1I, Paul, am writing this letter. I am an apostle. People have not sent me. No human authority has sent me. I have been sent by Jesus Christ and by God the Father. God raised Jesus from the dead. 2All the brothers and sisters who are with me join me in writing.
We are sending this letter to you, the members of the churches in Galatia.
3May God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ give you grace and peace. 4Jesus gave his life for our sins. He set us free from this evil world. That was what our God and Father wanted. 5Give glory to God for ever and ever. Amen.
There Is No Other Good News
6I am amazed. You are so quickly deserting the one who chose you. He chose you to live in the grace that Christ has provided. You are turning to a different “good news.” 7What you are accepting is really not the good news at all. It seems that some people have gotten you all mixed up. They are trying to twist the good news about Christ. 8But suppose even we should preach a different “good news.” Suppose even an angel from heaven should preach it. Suppose it is different from the good news we gave you. Then let anyone who does that be cursed by God. 9I have already said it. Now I will say it again. Suppose someone preaches a “good news” that is different from what you accepted. That person should be cursed by God.
10Am I now trying to get people to think well of me? Or do I want God to think well of me? Am I trying to please people? If I were, I would not be serving Christ.
Paul Was Appointed by God
11Brothers and sisters, here is what I want you to know. The good news I preached does not come from human beings. 12No one gave it to me. No one taught it to me. Instead, I received it from Jesus Christ. He showed it to me.
13You have heard how I lived earlier in my Jewish way of life. With all my strength I attacked the church of God. I tried to destroy it. 14I was moving ahead in my Jewish way of life. I went beyond many of my people who were my own age. I held firmly to the teachings passed down by my people. 15But God set me apart from before the time I was born. He showed me his grace by appointing me. He was pleased 16to show his Son in my life. He wanted me to preach about Jesus among the Gentiles. When God appointed me, I decided right away not to ask anyone for advice. 17I didn’t go up to Jerusalem to see those who were apostles before I was. Instead, I went into Arabia. Later I returned to Damascus.
18Then after three years I went up to Jerusalem. I went there to get to know Peter. I stayed with him for 15 days. 19I didn’t see any of the other apostles. I only saw James, the Lord’s brother. 20Here is what you can be sure of. And God is even a witness to it. What I am writing you is not a lie.
21Then I went to Syria and Cilicia. 22The members of Christ’s churches in Judea did not know me in a personal way. 23They only heard others say, “The man who used to attack us has changed. He is now preaching the faith he once tried to destroy.” 24And they praised God because of me.
Salamu
11:1 Mdo 9:15; 20:24; 1Kor 1:1Paulo mtume: si mtume wa wanadamu wala aliyetumwa na mwanadamu, bali na Yesu Kristo na Mungu Baba aliyemfufua Yesu kutoka kwa wafu; 21:2 Flp 4:21; Mdo 16:6; 1Kor 16:1na ndugu wote walio pamoja nami:
Kwa makanisa ya Galatia:
31:3 Rum 1:7; 1Kor 1:3; 2Kor 1:2; Efe 1:2; Flp 1:2; Kol 1:2; 1The 1:1Neema iwe nanyi na amani itokayo kwa Mungu Baba yetu na kwa Bwana wetu Yesu Kristo, 41:4 Rum 4:25; 1Kor 15:3; Flp 4:20aliyejitoa kwa ajili ya dhambi zetu ili apate kutuokoa katika ulimwengu huu wa sasa ulio mbaya, sawasawa na mapenzi yake yeye aliye Mungu na Baba yetu. 51:5 Rum 11:36Utukufu una yeye milele na milele. Amen.
Hakuna Injili Nyingine
61:6 Gal 5:8; 2Kor 11:4Nashangaa kwamba mnamwacha upesi hivyo yeye aliyewaita kwa neema ya Kristo na kuifuata Injili nyingine, 71:7 Mdo 15:24; Gal 5:10ambayo kwa kweli si Injili kamwe, ila kwa dhahiri kuna watu wanaowachanganya na wanaotaka kuipotosha Injili ya Kristo. 81:8 2Kor 11:4; Rum 9:3Lakini hata ikiwa sisi au malaika atokaye mbinguni akihubiri Injili nyingine tofauti na ile tuliyowahubiria sisi, basi mtu huyo alaaniwe milele! 91:9 Rum 16:17; Kum 4:2; 12:32; Mit 30:6; Ufu 22:18Kama vile tulivyokwisha kusema kabla, sasa nasema tena, ikiwa mtu yeyote atawahubiria Injili kinyume na ile mliyoipokea na alaaniwe milele!
101:10 1The 2:4; 1Sam 24:7; Mt 28:14; 1Yn 3:9; 1The 2:4Je, sasa mimi ninatafuta kukubaliwa na wanadamu au kukubaliwa na Mungu? Au nataka kuwapendeza wanadamu? Kama ningekuwa bado najaribu kuwapendeza wanadamu, nisingekuwa mtumishi wa Kristo.
Paulo Ameitwa Na Mungu
111:11 1Kor 15:1Ndugu zangu, nataka mjue kwamba Injili niliyowahubiria haikutokana na wanadamu. 121:12 1Kor 15:1, 3; Gal 1:1; Efe 3:3Kwa maana mimi sikuipokea hiyo Injili kutoka kwa mwanadamu, wala sikufundishwa na mtu, bali niliipata kwa ufunuo kutoka kwa Yesu Kristo.
131:13 Mdo 26:4, 5; 8:3Ninyi mmekwisha kusikia juu ya maisha yangu ya zamani nilipokuwa katika dini ya Kiyahudi, jinsi nilivyolitesa kanisa la Mungu kwa nguvu na kujaribu kuliangamiza. 141:14 Mt 15:2Nami niliendelea sana katika dini ya Kiyahudi kuliko Wayahudi wengi wa rika yangu maana nilijitahidi sana katika desturi za baba zangu. 151:15 Isa 49:1, 5; Mdo 9:15Lakini ilipompendeza Mungu, aliyenitenga tangu tumboni mwa mama yangu na kuniita kwa neema yake, 161:16 Gal 2:9; Mt 16:17alimdhihirisha Mwanawe kwangu, ili nipate kumhubiri miongoni mwa watu wa Mataifa. Mimi sikushauriana na mwanadamu yeyote, 171:17 Mdo 9:2, 19-22wala sikupanda kwenda Yerusalemu kuwaona hao waliokuwa mitume kabla yangu, bali nilikwenda mara moja Arabuni na kisha nikarudi Dameski.
181:18 Mdo 9:22, 23; 9:26, 27Kisha baada ya miaka mitatu nilipanda kwenda Yerusalemu kuonana na Kefa1:18 Yaani Petro. na nilikaa naye siku kumi na tano. 191:19 Mt 13:55Lakini sikumwona mtume mwingine yeyote isipokuwa Yakobo, ndugu yake Bwana. 201:20 Rum 9:1; 1:9Nawahakikishia mbele za Mungu kuwa ninayowaandikia si uongo. 211:21 Mdo 6:9; 9:30Baadaye nilikwenda sehemu za Syria1:21 Syria hapa ina maana ya Shamu. na Kilikia. 221:22 1The 2:14; Rum 16:3Lakini mimi binafsi sikujulikana kwa makanisa ya huko Uyahudi yaliyo katika Kristo. 231:23 Mdo 6:7; 8:3Wao walisikia habari tu kwamba, “Mtu yule ambaye hapo kwanza alikuwa akitutesa sasa anahubiri imani ile ile aliyokuwa akijaribu kuiangamiza.” 241:24 Mt 9:8Nao wakamtukuza Mungu kwa sababu yangu.
