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1:1 Paul, an apostle (not sent from men nor through the agency of man, but through Jesus Christ and God the Father, who raised Him from the dead), 1:2 and all the brethren who are with me, To the churches of Galatia: 1:3 Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ, 1:4 who gave Himself for our sins so that He might rescue us from this present evil age, according to the will of our God and Father, 1:5 to whom be the glory forevermore. Amen. 1:6 I am amazed that you are so quickly deserting Him who called you by the grace of Christ, for a different gospel; 1:7 which is really not another; only there are some who are disturbing you and want to distort the gospel of Christ. 1:8 But even if we, or an angel from heaven, should preach to you a gospel contrary to what we have preached to you, he is to be accursed! 1:9 As we have said before, so I say again now, if any man is preaching to you a gospel contrary to what you received, he is to be accursed! 1:10 For am I now seeking the favor of men, or of God? Or am I striving to please men? If I were still trying to please men, I would not be a bond-servant of Christ. 1:11 For I would have you know, brethren, that the gospel which was preached by me is not according to man. 1:12 For I neither received it from man, nor was I taught it, but I received it through a revelation of Jesus Christ. 1:13 For you have heard of my former manner of life in Judaism, how I used to persecute the church of God beyond measure and tried to destroy it; 1:14 and I was advancing in Judaism beyond many of my contemporaries among my countrymen, being more extremely zealous for my ancestral traditions. 1:15 But when God, who had set me apart even from my mother's womb and called me through His grace, was pleased 1:16 to reveal His Son in me so that I might preach Him among the Gentiles, I did not immediately consult with flesh and blood, 1:17 nor did I go up to Jerusalem to those who were apostles before me; but I went away to Arabia, and returned once more to Damascus. 1:18 Then three years later I went up to Jerusalem to become acquainted with Cephas, and stayed with him fifteen days. 1:19 But I did not see any other of the apostles except James, the Lord's brother. 1:20 (Now in what I am writing to you, I assure you before God that I am not lying.) 1:21 Then I went into the regions of Syria and Cilicia. 1:22 I was still unknown by sight to the churches of Judea which were in Christ; 1:23 but only, they kept hearing, "He who once persecuted us is now preaching the faith which he once tried to destroy." 1:24 And they were glorifying God because of me.