Galatians 1 (BHT-FTN)

“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.+

+1:1IT. The idea of appointment, commissioning, and sending is implied here. Cf CJB, ISV, NCV, NIV, NLT, TEV.+1:1ME(OTB)/IT. See note at Mt 19:26.+1:1Lit by man. ME. Cf NET, NLT.+1:3“All of” is drawn from the plural “you” here.+1:3Unless otherwise marked (through superscript—ˢyou), all second person pronouns are in the second person plural.+1:3χάρις καὶ εἰρήνη ( charis kai eirēnē) is in a split focal position (see BART Display), and thus commas and inversion have been used to give extra focus to this constituent.+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.+1:6οὕτως ταχέως ( houtōs tachēōs) is in P2 (see BART Display and LDGNT), and thus an extra adverb has been used to give extra focus to this constituent.+1:6Or called, or invited.+1:6ἕτερον ( heteron) is in an embedded focal position (see BART Display), and has therefore been italicized for extra focus and emphasis.+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.”+1:7τινές οἱ ταράσσοντες ὑμᾶς καὶ θέλοντες μεταστρέψαι τὸ εὐαγγέλιον τοῦ Χριστοῦ ( tines hoi tarassontes humas kai thelontes metastrepsai to evangelion tou Christou) is in a split focal position (see BART Display). The pre-posed element has thus been rendered with “certain” for a little extra stress.+1:8ἡμεῖς ἢ ἄγγελος ἐξ οὐρανοῦ ( hēmeis ēx angelos ex ouranou) is in an embedded focal position (see BART Display and LDGNT), and therefore an intensive pronoun, commas, and an emphatic adjective have been used to give extra focus to this constituent.+1:8See preceding note.+1:8ἀνάθεμα ( anathema) is in P2 (see BART Display and LDGNT), and therefore a dash has been used to give extra focus to this constituent within the ME (see following note).+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.+1:9τις ( tis) is in P2 (see BART Display and LDGNT), and therefore italics have been used to give this element extra focus and emphasis.+1:9ἀνάθεμα ( anathema) is in P2 (see BART Display and LDGNT), and therefore a demonstrative pronoun and colon have been used to give extra focus to this constituent.+1:10Lit now. ME (see ESS [Ga], 24; UBSHS [Ga], 15).+1:10ἀνθρώπους ἢ τὸν θεόν ( anthr ōpous ē ton theon) is in P2 (see BART Display and LDGNT), and thus a cleft-construction has been used to give extra focus to this constituent. γὰρ ( gar) has also been used as a spacer to the same end.+1:10ME(OTB)/IT. See note at Mt 19:26.+1:10ἀνθρώποις ( anthrōpois) is in P2 (see BART Display and LDGNT), and has thus been italicized for extra focus and emphasis.+1:10ἀνθρώποις ( anthrōpois) is in P2 (see BART Display and LDGNT), and has thus been italicized for extra focus and emphasis.+1:10Χριστοῦ δοῦλος ( christou doulos) is in P2 (see BART Display and LDGNT), with Χριστοῦ ( christou) is in an embedded focal position (see BART Display). Italics have been used to give extra focus and emphasis to the embedded element.+1:11Lit not according to man. ME. Cf ISV, NET, TEV.+1:12παρὰ ἀνθρώπου ( para anthrōpou) is in P2 (see BART Display), and therefore a cleft-construction has been used to give extra focus to this element.+1:12Lit from man. ME. Cf HCSB, NET, NLT, NRSV.+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.+1:13καθ’ ὑπερβολὴν ( kath’ huperbolēn) is in P2 (see BART Display and LDGNT), and therefore an adverb has been used to give extra focus to this element. Cf NIV.+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.+1:14περισσοτέρως ζηλωτὴς τῶν πατρικῶν μου παραδόσεων ( perissoterōs zēlōtēs tōn patrikōn mou paradoseōn) is in a split focal position (see BART Display and LDGNT). The clause has been structured to give extra focus to the pre-posed element. An extra adverb has also been used to the same end. Cf ESV, RSV.+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.+1:16ME(OTB)/IT. See note at Mt 19:26.+1:17πρὸ ( pro) is in an embedded focal position (see BART Display), and has thus been italicized for extra focus and emphasis.+1:17Lit to the apostles before me. ME (see UBSHS [Ga], 23).+1:18Following the interpretation of Phillips and the UBSHS in translation here (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.+1:18IT. Cf NIV, NCV, NLT, TEV.+1:18IT. Following the lead of the UBSHS in translation here (see UBSHS [Ga], 24).+1:19ἕτερον τῶν ἀποστόλων ( heteron tōn apostolōn) is in P2 (see BART Display), and therefore δὲ ( de) has been used as spacer to give extra focus to this element.+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. μόνον ἀκούοντες ( monon akouontes) is in P2 (see BART Display and LDGNT), and therefore the ME has been structured so as to give extra focus to this element.+1:24Lit were glorifying God in me. ME. Cf ISV, REB.