1 Paul an apostle—sent neither by human commission nor from human authorities, but through Jesus Christ and God the Father, who raised him from the dead—
2 and all the members of God's family[1] who are with me, To the churches of Galatia:
3 Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ,
4 who gave himself for our sins to set us free from the present evil age, according to the will of our God and Father,
5 to whom be the glory forever and ever. Amen.
6 I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting the one who called you in the grace of Christ and are turning to a different gospel—
7 not that there is another gospel, but there are some who are confusing you and want to pervert the gospel of Christ.
8 But even if we or an angel[2] from heaven should proclaim to you a gospel contrary to what we proclaimed to you, let that one be accursed!
9 As we have said before, so now I repeat, if anyone proclaims to you a gospel contrary to what you received, let that one be accursed!
Grace by Divine Revelation
10 Am I now seeking human approval, or God's approval? Or am I trying to please people? If I were still pleasing people, I would not be a servant[3] of Christ.
11 For I want you to know, brothers and sisters,[4] that the gospel that was proclaimed by me is not of human origin;
12 for I did not receive it from a human source, nor was I taught it, but I received it through a revelation of Jesus Christ.
13 You have heard, no doubt, of my earlier life in Judaism. I was violently persecuting the church of God and was trying to destroy it.
14 I advanced in Judaism beyond many among my people of the same age, for I was far more zealous for the traditions of my ancestors.
15 But when God, who had set me apart before I was born and called me through his grace, was pleased
16 to reveal his Son to me,[5] so that I might proclaim him among the Gentiles, I did not confer with any human being,
17 nor did I go up to Jerusalem to those who were already apostles before me, but I went away at once into Arabia, and afterwards I returned to Damascus.
18 Then after three years I did go up to Jerusalem to visit Cephas and stayed with him fifteen days;
19 but I did not see any other apostle except James the Lord's brother.
20 In what I am writing to you, before God, I do not lie!
21 Then I went into the regions of Syria and Cilicia,
22 and I was still unknown by sight to the churches of Judea that are in Christ;
23 they only heard it said, “The one who formerly was persecuting us is now proclaiming the faith he once tried to destroy.”
24 And they glorified God because of me.