Shared Word Translation
Galatians 1
Greeting
Paul, an apostle—not from human beings nor through a human, but through Jesus Christ and God the Father, who raised him from the dead—
and all the brothers and sisters who are with me,
To the churches of Galatia:
Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ, who gave himself for our sins to deliver us from the present evil age, according to the will of our God and Father, to whom be the glory forever and ever. Amen.
No Other Good News
I am astonished that you are so quickly turning away from the one who called you in the grace of Christ to a different good news— which is not another; only there are some who are troubling you and wanting to distort the good news of Christ.
But even if we or an angel from heaven should proclaim to you a good news contrary to the one we proclaimed to you, let him be accursed. As we have said before, so now I say again: if anyone proclaims to you a good news contrary to what you received, let him be accursed.
For am I now seeking the approval of human beings, or of God? Or am I trying to please human beings? If I were still pleasing human beings, I would not be a servant of Christ.
Paul’s Call and Authority
For I make known to you, brothers and sisters, that the good news that was proclaimed by me is not according to a human source; for I did not receive it from a human, nor was I taught it, but I received it through a revelation of Jesus Christ.
For you have heard of my former way of life in Judaism, how I persecuted the church of God beyond measure and tried to destroy it, and I advanced in Judaism beyond many of my contemporaries among my people, being more exceedingly zealous for the traditions of my ancestors.
But when the one who set me apart from my mother’s womb and called me through his grace was pleased to reveal his Son in me, so that I might proclaim him among the Gentiles, I did not immediately consult with flesh and blood, nor did I go up to Jerusalem to those who were apostles before me, but I went away into Arabia, and again returned to Damascus.
Then after three years I went up to Jerusalem to visit Cephas and remained with him fifteen days; but I saw none of the other apostles except James, the brother of the Lord. (In what I am writing to you, before God, I am not lying.)
Then I went into the regions of Syria and Cilicia. And I was still unknown by face to the churches of Judea that are in Christ; they only were hearing, “The one who once persecuted us is now proclaiming the faith he once tried to destroy.” And they glorified God because of me.