Fluent Translation · Read & Reflect
Galatians 1
Greeting
Paul, an apostle—not from human beings or through a human being, but through Jesus Christ and God the Father who raised him from the dead— and all the brothers and sisters with me, to the churches of Galatia: Grace to you and peace from God our Father and our Lord Jesus Christ, who gave himself for our sins to rescue us from the present evil age, according to the will of our God and Father, to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen.
No Other Good News
I am amazed that you are turning so quickly from the one who called you by Christ’s grace to a different good news— not that there is another one. Rather, some people are troubling you and want to distort the good news of Christ. But even if we or an angel from heaven should announce to you a good news contrary to what we announced to you, let that one be under a curse. As we have said before, I now say again: if anyone announces to you a good news contrary to what you received, let that one be under a curse. Am I now trying to win human approval or God’s? Or am I trying to please people? If I were still trying to please people, I would not be Christ’s servant.
Paul’s Good News Came through Revelation
I want you to know, brothers and sisters, that the good news I announced is not of human origin. I did not receive it from a human being, nor was I taught it; I received it through a revelation of Jesus Christ. You have heard about my former way of life in Judaism: how intensely I persecuted God’s church and tried to destroy it. I was advancing in Judaism beyond many people my own age among my people, being far more zealous for the traditions of my ancestors. But when God, 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 announce the good news about him among the Gentiles, I did not immediately consult flesh and blood, nor did I go up to Jerusalem to those who were apostles before me. Instead, I went away to Arabia and then returned to Damascus. Then after three years I went up to Jerusalem to get acquainted with Cephas and stayed with him fifteen days. I saw none of the other apostles except James, the Lord’s brother. As for what I am writing to you—look, before God, I am not lying. Afterward I went into the regions of Syria and Cilicia. I was still unknown by sight to the churches of Judea that are in Christ. They only kept hearing, “The man who once persecuted us is now announcing the faith he once tried to destroy.” And they glorified God because of me.