Galater 1 | New International Reader’s Version

1 I, Paul, am writing this letter. I am an apostle. People have not sent me. No human authority has sent me. I have been sent by Jesus Christ and by God the Father. God raised Jesus from the dead.

2 All the brothers and sisters who are with me join me in writing. We are sending this letter to you, the members of the churches in Galatia.

3 May God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ give you grace and peace.

4 Jesus gave his life for our sins. He set us free from this evil world. That was what our God and Father wanted.

5 Give glory to God for ever and ever. Amen.

There is no other good news

6 I am amazed. You are so quickly deserting the one who chose you. He chose you to live in the grace that Christ has provided. You are turning to a different ‘good news.’

7 What you are accepting is really not the good news at all. It seems that some people have confused you. They are trying to twist the good news about Christ.

8 But suppose even we should preach a different ‘good news.’ Suppose even an angel from heaven should preach it. Suppose it is different from the good news we gave you. Then let anyone who does that be cursed by God.

9 I have already said it. Now I will say it again. Suppose someone preaches a ‘good news’ that is different from what you accepted. That person should be cursed by God.

10 Am I now trying to get people to think well of me? Or do I want God to think well of me? Am I trying to please people? If I were, I would not be serving Christ.

Paul was appointed by God

11 Brothers and sisters, here is what I want you to know. The good news I preached does not come from human beings.

12 No one gave it to me. No one taught it to me. Instead, I received it from Jesus Christ. He showed it to me.

13 You have heard how I lived earlier in my Jewish way of life. With all my strength I attacked the church of God. I tried to destroy it.

14 I was moving ahead in my Jewish way of life. I went beyond many of my people who were my own age. I held firmly to the teachings passed down by my people.

15 But God set me apart from before the time I was born. He showed me his grace by appointing me. He was pleased

16 to show his Son in my life. He wanted me to preach about Jesus among the Gentiles. When God appointed me, I decided right away not to ask anyone for advice.

17 I didn’t go up to Jerusalem to see those who were apostles before I was. Instead, I went into Arabia. Later I returned to Damascus.

18 Then after three years I went up to Jerusalem. I went there to get to know Peter. I stayed with him for 15 days.

19 I didn’t see any of the other apostles. I only saw James, the Lord’s brother.

20 Here is what you can be sure of. And God is even a witness to it. What I am writing to you is not a lie.

21 Then I went to Syria and Cilicia.

22 The members of Christ’s churches in Judea did not know me in a personal way.

23 They only heard others say, ‘The man who used to attack us has changed. He is now preaching the faith he once tried to destroy.’

24 And they praised God because of me.

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English Standard Version

Greeting

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

2 and all the brothers* 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, according to the will of our God and Father,

5 to whom be the glory forever and ever. Amen.

No Other Gospel

6 I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting him who called you in the grace of Christ and are turning to a different gospel—

7 not that there is another one, but there are some who trouble you and want to distort the gospel of Christ.

8 But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach to you a gospel contrary to the one we preached to you, let him be accursed.

9 As we have said before, so now I say again: If anyone is preaching to you a gospel contrary to the one you received, let him be accursed.

10 For am I now seeking the approval of man, or of God? Or am I trying to please man? If I were still trying to please man, I would not be a servant* of Christ.

Paul Called by God

11 For I would have you know, brothers, that the gospel that was preached by me is not man’s gospel.*

12 For I did not receive it from any man, nor was I taught it, but I received it through a revelation of Jesus Christ.

13 For you have heard of my former life in Judaism, how I persecuted the church of God violently and tried to destroy it.

14 And I was advancing in Judaism beyond many of my own age among my people, so extremely zealous was I for the traditions of my fathers.

15 But when he who had set me apart before I was born,* and who called me by his grace,

16 was pleased to reveal his Son to* me, in order that I might preach him among the Gentiles, I did not immediately consult with anyone;*

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

18 Then after three years I went up to Jerusalem to visit Cephas and remained with him fifteen days.

19 But I saw none of the other apostles 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 in person to the churches of Judea that are in Christ.

23 They only were hearing it said, “He who used to persecute us is now preaching the faith he once tried to destroy.”

24 And they glorified God because of me.

The ESV^® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version^®) copyright ©2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. ESV^® Text Edition: 2016. The ESV^® text has been reproduced in cooperation with and by permission of Good News Publishers. Unauthorized reproduction of this publication is prohibited. All rights reserved. The ESV^® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version^®) is adapted from the Revised Standard Version of the Bible, copyright Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the U.S.A. All rights reserved.