Chapter 1
Chapter 1 Verse 1
1. Paul, an apostle—not from men nor through a man,[1] but through Jesus Christ and God the Father, who raised Him from the dead[2]—
Chapter 1 Verse 2
2. and all the brothers with me,[3] to the congregations in Galatia:[4]
Chapter 1 Verse 3
3. Grace to you and peace from God the Father and our Lord Jesus Christ,
Chapter 1 Verse 4
4. who gave Himself[5] for our sins, so that He might deliver us out of this present malignant age,[6] according to the will of our God and Father,
Chapter 1 Verse 5
5. to whom be the glory forever and ever. Amen.
Chapter 1 Verse 6
6. I am sadly surprised that you are turning away so quickly from the one who called you by the grace of Christ, to a different gospel
Chapter 1 Verse 7
7. —it is not a mere variation, but certain people are unsettling you and wanting to distort the Gospel of the Christ.
Chapter 1 Verse 8
8. Now even if we, or an angel out of heaven, should preach any other gospel to you than what we have preached to you, let him be accursed!
Chapter 1 Verse 9
9. As we have just said, I here emphatically repeat: If anyone preaches any other gospel to you than what you have received, let him be accursed!![7]
Chapter 1 Verse 10
10. Am I just now appealing to men, or to God?[8] Or am I trying to please men? You see, if I were still pleasing men I would not be a slave of Christ.[9]
Chapter 1 Verse 11
11. Now I want you to know, brothers, that the Gospel preached by me is not according to man;
Chapter 1 Verse 12
12. because I did not receive it from any man, nor was I taught it; rather it came through a revelation from Christ.[10]
Chapter 1 Verse 13
13. You have heard of my former conduct while in Judaism, how I was rabid in my persecution of God’s Church and tried to annihilate it;
Chapter 1 Verse 14
14. indeed I was advancing in Judaism beyond many Jews of my own age, being far more zealous for the traditions of my forefathers.
Chapter 1 Verse 15
15. But when God—who set me apart from my mother’s womb and called me through His grace—resolved
Chapter 1 Verse 16
16. to reveal His Son in me so that I might proclaim Him among the nations/Gentiles, I did not start by consulting with flesh and blood,
Chapter 1 Verse 17
17. nor did I go up to Jerusalem to those who were apostles before I was; rather I went off into Arabia,[11] and then returned to Damascus.
Chapter 1 Verse 18
18. Subsequently, after three years,[12] I went up to Jerusalem to compare notes with Peter,[13] and stayed with him fifteen days.
Chapter 1 Verse 19
19. (I saw none of the other apostles except James, the Lord’s brother.[14]
Chapter 1 Verse 20
20. Really, before God, I am not lying in what I write to you.)
Chapter 1 Verse 21
21. Then I went into the regions of Syria and Cilicia.
Chapter 1 Verse 22
22. So I remained unknown by face to the congregations of Judea (those in Christ)[15]
Chapter 1 Verse 23
23. —they just kept hearing that “He who once persecuted us now proclaims the faith he formerly tried to destroy.”
Chapter 1 Verse 24
24. And they glorified God about me.
Chapter 2
Chapter 2 Verse 1
1. Fourteen years later I went up to Jerusalem again, with Barnabas, taking Titus along as well.
Chapter 2 Verse 2
2. I went on the basis of a revelation and set before them [the main apostles] the Gospel that I proclaim among the nations/Gentiles.[1]—Now I did this privately to those with influence, lest somehow I might run, or had run, in vain.
Chapter 2 Verse 3
3. However, not even Titus, who was with me, was compelled to be circumcised, for being a Greek.
Chapter 2 Verse 4
4. This came up because of the false brothers who were smuggled in[2] (who stole in to spy out our freedom, that we have in Christ Jesus, so as to reduce us to slavery),
Chapter 2 Verse 5
5. to whom we did not yield, even for a moment, so that the truth of the Gospel might continue with you.—
Chapter 2 Verse 6
6. Now from those who seemed to be important (whatever they were makes no difference to me; God shows favoritism to no man)—those with influence contributed nothing to me,
Chapter 2 Verse 7
7. but on the contrary, upon seeing that I had been entrusted with the Gospel for the uncircumcised, just as was Peter for the circumcised
Chapter 2 Verse 8
8. (for He who was at work with Peter for the apostleship to the circumcised was also at work with me for that to the uncircumcised),
Chapter 2 Verse 9
9. and upon perceiving the grace that had been given to me, James and Cephas and John, those reputed to be pillars, gave me and Barnabas the right hand of fellowship, that we should go to the Gentiles, while they to the Jews.[3]
Chapter 2 Verse 10
10. They did ask us to keep remembering the poor, the very thing I also was eager to do.[4]
Chapter 2 Verse 11
11. But, when Peter came to Antioch, I opposed him to his face, because he was blameworthy.
Chapter 2 Verse 12
12. Before certain men came from James,[5] he used to eat with the Gentiles; but when they came he began to draw back and separate himself, fearing those of the circumcision party.
Chapter 2 Verse 13
13. And the rest of the Jews played the hypocrite with him as well, so that even Barnabas was carried away with their hypocrisy.[6]
Chapter 2 Verse 14
14. So when I saw that they were not walking straight according to the truth of the Gospel, I said to Peter in front of them all: “If you, being a Jew, live like a Gentile and not like a Jew, why do you compel the Gentiles to live like Jews?
Chapter 2 Verse 15
15. We natural Jews (and not ‘Gentile sinners’),[7]
Chapter 2 Verse 16
16. knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law but by faith in Jesus Christ, we ourselves have believed into Christ Jesus, so as to be justified by faith in Christ and not by works of the law; because no one will be justified by works of law.[8]
Chapter 2 Verse 17
17. But if[9] while seeking to be justified in Christ we ourselves were discovered to be sinners, then is Christ a minister of sin? Of course not!
Chapter 2 Verse 18
18. “Now if I rebuild the things that I destroyed, I acknowledge that I am a transgressor.[10]
Chapter 2 Verse 19
19. For through the law I died to the law in order to live to God.[11]
Chapter 2 Verse 20
20. I have been crucified with Christ, so it is no longer I who live but Christ lives in me; what I now live in this body I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself in my place.[12]
Chapter 2 Verse 21
21. I do not nullify the grace of God; for if righteousness is through the law, then Christ died for nothing!”[13]
Chapter 3
Chapter 3 Verse 1
1. O foolish Galatians! Who has bewitched you that you not be persuaded by the Truth[1]—Jesus Christ was clearly portrayed among you as having been crucified, before your very eyes![2]
Chapter 3 Verse 2
2. Just tell me one thing: Did you receive the Spirit by works of law, or by hearing of faith?
Chapter 3 Verse 3
3. Can you be so foolish? Having begun in spirit, do you finish in flesh?
Chapter 3 Verse 4
4. Have you suffered so much for nothing—if it really was for nothing?
Chapter 3 Verse 5
5. Furthermore, He who supplies the Spirit to you and works miracles among you, is He activated by works of law, or by hearing of faith?[3]—
Chapter 3 Verse 6
6. just as Abraham ‘believed God and it was credited to him as righteousness.’[4]
Chapter 3 Verse 7
7. Now you must know that only those who are of faith are ‘sons’ of Abraham.
Chapter 3 Verse 8
8. Further, the Scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the nations by faith,[5] proclaimed the Gospel in advance to Abraham: “All the nations will be blessed through you.”[6]
Chapter 3 Verse 9
9. So then, those who are of faith are blessed along with Abraham, the faithful.
Chapter 3 Verse 10
10. Now as many as are ‘by works of law’ are under a curse; because it stands written, “Cursed is everyone who does not continue in all the things written in the Book of the Law, to do them.”[7]
Chapter 3 Verse 11
11. Further, it is evident that no one is justified by law before God, because “the righteous one will live by faith.”[8]
Chapter 3 Verse 12
12. While the law is not of faith but, “the man who does them will live by them.”[9]
Chapter 3 Verse 13
13. Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law, having become a curse in our place—because it stands written, “Cursed is everyone who is hung on a tree”[10]—
Chapter 3 Verse 14
14. so that the blessing of Abraham might come to the nations/Gentiles through Christ Jesus; that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through the faith.
Chapter 3 Verse 15
15. Brothers: as a man I speak a covenant; though only of a man, once it has been ratified no one annuls or adds to it.
Chapter 3 Verse 16
16. But to Abraham were spoken the promises,[11] and to his Seed. He does not say “and to seeds,” as about many, but “and to your seed,” as about one, who is Christ.
Chapter 3 Verse 17
17. Further, I say this: a covenant confirmed beforehand by God in Christ[12] cannot be annulled by the law that came four hundred and thirty years later,[13] so as to make the promise of no effect.
Chapter 3 Verse 18
18. For if the inheritance were of law, it would no longer be of promise, but God granted it to Abraham by promise.
Chapter 3 Verse 19
19. Why then the law? It was added on account of the transgressions, until the Seed should come to whom the inheritance had been promised; and it was ordered through angels by the hand of a mediator.[14]
Chapter 3 Verse 20
20. (Now that mediator is not for just one, but God is one.)[15]
Chapter 3 Verse 21
21. Is the law then against the promises of God? Of course not! Rather, if a law had been given that was capable of imparting life, truly righteousness would have been by the law.
Chapter 3 Verse 22
22. But the Scripture imprisoned everything under sin,[16] so that the promise by faith in Jesus Christ might be given to those who believe.
Chapter 3 Verse 23
23. Now before this faith came, we were kept in custody under the law, in confinement until the coming faith was revealed.
Chapter 3 Verse 24
24. So then, the law became our guardian until Christ, so that we might be justified by faith.
Chapter 3 Verse 25
25. Now that the faith has come, we are no longer under a guardian.
Chapter 3 Verse 26
26. So all of you are sons of God through the faith in Christ Jesus.
Chapter 3 Verse 27
27. As many of you as were baptized into Christ[17] have clothed yourselves with Christ
Chapter 3 Verse 28
28. —there is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is no ‘male and female’;[18] all of you are one in Christ Jesus[19]—
Chapter 3 Verse 29
29. so if you are Christ’s, then you are Abraham’s seed[20] and heirs according to the promise.
Chapter 4
Chapter 4 Verse 1
1. To proceed, as long as the heir is a child, he is no different from a slave, though he is owner of all,
Chapter 4 Verse 2
2. but is under guardians and stewards until the time appointed by the father.
Chapter 4 Verse 3
3. Similarly, when we were children we were in slavery under the basic principles of the world.[1]
Chapter 4 Verse 4
4. But at just the right time God sent out His Son, born of a woman, born under law,
Chapter 4 Verse 5
5. so that He might redeem those under law, that we might receive the adoption as sons.
Chapter 4 Verse 6
6. And because you are sons,[2] God sent out the Spirit of His Son into your[3] hearts, calling, “Abba, Father”.[4]
Chapter 4 Verse 7
7. Therefore you are no longer a slave but a son,[5] and if a son, also an heir of God through Christ.[6]
Chapter 4 Verse 8
8. But at one time indeed, when you did not know God, you were slaves to those that by nature are not gods.[7]
Chapter 4 Verse 9
9. But now that you know God—better, are known by God—how can you turn back to those weak, yes decidedly inferior, basic principles, to which you wish to be enslaved all over again?
Chapter 4 Verse 10
10. You are observing days and months and seasons and years.
Chapter 4 Verse 11
11. I fear for you, lest somehow I have labored over you in vain.
Chapter 4 Verse 12
12. Brothers, I plead with you, become as I am, for I became like you. You did me no wrong.
Chapter 4 Verse 13
13. Rather, you know that I preached the Gospel to you the first time in spite of a physical infirmity.[8]
Chapter 4 Verse 14
14. Also, you did not despise or recoil at my physical trial, but you received me as an angel of God, even as Christ Jesus.
Chapter 4 Verse 15
15. So what about your blessedness? Because I can testify that if it were possible you would have plucked out your own eyes and given them to me.
Chapter 4 Verse 16
16. Have I now become your enemy by telling you the truth?[9]
Chapter 4 Verse 17
17. They zealously court you[10]—not for good but intending to isolate you, so that you may seek them.
Chapter 4 Verse 18
18. Now it is good to be zealous in a good thing at any time, and not only when I am present with you.
Chapter 4 Verse 19
19. My little children, for whom I am again in travail until Christ is formed in you
Chapter 4 Verse 20
20. —I wish I could be present with you now and change my tone; because I am perplexed about you!
Chapter 4 Verse 21
21. Tell me, you who desire to be under law, do you not heed that law?
Chapter 4 Verse 22
22. For it is written that Abraham had two sons: one by the slave woman and one by the free woman.
Chapter 4 Verse 23
23. However, the one by the slave woman was born according to the flesh, while the one by the free woman was through the promise.[11]
Chapter 4 Verse 24
24. I will now allegorize them—these are two covenants: one is from Mount Sinai, bearing children into slavery, which is ‘Hagar’
Chapter 4 Verse 25
25. (for this ‘Hagar’ is Mount Sinai in Arabia[12] and corresponds to the present day Jerusalem,[13] and is in slavery with her children);
Chapter 4 Verse 26
26. while the ‘Jerusalem’ that is above is free, which is the mother of us all.[14]
Chapter 4 Verse 27
27. For it is written: “Rejoice, barren one, who does not give birth; break forth and shout, you who have no labor pains; because the abandoned woman has many more children than she who has the husband.”[15]
Chapter 4 Verse 28
28. Now we,[16] brothers, like Isaac, are children of promise.
Chapter 4 Verse 29
29. But, it is the same now as it was then: the one born according to flesh persecutes the one born according to Spirit.
Chapter 4 Verse 30
30. However, what does the Scripture say? “Expel the slave woman and her son, because the son of the slave woman absolutely must not inherit with the son of the free woman!”[17]
Chapter 4 Verse 31
31. So then, brothers, we are not children of a slave woman, but of the free woman.
Chapter 5
Chapter 5 Verse 1
1. Stand firm therefore in the freedom with which Christ has made us free,[1] and do not be burdened again with a yoke of slavery.
Chapter 5 Verse 2
2. Listen! I, Paul, say to you that if you get circumcised, Christ will profit you nothing.
Chapter 5 Verse 3
3. Further, I testify again to every man who gets circumcised that he is obligated to keep the whole law.[2]
Chapter 5 Verse 4
4. You who are ‘being justified’ by law have been alienated from the Christ; you have fallen away from the grace.[3]
Chapter 5 Verse 5
5. For we through the Spirit eagerly wait[4] for the hope of righteousness by faith.
Chapter 5 Verse 6
6. Because in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision avails anything, but faith working through love.
Chapter 5 Verse 7
7. You were running well; who hindered you from obeying the truth?
Chapter 5 Verse 8
8. This persuasion is not from Him who calls you.
Chapter 5 Verse 9
9. A little yeast leavens the whole batch of dough.
Chapter 5 Verse 10
10. I have confidence toward you in the Lord that you will not think differently; but he who troubles you will bear the penalty, whoever he may be.
Chapter 5 Verse 11
11. But I, brothers, if I still preach circumcision, why am I still being persecuted? In that event the offense of the cross would have been removed.
Chapter 5 Verse 12
12. I do wish that those who are upsetting you would just remove themselves![5]
Chapter 5 Verse 13
13. Now you, brothers, have been called to freedom; only do not use that freedom as an opening for the flesh, but slave for one another through love.
Chapter 5 Verse 14
14. For the whole law is fulfilled in one word, namely: “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.”[6]
Chapter 5 Verse 15
15. But if you bite and tear at each other, beware lest you be consumed by one another!
Chapter 5 Verse 16
16. I say then: walk in the Spirit, and you will not fulfill the lust of the flesh.
Chapter 5 Verse 17
17. Because the flesh desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the flesh; they oppose each other; it follows that you may not do the things that you wish.
Chapter 5 Verse 18
18. However, if you are led by the Spirit you are not under law.[7]
Chapter 5 Verse 19
19. Now the works of the flesh are obvious, namely: adultery,[8] fornication, uncleanness,[9] licentiousness,
Chapter 5 Verse 20
20. idolatry, sorcery, hatred, strife, jealousies, fits of anger, selfish ambition, dissentions, factions,
Chapter 5 Verse 21
21. envyings, murders, drinking bouts, orgies, and the like; about which I am warning you beforehand, as, in fact, I did before, that those who practice such things will not inherit the Kingdom of God.[10]
Chapter 5 Verse 22
22. But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,
Chapter 5 Verse 23
23. gentleness, self-control—against such things there is no law.[11]
Chapter 5 Verse 24
24. Further, those who are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.[12]
Chapter 5 Verse 25
25. Since we live by the Spirit, let us also conform to the Spirit.[13]
Chapter 5 Verse 26
26. Let us not become conceited, provoking one another, envying one another.
Chapter 6
Chapter 6 Verse 1
1. Brothers, if a man is actually caught in some wrongdoing,[1] you, the spiritual ones, should restore him in a spirit of gentleness, watching out for yourself lest you also be tempted.
Chapter 6 Verse 2
2. Bear one another’s heavy burdens, and so fulfill the law of the Christ.
Chapter 6 Verse 3
3. For if anyone thinks himself to be something, when he is nothing, he deceives himself.
Chapter 6 Verse 4
4. Let each one test his own work, and then do his ‘boasting’ only within himself, never to someone else.[2]
Chapter 6 Verse 5
5. For each one must carry his own normal load.[3]
Chapter 6 Verse 6
6. Let him who is taught the Word share all good things with him who teaches.[4]
Chapter 6 Verse 7
7. Do not be deceived, God does not allow Himself to be treated with contempt; because whatever a man sows, that he will also reap
Chapter 6 Verse 8
8. —he who sows to his own flesh will reap deterioration[5] from that flesh; he who sows to the Spirit will reap eternal life from that Spirit.
Chapter 6 Verse 9
9. Let us not lose heart while doing good, for we will reap in due season, if we do not give up.[6]
Chapter 6 Verse 10
10. So then, as we have opportunity, let us do what is good toward everyone, but especially toward those who are of the household of the faith.
Chapter 6 Verse 11
11. See with what large letters I have written to you with my own hand.[7]
Chapter 6 Verse 12
12. Those who want to make a good showing in the flesh are pressuring you to be circumcised, but only so as not to be persecuted for the cross of Christ.
Chapter 6 Verse 13
13. For not even those who are circumcised keep the law themselves, yet they want you to be circumcised that they may boast in your flesh.[8]
Chapter 6 Verse 14
14. But as for me, may I never boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, through which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world.
Chapter 6 Verse 15
15. Because in Christ Jesus[9] neither circumcision nor uncircumcision avails anything, but a new creation.[10]
Chapter 6 Verse 16
16. Now as for those who conform to this rule, peace and mercy be upon them, and upon the Israel of God.[11]
Chapter 6 Verse 17
17. Finally, let no one cause me trouble, for I bear on my body the brand marks of the Lord[12] Jesus.[13]
Chapter 6 Verse 18
18. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit, brothers.Amen.