1-2 From the apostle Paul and from all the Lord's followers with me.
I was chosen to be an apostle by Jesus Christ and by God the Father, who raised him from death. No mere human chose or appointed me to this work.
To the churches in Galatia:
3 I pray that God the Father and our Lord Jesus Christ will be kind to you and will bless you with peace! 4 Christ obeyed God our Father and gave himself as a sacrifice for our sins to rescue us from this evil world. 5 God will be given glory forever and ever. Amen.
The Only True Message
6 I am shocked that you have so quickly turned from God, who chose you with his gift of undeserved grace. You have believed another message, 7 when there is really only one true message. But some people are causing you trouble and want to make you turn away from the good news about Christ. 8 I pray that God will punish anyone who preaches anything different from our message to you! It doesn't matter if that person is one of us or an angel from heaven. 9 I have said it before, and I will say it again. I hope God will punish anyone who preaches anything different from what you have already believed.
10 I am not trying to please people. I want to please God. Do you think I am trying to please people? If I were doing that, I would not be a servant of Christ.
How Paul Became an Apostle
11 My friends, I want you to know that no one made up the message I preach. 12 It wasn't given or taught to me by some mere human. My message came directly from Jesus Christ when he appeared to me.
13 You know how I used to live as a Jew. I was cruel to God's church and even tried to destroy it. 14 I was a much better Jew than anyone else my own age, and I obeyed every law our ancestors had given us. 15 But even before I was born, God had chosen me by his gift of undeserved grace and had decided 16 to show me his Son, so I would announce his message to the Gentiles. I didn't talk this over with anyone. 17 I didn't say a word, not even to the men in Jerusalem who were apostles before I was. Instead, I went at once to Arabia, and afterwards I returned to Damascus.
18 Three years later I went to visit Peter in Jerusalem and stayed with him for 15 days. 19 The only other apostle I saw was James, the Lord's brother. 20 And in the presence of God I swear I am telling the truth.
21 Later, I went to the regions of Syria and Cilicia. 22 But no one who belonged to Christ's churches in Judea had ever seen me in person. 23 They had only heard that the one who had been cruel to them was now preaching the message that he had once tried to destroy. 24 And because of me, they praised God.
Sveiciens
1 Pāvils – apustulis, kas nav cilvēku vai kāda atsevišķa cilvēka sūtīts, bet caur Jēzu Kristu un Dievu Tēvu, kas viņu augšāmcēla no mirušajiem, – 2 un visi brāļi, kas ir kopā ar mani, Galatijas draudzēm: 3 žēlastība jums un miers no Dieva, mūsu Tēva, un no Kunga Jēzus Kristus, 4 kas nodevis sevi par mūsu grēkiem, lai pēc Dieva, mūsu Tēva, gribas izrautu mūs no šā ļaunā laika. 5 Viņam lai gods mūžu mūžos! Āmen!
Nav cita evaņģēlija
6 Es brīnos, ka jūs tik viegli novēršaties no tā, kas jūs ir aicinājis Kristus žēlastībā, un nododaties citam evaņģēlijam. 7 Bet cita evaņģēlija nav; ir tikai ļaudis, kas musina jūsu prātus un grib sagrozīt Kristus evaņģēliju. 8 Bet, ja mēs vai kāds eņģelis no debesīm sludinātu jums kādu citu evaņģēliju līdzās tam evaņģēlijam, ko esam jums pasludinājuši, tas lai ir nolādēts! 9 Kā jau iepriekš esam sacījuši, tā saku jums vēlreiz: ja kāds jums sludina citu evaņģēliju līdzās tam, ko jūs jau esat saņēmuši, tas lai ir nolādēts! 10 Vai tad es tagad gribu atzinību no cilvēkiem vai arī no Dieva? Vai es meklēju cilvēkiem izpatikt? Ja es vēl aizvien vēlētos izpatikt cilvēkiem, tad es nebūtu Kristus kalps.
Pāvils aicināts par apustuli
11 Es daru jums zināmu, brāļi, ka evaņģēlijs, ko esmu pasludinājis, nav cilvēka izdomāts. 12 Es to arī neesmu saņēmis vai iemācījies no kāda cilvēka, bet caur Jēzus Kristus atklāsmi. 13 Jūs esat dzirdējuši par manu toreizējo dzīvi, kad vēl biju jūdu ticībā, kā es pārlieku vajāju un postīju Dieva draudzi. 14 Jūdu ticības lietās es pārspēju daudzus savus vienaudžus savā tautā, pārmēru dedzīgi turēdams tēvu ieražas. 15 Bet, kad Dievam, kas mani jau no mātes miesām bija izvēlējies un caur savu žēlastību aicinājis, 16 labpatika atklāt man savu Dēlu, lai es viņu sludinātu pagāniem, es tūlīt nemeklēju tam apstiprinājumu no miesas un asinīm. 17 Es negāju arī uz Jeruzālemi pie tiem, kas jau pirms manis bija apustuļi, bet devos uz Arābiju un vēlāk atgriezos Damaskā. 18 Pēc tam, trīs gadus vēlāk, es devos uz Jeruzālemi, lai iepazītos ar Kēfu , un uzkavējos pie viņa kādas piecpadsmit dienas. 19 Nevienu citu apustuli es nesatiku, vienīgi Jēkabu, Kunga brāli. 20 Redzi, Dieva priekšā es jums apliecinu: tas, ko jums rakstu, nav meli! 21 Pēc tam es devos uz Sīrijas un Kilikijas apgabalu, 22 bet Kristus draudzēs Jūdejā mani pēc izskata nepazina. 23 Tie vienīgi bija dzirdējuši šādu ziņu: tas, kas mūs agrāk vajāja, tagad sludina evaņģēlija ticību, ko pats reiz pūlējās iznīcināt, 24 un tie slavēja Dievu par mani.
