^1. PAUL, an apostle ( not sent from men nor through the agency of man, but through Jesus Christ and God the Father, who raised Him from the dead),

^2. and all the brethren who are with me,

^3. Grace to you and peace from [1] God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ,

^4. who gave Himself for our sins so that He might rescue us from this present evil [2] age, according to the will of our God and Father,

^5. to whom be the glory forevermore. Amen.

^6. I am amazed that you are so quickly deserting Him who called you [3] by the grace of Christ, for a different gospel;

^7. which is really not another; only there are some who are disturbing you and want to distort the gospel of Christ.

^8. But even if we, or an angel from heaven, should preach to you a gospel [5] contrary to what we have preached to you, he is to be [4] accursed!

^9. As we have said before, so I say again now, if any man is preaching to you a gospel [7] contrary to what you received, he is to be [6] accursed!

^10. 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 bond-servant of Christ.

^11. For I would have you know, brethren, that the gospel which was preached by me is not according to man.

^12. For I neither received it from man, nor was I taught it, but I received it through a revelation of Jesus Christ.

^13. For you have heard of my former manner of life in Judaism, how I used to persecute the church of God beyond measure and tried to destroy it;

^14. and I was advancing in Judaism beyond many of my contemporaries among my [8] countrymen, being more extremely zealous for my ancestral traditions.

^15. But when God, who had set me apart even from my mother's womb and called me through His grace, was pleased

^16. to reveal His Son in me so that I might preach Him among the Gentiles, I did not immediately consult with [9] flesh and blood,

^17. 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.

^18. Then three years later I went up to Jerusalem to [10] become acquainted with Cephas, and stayed with him fifteen days.

^19. But I did not see any other of the apostles except [11] James, the Lord's brother.

^20. (Now in what I am writing to you, [12] I assure you before God that I am not lying.)

^21. Then I went into the regions of Syria and Cilicia.

^22. I was still unknown by [13] sight to the churches of Judea which were in Christ;

^23. but only, they kept hearing, �He who once persecuted us is now preaching the faith which he once tried to destroy.�

^24. And they were glorifying God [14] because of me.