NET Bible

Salutation

^1:1 From Paul, 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 you from God the Father and our 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 one who called you by the grace of Christ and are following a different gospel— ^1:7 not that there really is another gospel, but there are some who are disturbing you and wanting to distort the gospel of Christ. ^1:8 But even if we (or an angel from heaven) should preach a gospel contrary to the one we preached to you, let him be condemned to hell! ^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! ^1:10 Am I now trying to gain the approval of people, or of God? Or am I trying to please people? If I were still trying to please people, I would not be a slave of Christ!

Paul’s Vindication of His Apostleship

^1:11 Now I want you to know, brothers and sisters, that the gospel I preached is not of human origin. ^1:12 For I did not receive it or learn it from any human source; instead I received it by a revelation of Jesus Christ.

^1:13 For you have heard of my former way of life in Judaism, how I was savagely persecuting the church of God and trying to destroy it. ^1:14 I was advancing in Judaism beyond many of my contemporaries in my nation, and was extremely zealous for the traditions of my ancestors. ^1:15 But when the one who set me apart from birth and called me by his grace was pleased ^1:16 to reveal his Son in me so that I could preach him among the Gentiles, I did not go to ask advice from any human being, ^1:17 nor did I go up to Jerusalem to see those who were apostles before me, but right away I departed to Arabia, and then returned to Damascus.

^1:18 Then after three years I went up to Jerusalem to visit Cephas and get information from him, and I stayed with him fifteen days. ^1:19 But I saw none of the other apostles except James the Lord’s brother. ^1:20 I assure you that, before God, I am not lying about what I am writing to you! ^1:21 Afterward I went to the regions of Syria and Cilicia. ^1:22 But I was personally 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 news of the faith he once tried to destroy.” ^1:24 So they glorified God because of me.