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.
1 Pāvils, apustulis, ne cilvēku sūtīts, nedz kāda cilvēka, bet Jēzus Kristus iecelts un Dieva Tēva, kas Viņu uzmodinājis no miroņiem, 2 un visi brāļi, kas pie manis ir, Galatijas draudzēm: 3 žēlastība jums un miers no Dieva, mūsu Tēva, un Kunga Jēzus Kristus, 4 kas pats Sevi ir nodevis par mūsu grēkiem, lai mūs izglābtu no šīs tagadējās ļaunās pasaules pēc Dieva, mūsu Tēva, prāta; 5 Viņam lai ir gods mūžu mūžos! Āmen! 6 Es brīnos, ka jūs tik drīz novēršaties no tā, kas jūs aicinājis Kristus žēlastībā, un piegriežaties citam evaņģēlijam. 7 Un tomēr cita nav. Ir tikai kādi, kas jūs sajauc un grib pārgrozīt Kristus evaņģēliju. 8 Bet, ja arī mēs vai kāds eņģelis no debesīm jums sludinātu citu evaņģēliju nekā to, ko esam jums pasludinājuši, lāsts pār to! 9 Kā jums jau agrāk esam sacījuši, tā arī tagad vēlreiz saku: ja kāds jums sludina citu evaņģēliju nekā to, ko jūs esat saņēmuši, lāsts pār to! 10 Jo vai tad es tagad runāju cilvēkiem pa prātam vai Dievam? Jeb vai es cenšos cilvēkiem patikt? Ja es vēl cilvēkiem censtos patikt, tad es nebūtu Kristus kalps. 11 Jo es jums apliecinu, brāļi: tas evaņģēlijs, kuru es jums esmu pasludinājis, nav cilvēku izdomāts. 12 Es to arī neesmu saņēmis no kāda cilvēka, nedz kāds man to ir mācījis, bet Jēzus Kristus man to ir atklājis. 13 Jo jūs esat dzirdējuši par manu kādreizējo dzīvi jūdu ticībā, kā es pārlieku vajāju Dieva draudzi un to postīju 14 un ka es pārspēju jūdu ticībā daudzus savus biedrus savā tautā, būdams vēl dedzīgāks tēvu paražu aizstāvis. 15 Bet, kad Dievam, kas mani no mātes miesām izredzējis un Savā žēlastībā aicinājis, labpatika 16 Savu Dēlu manī atklāt, lai es prieka vēsti par Viņu nestu pagāniem, tad es tūdaļ negriezos pēc padoma pie miesas un asinīm, 17 nedz nogāju uz Jeruzālemi pie tiem, kas priekš manis bija apustuļi, bet aizgāju uz Arābiju un atkal atgriezos atpakaļ Damaskā. 18 Tad, trīs gadus vēlāk, es nogāju uz Jeruzālemi iepazīties ar Kēfu (Pēteri) un paliku pie viņa piecpadsmit dienas. 19 Kādu citu apustuli es netiku redzējis, bet tikai Jēkabu, Tā Kunga brāli. 20 Bet, ko es jums rakstu, redzi, Dievs ir mans liecinieks, tie nav meli. 21 Pēc tam es nonācu Sīrijas un Kilikijas apgabalos. 22 Bet Jūdejas draudzes, kas ir Kristū, mani vaigā nepazina. 23 Tikai to viņas dzirdēja: tas, kas mūs citkārt vajāja, sludina tagad to ticību, ko viņš senāk centās iznīcināt. 24 Un tie slavēja manis dēļ Dievu.
