Galatians 1

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

2and all the brothers with me, to the churches of Galatia:

3Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus the Messiah,

4who gave himself for our sins so that he might rescue us from the present evil age, according to the will of our God and Father,

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

6I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting the one who called you in the grace of Messiah for a different gospel,

7which is not another gospel; except that there are some who are troubling you and wanting to distort the gospel of Messiah.

8But even if we or an angel from heaven should proclaim good news to you contrary to what we proclaimed to you, let him be accursed.

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

10For am I now persuading people, or God? Or am I seeking to please people? If I were still pleasing people, I would not be Messiah’s servant.

11For I make known to you, brothers, that the gospel proclaimed by me is not according to man.

12For I neither received it from a human source, nor was I taught it, but through a revelation of Jesus the Messiah.

13For you have heard of my former way of life in Judaism, that I was persecuting the church of God beyond measure and was ravaging it.

14And I was advancing in Judaism beyond many of my contemporaries among my people, being far more zealous for the traditions of my fathers.

15But when the one who set me apart from my mother’s womb and called me through his grace was pleased

16to reveal his Son in me, so that I might proclaim him among the Gentiles, I did not immediately consult with flesh and blood,

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

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

19But I saw none of the other apostles except James, the Lord’s brother.

20What I am writing to you—behold, before God, I am not lying.

21Then I went into the regions of Syria and Cilicia.

22But I was personally unknown by face to the churches of Judea that are in Messiah,

23They were only hearing, “The one who formerly persecuted us now proclaims the faith he once tried to destroy.”

24And they glorified God because of me.