1Moji milí bratia v Galácii,prijmite odo mňa i od všetkých, ktorí sú tu so mnou, pozdrav so želaním Božieho pokoja a milosti.2-3Píšem vám ako apoštol, ktorého do tejto služby povolal nie človek alebo nejaká organizácia, ale sám Ježiš Kristus a Boh Otec, ktorý ho vzkriesil z mŕtvych.4On sa za nás obetoval podľa Božej vôle, a tak nás vytrhol z tohto zlého sveta.5Jeho chceme chváliť a oslavovať naveky.
Jediná cesta k Bohu
6Veľmi sa čudujem, bratia, ako rýchlo ste sa dali zviesť falošným evanjeliom.7Pamätajte, že niet inej cesty, ako je tá, ktorú vám ukázal Kristus. Nedajte sa mýliť tými, čo sa usilujú jeho učenie prekrúcať.8-9Stihne ich prísny Boží trest, nech by to bol ktokoľvek, hoci aj anjel z neba.10Ozaj si myslíte, že sa usilujem, aby som si získal vašu priazeň? Len Bohu sa chcem ľúbiť, inak by som nebol služobníkom Kristovým.11Ubezpečujem vás, bratia, že to, čo som vám zvestoval, nie je ľudský výmysel.12Sám Ježiš Kristus sa mi zjavil a poveril ma týmto posolstvom.
Povolanie apoštola Pavla
13Vy predsa viete, ako som sa správal ešte ako Žid, ako som prenasledoval kresťanov a usiloval sa ich vyhubiť.14Nebolo v tom čase horlivejšieho a pravovernejšieho Žida ako ja.15Ale Boh si ma dávno pred mojím narodením vo svojej nepochopiteľnej milosti vyvolil,16aby mi zjavil pravdu o svojom Synovi, a prikázal mi, aby som niesol toto posolstvo do celého sveta, aj pohanom. Vtedy som sa neradil s ľuďmi,17ba ani za apoštolmi do Jeruzalema som nešiel. Odišiel som do Arábie, potom som sa zase vrátil do Damasku.18Až po troch rokoch som sa vypravil do Jeruzalema, aby som sa osobne zoznámil s Petrom. Pobudol som u neho dva týždne,19ale okrem Jakuba, Ježišovho brata, som sa s inými apoštolmi nestretol.20Tak to skutočne bolo. Boh mi je svedkom, že neklamem.21Potom som putoval do Sýrie a Cilície,22ale v Judsku ma kresťania ešte stále osobne nepoznali.23Vedeli iba, že niekdajší nepriateľ a prenasledovateľ kresťanov teraz zvestuje to, proti čomu kedysi tak kruto vystupoval.24A chválili za to Boha.
6I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting him who called you in the grace of Christ and are turning to a different gospel— (Sk 16,6; Sk 18,23; 2 Kor 11,4; Gal 4,13; Gal 5,8; 1 Tim 1,3)7not that there is another one, but there are some who trouble you and want to distort the gospel of Christ. (Sk 4,12; Sk 15,24; 1 Kor 3,11; 2 Kor 11,13; Gal 5,10)8But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach to you a gospel contrary to the one we preached to you, let him be accursed. (Rim 9,3; 2 Kor 11,14)9As we have said before, so now I say again: If anyone is preaching to you a gospel contrary to the one you received, let him be accursed. (Gal 1,8)10For am I now seeking the approval of man, or of God? Or am I trying to please man? If I were still trying to please man, I would not be a servant[2] of Christ. (Rim 1,1; Rim 2,29; 1 Kor 10,33; Ef 6,6; Kol 3,22; 1 Sol 2,4)
Paul Called by God
11For I would have you know, brothers, that the gospel that was preached by me is not man’s gospel.[3] (Rim 2,16; 1 Kor 15,1)12For I did not receive it from any man, nor was I taught it, but I received it through a revelation of Jesus Christ. (Sk 22,14; 1 Kor 2,10; 1 Kor 11,23; 1 Kor 15,3; 2 Kor 12,1; Gal 1,1; Gal 1,16)13For you have heard of my former life in Judaism, how I persecuted the church of God violently and tried to destroy it. (Sk 8,3; Sk 26,4)14And I was advancing in Judaism beyond many of my own age among my people, so extremely zealous was I for the traditions of my fathers. (Jer 9,14; Mt 15,2; Sk 21,20; Flp 3,6; 2 Tim 1,3)15But when he who had set me apart before I was born,[4] and who called me by his grace, (Iz 49,1; Iz 49,5; Jer 1,5; Lk 1,15; Sk 13,2; Rim 1,1; Gal 1,6)16was pleased to reveal his Son to[5] me, in order that I might preach him among the Gentiles, I did not immediately consult with anyone;[6] (Sk 9,15; Gal 2,9)17nor did I go up to Jerusalem to those who were apostles before me, but I went away into Arabia, and returned again to Damascus.18Then after three years I went up to Jerusalem to visit Cephas and remained with him fifteen days. (Sk 9,22)19But I saw none of the other apostles except James the Lord’s brother. (Mt 12,46; Sk 12,17)20(In what I am writing to you, before God, I do not lie!) (Rim 1,9; Rim 9,1)21Then I went into the regions of Syria and Cilicia. (Sk 9,30; Sk 11,25; Sk 13,1)22And I was still unknown in person to the churches of Judea that are in Christ. (1 Sol 2,14)23They only were hearing it said, “He who used to persecute us is now preaching the faith he once tried to destroy.”24And they glorified God because of me.