Galatians 1
1
1Greetings from Paul, an apostle. I was chosen to be an apostle, but not by any group or person here on earth. My authority came from none other than Jesus Christ and God the Father, who raised Jesus from death. 2Greetings also from all those in God’s family who are with me.
To the churches in Galatia#1:2 Galatia Probably the area where Paul began churches on his first missionary trip. Read Acts 13 and 14.:
3I pray that God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ will be good to you and give you peace. 4Jesus gave himself for our sins to free us from this evil world we live in. This is what God our Father wanted. 5The glory belongs to God forever and ever. Amen.
There Is Only One Good News Message
6A short time ago God chose you to follow him. He chose you through his grace that came through Christ. But now I am amazed that you are already turning away and believing something different from the Good News we told you. 7There is no other message that is the Good News, but some people are confusing you. They want to change the Good News about Christ. 8We told you the true Good News message. So anyone who tells you a different message should be condemned—even if it’s one of us or even an angel from heaven! 9I said this before. Now I say it again: You have already accepted the Good News. Anyone who tells you another way to be saved should be condemned!
10Now do you think I am trying to make people accept me? No, God is the one I am trying to please. Am I trying to please people? If I wanted to please people, I would not be a servant of Christ.
Paul’s Authority Is From God
11Brothers and sisters, I want you to know that the Good News message I told you was not made up by anyone. 12I did not get my message from any other human. The Good News is not something I learned from other people. Jesus Christ himself gave it to me. He showed me the Good News that I should tell people.
13You have heard about my past life in the Jewish religion. I persecuted the church of God very much. I tried to destroy his people. 14I was becoming a leader in the Jewish religion. I did better than most other Jews my own age. I tried harder than anyone else to follow the traditions we got from our ancestors.
15But God had special plans for me even before I was born. So he chose me through his grace. 16It pleased him to let me see and know his Son so that I could tell the Good News about him to the non-Jewish people. I immediately prepared to do this work without asking for advice or help from anyone. 17I did not go to Jerusalem to see those who were apostles before I was. But, without waiting, I went away to Arabia. Later, I went back to the city of Damascus.
18Three years later I went to Jerusalem to meet Peter.#1:18 Peter Literally, “Cephas,” the Aramaic name for Peter, one of Jesus’ twelve apostles. Both names mean “rock.” Also in 2:9, 11, 14. I stayed with him 15 days. 19I met no other apostles—only James, the brother of the Lord. 20God knows there is nothing untrue in any of this. 21Later, I went to the areas of Syria and Cilicia.
22No one in any of Christ’s churches in Judea had ever met me before. 23They had only heard this about me: “This man was persecuting us. But now he is telling people about the same faith that he once tried to destroy.” 24These believers praised God because of me.
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© 1987, 2004 Bible League International
Galatians 1
1
A true apostle and the true message
1-2From the apostle Paul and from all the Lord's followers with me.
I was chosen to be an apostle by Jesus Christ and by God the Father, who raised him from death. No mere human chose or appointed me to this work.
To the churches in Galatia.
3I pray that God the Father and our Lord Jesus Christ will be kind to you and will bless you with peace! 4Christ obeyed God our Father and gave himself as a sacrifice for our sins to rescue us from this evil world. 5God will be given glory for ever and ever. Amen.
The only true message
6I am shocked that you have so quickly turned from God, who chose you because of his wonderful kindness.#1.6 his wonderful kindness: Some manuscripts have “the wonderful kindness of Christ”. You have believed another message, 7when there is really only one true message. But some people are causing you trouble and want to make you turn away from the good news about Christ. 8I pray that God will punish anyone who preaches anything different from our message to you! It doesn't matter if that person is one of us or an angel from heaven. 9I have said it before, and I will say it again. I hope God will punish anyone who preaches anything different from what you have already believed.
10I am not trying to please people. I want to please God. Do you think I am trying to please people? If I were doing that, I would not be a servant of Christ.
God chose Paul to be an apostle
How Paul became an apostle
11My friends, I want you to know that no one made up the message I preach. 12It wasn't given or taught to me by some mere human. My message came directly from Jesus Christ when he appeared to me.
13You know how I used to live as a Jew. I was cruel to God's church and even tried to destroy it.#Ac 8.3; 22.4,5; 26.9-11. 14I was a much better Jew than anyone else my own age, and I obeyed every law that our ancestors had given us.#Ac 22.3. 15But even before I was born, God had chosen me. He was kind and had decided#Ac 9.3-6; 22.6-10; 26.13-18. 16to show me his Son, so that I would announce his message to the Gentiles. I didn't talk this over with anyone. 17I didn't say a word, not even to the men in Jerusalem who were apostles before I was. Instead, I went at once to Arabia, and afterwards I returned to Damascus.
18Three years later I went to visit Peter#1.18 Peter: The Greek text has “Cephas”, which is an Aramaic name meaning “rock”. Peter is the Greek name with the same meaning. in Jerusalem and stayed with him for fifteen days.#Ac 9.26-30. 19The only other apostle I saw was James, the Lord's brother. 20And in the presence of God I swear I am telling the truth.
21Later, I went to the regions of Syria and Cilicia. 22But no one who belonged to Christ's churches in Judea had ever seen me in person. 23They had only heard that the one who had been cruel to them was now preaching the message that he had once tried to destroy. 24And because of me, they praised God.
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© British and Foreign Bible Society 2012