[1]PAUL, an Apostle, not sent by men, nor appointed by man, but by Jesus Christ, and God the Father, who raised him from the dead;
[2]And all the brethren who are with me, to the churches of Galatia:
[3]Grace be to you and peace from God the Father, and from our LORD Jesus Christ,
[4]Who gave himself for our sins, that he might deliver us from this present evil world, according to the will of God our Father:
[5]To whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen.
[6]I am surprised how soon you have turned to another gospel, away from Christ who has called you by his grace;
[7]A gospel which does not exist; howbeit, there are men who have stirred you up, and want to pervert the gospel of Christ.
[8]But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel to you than that which we have preached to you, let him be accursed.
[9]As I have said before, so say I now again, If any man preaches any other gospel to you than that you have received, let him be accursed.
[10]Do I now persuade men or God? Or do I seek to please men? For if I tried to please men, I should not be a servant of Christ.
[11]But I want you to know, my brethren, the gospel that I preached was not from men.
[12]For I did not receive it nor learn it from man, but through the revelation of Jesus Christ.
[13]You have heard of the manner of my life in time past in the Jews' religion, how beyond measure I persecuted the Church of God and tried to destroy it:
[14]And how that I was far more advanced in the Jews' religion than many of my age among the people of my race for above all, I was especially zealous for the doctrines of my forefathers.
[15]But when it pleased God, who had chosen me from my birth, and called me by his grace,
[16]To reveal his Son to me, that I might preach him among the Gentiles, I did not immediately disclose it to any human being:
[17]Neither did I go up to Jerusalem to them who had been apostles before me; but instead I went to Arabia and returned again to Damascus.
[18]Then after three years I went up to Jerusalem to see Cephas Peter, and stayed with him fifteen days.
[19]But I did not see any one of the other apostles, except James the brother of our LORD.
[20]Now the things which I write to you, behold, I confess before God, I do not lie.
[21]After that I went to the regions of Syria and Cilicia;
[22]And I was unknown by face to the churches of Christ in Judaea.
[23]For they had heard only this much; that he who had persecuted us before now preached the faith which previously he tried to destroy.
[24]And they praised God because of me.
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