Galatians 1

1I, 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.

2All 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. 3May God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ give you grace and peace. 4Jesus gave his life for our sins. He set us free from this evil world. That was what our God and Father wanted.

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

There Is No Other Good News 6I 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.” 7What you are accepting is really not the good news at all. It seems that some people have gotten you all mixed up. They are trying to twist the good news about Christ. 8But 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.

9I 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.

10Am 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 11Brothers and sisters, here is what I want you to know. The good news I preached does not come from human beings.

12No one gave it to me. No one taught it to me. Instead, I received it from Jesus Christ. He showed it to me. 13You 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. 14I 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. 15But God set me apart from before the time I was born. He showed me his grace by appointing me. He was pleased 16to 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.

17I 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. 18Then after three years I went up to Jerusalem. I went there to get to know Peter. I stayed with him for 15 days. 19I didn’t see any of the other apostles. I only saw James, the Lord’s brother.

20Here is what you can be sure of. And God is even a witness to it. What I am writing you is not a lie. 21Then I went to Syria and Cilicia. 22The members of Christ’s churches in Judea did not know me in a personal way. 23They only heard others say, “The man who used to attack us has changed. He is now preaching the faith he once tried to destroy.” 24And they praised God because of me.