THE EPISTLE OF ST. PAUL TO THE GALATIANS

The Galatians, soon after St. Paul had preached the Gospel to them, were seduced by some false teachers, who had been Jews and who were for obliging all Christians, even those who had been Gentiles, to observe circumcision and the other ceremonies of the Mosaical law. In this Epistle, he refutes the pernicious doctrine of those teachers and also their calumny against his mission and apostleship. The subject matter of this Epistle is much the same as that to the Romans. It was written at Ephesus, about twenty-three years after our Lord's Ascension.

Galatians Chapter 1

He blames the Galatians for suffering themselves to be imposed upon by new teachers. The apostle's calling.

1:1. Paul, an apostle, not of men, neither by man, but by Jesus Christ and God the Father, who raised him from the dead:

1:2. And all the brethren who are with me: to the churches of Galatia.

1:3. Grace be to you, and peace from God the Father and from our Lord Jesus Christ,

1:4. Who gave himself for our sins, that he might deliver us from this present wicked world, according to the will of God and our Father:

1:5. To whom is glory for ever and ever. Amen.

1:6. I wonder that you are so soon removed from him that called you into the grace of Christ, unto another gospel.

1:7. Which is not another: only there are some that trouble you and would pervert the gospel of Christ.

1:8. But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach a gospel to you besides that which we have preached to you, let him be anathema.

1:9. As we said before, so now I say again: If any one preach to you a gospel, besides that which you have received, let him be anathema.

1:10. For do I now persuade men, or God? Or do I seek to please men? If I yet pleased men, I should not be the servant of Christ.

1:11. For I give you to understand, brethren, that the gospel which was preached by me is not according to man.

1:12. For neither did I receive it of man: nor did I learn it but by the revelation of Jesus Christ.

1:13. For you have heard of my conversation in time past in the Jews' religion: how that, beyond measure, I persecuted the church of God and wasted it.

1:14. And I made progress in the Jew's religion above many of my equals in my own nation, being more abundantly zealous for the traditions of my fathers.

1:15. But when it pleased him who separated me from my mother's womb and called me by his grace,

1:16. To reveal his Son in me, that I might preach him among the Gentiles: immediately I condescended not to flesh and blood.

1:17. Neither went I to Jerusalem, to the apostles who were before me: but I went into Arabia, and again I returned to Damascus.

1:18. Then, after three years, I went to Jerusalem to see Peter: and I tarried with him fifteen days.

1:19. But other of the apostles I saw none, saving James the brother of the Lord.

1:20. Now the things which I write to you, behold, before God, I lie not.

1:21. Afterwards, I came into the regions of Syria and Cilicia.

1:22. And I was unknown by face to the churches of Judea, which were in Christ:

1:23. But they had heard only: He, who persecuted us in times past doth now preach the faith which once he impugned.

1:24. And they glorified God in me.