1 ¶ Paul, apostle (not from men neither through man, but through Jesus Christ and God the Father, who raised him from the dead)

This letter is from Paul. I am a missionary sent by Jesus Christ and God the Father Who raised Jesus from the dead. I am not sent by men or by any one man.

2 a nd all the brethren who are with me, unto the congregations of Galatia:

All the Christians join me in writing to you who are in the churches in the country of Galatia.

3 G race be unto you and peace from God the Father and from our Lord Jesus Christ,

May you have loving-favor and peace from God our Father and from the Lord Jesus Christ.

4 w ho gave himself for our sins that he might deliver us from this present evil age, according to the will of our God and Father,

He gave Him-self to die for our sins. He did this so we could be saved from this sinful world. This is what God wanted Him to do.

5 u nto whom be the glory for the ages of the ages. Amen.

May He have all the honor forever. Let it be so. Men Must Not Change the Good News

6 ¶ I marvel that ye are so soon removed from him that called you into the grace of Christ unto another gospel,

I am surprised you are leaving Christ so soon. You were chosen through His loving-favor. But now you are turning and listening to another kind of good news.

7 f or there is not another; but there are some that trouble you and would pervert the gospel of the Christ.

No! There is not another kind of good news. There are some who would like to lead you in the wrong way. They want to change the Good News about Christ.

8 B ut even if we, or an angel from heaven, were to preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be anathema.

Even if we or an angel from heaven should preach another kind of good news to you that is not the one we preached, let him be cursed.

9 A s we said before, so do I say now again, If anyone preaches any other gospel unto you than what ye have received, let him be anathema.

As we said before, I will say it again. If any man is preaching another good news to you which is not the one you have received, let him be cursed. This Good News Is from God

10 ¶ For do I now persuade men or God? or do I seek to please men? for if I yet pleased men, I should not be the slave of Christ.

Do you think I am trying to get the favor of men, or of God? If I were still trying to please men, I would not be a servant owned by Christ.

11 B ut I make known unto you, brethren, that the gospel which was preached of me is not according to man.

Christian brothers, I want you to know the Good News I preached to you was not made by man.

12 F or I did not receive it nor learn it from man, but by the revelation of Jesus Christ.

I did not receive it from man. No one taught it to me. I received it from Jesus Christ as He showed it to me.

13 F or ye have heard of my conversation in time past in Judaism, how that beyond measure I was persecuting and destroying the congregation of God

You have heard of my old life when I followed the Jewish religion. I made it as hard as I could for the Christians and did everything I could to destroy the Christian church.

14 A nd profited in Judaism above many of my equals in my own nation, being exceedingly more zealous of the traditions of my fathers.

I had learned more about the Jewish religion than many of the Jews my age. I had a much stronger desire than they to follow the ways of our early fathers.

15 B ut when it pleased God, who separated me from my mother’s womb and called me by his grace,

But God chose me before I was born. By His loving-favor He called me to work for Him.

16 t o reveal his Son in me that I might preach him among the Gentiles, immediately I did not confer with flesh and blood,

His Son was to be seen in me. He did this so I could preach about Christ to the people who are not Jews. When this happened, I did not talk to men.

17 n either did I go up to Jerusalem to those who were apostles before me, but I went into Arabia and returned again unto Damascus.

I did not even go to Jerusalem to talk to those who were missionaries before me. Instead, I went to the country of Arabia. Later I returned to the city of Damascus.

18 T hen after three years I went up to Jerusalem to see Peter and abode with him fifteen days.

Three years later I went to Jerusalem to meet Peter. I stayed with him fifteen days.

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

I did not see any of the other missionaries except James, the Lord’s brother.

20 N ow the things which I write unto you, behold, before God, I do not lie.

I am writing the truth. God knows I am not lying.

21 A fterwards I came into the regions of Syria and Cilicia

I went from Jerusalem to the countries of Syria and Cilicia.

22 a nd was unknown by face unto the congregations of Judaea which were in Christ,

None of the Christians in the churches in the country of Judea had ever seen me.

23 b ut they had only heard, That he who persecuted us in time past now preaches the faith which he once destroyed.

The only thing they heard was, “The one who tried to destroy the Christian church is now preaching the Good News!”

24 A nd they glorified God in me.

And they gave thanks to God because of me.