| 1 | Paul, an apostle—[special messenger appointed and commissioned and sent out] not from [any body of] men nor by
or
through
[a]any man, but by
and
through Jesus Christ (the Messiah) and God the Father, Who raised Him from among the dead— |
| 2 | And all the brethren who are with me, to the churches of Galatia: |
| 3 | Grace
and
spiritual blessing be to you and [soul] peace from God the Father and our Lord Jesus Christ (the Messiah), |
| 4 | Who gave (yielded) Himself up [
[b]to atone] for our sins [and
[c]to save and sanctify us], in order to rescue
and
deliver us from this present wicked age
and
world order, in accordance with the will
and
purpose
and
plan of our God and Father— |
| 5 | To Him [be ascribed all] the glory through all the ages of the ages
and
the eternities of the eternities! Amen (so be it). |
| 6 | I am surprised
and
astonished that you are so quickly
[d]turning renegade
and
deserting Him Who invited
and
called you
[e]by the grace (unmerited favor) of Christ (the Messiah) [and that you are transferring your allegiance] to a different [even an opposition] gospel. |
| 7 | Not that there is [or could be] any other [genuine Gospel], but there are [obviously] some who are troubling
and
disturbing
and
bewildering you [
[f]with a different kind of teaching which they offer as a gospel] and want to pervert
and
distort the Gospel of Christ (the Messiah) [into something which it absolutely is not]. |
| 8 | But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach to you a gospel contrary to
and
different from that which we preached to you, let him be accursed (anathema, devoted to destruction, doomed to eternal punishment)! |
| 9 | As we said before, so I now say again: If anyone is preaching to you a gospel different from
or
contrary to that which you received [from us], let him be accursed (anathema, devoted to destruction, doomed to eternal punishment)! |
| 10 | Now am I trying to win the favor of men, or of God? Do I seek to please men? If I were still seeking popularity with men, I should not be a bond servant of Christ (the Messiah). |
| 11 | For I want you to know, brethren, that the Gospel which was proclaimed
and
made known by me is not man’s gospel [a human invention, according to or patterned after any human standard]. |
| 12 | For indeed I did not receive it from man, nor was I taught it, but [it came to me] through a [direct] revelation [given] by Jesus Christ (the Messiah). |
| 13 | You have heard of my earlier career
and
former manner of life in the Jewish religion (Judaism), how I persecuted
and
abused the church of God furiously
and
extensively, and [with fanatical zeal did my best] to make havoc of it
and
destroy it. |
| 14 | And [you have heard how] I outstripped many of the men of my own generation among the people of my race in [my advancement in study and observance of the laws of] Judaism, so extremely enthusiastic
and
zealous I was for the traditions of my ancestors. |
| 15 | But when He, Who had chosen
and
set me apart [even] before I was born and had called me by His grace (His undeserved favor and blessing), saw fit
and
was pleased |
| 16 | To reveal (unveil, disclose) His Son within me so that I might proclaim Him among the Gentiles (the non-Jewish world) as the glad tidings (Gospel), immediately I did not confer with flesh and blood [did not consult or counsel with any frail human being or communicate with anyone]. |
| 17 | Nor did I [even] go up to Jerusalem to those who were apostles (special messengers of Christ) before I was, but I went away
and
retired into Arabia, and afterward I came back again to Damascus. |
| 18 | Then three years later, I did go up to Jerusalem to become [personally] acquainted with Cephas (Peter), and remained with him for fifteen days. |
| 19 | But I did not see any of the other apostles (the special messengers of Christ) except James the brother of our Lord. |
| 20 | Now [note carefully what I am telling you, for it is the truth], I write this as if I were standing before the bar of God; I do not lie. |
| 21 | Then I went into the districts (countries, regions) of Syria and Cilicia. |
| 22 | And so far I was still unknown by sight to the churches of Christ in Judea (the country surrounding Jerusalem). |
| 23 | They were only hearing it said, He who used to persecute us is now proclaiming the very faith he once reviled
and
which he set out to ruin
and
tried with all his might to destroy. |
| 24 | And they glorified God [as the Author and Source of what had taken place] in me. |
Cross references:
-
Galatians 1:15 : Isa. 49:1; Jer. 1:5.
|