Galatians 1

Galatians 1:1

Continue to Believe the Truth An EasyEnglish Bible Version and Commentary (2800 word vocabulary) on Paul’s Letter to the Galatians www.easyenglish.info Roy Rohu This commentary has been through Advanced Checking.

Words in boxes are from the Bible.

Tap the * before a word to show an explanation.

About Galatians Paul wrote this letter about 50 years after the birth of Jesus. He wrote in the Greek language. The people called Galatians lived in part of the country that we now call Turkey. After his usual greeting, ‘I pray that you will have *grace and *peace’, Paul did not continue with gentle, loving words as he always did in his other letters. He was not pleased with them.

Many people in Galatia had become Christians. Some of these people were *Jews. Before they became Christians, they had tried to obey all of the very strict laws of Moses. They had tried to please God in this way. Now some of these Christian *Jews wanted to go back to the strict laws. They wanted to *circumcise all Christian men. They said that *faith in God was not enough. In this way, they refused what Paul was teaching.

To start, Paul said three important things:

1. He said that he was a true *apostle (1:1).

2. He said that his message was the only true message (1:6-10).

3. He said that he got his message from Jesus himself (1:12). Chapter 1 v1 This letter is from Paul, the *apostle. Men have not made me an *apostle. Jesus Christ and God the Father did it. God brought Jesus back from death. v2 And this letter is from all the *brothers who are with me. This letter is to the *churches in Galatia.

In all his letters, Paul says that God raised Jesus from death. And he says that Jesus is alive again. This is extremely important. Paul also says that ‘all the *brothers’ agree with him and with his message (see also 1:24 and 2:9). In the Greek language, the word ‘*brothers’ can mean a group of both men and women. When Paul says ‘*brothers’, he does not mean people of his own family, but other Christians.

v3 I pray that you will have *grace and *peace, from God the Father, and our *Lord Jesus Christ. v4 Jesus obeyed God our Father and Jesus died for our *sins. He did this because God our Father wanted us to be free from this evil world. v5 God’s greatness will always be wonderful. *Amen!

Paul began with a prayer for all the Christians at Galatia. He prayed that they would have *grace and *peace. People who used the Greek language spoke a lot about *grace. And people who used the *Jews’ language, Hebrew, spoke a lot about *peace. He wanted to teach both the *Gentiles (those who were not *Jews) and the *Jews something. When they obey Jesus, they are all Christians together. That is what he wanted to teach them. ‘Free from this evil world’ means free in their minds. He wanted their minds to be free from the ways of the people of the world.

v6 It surprises me that you are turning away from God so soon. He is so kind and he chose you. But you have believed another message. v7 That message is not the *good news. Some people are trying to change the *good news of Christ into something else. v8 We have already told you the *good news. Let us suppose that we, or an *angel from *heaven told you different ‘*good news’ from that. Then God will punish that person. v9 As I said before, I say again. You believed the ‘*good news’ that you heard from us. If anyone teaches you something different, then God will punish him.

v10 I do not try to please people. I try to please God. If I tried to please people, I would not be a servant of Christ.

v11 The *good news that I tell is from God, not from men! v12 I did not get it from people. Nobody told it to me. Jesus Christ caused me to understand it. v13 You have heard the story of my past when I was a *Jew. You know that I was very cruel to the *church of God. I even tried to destroy it. v14 I was even stronger in the religion of the *Jews than other young *Jews. I obeyed all our traditions. v15 But, before I was born, God had chosen me. And, one day, by his *grace, he showed me his Son. v16 God did this so that I had the *good news to tell to the *Gentiles. I did not ask anyone to teach me. v17 I did not go to Jerusalem city to the men there who were *apostles already. Instead, I went to the country called Arabia. Then I came back to Damascus city.

Paul tells how he received the *good news in verses 11-17. He wants the Christians at Galatia to know why his message is the true *good news. There were no Christian teachers in Arabia at that time. Paul wanted to learn from God, by himself.

v18 After 3 years, I went up to Jerusalem in order to see Peter. I was there with him for 15 days. v19 The only other *apostle that I saw was James, the brother of the *Lord Jesus. v20 God knows that all of this is true.

v21 Then I came to the countries called Syria and Cilicia.

v22 But none of the Christians in Judea knew me then. v23 They only heard this report. The cruel man who had tried to destroy the *good news was now telling it. v24 And they thanked God.

© 1997-2005, Wycliffe Associates (UK)

This publication is written in EasyEnglish Level B (2800 words).

December 2005

Visit our website: www.easyenglish.info

var w1 = new Array;w1[0]=’<b%3Egrace</b%3E ~ a gift from God that we do not deserve or earn.