The Epistle of Paul the Apostle to the Galatians

⭑ Literal Standard Version :: World English Bible Catholic ⭑

⮜ Back | Contents | Next ⮞

- Chapter 1 -

Paul, an apostle—not from men, nor through man, but through Jesus Christ, and God the Father, who raised Him out of the dead—

and all the brothers with me, to the assemblies of Galatia:

Grace to you and peace from God the Father and our Lord Jesus Christ,

who gave Himself for our sins, that He might deliver us out of the present evil age, according to the will of our God and Father,

to whom [is] the glory through the ages of the ages. Amen.

No Other Gospel

I wonder that you are so quickly removed from Him who called you in the grace of Christ to another good news—

not that there is another, except there are certain who are troubling you, and wishing to pervert the good news of the Christ;

but even if we or a messenger out of Heaven may proclaim good news to you different from what we proclaimed to you—let him be accursed!

As we have said before, and now say again: if anyone may proclaim to you good news different from what you received—let him be accursed!

Paul Preaches the Gospel

For do I now persuade men, or God? Or do I seek to please men? For if I yet pleased men—I should not be Christ’s servant.

And I make known to you, brothers, the good news that was proclaimed by me, that it is not according to man,

for neither did I receive it from man, nor was I taught [it], but through a revelation of Jesus Christ,

for you heard of my behavior once in Judaism, that I was exceedingly persecuting the Assembly of God, and destroying it,

and I was advancing in Judaism above many equals in age in my own race, being more abundantly zealous of my fathers’ deliverances,

and when God was well pleased—having separated me from the womb of my mother, and having called [me] through His grace—

to reveal His Son in me, that I might proclaim Him as good news among the nations, I did not immediately confer with flesh and blood,

nor did I go up to Jerusalem to those who were apostles before me, but I went away to Arabia, and again returned to Damascus;

then, after three years I went up to Jerusalem to inquire about Peter, and remained with him fifteen days,

and I did not see [any] other of the apostles, except James, the brother of the LORD.

And the things that I write to you, behold, before God—I do not lie;

then I came into the regions of Syria and of Cilicia,

and was unknown by face to the assemblies of Judea, that [are] in Christ,

and they were only hearing that “he who is persecuting us then, now proclaims good news—the faith that he was then destroying”;

and they were glorifying God in me.

Paul, an apostle—not from men, nor through man, but through Jesus Christ,(a) and God the Father, who raised him from the dead—

and all the brothers(b) who are with me, to the assemblies of Galatia:

Grace to you and peace from God the Father and our Lord Jesus Christ,

who gave himself for our sins, that he might deliver us out of this present evil age, according to the will of our God and Father—

to whom be the glory forever and ever. Amen.

No Other Gospel

I marvel that you are so quickly deserting him who called you in the grace of Christ to a different “good news”,

but there isn’t another “good news.” Only there are some who trouble you and want to pervert the Good News of Christ.

But even though we, or an angel from heaven, should preach to you any “good news” other than that which we preached to you, let him be cursed.

As we have said before, so I now say again: if any man preaches to you any “good news” other than that which you received, let him be cursed.

Paul Preaches the Gospel

For am I now seeking the favor of men, or of God? Or am I striving to please men? For if I were still pleasing men, I wouldn’t be a servant of Christ.

But I make known to you, brothers, concerning the Good News which was preached by me, that it is not according to man.

For I didn’t receive it from man, nor was I taught it, but it came to me through revelation of Jesus Christ.

For you have heard of my way of living in time past in the Jews’ religion, how that beyond measure I persecuted the assembly of God and ravaged it.

I advanced in the Jews’ religion beyond many of my own age among my countrymen, being more exceedingly zealous for the traditions of my fathers.

But when it was the good pleasure of God, who separated me from my mother’s womb and called me through his grace,

to reveal his Son in me, that I might preach him among the Gentiles, I didn’t immediately confer with flesh and blood,

nor did I go up to Jerusalem to those who were apostles before me, but I went away into Arabia. Then I returned to Damascus.

Then after three years I went up to Jerusalem to visit Peter, and stayed with him fifteen days.

But of the other apostles I saw no one except James, the Lord’s brother.

Now about the things which I write to you, behold,(c) before God, I’m not lying.

Then I came to the regions of Syria and Cilicia.

I was still unknown by face to the assemblies of Judea which were in Christ,

but they only heard, “He who once persecuted us now preaches the faith that he once tried to destroy.”

So they glorified God in me.

Footnotes

(a)1:1 “Christ” means “Anointed One”.

(b)1:2 The word for “brothers” here and where context allows may also be correctly translated “brothers and sisters” or “siblings.”

(c)1:20 “Behold”, from “ἰδοὺ”, means look at, take notice, observe, see, or gaze at. It is often used as an interjection.