Galatians 1 (BHT-ATN)

“To: The Assemblies in Galatia”

1 From: Paul—an apostle, appointed and sent not by mere men or by any human authority, but by Jesus the Messiah and God the Father, who raised him from the dead— 2 and all the brothers who are with me.

To: The assemblies in Galatia.

3 To all of ᵖyou+ grace, and peace, from God our Father and the Lord Jesus the Messiah, 4 who gave himself to atone for+ our sins,+ in order to rescue us from the present evil age, according to the will of our God and Father,+ 5 to whom be the glory into the ages of the ages. Amen.

“I Am Shocked”

6 I am shocked at just how quickly you are deserting the one who summoned+ you by the gift of the Messiah and are turning to a different gospel, 7 which is really no gospel at all. Apparently+ there are certain people who are throwing you into confusion and are set on distorting the gospel about the Messiah. 8 Yet even if we ourselves, or a very angel from heaven, should proclaim a gospel to you at variance with the one we proclaimed to you, let him be set apart for utter destruction—cursed!+ 9 As we have said before, so now I say again: If anyone proclaims to you a gospel different from the one you received, let this be his fate: Cursed to utter destruction. 10 In talking like this+ is it mere men, after all, whose applause I am trying to win, or God’s? Or am I seeking to please mere men? If I were still trying to please men, I would not be a slave of the Messiah.

“The Gospel That Was Proclaimed by Me Is Not of Human Origin”

11 Now I want to make it perfectly clear to you, brothers and sisters, that the gospel that was proclaimed by me is not of human origin.+ 12 Indeed, it wasn’t a human source from which I received it, nor was I taught it, but it was revealed to me by Jesus the Messiah.+ 13 You have heard, after all, about my former conduct in Judaism,+ how fiercely I persecuted God’s assembly and tried to destroy it; 14 I was advancing in Judaism beyond many Jews of my own age,+ so extremely zealous was I for the traditions passed down by my ancestors.+ 15 Yet when God, who set me apart from my mother’s womb and summoned+ me through his gift, gladly chose 16 to reveal his Son to+ me, so that I could proclaim the gospel about him among the Gentiles, I didn’t rush off+ to seek advice+ from mere flesh and blood, 17 nor did I go up to Jerusalem to see those who had been appointed as apostles before I was.+ No, I went away to Arabia, and later returned to Damascus. 18 It wasn’t until three years later that I went up to Jerusalem to visit and get information from+ Kefa,+ Peter, and I remained with him for only fifteen days. 19 I didn’t see, however, any other of the apostles, except for James, the Lord’s brother. 20 (As for these things I am telling you, I assure you before God that they are completely true.+) 21 Afterward I went to the regions of Syria and Cilicia. 22 Yet I remained personally unknown+ to the assemblies of Judea that are united with the Messiah. 23 All they knew was what others were saying:+ “The man who persecuted us in the past now is proclaiming the faith he once tried to destroy!” 24 And they glorified and glorified God because of what had happened to me.+

+1:3Unless otherwise marked (through superscript—ˢyou), all second person pronouns are in the second person plural.+1:4Lit for sin, or on behalf of sin, or for the sake of sin. ME/IT (see BDAG, 1030, sv ὑπέρ 1.b.). In the Koine era, there was substantial overlap in meaning between ὑπὲρ ( huper) and ἀντὶ ( anti) (see Wallace, Grammar, 383-9). Representation, substitution, and benefaction are all important aspects of atonement (see, eg, Lv 16, Is 53).+1:4Cf Is 53:4-12.+1:4Cf Is 53:10.+1:6Or called, or invited.+1:7Lit which is not another, except that there are some. ME (see UBSHS [Ga], 12-13). Cf NIV. There is a significant mismatch in languages here. A transitional word is used here to “introduce a special factor which needs to be considered” ( UBSHS [Ga], 13). Cf CJB, ISV, NIV, TEV. NIV. Paul’s point here is simply that some people are causing confusion among the Galatian believers by giving them twisted and distorted teaching and calling it the gospel. The teachers apparently indentified themselves with Jesus and the Christian movement (cf 2 Co 11), which explains why they were presenting a “gospel.”+1:8Lit let him be anathema/cursed. ME(OTB) (see BDAG, 63, sv ἀνάθεμα 2; UBSHS [Ga], 14). This is the same idea as that which is expressed in the OT when a people or city were “devoted” to the Lord for destruction (see, eg, Nu 21:3; Dt 7:26; Jsh 6:17; 7:12; Jg 1:17; Zc 14:11). In this context it is most likely referring to eternal punishment in Gehenna/hell (cf NET, NIV, TEV). Cf Mt 10:28; Rm 9:3.+1:10Lit now. ME (see ESS [Ga], 24; UBSHS [Ga], 15).+1:11Lit not according to man. ME. Cf ISV, NET, TEV.+1:12Lit but through revelation of Jesus the Messiah, or through a revelation of Jesus the Messiah. Though a case can be made for an objective genitive here (see, eg, NET Bible Notes, Ga 1:12), the focus of the point-counterpoint series (see LDGNT) and the immediate context (“I didn’t receive it from man, nor was I taught it [“by man” implied]) favors the genitive being interpreted as functioning in the subjective/source range (cf CJB, HCSB, NCV, NIV, NLT, TEV). Cf ESS (Ga), 29.+1:13Cf Ac 9:1-3, 22:3-5, 26:9-11; Php 3:6; 1 Ti 1:12-14.+1:14Lit beyond many people of the same age in my nation. ME. Cf NIV, TEV.+1:14Cf Mt 15:2-6; Mk 7:2-13.+1:15Or called.+1:16Or through, or in.+1:16Lit immediately I did not seek advice. ME. Cf NLT.+1:16Drawing from ANLEX (see ANLEX, 331, sv προσανατίθημι 1) and L-N (see L-N, 33.175) in translation here. Cf NET.+1:17Lit to the apostles before me. ME (see UBSHS [Ga], 23).+1:18Or to get to know.+1:18That is, Simon Peter. Κηφᾶς ( kēphas) (“Cephas” in many translations) is the Aramaic surname for Simon (see L-N, 93.211). Cf CJB.+1:20Lit The things I am writing to you, behold before God that I am not lying. ME (see UBSHS [Ga], 25). The mismatch in languages here is obvious. Cf NCV, NET.+1:22Lit I was unknown in/by the face. ME(I/F) (see BDAG, 887, sv πρόσωπον 1.b.α.) Cf HCSB, NET.+1:23Lit They were only hearing. ME. Cf NLT, TEV.+1:24Lit were glorifying God in me. ME. Cf ISV, REB.