judaism I outstripped many men of my own age among my people, being far more zealous than they on behalf of the traditions of my forefathers.
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 He who set me apart even from my birth, and called me by His grace,
Nevertheless, before I was born, [God] (set me apart/selected me). He chose me [to live eternally], something that I did not deserve.
16 saw fit to reveal His Son within me in order that I might tell among the Gentiles the Good News concerning Him, at once I did not confer with any human being,
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 my seniors in the Apostleship, but I went away into Arabia, and afterwards came back 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, three years later, I went up to Jerusalem to inquire for Peter, and I spent a fortnight with him.
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 I saw none of the other Apostles, 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 In making these assertions I am speaking the truth, as in the sight of God.
God knows that what I am writing to you is completely true [LIT]!
21 Afterwards I visited Syria and Cilicia.
After [I left Jerusalem], I went to [the regions of] Syria and Cilicia.
22 But to the Christian Churches in Judaea I was personally unknown.
[At that time, people in] the Christian congregations that are in Judea [province] still had not met me [SYN] personally.
23 They only heard it said, "He who was once our persecutor is now telling the Good News of the faith of which he formerly made havoc."
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 gave glory to God on my account.
And they praised God because of [what had happened to] me.
