"Galatians 1:6-9" from eBible.com: Online Bible Search & Bible Study Community

Galatians 1:6-9

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The Message

6I can't believe your fickleness-how easily you have turned traitor to him who called you by the grace of Christ by embracing a variant message! 7It is not a minor variation, you know; it is completely other, an alien message, a no-message, a lie about God. Those who are provoking this agitation among you are turning the Message of Christ on its head. 8Let me be blunt: If one of us-even if an angel from heaven!-were to preach something other than what we preached originally, let him be cursed. 9I said it once; I'll say it again: If anyone, regardless of reputation or credentials, preaches something other than what you received originally, let him be cursed.

10Do you think I speak this strongly in order to manipulate crowds? Or curry favor with God? Or get popular applause? If my goal was popularity, I wouldn't bother being Christ's slave. 11Know this-I am most emphatic here, friends-this great Message I delivered to you is not mere human optimism. 12I didn't receive it through the traditions, and I wasn't taught it in some school. I got it straight from God, received the Message directly from Jesus Christ.

13I'm sure that you've heard the story of my earlier life when I lived in the Jewish way. In those days I went all out in persecuting God's church. I was systematically destroying it. 14I was so enthusiastic about the traditions of my ancestors that I advanced head and shoulders above my peers in my career. 15Even then God had designs on me. Why, when I was still in my mother's womb he chose and called me out of sheer generosity! 16Now he has intervened and revealed his Son to me so that I might joyfully tell non-Jews about him.
Immediately after my calling-without consulting anyone around me 17and without going up to Jerusalem to confer with those who were apostles long before I was-I got away to Arabia. Later I returned to Damascus, 18but it was three years before I went up to Jerusalem to compare stories with Peter. I was there only fifteen days-but what days they were! 19Except for our Master's brother James, I saw no other apostles. 20(I'm telling you the absolute truth in this.)

21Then I began my ministry in the regions of Syria and Cilicia. 22After all that time and activity I was still unknown by face among the Christian churches in Judea. 23There was only this report: “That man who once persecuted us is now preaching the very message he used to try to destroy.” 24Their response was to recognize and worship God because of me!