1Paul, an apostle (not sent by men or through human authority, but through Jesus Christ and God the Father, who raised him from the dead),
2and all the brothers who are with me, to the churches in Galatia:
3May you have grace and peace from God the Father and our Lord Jesus Christ.
4Jesus gave himself for our sins to rescue us from this evil world we live in, just as our God and Father wanted.
5May glory be given to him forever and ever. Amen.
6I am shocked that you are so quickly turning away from the one who called you by Christ’s grace and are following a different message—
7which is really no different message at all. The truth is, some people are confusing you and trying to twist the Good News about Christ.
8But even if we, or an angel from heaven, were to preach any "good news" other than what we have already preached to you, let that person be condemned.
9We have said it before, and I say it again now: If anyone preaches to you any "good news" other than what you have already received, let that person be condemned.
10Am I trying to win the approval of people, or of God? Or am I trying to please people? If I were still trying to please people, I would not be a servant of Christ.
11Brothers and sisters, I want you to know that the Good News I preached is not a human message.
12I did not receive it from any human being, nor was I taught it; rather, I received it directly through a revelation from Jesus Christ.
13You have heard about my previous life in Judaism, how I violently persecuted God’s church and tried to destroy it.
14I was more advanced in Judaism than many of my Jewish peers, and I was extremely passionate about the traditions of my ancestors.
15But God, who set me apart from birth and called me by his grace, was pleased
16to reveal his Son in me so that I might preach him among the non-Jews. When this happened, I did not immediately consult with any human being.
17I did not go up to Jerusalem to see those who were apostles before me. Instead, I went away into Arabia and later returned to Damascus.
18Then, after three years, I went up to Jerusalem to visit Peter and stayed with him for fifteen days.
19But I didn’t see any other apostles, except for James, the Lord’s brother.
20What I am writing to you is true. I swear before God that I am not lying.
21Later, I went to the regions of Syria and Cilicia.
22The churches in Judea that belonged to Christ still did not know me personally.
23They had only heard, “The one who used to persecute us is now preaching the faith that he once tried to destroy.”
24And because of me, they praised God.