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-- 2 and all the brethren who are with me: To the Churches of Galatia. 3 May grace and peace be granted to you from God the Father, and from our Lord Jesus Christ, 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. 5 To Him be the glory to the Ages of the Ages! Amen. 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. 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. 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. 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. 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. 11 For I must tell you, brethren, that the Good News which was proclaimed by me is not such as man approves of. 12 For, in fact, it was not from man that I received or learnt it, but by a revelation from Jesus Christ. 13 For you have heard of my early career in Judaism--how I furiously persecuted the Church of God, and made havoc of it; 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. 15 But when He who set me apart even from my birth, and called me by His grace, 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, 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. 18 Then, three years later, I went up to Jerusalem to inquire for Peter, and I spent a fortnight with him. 19 I saw none of the other Apostles, except James, the Lord's brother. 20 In making these assertions I am speaking the truth, as in the sight of God. 21 Afterwards I visited Syria and Cilicia. 22 But to the Christian Churches in Judaea I was personally unknown. 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." 24 And they gave glory to God on my account. | |