Galatians 1
Salutation (1:1–5)
1 Paul, an apostle (not from people nor through a person, but through Jesus Christ and God the Father, who raised him from among the dead), 2 And all those brothers and sisters with me, to the congregations of Galatia. 3 Grace to you and peace from God, our Father, and from our Lord, Jesus Christ, 4 who has given himself because of our sins, that he might deliver us from the present evil age in accordance with the will of our God, even our Father, 5 to whom be [given] glory forever and ever. Amen.
There Is No Other Gospel (1:6–10)
6 I am astonished that you are so quickly removing yourselves from the one calling you through Christ’s grace into another gospel. 7 Which is not another; but there are those who distress you, desiring to change the gospel of the Christ. 8 But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach the gospel contrary to that which we preached to you, let him be accursed. 9 As we said and now again I say to you, if anyone preaches the gospel contrary to what you already received, let him be accursed. 10 Now, do I persuade people, or God? Or do I seek to please people? If I still pleased people, I would not be the bondservant of Christ.
Paul’s Apostolic Call (1:11–17)
11 For I make it known to you, brothers and sisters, the gospel that was preached by me is not from any person. 12 For neither did I receive it from a person nor was it taught but through revelation from Jesus Christ. 13 For you heard about my conduct formerly in Judaism, that I, beyond exceeding measure, used to persecute the Church of God and I tried to eradicate it. 14 And I was progressing in Judaism more than many of my contemporaries among my people, being extremely zealous of my ancestors’ traditions. 15 But when God was well pleased, he set me apart from my mother’s womb and called me by his own grace 16 to reveal his own Son by me, so that I might preach him among the Gentiles; so I did not immediately consult with flesh and blood, 17 neither did I go up to Jerusalem to the apostles before me, but instead, I went to Arabia and I turned back again into Damascus.
Paul’s Post-Conversion Visit to Jerusalem and His Work in Syria and Cilicia (1:18–24)
18 Then after three years, I went up to Jerusalem to get to know Cephas [Peter], and I stayed with him for fifteen days. 19 However, I did not see any of the other Apostles except for Jacob [James], the brother of the Lord. 20 Now I write these things to you, behold, before God, I do not lie. 21 Afterwards, I went to the regions of Syria and Cilicia, 22 and I was not personally recognized by the Christian congregations of Judea. 23 But they were hearing only that “the one who persecuted us is now preaching the faith which he tried to destroy.” 24 And they began to glorify God because of me.
