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Paul, an apostle - sent not from men nor by man, but by Jesus Christ
and God the Father, who raised him from the dead -
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and all the brothers with me, To the churches in Galatia:
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Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ,
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who gave himself for our sins to rescue us from the present evil age,
according to the will of our God and Father,
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to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen.
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I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting the one who called you
by the grace of Christ and are turning to a different gospel -
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which is really no gospel at all. Evidently some people are throwing you
into confusion and are trying to pervert the gospel of Christ.
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But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach a gospel
other than the one we preached to you, let him be eternally condemned!
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As we have already said, so now I say again:
If anybody is preaching to you a gospel other than what you accepted,
let him be eternally condemned!
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Am I now trying to win the approval of men, or of God?
Or am I trying to please men? If I were still trying to please men,
I would not be a servant of Christ.
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I want you to know, brothers, that the gospel I preached is
not something that man made up.
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I did not receive it from any man, nor was I taught it;
rather, I received it by revelation from Jesus Christ.
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For you have heard of my previous way of life in Jerusalem,
how intensely I persecuted the church of God and tried to destroy it.
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I was advancing in Judaism beyond many Jews of my own age
and was extremely zealous for the traditions of my fathers.
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But when God, who set me apart from birth and called me by his grace, was pleased
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to reveal his Son in me so that I might preach him among the Gentiles,
I did not consult any man,
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nor did I go up to Jerusalem to see those who were apostles before I was,
but I went immediately into Arabia and later returned to Damascus.
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Then after three years, I went up to Jerusalem to get acquainted with Peter
and stayed with him fifteen days.
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I saw none of the other apostles - only James, the Lord's brother.
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I assure you before God that what I am writing you is no lie.
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Later I went to Syria and Cilicia.
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I was personally unknown to the churches of Judea that are in Christ.
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They only heard the report:
"The man who formerly persecuted us is now preaching the faith
he once tried to destroy."
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And they praised God because of me.
