Salutation

1From Paul, an apostle (not from men, nor by human agency, but by Jesus Christ and God the Father who raised him from the dead) 2and all the brothers with me, to the churches of Galatia. 3Grace and peace to you from God the Father and our Lord Jesus Christ, 4who gave himself for our sins to rescue us from this present evil age according to the will of our God and Father, 5to whom be glory forever and ever! Amen.

Occasion of the Letter

6I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting the one who called you by the grace of Christ and are following a different gospel – 7not that there really is another gospel, but there are some who are disturbing you and wanting to distort the gospel of Christ. 8But 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! 9As 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! 10Am 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

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

13For 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. 14I was advancing in Judaism beyond many of my contemporaries in my nation, and was extremely zealous for the traditions of my ancestors. 15But when the one who set me apart from birth and called me by his grace was pleased 16to 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, 17nor 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.

18Then after three years I went up to Jerusalem to visit Cephas and get information from him, and I stayed with him fifteen days. 19But I saw none of the other apostles except James the Lord’s brother. 20I assure you that, before God, I am not lying about what I am writing to you! 21Afterward I went to the regions of Syria and Cilicia. 22But I was personally unknown to the churches of Judea that are in Christ. 23They were only hearing, “The one who once persecuted us is now proclaiming the good news of the faith he once tried to destroy.” 24So they glorified God because of me.