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Greetings and Grace
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Paul, an apostle--not sent from men nor through man, but through Jesus Christ and God the Father, who raised Him from the dead--
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and all the brothers who are with me, To the churches of Galatia:
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Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ,
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who gave Himself for our sins so that He might rescue us from this present evil age, according to the will of our God and Father,
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to whom be the glory forever and ever. Amen.
Distorting the Gospel
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I marvel that you are so quickly deserting Him who called you by the grace of Christ for a different gospel,
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which is really not another, only there are some who are disturbing you and want to distort the gospel of Christ.
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But even if we, or an angel from heaven, should proclaim to you a gospel contrary to the gospel we have proclaimed to you, let him be accursed!
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As we have said before, so I say again now, if any man is proclaiming to you a gospel contrary to what you received, let him be accursed!
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For am I now seeking the favor of men, or of God? Or am I striving to please men? If I were still trying to please men, I would not be a slave of Christ.
Paul Called by God
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For I make known to you, brothers, that the gospel which I am proclaiming as good news is not according to man.
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For I neither received it from man, nor was I taught it, but I received it through a revelation of Jesus Christ.
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For you have heard of my former conduct in Judaism, how I used to persecute the church of God beyond measure and tried to destroy it.
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And I was advancing in Judaism beyond many of my contemporaries among my countrymen, being far more zealous for the traditions of my fathers.
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But when God, who had set me apart from my mother's womb and called me through His grace, was pleased
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to reveal His Son in me so that I might proclaim Him as good news among the Gentiles, I did not immediately consult with flesh and blood,
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nor did I go up to Jerusalem to those who were apostles before me, but I went away to Arabia, and returned once more to Damascus.
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Then three years later I went up to Jerusalem to become acquainted with Cephas, and stayed with him fifteen days.
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But I did not see any other of the apostles except James, the Lord's brother.
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(Now in what I am writing to you, I assure you before God that I am not lying!)
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Then I went into the regions of Syria and Cilicia.
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And I was still unknown by sight to the churches of Judea which are in Christ;
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but only, they kept hearing, "He who once persecuted us is now proclaiming the good news of the faith which he once tried to destroy."
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And they were glorifying God because of me.