Paul Defends His Apostolate
Chapter 1
Address
Paul Commissioned by Christ Himself. 1 Paul, an apostle—commissioned not by human authority or by any human being, but by Jesus Christ and God the Father who raised him from the dead— 2 and all the brethren 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 deliver us from the present evil age in accordance with the will of our God and Father, 5 to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen.
One Gospel, One Revelation, One Apostolate
Loyalty to the Gospel. 6 I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting the one who called you by the grace of Christ and are turning to a different gospel. 7 In reality, there is not another one, but there are some who are troubling you by perverting the gospel of Christ. 8 But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach a gospel to you other than the one we proclaimed to you, let him be accursed! 9 We have said this before, and now I repeat it: if anyone preaches to you a gospel other than the one you received, let him be accursed!
10 Does it now appear to you that I am trying to gain the approval of human beings rather than the approval of God? Am I seeking to please people? If I were still trying to please people, I would not be a servant of Christ.
11 Paul’s Gospel Revealed to Him by Christ.Brethren, I want you to be assured that the gospel I preached to you is not human in its origin. 12 I did not receive it from a human being, nor was I taught it. Rather, I received it through a revelation of Jesus Christ.
13 Undoubtedly you have heard about my former way of life in Judaism, how I fiercely persecuted the Church of God and tried to destroy it. 14 I progressed in Judaism far beyond many of my contemporaries, inasmuch as I was much more zealous in upholding the traditions of my ancestors.
15 Paul’s Early Years as a Christian. However, when God, who had set me apart even before my birth, called me through his grace and chose 16 to reveal his Son to me so that I might proclaim him to the Gentiles, I did not confer with flesh and blood, 17 nor did I go up to Jerusalem to consult with those who were apostles before me. Rather, I went off to Arabia, and afterward I returned to Damascus.
18 Paul’s First Meeting with Peter. Then after three years, I did go up to Jerusalem to become acquainted with Cephas, and I stayed with him for fifteen days. 19 However, I did not set eyes on any of the other apostles, except for James, the brother of the Lord. 20 I declare before God that I am not lying in anything I have written.
21 Afterward, I went into the regions of Syria and Cilicia. 22 I was still unknown by sight to the Churches of Judea that are in Christ. 23 They had only heard it said, “The one who was formerly persecuting us is now preaching the faith that he had once tried to destroy.” 24 As a result, they gave glory to God because of me.
Footnotes
- Galatians 1:1
- Galatians 1:1
- Galatians 1:1
- Galatians 1:2
- Galatians 1:4
- Galatians 1:5
- Galatians 1:6
- Galatians 1:9
- Galatians 1:11
- Galatians 1:13
- Galatians 1:16
- Galatians 1:18
- Galatians 1:19
- Galatians 1:21
