Galatians 1

King James Version (1769) · Tap a verse to see it in context

About this chapter

AI-assisted, sourced

Paul, an apostle "not of men, neither by man, but by Jesus Christ," marvels that the Galatians are "so soon removed" to "another gospel," and says that anyone, even "an angel from heaven," who preaches any other gospel, "let him be accursed." He insists the gospel he preached "is not after man," for he received it "by the revelation of Jesus Christ." He tells how he once "persecuted the church of God," how God "called me by his grace" to preach Christ among the heathen, and how he went into Arabia, returned to Damascus, and only after three years went up to Jerusalem to see Peter. Galatians 1:1 Galatians 1:6 Galatians 1:8 Galatians 1:11 Galatians 1:12 Galatians 1:13 Galatians 1:15 Galatians 1:16 Galatians 1:17 Galatians 1:18 Galatians overview

Who, where, when, and the key verses

Who

Paul, writing with "all the brethren which are with me" to "the churches of Galatia"; those "that trouble you"; and Peter and "James the Lord's brother," whom Paul saw in Jerusalem. Galatians 1:1 Galatians 1:2 Galatians 1:7 Galatians 1:18 Galatians 1:19 Galatians overview

Where

Paul writes to the churches of Galatia. His story moves from Damascus to Arabia, back to Damascus, up to Jerusalem, and then to "the regions of Syria and Cilicia," while the churches of Judaea knew him only by report. Galatians 1:2 Galatians 1:17 Galatians 1:18 Galatians 1:21 Galatians 1:22 Galatia Damascus Arabia 2 Jerusalem Syria 2 Cilicia Judea 1

When

Paul says he went up to Jerusalem "after three years." The letter itself is traditionally dated about AD 48-57. Some date it about AD 48-49, before the Jerusalem council of Acts 15; others about AD 53-57, during Paul's third journey. Galatians 1:18 Galatians overview

How it fits

This chapter opens the defence of Paul's gospel as received from Christ. Chapter 2 continues the story: "Then fourteen years after I went up again to Jerusalem with Barnabas." Galatians 1:11 Galatians 1:12 Galatians 2:1 Galatians overview

Key verses

Verse 8
"Though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed." Paul repeats it in verse 9 for emphasis. Galatians 1:8 Galatians 1:9
Verse 10
"If I yet pleased men, I should not be the servant of Christ." In Acts 5:29 the apostles say, "We ought to obey God rather than men." Galatians 1:10 Acts 5:29
Verse 15
God "separated me from my mother's womb, and called me by his grace." Jeremiah 1:5 says of that prophet, "before thou camest forth out of the womb I sanctified thee." Galatians 1:15 Jeremiah 1:5

Takeaway

Hold to the gospel of Christ as it was first given, and seek to please God rather than men. Galatians 1:8 Galatians 1:10 Galatians 1:11

Drafted by AI from the Scripture and data shown under “Show sources,” then checked automatically and by a separate AI reader. Updated 2026-10-31.

Greeting

¹Paul, an apostle, (not of men, neither by man, but by Jesus Christ, and God the Father, who raised him from the dead;) ²And all the brethren which are with me, unto the churches of Galatia: ³Grace be to you and peace from God the Father, and from our Lord Jesus Christ, ⁴Who gave himself for our sins, that he might deliver us from this present evil world, according to the will of God and our Father: ⁵To whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen.

No other gospel

⁶I marvel that ye are so soon removed from him that called you into the grace of Christ unto another gospel: ⁷Which is not another; but there be some that trouble you, and would pervert the gospel of Christ. ⁸But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed. ⁹As we said before, so say I now again, If any man preach any other gospel unto you than that ye have received, let him be accursed. ¹⁰For do I now persuade men, or God? or do I seek to please men? for if I yet pleased men, I should not be the servant of Christ.

A gospel by revelation

¹¹But I certify you, brethren, that the gospel which was preached of me is not after man. ¹²For I neither received it of man, neither was I taught it, but by the revelation of Jesus Christ. ¹³For ye have heard of my conversation in time past in the Jews’ religion, how that beyond measure I persecuted the church of God, and wasted it: ¹⁴And profited in the Jews’ religion above many my equals in mine own nation, being more exceedingly zealous of the traditions of my fathers. ¹⁵But when it pleased God, who separated me from my mother’s womb, and called me by his grace, ¹⁶To reveal his Son in me, that I might preach him among the heathen; immediately I conferred not with flesh and blood: ¹⁷Neither went I up to Jerusalem to them which were apostles before me; but I went into Arabia, and returned again unto Damascus.

First visit to Jerusalem

¹⁸Then after three years I went up to Jerusalem to see Peter, and abode with him fifteen days. ¹⁹But other of the apostles saw I none, save James the Lord’s brother. ²⁰Now the things which I write unto you, behold, before God, I lie not. ²¹Afterwards I came into the regions of Syria and Cilicia; ²²And was unknown by face unto the churches of Judaea which were in Christ: ²³But they had heard only, That he which persecuted us in times past now preacheth the faith which once he destroyed. ²⁴And they glorified God in me.