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Introduction

¹ Paul, ^(C1)an apostle (^(C2)not sent from men nor through human agency, but ^(C3)through Jesus Christ and God the Father, who ^(C4)raised Him from the dead),

² and all ^(C1)the brothers who are with me, To ^(C2)the churches of Galatia:

^3 (C1)Grace to you and peace from ^(F1)God the Father and our Lord Jesus Christ,⁴ who ^(C1)gave Himself for our sins so that He might rescue us from ^(C2)this present evil ^(F1)age, according to the will of ^(C3)our God and Father,^5 (C1)to whom be the glory forevermore. Amen.

Distortion of the Gospel

⁶ I am amazed that you are so quickly deserting ^(C1)Him who called you ^(F1)by the grace of Christ, for a ^(C2)different gospel,⁷ which is not just another account; but there are some who are ^(C1)disturbing you and want to distort the gospel of Christ.⁸ But even if we, or ^(C1)an angel from heaven, should preach to you a gospel contrary to what we have preached to you, he is to be ^(F1)(C2)accursed!⁹ As we ^(C1)have said before, even now I say again: ^(C2)if anyone is preaching to you a gospel contrary to what you received, he is to be ^(F1)(C3)accursed!

¹⁰ For am I now ^(C1)seeking the favor of people, or of God? Or am I striving to please people? If I were still trying to please people, I would not be a ^(C2)bond-servant of Christ.

Paul Defends His Ministry

¹¹ For ^(C1)I would have you know, brothers and sisters, that the gospel which was preached by me is ^(C2)not ^(F1)of human invention.¹² For ^(C1)I neither received it from man, nor was I taught it, but I received it through a ^(C2)revelation of Jesus Christ.

¹³ For you have heard of ^(C1)my former way of life in Judaism, how I ^(C2)used to persecute ^(C3)the church of God beyond measure and ^(C4)tried to destroy it;¹⁴ and I ^(C1)was advancing in Judaism beyond many of my contemporaries among my ^(F1)countrymen, being more extremely zealous for my ^(C2)ancestral traditions.¹⁵ But when ^(F1)He who had set me apart even from my mother's womb and ^(C1)called me through His grace was pleased¹⁶ to reveal His Son in me so that I might ^(C1)preach Him among the Gentiles, ^(C2)I did not immediately consult with ^(F1)(C3)flesh and blood,^17 (C1)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 ^(C2)Damascus.

¹⁸ Then ^(C1)three years later I went up ^(C2)to Jerusalem to ^(F1)become acquainted with ^(F2)(C3)Cephas, and stayed with him for fifteen days.¹⁹ But I did not see another one of the apostles except ^(F1)(C1)James, the Lord's brother.²⁰ (Now in what I am writing to you, ^(F1)I assure you ^(C1)before God that I am not lying.)²¹ Then ^(C1)I went into the regions of ^(C2)Syria and ^(C3)Cilicia.²² I was still unknown by ^(F1)sight to ^(C1)the churches of Judea which are ^(C2)in Christ;²³ but they only kept hearing, "The man who once persecuted us is now preaching ^(C1)the faith which he once ^(C2)tried to destroy."²⁴ And they ^(C1)were glorifying God ^(F1)because of me.